Wireless routers - maximum connections?

john_s_2

I'm thinking of changing by BB supplier to Sky but I'm nervous of being tied to their router.

There are four PCs in our house - three of which connect wirelessly - but I just read on the Sky FAQ page that their router can only cope with a maximum of four PCs:

You can connect up to 4 computers on your Sky router. To connect more than one PC using Ethernet, you simply need to attach each PC to the router using an Ethernet cable. You can connect up to four PCs in this way.
To connect more than one PC wirelessly, you will need to have a wireless adapter installed on each of the PCs you wish to use and then configure each adapter with the necessary security information.

The kids' friends sometimes bring round their laptops, and I'm sure one of the games consoles uses the internet occasionally, so I don't fancy being restricted to four simultaneous connections.

I presently use a Netgear DG834G. Although I can't find any documentation that says what its maximum number of connections is, I'm sure it's more than four. Note that Sky no longer supply a customised DG834; I can't remember what they do supply.

Can anyone throw any light on this? Is the above advice from Sky badly worded, or can it really only cope with four connections, and what is the maximum that the Netgear DG834G can cope with?

penrhyn

The router supports 4 ethernet connected PCs and as many wireless PCs as you like.

savemoney

I would have thought that the only restriction in wireless would be distance and bandwidth. The more pcs obviously browsing/downloading would restrict bandwith but only if you downloaded at the full speed at which your ISP and distance to exchange dictates

devizes18193

we've just gone over to sky . we run 3 pc's 3 ds's a ps2 and a wii with no probs

john_s_2

Thanks for the replies.

The router supports 4 ethernet connected PCs and as many wireless PCs as you like.

What, the Sky Router, my Netgear, or both? Or all wireless routers?

I would have thought that the only restriction in wireless would be distance and bandwidth. The more pcs obviously browsing/downloading would restrict bandwith but only if you downloaded at the full speed at which your ISP and distance to exchange dictates

That's what I thought as well, but I'd want to be certain before committing myself. The above answer from Sky's own website is unequivocal: "You can connect up to 4 computers on your Sky router."

we've just gone over to sky . we run 3 pc's 3 ds's a ps2 and a wii with no probs

Thanks for that.

I've found this messageboard:

http://www.skyuser.co.uk/forum/sky-router/

- which I'm having a look for an answer at the moment. Obviously only people with problems post questions, but it's putting me off being tied to their router even more! (Or should I say routers? It seems they have all sorts of models.)

devizes18193

mines a netgear like i said 3 weeks in with no probs

penrhyn

The original Sky router was a Netgear DG834GT, the latest ones are Netgear or Sagem. I'm running a desktop, laptop, network printer and a Wii off mine.

scheming_gypsy

the number of PC's you can connect wirelessly would depend on if you have full access to the admin pages. If an ISP supplies its own router and has locked down the admin console then they could also lock down the IP range for the DHCP server. If you have full access and control then you can have as many as you want.

john_s_2

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

the number of PC's you can connect wirelessly would depend on if you have full access to the admin pages. If an ISP supplies its own router and has locked down the admin console then they could also lock down the IP range for the DHCP server. If you have full access and control then you can have as many as you want.

Thanks. So it seems I'm back where I started! It's not impossible that the Sky router could be locked down to only four connections. (Not withstanding the previous poster who says s/he's had no problems.)

I guess I'll phone them up first to check, if I decide to definitely go for it. At least I'll get an idea of what their customer services are like. They've been fine for the telly...

scheming_gypsy

no you should be fine.
re-reading your original post their site says that you can have 4 WIRED and more wireless. How many wireless in total depends on if its locked down, although it shouldn't be as the amount of computers on your local network doesn't affect them.

The router itself will have 4 ethernet ports for a maximum of 4 wired pc's and then x amount of wireless. I can't see any reason why they'd lock down the amount of address on the local network so you should be able to get 4 wired and at least 249 wireless.

john_s_2

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

no you should be fine.
re-reading your original post their site says that you can have 4 WIRED and more wireless. How many wireless in total depends on if its locked down, although it shouldn't be as the amount of computers on your local network doesn't affect them.

The router itself will have 4 ethernet ports for a maximum of 4 wired pc's and then x amount of wireless. I can't see any reason why they'd lock down the amount of address on the local network so you should be able to get 4 wired and at least 249 wireless.

Thanks again. If that's the case (and I'm fairly sure you're right) then it is ambiguously worded. It starts by saying, "You can connect up to 4 computers on your Sky router." It goes on to explain that "you can connect up to four PCs [using ethernet]."

But it's not clear how many wireless connections there can be, and whether that's in addition to the four ethernet connections. I know that's how normal routers are set up, but this isn't a normal router.

I'll see what Sky say when I phone them (probably tomorrow) and I'll repost with what they say.

As I type I have four hulking great teenagers in my living room, about the same number of laptops, and a Wii...

EDIT: Thinking about it, this is also badly worded: "To connect more than one PC wirelessly, you will need to have a wireless adapter installed on each of the PCs you wish to use"

To connect only one PC wirelessly it will need to have a wireless adapter installed. I'm a cold logical person, and read things very literally...