Should I buy a wireless N Router?

ormus

rule number one.
networks will slow to the slowest device on your network.
ie. 802.11a/b/g/n
if you have all these devices on the network, it will slow down to the slowest.

DVardysShadow

JasX wrote: »

Alot of conflicting advice here, were I in your position I'd try doing some testing to work out which wireless link is giving me the bulk of my problem...

I have a main Pc, which has the modem and router installed to it.

I'm going to assume this is incorrect any you have a standard ADSL type modem connected to your phone line, the internet works when your main PC is off and the modem and router are not 'installed' on anything.

Agree. Routers are never installed to a PC. Well OK, using install disks, they can be. But routers are NEVER a peripeheral of a PC and as such, you should never 'install' them.

jaydeeuk1

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/169923?ref=dotd&hp_deal=10

£12+del, good price imo

JasX

jaydeeuk1 wrote: »

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/169923?ref=dotd&hp_deal=10

£12+del, good price imo

Two cautions,

Thats an access point only so won't replace a combined ADSL modem+router device it'll need to be run in addition to a separate modem when the internet is required

Likely to be single 2.4Ghz rather than 5Ghz so only 50% of the transfer speed of 5Ghz wireless N

markfj

Hi

Thanks all for the replies, have to admit, it all confuses me to much :rotfl:

Basically, I cant get it to stream, and it used to work fine, just recently however, my net connection seems to be dropping accroding to the signal strenght bar on windows 7 to 2 out of 5 bars

Now, I bought the my dongle as a refurbed one, so I am curious if this is the problem. The streaming only d/c when my net connection drops low on my pc, or so it seems. The main PC witht he router attatched is only in the next room from my PC, but would need a big cable to connect, am I right in saying it is a Cat 5 cable I would need?

But I was thinking about getting the wireless card alternative too, which should support the 108mbps aswell.

sorry for my ignorance, and appreciate all your help!

JasX

Sorry Markfj,

your setup is a bit unusual/confusing and we're struggling to piece together exactly what you have now and what you're trying to do to suggest the best/cheapest way to move from what you have now to something a bit more efficient and 'standard'.

You have a WPN824, (http://kbserver.netgear.com/pdf/wpn824_ref_manual.pdf)
This is unusual in itself as most people have a combined modem+router these days.

You also use "Rangemax MIMO" a propietary Netgear protocol, very non-standard and although may give a faster link to your 2nd PC won't be supported by your xbox.

you are using a USB dongle on the 2nd PC so any external drives/peripherals on the 2nd PC connected via USB will be competing with the dongle for limited bandwidth, no good having a faster propietary 'Rangemax wireless' link if everything is getting clogged up on the USB bus inside the computer.

Questions I have:
How do you get your internet? is it cable or down a BT type phone line?

How is your 'modem' connected to your WPN824? What model modem do you have? (and hence does all data go via your 1st PC or not, if everything does go via your 1st PC getting a combined modem/router so it can bypass it will help alot!)

where exactly are these files you are trying to 'stream' to the xbox located?
are they local files on an internal SATA/IDE connected hard disk or CD/DVD/Bluray drive?
are they local files on an external USB connected hard disk or CD/DVD/Bluray drive?
are they files being streamed directly off the internet?
what type of file are they? video? music?

espresso

ormus wrote: »

rule number one.
networks will slow to the slowest device on your network.
ie. 802.11a/b/g/n
if you have all these devices on the network, it will slow down to the slowest.

Just for the record, rule number 1 has not been true for years now! There are many dual band routers available, allowing different spec. devices to communicate at different speeds on the same home network. Google and you will find.

markfj

JasX wrote: »

Sorry Markfj,

your setup is a bit unusual/confusing and we're struggling to piece together exactly what you have now and what you're trying to do to suggest the best/cheapest way to move from what you have now to something a bit more efficient and 'standard'.

You have a WPN824, (http://kbserver.netgear.com/pdf/wpn824_ref_manual.pdf)
This is unusual in itself as most people have a combined modem+router these days.

You also use "Rangemax MIMO" a propietary Netgear protocol, very non-standard and although may give a faster link to your 2nd PC won't be supported by your xbox.

you are using a USB dongle on the 2nd PC so any external drives/peripherals on the 2nd PC connected via USB will be competing with the dongle for limited bandwidth, no good having a faster propietary 'Rangemax wireless' link if everything is getting clogged up on the USB bus inside the computer.

Questions I have:
How do you get your internet? is it cable or down a BT type phone line?

How is your 'modem' connected to your WPN824? What model modem do you have? (and hence does all data go via your 1st PC or not, if everything does go via your 1st PC getting a combined modem/router so it can bypass it will help alot!)

where exactly are these files you are trying to 'stream' to the xbox located?
are they local files on an internal SATA/IDE connected hard disk or CD/DVD/Bluray drive?
are they local files on an external USB connected hard disk or CD/DVD/Bluray drive?
are they files being streamed directly off the internet?
what type of file are they? video? music?

Hi Thanks again,appreciate your help and time

Ok, I didnt actually know my setup was unusual, I dont know much about routers/modems etc

Ok I got the info in answer to your questions :

1. How do you get your internet? is it cable or down a BT type phone line?
It is a cable Modem

2.How is your 'modem' connected to your WPN824? What model modem do you have?
It is conected Via Ethernet cable, I looked for a Model number and on the back it just says NTL 250, so I guess it is just that.

3.where exactly are these files you are trying to 'stream' to the xbox located?
The files AVI/MPEG Files, music streams fine and they are on my Harddrive on my personal PC (one with dongle attacthed), not the main PC. I think I have understood your questions properly, and thanks again, I get more help from here than I did on netgears forums!

DVardysShadow

markfj wrote: »

Hi

Thanks all for the replies, have to admit, it all confuses me to much :rotfl:

Basically, I cant get it to stream, and it used to work fine, just recently however, my net connection seems to be dropping accroding to the signal strenght bar on windows 7 to 2 out of 5 bars

Now, I bought the my dongle as a refurbed one, so I am curious if this is the problem. The streaming only d/c when my net connection drops low on my pc, or so it seems. The main PC witht he router attatched is only in the next room from my PC, but would need a big cable to connect, am I right in saying it is a Cat 5 cable I would need?

But I was thinking about getting the wireless card alternative too, which should support the 108mbps aswell.

sorry for my ignorance, and appreciate all your help!

So it might seem. Your net connection consists of your local wireless and down the phoneline. But I would fully expect it is only indicating performance of the local wireless. Not so much to do with your connection to the internet, very relevant to what happens when you are streaming locally. If you are using the internet, it is the first leg of your connection, but if it is making you look on the phone line side of your router it is misleading you. Perhaps the way to think of 'net connection' is as the first leg outside of your local PC.

markfj

DVardysShadow wrote: »

So it might seem. Your net connection consists of your local wireless and down the phoneline. But I would fully expect it is only indicating performance of the local wireless. Not so much to do with your connection to the internet, very relevant to what happens when you are streaming locally. If you are using the internet, it is the first leg of your connection, but if it is making you look on the phone line side of your router it is misleading you. Perhaps the way to think of 'net connection' is as the first leg outside of your local PC.

Think my ignorance is showing through

Not sure I fully understand, I dont actually have a home phone, if that makes a difference? when we bought Broadband we had a home phone, but we cancelled that recently and just have broadband installed