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Thread: Wireless router - loss in speed?

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    Senior Member ajbrun's Avatar
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    Question Wireless router - loss in speed?

    My parents don't want wires trailing all over the house , and I would like to share a broadband modem and a printer using a router, so I'm thinking about getting a wireless router .

    Just to check:
    I'm sure you can, but can you plug in a printer and a usb modem into a wireless router?

    I've also heard that compared with wired routers, wireless routers aren't as fast, and won't load web pages as quickely - is this true?

    Thanks

    One more thing - what's the different to 802g or whatever it's called and other types. I think they're different speeds, but which is the fastest?
    Last edited by ajbrun; 15-06-2004 at 05:04 PM.

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    iMc
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    there are 3 versions

    802.11a = 54mbps but only short range (useful for one room only, but you will get NO interferance as it is on the 5Ghz band.)
    802.11b = 11mbps long range
    802.11g = 54mbps longest range.

    As long as you have a good signal strength web pages should load just as quick. As signal decreases the router will lower speed to keep a good connection, if these speed stays above the speed of ur internet then you shouldnt have aproblem with pages loading slowly or downloads seeming slower.

    I would tell you which router etc. to buy but im still looking myself and not too sure!
    Last edited by iMc; 15-06-2004 at 06:41 PM.
    HEXUS|iMc

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    Senior Member ajbrun's Avatar
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    OK, so how far can a computer be from a 54mbps router without losing connection speed?

    I'm guessing The furthest computer from the router we'd need would be about 10-15 metres away.

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    Quote Originally Posted by ajbrun
    Just to check:
    I'm sure you can, but can you plug in a printer and a usb modem into a wireless router?
    There's only a few routers that can work with a USB modem iirc...they expect an rj45 lead from the modem, not a usb connection, I think some will cope with USB though. To save the hassle it might be worth looking into a device that has a modem built into it.

    It'd be simpler to share the printer using windows rather than getting a router with a print server too, I think.

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    iMc
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    With 802.11g people have been known to go up to 100m away with a few walls with only a small loss. The next room or floor above is a more reasonable target.

    Would be totally fine 15m away.
    HEXUS|iMc

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    Asking silly questions menthel's Avatar
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    Suffer no loss of signal in my flat with my netgear modem/wireless/router. Am interested in the printer point. Is there a cheap and easy way to connect a printer?
    Not around too often!

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    DsW
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    Quote Originally Posted by ajbrun
    I'm sure you can, but can you plug in a printer and a usb modem into a wireless router?
    Some routers come with a parallel port and printer server so you can share a printer across the network, yes. I think most wireless routers connect to a Cable or DSL modem via an Ethernet cable. Another option would be to buy a wireless router with built in ADSL modem.

    Quote Originally Posted by ajbrun
    I've also heard that compared with wired routers, wireless routers aren't as fast, and won't load web pages as quickely - is this true?
    With the current WLAN standards, data transfer speeds across a wireless network aren't as quick as their wired counterparts. This isn't specific to web pages - it affects all data transferred across the network.

    Quote Originally Posted by ajbrun
    One more thing - what's the different to 802g or whatever it's called and other types. I think they're different speeds, but which is the fastest?
    http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/WLANStandards.asp

    cheers,
    dave

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    Signal loss is mainly dependant on the wireless cards - the router is very powerful (comparitavely) and has a long range (usually 100-150m indoors, 300-350m outdoors), but some cards are far lower powered. They could still recieve a signal from the router, but they need to have a return link too and their transmitters arent often strong enough for these distances (netgear cards are a major culprit). Since ethernet is a symmetric system (speed upstream=speed downstream) all speed is dropped to the weakest link. This means the main decider in speed is the card you use over the router. Some tips from my experience:

    Dlink cards are good, Netgear are bad, linksys are middling (for range and speed, all setup disregarded)

    Do not mix 11b cards with 54g, unlewss you dont mind a major degradation in speed for everyone

    If you need to use a usb modem, get an access point, an old x86 machine (install smoothwall on it and plug them all together:

    modem -> smoothwall -> access point -> clients

    With smoothwall, don't be wary because it's linux - it's got an easyer to use configuration system than any SOHO router you'll ever buy, and the installation of smoothwall itself is also very simple.

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    Senior Member ajbrun's Avatar
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    Does anyone know of ANY routers that can have a USB modem connected to it?

    (I'm not too bothered about the printer port now)

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    IIRC "zoom" may do one. cant find the link though.

    (just use a smoothwall, it's cheaper, easier and better, and you can use usb modems!!)

    Which usb modem are you intending on using?

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    I set up a linksys router 802.11b & 802.11g at my brother's house. I can walk down the street with his laptop about 2 houses away and still have about 5-11mbps which is higher than his 3mbps cable modem.

    Also, my neighbor has a 802.11b router of some sort. B/c when my friend stayed at my house a few weeks ago. He got a perfect signal in my house. And the neighbor is across the street from me. Now, I dont know where the router is in the house. It could be in the window or far side.

    Both situations had plenty of distance. So be sure to secure your router with a password and/or encryption so you dont have neighbors leaching your bandwidth. OR fileswapping (tracked back to your IP address!!)

    Also, most cable modems have 2 connections, 1 usb, 1 RJ45 (LAN).
    You want to use the RJ45, LAN connectors. All network devices use those.

    Side note: for a direct modem to PC connection, I've found that the USB wire is faster on Win98/ME, and both LAN/USB are about the same speed on WinXP.

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    WEP (wired equivilent protection (it's not), a standard encryption) isn't all that strong, since periodically it generates weak packets. collecting enough of these packets would enable the key to be discovered, and after that the network is totally open to this person, and they will look like a normal, valid user. If you can, go for a router with WPA (Wi-Fi protected access). I hear it's much more secure, but have no personal experience of same. Also, use MAC filtering, but do not use it alone. You whould use both MAC filtering and WEP/WPA, since MAC's can be spoofed very easily, and WEP can be broken.

    Are you using Cable or ADSL? I kind of assumed it was ADSL, but all I said still applies.

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    iMc
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    Reckon its ok if i buy a netgear router with D-Link pci cards?
    HEXUS|iMc

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    Senior Member ajbrun's Avatar
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    I think I've found a router that will suit my needs:

    NETGEAR DG834G Integrated ADSL Modem and 802.11g Wireless Firewall Router with 4 Port Switch

    Only thing - it's netgear. Someone earlier back said that getting a netgear PCI card was a bad idea. Does this go for the router too?

    Also, if this router is OK, can I get a PCI card that is NOT netgear to go with it?

    Thanks

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    iMc
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    Exact one i was looking at and the exact same question
    HEXUS|iMc

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    Senior Member ajbrun's Avatar
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    Well since 2 of us want to know, I'm sure someone will answer eventually.

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