help with wireless setup. Not sure which way to go with new router setup.

[ricflairandy]

Got the WAG354G deal today from pc world. Thats going upstairs next to my computer, need a wireless access point now for my xbox and dreambox downstairs. However im thinking that i could put the router behind the tv downstairs and have a pci wireless card in my pc upstairs. People tel me the speed wont be half as good as wired. What would my best option be.?

[peterb]

If it's internet access that is yoiur main concern, the wireless connection will be faster than the ADSL connection, so you won't notice much (if any) difference. If you are transferring large files from one machine to anothetr, then the wireless connection will be slower than a wired connection.

[ricflairandy]

The only copying im going to be doing is streaming divx movies or mp3s to the xbox , and the odd copy back or fourth from the dreambox. Am i likley to notice a big difference?

[peterb]

No! (Wired tends to be more reliable though - at extreme ranges you can lose the signal, which would be noticeable streaming).

[ricflairandy]

well the distance is about erm, 5-6 metres direct trhough a wall and a floor, or 10-12 metres or so down the stairs and into the room

[peterb]

Try it and see - if the wireless doesn't work reliably, experiment to see if you can get a better wireless set up - if not, run cat5 cable in.

[ricflairandy]

would a router work as a wireless access point? if i got another wireless router?

[peterb]

Probably not - and expensive! Better to get a stand alone access point.

[ricflairandy]

went for a pci card instead.

Got an asus pci wireless card. Installed it, moved the router downstairs and it works fine locally, i can stream video from the dreambox to the pc(which uses alot of bandwith) fine. Only issues im having now is on download speeds. Im on a 2mb adsl connection, yet when i try and download from newsgroups, the maxiumum im getting now is 120k. I was getting over 200 all of the time before. Im on zen so there shouldnt be anything slowing me down.

Any ideas?

[ricflairandy]

and btw, im only on sp1. Will sp2 make any difference good or bad to my wireless setup?

[Stompy]

SP2 improves wireless alot I hear.

[scottyman]

i'd be using a range extender, add the external antenna (does work very well)
i bought one for my dad and he's loving it - it's got much better range that the dlink g604 that he was running previously. the best solution is to experiment and work out where you get the best signal - then decide accordingly.

[ricflairandy]

how much is an external antenna?

[scottyman]

he got his for $20 AUD delivered, so it can't be much - ebuyer sells one for 23 quid - but that is very high - i'm convinced I saw it for about 8 quid!

[GDVS]

Probably not - and expensive! Better to get a stand alone access point.

WRT54G (not v5) with the latest DD-WRT firmware configured as a wireless bridge should do it I think, don't quote me on that though as I believe X-Box Live uses uPnP and I haven't got that enabled on my routers so can't verify it works over the bridge.