Will wireless G help?

[mcnallyj]

I have a PC server where I keep all of my video files on. I have a laptop which supports wireless G speeds. I usually play the videos through Nero ShowTime on the laptop by mapping the network drive on the PC where the video files are stored, so I'm not streaming video technically, just streaming the actual file to Nero Showtime.

I currently am using a B connection from a distance of <50 feet. Playback is ok, but I do notice some artifacts and other anomalies/slight stuttering/etc. Will upgrading to a G adapter make a world of difference, or are the problems I am seeing just something I can't get around when using a wireless connection? I have a wired xbox w/ xbmc which gets files off the same PC, but I don't see any of these issues being that it is connected at 100mbs...

[OmegaSupreme]

If you are not experiencing the stuttering on a wired connection, then it is probably the speed of the wireless connection that is giving you the problem. Wireless G has a maximum theoretical speed of 54 Mbps whereas wireless B is only 11 Mbps. I say theoretical because many things can and do affect the speed of the connection such as distance from the base station, cordless phones, microwave ovens, and the type and thickness of walls.

Recommendation: Upgrade to G

[whitejremiah]

i will say this, im on a wireless G connection right now, and as far as transferring files from one pc to another, the speeds BITE compared to a wired connection...i think i hit all of about 3mb/s or so...probably partly because i got a LOT of devices connected to that particular router, but even so......it will probably still be faster, and may reduce the stuttering durning playback, as for artifacts, maybe, and maybe not........

[LloydAZ]

I have a PC server where I keep all of my video files on. I have a laptop which supports wireless G speeds. I usually play the videos through Nero ShowTime on the laptop by mapping the network drive on the PC where the video files are stored, so I'm not streaming video technically, just streaming the actual file to Nero Showtime.

I currently am using a B connection from a distance of <50 feet. Playback is ok, but I do notice some artifacts and other anomalies/slight stuttering/etc. Will upgrading to a G adapter make a world of difference, or are the problems I am seeing just something I can't get around when using a wireless connection? I have a wired xbox w/ xbmc which gets files off the same PC, but I don't see any of these issues being that it is connected at 100mbs...

I've tried pushing video through a Wireless G connection to my XBox with Windows Media Center Extender for XBox. The video still stutters. Of course, there are also two other wireless networks in my complex that could be causing some issues even though I am on another channel.

[mcnallyj]

Thanks all for the replies. I am thinking then that it will be worth the upgrade to G, but it still won't be as good as if the connection was wired like it is to the xbox. I wish there was some sort of buffer that could be set up for this purpose...of course I could always transfer the entire file from the PC to the laptop before playing it, but that would mean waiting 30mins to an hour, if not longer, every time I wanted to watch a certain video while it was transferred.

[Richard_G]

The fact that it takes you over 30 minutes to transfer a video file across to your laptop over wireless, shows just how marginal your connection speed is. Upgrading to G should help, but also bear in mind that the transfer rate very rarely gets anywhere close to the rated speed. Other networks nearby, poor signal, WEP encryption, all slow down the rate as they increase handshake and retrys. The overhead on wireless networks is quite high.

Try timing how long it takes to transfer a file of known size from one machine to another. Also remember that quoted speeds are in Mega bits and not mega bytes, so 11Mbs doesn't mean that it will take 1 second to transfer a 11MB file, theoretically it will take a 8 seconds (as there are 8 bits in a byte). In reality it will take probably nearer 12 seconds because of the overhead and handshaking. This will be even greater still if WEP is used.

[mcnallyj]

Yeah, wep is being used, which could be the reason for the lengthy transfer speed, in addition we're talking about files of 1gb+ also.

I have been looking at the G products out there, can anyone give me insight as to why it seems cheaper to purchase a wireless router rather than a access point? Is an access point connected to a wired router better in terms of reliability? I've had wireless routers in the past that continuosly require resets every few days, whereas my current B access point has been at 100% uptime since connected about a month ago.