Please Help With Router Suggestions, Thank You!

[golfnut]

Hi Guys, I the help of those more informed than I on a new router. I am currently using a Linksys wireless 802.11g and when browsing the net, downloading, and uploading I am getting terrible speeds and I am about 90% convinced it is the router and not my PC, using XP Home OS, 2600 Athlon XP, 512K PC3200 Ram, Asus MB, 80G Western HD, 7200 rpm. Could I ask for some advice here on what brand I should purchase, plan on upgrading to the 802.11g as well. Do you think there is a big difference between the b and g versions as far as D/L, U/L speeds are concerned on the internet? Thank so much for your advice and education.

[reboot]

802.11g is approx 5x faster than 802.11b
Nothing wrong with Linksys.

Edited to correct my mistake

[rallynavvie]

It's not 10x faster unless you're using the faster g wireless available on some hardware. 802.11b is 11 Mbps and 802.11g is 54 Mbps. The faster g hardware used two signals to combine for 108 Mbps speeds, but all devices connected to that network must also be rated for those speeds else the router drops to regular g mode. Linksys is good stuff, I don't know why there'd be trouble with one. Personally I got a great deal on a D-Link DI-624 and with the firmware upgrades it seems even better than the Linksys offering. I dunno what the latest Cisco has but I've got 108 Mbps capability, WPA security, and a few other options that can be toggled for security (like SSID broadcasting and the like). I only ever had problems with it when I tried to dual-switch a LAN (that is connect it to another switch and try to use it as a switch), but I'm sure we could have got it to work had anyone had the patience to try. I use it at home and it works wonderfully with great signal reception all over the house (however I am out in the sticks so probably less radio interference).

As far as the usability of b, g, and fast g: b is well enough for internet use. Considering the faster cable downloads are maybe 2.5 Mbps you've still got a lot of bandwidth to use with 11 Mbps. However if you transfer a lot of files back and forth between computers on your WLAN then g speeds are nice. Further, if you like to play the latest multiplayer games over your WLAN then the fast g speeds are the best. I've tested the 108 Mbps speeds using BF1942, Raven Shield, and Call of Duty and it felt just like being on a wired LAN (and at 108 Mbps it's just as fast as most wired networks). Again, the fast g speeds are dependent on all devices on your WLAN being capable of those speeds so if you do plan on aiming for those speeds plan on upgrading the wireless NICs in all your other computers.

[golfnut]

rallynavvie, thank you for the detailed explanation. Unfortunately I am not near as educated as you and would like to ask you how to do a couple of thinkgs you recommend. Number 1, I am on Comcast cable internet should you need to know this in your response to my qestions.

My speed concerns are only for d/l and u/l on the internet. I have 2 computers hooked up to the Linksys, mine and my son's but we hardly ever swap files between computers. He is a bit game player so he would probably benefit from g vs b according to what you are saying. Here is my question, you say the g speeds are dependent upon my devices on the WLAN. I have no clue what this means, could you give this dummy a little explanation on WLAN and how I go about checking my and my son's computer to make sure we have what we need in order to benefit from g vs. b? Thank you very much for taking time to explain this.

[rallynavvie]

Are both computers connected wirelessly or do you have one plugged directly into the router? At home I've got my main video box and my Linux box connected directly to the router as they are right next to each other. My internet computer is connected with a wireless PCI card to the router, and either of my laptops can access the router wirelessly from anywhere in the house. Unfortunately the iBook doesn't have a card capable of the faster g speeds so I only connect that laptop when not interrupting anything on my WLAN (which means simply wireless LAN).

Regarding your problems have you tried plugging a computer directly into your cable modem to see if that fixes the connection problems you say you're having? After that try plugging it into one of the LAN ports on your router (most wireless routers I've seen have LAN ports in addition to their wireless function) and your router back into the modem and see if the LAN connection is OK. If all those are fine and you're still having problems with the wireless connection you may be looking at interference or dropped signals. Do you have the ability to monitor signal strength with that model router? You may also want to upgrade the firmware on the router if available.

And as far as b vs. g: I'd suggest getting something that's g wireless simply for the fact that the prices are coming down on these and it leaves room for growth. You can get away with b because you're just accessing internet. With regular g you'll be able to share files quicker between computers if you want to. The faster g speeds are helpful for LAN gaming, not internet gaming as that is still limited to the bandwidth of your cable service.

If you do get a 802.11g router you might not have to replace the wireless cards with 802.11g in the computers that connect wirelessly. Most routers are backwards-compatable with 802.11b. The only time this would affect wireless performance is if you are using the faster g speeds of 108 Mbps (sometimes called Extreme G or something flashy like that). Someday down the line you could also upgrade the wireless cards to support 802.11g as well. Personally I can recommend the D-Link DI-624 that I use for a router. It's worked well for me. I've seen them on sale for around $70US. If you do get one just make sure it's hardware revision B or C to take advantage of the firmware upgrades.

[Ziffelpig]

Couple of things, Is your wireless signal encrypted?,if not you could be sharing your broadband with the entire neighborhood and not realize it. You also mention uploading/Downloading(P2P).Most P2P clients are restricted by firewalls and use specific ports that you may need to open to get better up/down speeds. I use a Belkin router and simply log into the admin screen to make any changes, restrict access, open ports etc.

[edsmith77]

golfnut,
while all the data provided to you is on the mark, there is however, another condition that was not mentioned (of course unless I read right over it) which affect dl/ul speeds. That is when ul/dl'ing to the net not all servers/web sites are created equal. Thus, on one site I can get excellent dl speeds but on another site (aka different web page, etc., etc, etc.), the dl speeds can be and often are drastically slower. The speed that you actually see is not just a function of your router in internal network but the connection speed to your ISP provider as well as the server speeds at whatever sites you are dl/ul'ing to.
Actually, I do have a wireless 'g' router which also serves as my 'wired' pcs. I am using a Starpower Cable modem as my connection. I have done everything in my power to overload the circuit with max number of wired pcs and upto 3 wireless laptops, including neighbors all watching the cable and switching channels at once and I could not perceive any loss in connectivity speed. The only loss is noticed is from the ul/dl servers not being able to adequately handle their service load.

Just another point to consider.

[golfnut]

rallynavvie,

My son's computer is wired into the Linksys rounter, my PC is using the Linksys adapter, both are wireless and 802.11b.

Yes I have tried plugging a computer directly into the cable modem but it doesn't fix the problem. Signal strength reads "excellent" on both PCs.

Thank you for your suggestions and advice, I really do appreciate your taking the time to discuss and help resolve this with me. Have a great weekend!

[golfnut]

ziffelplg,

Thank you for your reply, here are answers to the questions you asked.

I do not know if the wireless signal is encrypted or not, how do I check for that and if it isn't how do I encrypt it to protect myself?

I am aware that some sites are firewalled but I have opened the ports in my router to successfully open those sites and have no problem with those sites.

Thank you for the advice and taking your time to help me fix my problem, it is appreciated.

[Ziffelpig]

I could give you an explanation that would probably make it more confusing so read here as there are so many options besides just turning up your wep(wired equivalent privacy).

http://www.nwfusion.com/columnists/2002/0325helpdesk.html

[golfnut]

ziffelpig, thanks for the address, I will certainly check it out.

[Ziffelpig]

I could give you an explanation that would probably make it more confusing so read here as there are so many options besides just turning up your wep(wired equivalent privacy).

http://www.nwfusion.com/columnists/2002/0325helpdesk.html

[rallynavvie]

I also suggest against using WEP encryption. The keys are easily broken. WPA is the new wireless security protocol which supports dynamic keys. Another thing to check is to make sure SSID broadcasting is off so that WLAN "sniffers" don't instantly catch on to your signal. Search for some articles on wireless security and you'll find plenty to read on the subject. I'd give you what I have but it's all company confidential material

[golfnut]

Thanks rallynavvie. Have a great weekend.

[mujahid7ia]

rallynavvie,

My son's computer is wired into the Linksys rounter, my PC is using the Linksys adapter, both are wireless and 802.11b.

Yes I have tried plugging a computer directly into the cable modem but it doesn't fix the problem. Signal strength reads "excellent" on both PCs.

Thank you for your suggestions and advice, I really do appreciate your taking the time to discuss and help resolve this with me. Have a great weekend!

Wait a minute, wven when you're connected directly to modem it's still slow? That might be a ISP problem then...