7 People 1 Wireless Router...

[Cappuccino]

I will be living with 7 people include myself this September.

So I was wondering will the internet be ULTRA slow because all 7 of us are using the internet at the same time? Will I suffer? I will most likely be downloading stuff like big files of TV series etc. Also, I'm a PC gamer. I wont be gaming allot but you get the idea.

Just wondering will this effect my internet speed etc? Should I consider buying my own router? If yes, my flatmate probs ask why lol D:

 

[sxr7171]

I would because just one older device would slow everyone's wireless speeds. Try it and see if you can do the things you want.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

It's not that you need your own router - it's that you need a fat pipe and some kind of QoS implementation or per-client bandwidth cap, so that when you're downloading a TV episode, the dude downstairs on the stationary bike can still watch netflix and the guy in the next room can still download a software update without having the system hang.

As with most finite resources, it's not about getting more, it's about sharing effectively. You need a good router, not another one.

 

[Cappuccino]

It's not that you need your own router - it's that you need a fat pipe and some kind of QoS implementation or per-client bandwidth cap, so that when you're downloading a TV episode, the dude downstairs on the stationary bike can still watch netflix and the guy in the next room can still download a software update without having the system hang.

As with most finite resources, it's not about getting more, it's about sharing effectively. You need a good router, not another one.

Any suggestions?

 

[mfenn]

What kind of Internet service can you get? That's going to be more important than all the fancy QoS in the world.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I know someone with 20+ Mbit down Comcast, in a house with 5 people, and they're fine.

Unless you have several "torrent hogs", that don't limit their bandwidth, I don't see how 7 people would be a problem, as long as you have a similar connection or better.

(For ex., I don't think sharing 3Mbit DSL among 7 people would be a good idea.)

 

[Cappuccino]

What kind of Internet service can you get? That's going to be more important than all the fancy QoS in the world.

Any. I'm from the UK.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

I'm assuming you're going to be at the University in a dorm room with 7 other people?

 

[Cappuccino]

I'm assuming you're going to be at the University in a dorm room with 7 other people?

Yep indeed. D:

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Yep indeed. D:

Why not set up multiple routers? I'm not sure what the layout of your dorm room(s) are so I can't really help.

 

[Cappuccino]

Why not set up multiple routers? I'm not sure what the layout of your dorm room(s) are so I can't really help.

Multiple routers may be good but people above said to get a good ISP. But I dont know any fast broadband providers in the UK
Any suggestions:\?

 

[aigomorla]

7 people sharing 1 ISP = a lot of agony to arrive... :X

 

[PliotronX]

My wireless N router averages about 3-5 devices at any time and i can torrent without affecting latency as long as I cap the down/up in the BT client to well below the max the pipe can handle. Runs fairly smoothly this way and I even have a wireless client bridge for a desktop. The router connected to the WAN (cable) is a TP-Link WDR4300 with DD-WRT. I keep QoS and WMM disabled as they seem to muck things up worse. I just manage bandwidth and it is smooth sailing.

 

[Venom20]

With a decent router, your router should not be the cause or problem of any latency on the network with only 7 connections. The problem is going to come with the torrenters. If you all are torrenting you are all going to see slow connections.

As has been said, 7 people sharing something like a 20Mbps connection will be fine but dropping to 3Mbps would be rough.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Wait. doesn't the university provide Ethernet ports?

 

[Broheim]

get a good router and the fastest connection available. I have an asus rt-n66u, which should serve your needs fine.

virgin has a 100 Mb plan for £35/month, that should be ample bandwidth for 7 people.

 

[Cappuccino]

Wait. doesn't the university provide Ethernet ports?

1st year yes. 2nd year we need to find our own housing.

 

[Cappuccino]

get a good router and the fastest connection available. I have an asus rt-n66u, which should serve your needs fine.

virgin has a 100 Mb plan for £35/month, that should be ample bandwidth for 7 people.

Dumb question incoming - Why does it matter what router to get? I thought I only need to worry about my broadband package. What speed/up I get etc. Also, I thought the ISP will give us a Virgin router? No? (Let say I purchased the virgin package you stated)

Sorry, I'm a newb when it comes to computer technology. D:

 

[zerogear]

If you want a quality router with good QoS, you may have to look into custom firmwares like Tomato/DD-WRT/OpenWRT -- Check their respective sites and see what they support. I personally recommend the Asus rt-u66n

 

[Gunbuster]

I would because just one older device would slow everyone's wireless speeds. Try it and see if you can do the things you want.

I think sxr7171 is referencing the fact that many wireless AP's completely suck at doing mixed mode 2.4GHz and 5.0GHz. If you have one client with an old A or B radio it could make LAN throughput bad for everyone.

 

[mfenn]

Any. I'm from the UK.

That's not terribly helpful. A list of plans, or even a link to a couple of providers would be better.