So, I've recently moved from a small place in the suburbs, to a much bigger apartment in the city. Previously, I had a relatively simple home network, with my desktop and PS3 hardwired into my router (Linksys WRT310n v.2--2.4ghz only N router) and my netbook (2.4ghz N) This worked relatively well out in the suburbs, where I could put the router in the middle of the house, and I could only 'see' 5 or 6 networks, and only 2 of them came in with any kind of strength.
In my new place, however, I need to put the router in a corner bedroom due to where the DSL line comes into the apartment, so the signal could potentially need to go thru 3 walls in this old 1909 building in order to hit the corners of the apartment. In addition, my laptop always detects over 2 dozen other networks in the area. In brief testing under N my laptop generally gets good signal everywhere, but there are times when signal strength drops to 1 or 2 bars, I assume because of interference.
To add to the complexity, in addition to my netbook and my wireless g VM Samsung Intercept, my roommates will be connecting 2 iPhones (2.4ghz n), an iPad (n), a 2006 Macbook Pro (b/g) both our PS3s (b/g) and a iBook G3/G4 (I'll have to check which one tonight, the G3 is b only, the G4 is b/g) PLUS, given the location of the router, I'm going to have to buy a wireless card for my desktop.
So, Since this situation has been thrown into my lap, I've got a couple questions:
*What wireless card should I buy? Unless it has a remote antenna (or whatever the antennas on a wire are called) it's going to be sitting in the rats nest of wires behind my desktop, and the signal will need to go approximately 15 feet through 2 walls to get to the router.
*Any reccomendations for security/network efficiency Currently I have the router set to WPA2 Personal with a relatively complex password. This works with all of my equipment (except the PS3, which I have yet to test), but I haven't had the roommates test for 'apple compatability' yet. Should I require a whitelist? Should I tell the router not to broadcast it's existance? (I'd have to read up on how to do these)
*Is there going to be any point on focusing on N compatability given that the PS3s are always going to be on standby? (do they remain connected on standby or do they drop the link, letting the router revert to N? [the other b/g devices are not likely to be on too often.])
I know that these are a lot of questions (some of which may be noob-ish) but this is my first time setting up a complex network.
In my new place, however, I need to put the router in a corner bedroom due to where the DSL line comes into the apartment, so the signal could potentially need to go thru 3 walls in this old 1909 building in order to hit the corners of the apartment. In addition, my laptop always detects over 2 dozen other networks in the area. In brief testing under N my laptop generally gets good signal everywhere, but there are times when signal strength drops to 1 or 2 bars, I assume because of interference.
To add to the complexity, in addition to my netbook and my wireless g VM Samsung Intercept, my roommates will be connecting 2 iPhones (2.4ghz n), an iPad (n), a 2006 Macbook Pro (b/g) both our PS3s (b/g) and a iBook G3/G4 (I'll have to check which one tonight, the G3 is b only, the G4 is b/g) PLUS, given the location of the router, I'm going to have to buy a wireless card for my desktop.
So, Since this situation has been thrown into my lap, I've got a couple questions:
*What wireless card should I buy? Unless it has a remote antenna (or whatever the antennas on a wire are called) it's going to be sitting in the rats nest of wires behind my desktop, and the signal will need to go approximately 15 feet through 2 walls to get to the router.
*Any reccomendations for security/network efficiency Currently I have the router set to WPA2 Personal with a relatively complex password. This works with all of my equipment (except the PS3, which I have yet to test), but I haven't had the roommates test for 'apple compatability' yet. Should I require a whitelist? Should I tell the router not to broadcast it's existance? (I'd have to read up on how to do these)
*Is there going to be any point on focusing on N compatability given that the PS3s are always going to be on standby? (do they remain connected on standby or do they drop the link, letting the router revert to N? [the other b/g devices are not likely to be on too often.])
I know that these are a lot of questions (some of which may be noob-ish) but this is my first time setting up a complex network.
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