Is there a way to lock a wifi connection to a specific protocol?

[lokiju]

Is there maybe a 3rd party Wifi manager that'll enable me to do this?

I have a N router that I'm just using as an access point to cover my whole downstairs of my home, my primary reason for getting a N router was so I could stream to my Media Center PC at a speed thats fast enough to not cause skipping on video play back, it works great if I lock my router to only N but I want to be able to connect using any of my other devices that do not support N also.

I looked around on the NIC settings and saw no way to lock it to a specific protocol and didn't see any way in Windows Wireless Configuration (this is a MCE 2005 machine).

I've looked around a bit but was wondering if there is a PC side or SW based solution to force a NIC to do this?

If I keep my router on mixed mode for some reason it keeps switching between G and N and causing issues with video playback.

The router I'm using is the Airlink AR680W 300N Wireless Router and the NIC is the AWLL6080 300N Wireless USB Adapter.


:beer:

 

[bluestrobe]

Are you using Windows to configure your wireless or the vendor software?

 

[lokiju]

Originally posted by: bluestrobe
Are you using Windows to configure your wireless or the vendor software?

I've tried both.

 

[spidey07]

You should be able to force N only on the client and/or the access point. Just only enable the data rates on the AP to anything greater than 54 Mbs and disable all the other rates.

 

[lokiju]

Originally posted by: spidey07
You should be able to force N only on the client and/or the access point. Just only enable the data rates on the AP to anything greater than 54 Mbs and disable all the other rates.

I can force it on the router but then I can't connect using any other device that doesn't have a N nic, so that won't work for me.

I've yet to find any option on the client side to specify connection speed and/or type.

 

[SocrPlyr]

First of all what in the heck are you trying to stream that is so big? As for on the client side if it doesn't appear when you look under the properties and "Configure" for the device then without changing drivers there isn't a whole lot you can do.

Have you looked into powerline ethernet? I haven't tried it, but my guess is just about anything has to be better than wifi, especially the flakiness of 11n. Generally none of the 11n routers work well with "legacy" devices around.

Josh