Reccomend me a wireless card.

[maniac5999]

Background: So, I've got a Time Warner supplied Wireless router/modem (2.4ghz N i believe, it came free with the 30mb/s plan I have) and I do get that speed when I run speedtest on my laptop sitting next to the router, however my desktop in the next room with a cheap-o wireless card has never been able to pull more than 10mb/s. It is a high noise enviornment, I ran inSSIDer for about 6 hours yesterday, and it identified over a dozen other networks. I've already moved my router to the lowest noise channel (7)

The Problem: A couple days ago the connection on my desktop started to become very slow. I had some time to test yesterday, and I'm still getting 30mb/s at the router, and my laptop can still get about 20mb/s 15 feet away at my desk next to my desktop, however my desktop can only get about 2mb/s. I assume the reason for this is that my wireless card is slowly dying on me. So, based on that, I have two questions, 1) Is my assumption reasonable. 2) if it is, which one of the wireless cards at my local Microcenter should I buy to replace it? http://www.microcenter.com/search/s...etworking-:-Networking,-Modems-:-Micro-Center#

 

[s44]

Hard to say. Honestly, I'd get a long ethernet cable instead. Getting an adapter that won't work if you switch to 5ghz could turn out to be a big waste.

Btw, how much is TWC charging you for that modem/router on which you can't even change the password, much less *any other settings*?

 

[tracerbullet]

A lot of routers can be used in a bridge mode. Setup is like this - from your PC there is an ethernet cable running to a router. That router then communicates wirelessly with the other router. *Should* get you a stronger / better / faster signal from the router in the other room.

Just another option -

 

[maniac5999]

Hard to say. Honestly, I'd get a long ethernet cable instead. Getting an adapter that won't work if you switch to 5ghz could turn out to be a big waste.

Btw, how much is TWC charging you for that modem/router on which you can't even change the password, much less *any other settings*?

An Ethernet cable wouldn't be a good option for me. While the router and my desktop are less than 15' away from each other, the cable would have to run all the way around the edges of two rooms to get there, and would be highly visible for about 8', which would have been ok for me back in college, but not in a nice (but 100 year old) manhattan apartment.

TWC's charging me $4/mo, split three ways (two roommates) for the modem/router. The reason I'm currently using it is two-fold. First, they're apparently real bitchy about letting you use your own. They told me the modem I had been using with Comcast prior to that wouldn't work. I've also heard that if you have problems they like to blame your equipment, when they give you the modem, convincing them it's their fault is a lot easier. Second, between the three of us and the occasional guest there are a LOT of legacy 2.4ghz only devices that use the network, so I'd have to get a dual band router, which would probably run me $150+.

A lot of routers can be used in a bridge mode. Setup is like this - from your PC there is an ethernet cable running to a router. That router then communicates wirelessly with the other router. *Should* get you a stronger / better / faster signal from the router in the other room.

Just another option -

The issue isn't distance however, the router and the desktop are only about 12' away from each other. The only thing preventing me from using a wired connection is that there's an inconvenient wall in the way.

...Actually, typing this up just gave me an idea. I have a spare WRT310n. I could connect it to the current router and hide it on the other side of the wall from the desktop under my couch without anybody really noticing the wires. I'll try that tomorrow. Quick question, if I'm still pulling 2-3mb/s from a router 2' away from my desktop, is it basically a forgone conclusion that my current wireless card is dying?

 

[Mushkins]

Couldnt you just ask the landlord to punch a quick ethernet-sized hole in the wall from room to room and run the cable through? Assuming it's drywall, it takes about two seconds to pull the cord, patch the wall, and touch up the paint when you move out. Cable guys take this approach in apartments and condos all the time when they cant do a proper run.

If you're in Manhattan, odds are whatever building your in has 2.4GHz almost totally saturated anyway, you're gonna get shitty speeds and interference regardless of adapter unless you go 5Ghz.

 

[s44]

An Ethernet cable wouldn't be a good option for me. While the router and my desktop are less than 15' away from each other, the cable would have to run all the way around the edges of two rooms to get there, and would be highly visible for about 8', which would have been ok for me back in college, but not in a nice (but 100 year old) manhattan apartment.

I feel your pain. I've used LONG white cable along the baseboard...

Second, between the three of us and the occasional guest there are a LOT of legacy 2.4ghz only devices that use the network, so I'd have to get a dual band router, which would probably run me $150+.

Actually, you can get a great refurb dual band for $80, and quite good flashable new ones for $45/$75. It *would* get near $150 total with the modem, of course.

I have a spare WRT310n

Wait! Both versions of the 310n can now be flashed to Tomato. You could swap it for the router *or* swap it for the adapter by putting it in bridge mode. In fact, if you do keep the TWC unit, using the 310n as a bridge is probably your best bet.

 

[tracerbullet]

The issue isn't distance however, the router and the desktop are only about 12' away from each other.

What I'm trying to get at with this setup is that *if* your wireless card is dying and needs to go, you don't have to buy a new wireless card. Instead you can connect the PC (assuming it has a built in ethernet port in the motherboard, almost all do) to a wireless router directly with an ethernet cable, and then have that wireless router act as a bridge to the setup in your other room. Aside from the potential signal quality boost, it might save you money as well if you can find a cheap router or already have an old one around.

Random google hit that looks like it can explain it: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-turn-an-old-router-into-a-wireless-bridge/

(Sorry if you already know all this)

 

[maniac5999]

Couldnt you just ask the landlord to punch a quick ethernet-sized hole in the wall from room to room and run the cable through? Assuming it's drywall, it takes about two seconds to pull the cord, patch the wall, and touch up the paint when you move out. Cable guys take this approach in apartments and condos all the time when they cant do a proper run.

If you're in Manhattan, odds are whatever building your in has 2.4GHz almost totally saturated anyway, you're gonna get shitty speeds and interference regardless of adapter unless you go 5Ghz.

Nope, building was built in 1909, Drywall didn't become popular until the 1940s. What I actually have is a thin sheet of drywall over the original lath and plaster walls in order to even them out after 100 years of wear.

Wait! Both versions of the 310n can now be flashed to Tomato. You could swap it for the router *or* swap it for the adapter by putting it in bridge mode. In fact, if you do keep the TWC unit, using the 310n as a bridge is probably your best bet.

Quick question, other than the GUI and the ability to operate in bridge mode, are there any advantages to using Tomato? I assume it'll unlack access to channel 14 to get around some of the wifi noise, anything else?

What I'm trying to get at with this setup is that *if* your wireless card is dying and needs to go, you don't have to buy a new wireless card. Instead you can connect the PC (assuming it has a built in ethernet port in the motherboard, almost all do) to a wireless router directly with an ethernet cable, and then have that wireless router act as a bridge to the setup in your other room. Aside from the potential signal quality boost, it might save you money as well if you can find a cheap router or already have an old one around.

Random google hit that looks like it can explain it: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-turn-an-old-router-into-a-wireless-bridge/

(Sorry if you already know all this)

I sort of knew it, but the refresher helps. I don't really have space for the 310N in my bedroom, so I'd prefer to replace it with another internal card. The extent of my formal computer training is a one semester C++ class back in high school in 2002. I'm passable with software, quite good with hardware, and a master when it comes to troubleshooting things, but the extent of my knowledge of networking is monkeying in the router settings and following http://xkcd.com/627/

I think that regardless of the final solution this is going to be a good learning experience for me. Once Haswell comes out I plan to retire the Phenom 2 into a HTPC box (hardwired into whatever router I'm using) at that point I'm going to have to start to learn about streaming video and whatnot anyway, so this is a good start.

 

[s44]

Quick question, other than the GUI and the ability to operate in bridge mode, are there any advantages to using Tomato? I assume it'll unlack access to channel 14 to get around some of the wifi noise, anything else?

Rock-solid stability, working QoS, and I believe even the small flash room on that will fit IPv6 and VPN support as well.

I haven't tried messing with non-FCC channels. Frankly not worth the trouble, I think.

 

[tracerbullet]

I don't really have space for the 310N in my bedroom, so I'd prefer to replace it with another internal card.

Makes sense.

And not to keep going on and on about this... I'd still suggest trying it out

* Flash the router with DD-WRT - hit that up via google and you can find firmware and instructions. It's actually pretty easy. After that log in (192.168.1.1 in a browser window) and poke around. I think you'll find that it's actually pretty straightforward to find your other router and connect to it.
http://dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Linksys_WRT310N_v2.0
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Repeater_Bridge

* Plug the PC into the router next and give it a whirl. If it works well you could just lay the router on top of the PC or even velcro it to the side.

If nothing else, you learn a little. Up to you of course. LOL I promise to stop pushing it.

 

[s44]

* Flash the router with DD-WRT

Tomato is more elegant.

Most importantly, though, make sure you verify the variant of the 310n you have -- the internals are totally different, and though both are custom-flashable you have to make sure you use a compatible package.

 

[JackMDS]

You can try this - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833166046

 

[VirtualLarry]

I've already moved my router to the lowest noise channel (7)

The Problem:I assume the reason for this is that my wireless card is slowly dying on me.

No-one caught this? The only channels that you should be using with 2.4Ghz wireless, are 1, 6, 11. Period. Anything in-between, walks all over the channels above/below it, and contributes to the noise floor.

It may not be dying at all, it may have just been a result of your choice of wireless channels.

 

[maniac5999]

No-one caught this? The only channels that you should be using with 2.4Ghz wireless, are 1, 6, 11. Period. Anything in-between, walks all over the channels above/below it, and contributes to the noise floor.

It may not be dying at all, it may have just been a result of your choice of wireless channels.

I think my new next door neighbor is the worst culprit when it comes to my personal signal/noise issues. when I opened up inSSIDer to check noise (the first thing I did after noticing the slow down) there was a new network I'd never seen before on Channel 2 (-50-60db). (I'd previously been on 1. which had had only a bunch of low-ish(-75-85db) power networks.) There's a medium noise (-65-75db) and a number of low noise (-80-90db) networks on 11, and 11 also gets occasional spikes that I suspect are from an old cordless phone or something. 6 (and around it) only have a bunch of low-ish noise channels, and one that i occasionally see at -70-90DB. This is Manhattan, the noise floor is already FUBAR'd. I wish I could take a screencap, I can currently detect 12 networks with signals strong enough to try to connect to. Thankfully, with no part of the apartment id more than 20' from the router.

Anyway, back to the issue however, this is really freaky. I'm detecting even more networks than I was during the initial post, but now I'm back to getting 12mb/s down and 5 up. I really have no idea what's going on. I haven't actually done anything with the network since moving to channel 7 before posting.

Also, my 310n is a V.2, I worked thru a couple pages of google without finding a good link for installing tomato on it. Does anyone know of a good set of instructions?

 

[PC Perv]

go to nearby Starbucks or somewhere there is public WiFi, and see if your laptop gets reasonable speed? and as for the home router if you have any other wireless device (phone, tablet, consoles) see if those suffer the same issue. and last but not least have time warner send you over a new router.


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[PC Perv]

Quote:

Originally Posted by maniac5999

I've already moved my router to the lowest noise channel (7)

The Problem:I assume the reason for this is that my wireless card is slowly dying on me.

No-one caught this? The only channels that you should be using with 2.4Ghz wireless, are 1, 6, 11. Period. Anything in-between, walks all over the channels above/below it, and contributes to the noise floor.

It may not be dying at all, it may have just been a result of your choice of wireless channels.

disagree. I have two routers nested and after monitering the noise around the neighberhood I changed one router's channel to 4 manually. the other one is 11. I am getting better signals with channel 4 than leaving it auto.


Posted from Anandtech.com App for Android

 

[PC Perv]

frankly I would get an industrial strength access point and squash down the neighbors signals.


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[rsutoratosu]

or get a jammer

 

[maniac5999]

go to nearby Starbucks or somewhere there is public WiFi, and see if your laptop gets reasonable speed? and as for the home router if you have any other wireless device (phone, tablet, consoles) see if those suffer the same issue. and last but not least have time warner send you over a new router.


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Laptop gets 30mb/s next to the router, and 20+mb/s when I'm sitting next to my desktop. I assume the crappy wireless card is why I only get 12mb/s on the desktop, and that's fine, because I share the internet connection with 3 roommates, a consistent 10mb/s is good for me (Time Warner throttles anyway after a minute or two) the thing that I don't understand is why the wireless card in my desktop would have a few days of crappy performance, then jump back to normal.

 

[JackMDS]

Where the Antenna of the the Desktop Wireless card is?

On PCI card stuck behind the Box and the wall?