Networking XP with Linksys ?

[Rich]

Hi,
I have two teenage sons who are into online gaming.
I have a linksys router (wireless) that is about 3 years old connected
to a cable modem on the main floor. My first son could not get the
speed he wanted (downstairs) so i ran a cat5 cable to his room and he
is happy.

My second son just purchased an Alien Ware computer and he is
upstairs and claims the connection is not fast enough and not as
fast as his brothers.

Do i need to forget about wireless and run another cat5?
Both of these computers are within 50 feet of the router.
All 3 computers are up to date. Do i need a new router?
Is wireless capable of the speeds of a direct connect?

thank's
Rich

 

[Anando [MS-MVP]]

Hi Rich,

There is an excellent article on WiFi performance improvement on Tom's networking. You might want to
have a loot at it here:

http://www.tomsnetworking.com/Sections-article47.php

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[Steve Winograd [MVP]]

Hi,
I have two teenage sons who are into online gaming.
I have a linksys router (wireless) that is about 3 years old connected
to a cable modem on the main floor. My first son could not get the
speed he wanted (downstairs) so i ran a cat5 cable to his room and he
is happy.

My second son just purchased an Alien Ware computer and he is
upstairs and claims the connection is not fast enough and not as
fast as his brothers.

Do i need to forget about wireless and run another cat5?
Both of these computers are within 50 feet of the router.
All 3 computers are up to date. Do i need a new router?
Is wireless capable of the speeds of a direct connect?

thank's
Rich

A 3-year old router isn't capable of the speeds of a direct connect.
It probably uses the 802.11b standard, which has a maximum transfer
speed of less than 5 Mb /sec, while a wired connection's maximum
transfer speed is about 70 Mb /sec. Note that those are actual speeds
in the real world, not the rated and advertised speeds.

An 802.11g router (with a compatible wireless network adapter in your
second son's computer) should have a maximum transfer speed of around
20 Mb /sec.

There is new "Super-G" or "Pre-N" wireless network equipment that
promises much faster speeds. I don't recommend using such equipment,
because it uses non-standard technology that can interfere with
standard equipment and that has limited compatibility with other
equipment.
--
Best Wishes,
Steve Winograd, MS-MVP (Windows Networking)

Please post any reply as a follow-up message in the news group
for everyone to see. I'm sorry, but I don't answer questions
addressed directly to me in E-mail or news groups.

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http://mvp.support.microsoft.com

 

[Rich]

Thank you both for the help.
This learning curve is never ending,
except for: Off to the store we go.

Rich

 

[NoStop]

Hi,
I have two teenage sons who are into online gaming.
I have a linksys router (wireless) that is about 3 years old connected
to a cable modem on the main floor. My first son could not get the
speed he wanted (downstairs) so i ran a cat5 cable to his room and he
is happy.

My second son just purchased an Alien Ware computer and he is
upstairs and claims the connection is not fast enough and not as
fast as his brothers.

Do i need to forget about wireless and run another cat5?
Both of these computers are within 50 feet of the router.
All 3 computers are up to date. Do i need a new router?
Is wireless capable of the speeds of a direct connect?

thank's
Rich

Forget what others have said so far in response to your query. 802.11b is
plenty fast for any broadband Internet connections.

I suspect that your problem is related to signal strength. There are many
mitigating circumstances that can slowdown wireless bandwidth within a
building. You might want to look at upgrading the antenna on your Linksys
router. You don't say what model it is, but check out the Linksys website
to see if they offer a stronger antenna for your particular router. A 7db
antenna for example, will extend the range and signal strength fairly
significantly within your house.