802.11n, need some help!

[EvilOzzmess]

[FONT=&quot]According to Device Manager, my network adapter card is: Intel WiFi Link 5100 AGN

It’s supposedly “802.11 Draft-N”… what does this mean?

See, we have to get a new router because we are dropping Verizon FiOs (they keep arbitrarily raising the rates over $200 a month and this just isn’t acceptable), but Mediacom DOES NOT provide a wireless router. We use mobile PC’s with one tethered Desktop (which is just used as a small Network Server). So, we really need to get a wireless router to replace the Actiontec we have now.

The problem is that I want to take full advantage of 802.11n with my Notebook, but while also preserving 802.11g for our other two computers and also our Canon MX340 printer, all of which DO NOT support any 802.11n bands.

But the other problem is also that I know 802.11n has several different states. There’s 802.11 Draft-N 1.0, 2.0 and then just 802.11n (the finalized version, as of earlier this year). I do not know which of these my network adapter card is… if it will even work with any or all versions of 802.11n so I could really use some help here.

The next issue is that I would really like to get a 802.11n router that is backwards compatible with 802.11b/g and which will also support a USB External HDD, to act as a Network Server (replacing the Desktop). I see only 802.11n – no “Draft-N” routers with this capability.

[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]The final snag here is that I have never used my own router with an ISP before. How does this work? Do I have to "link" Mediacom's standard, non-wireless router WITH the wireless router (for their DNS IP crap), or just hook the line in (and it works just like that)?

The budget here is about $100. I was really interested in the Cisco-Linksys Dual Band Wireless-N E3000 OR the NETGEAR RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router (WNDR3700) but, they’re both pretty steep in price right now…[/FONT][FONT=&quot]

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Also, I’d like to try out “Band-Bonding”... so any tips on that is also appreciated.


As always any help is greatly appreciated and thanks in advance![/FONT]

 

[EvilOzzmess]

We're ordering the Netgear because I found it for $133.77, no tax and free shipping (Removed because I don't want anyone else falling into a scam). It has everything we need and some of things I want... hopefully it does the job.

Could still use some help on the other points, however.

 

[chev65]

We're ordering the Netgear because I found it for $133.77, no tax and free shipping here. It has everything we need and some of things I want... hopefully it does the job.

Could still use some help on the other points, however.

Thats interesting you would be complaining about FIOS and verizons high prices. I just made a similar comment the other day up in the network connection speeds section at the top of the page.

I knew the base rates would only go up from the outrageous amounts they already charge like 139.95 for the 50Mbps or 89.95 for 25Mpbs, but 200 a month is a crime, FIOS just isn't worth it IMO.

Your netgear router should do well for you and if you have any problems report them here and we will get you set up.

 

[EvilOzzmess]

Thats interesting you would be complaining about FIOS and verizons high prices. I just made a similar comment the other day up in the network connection speeds section at the top of the page.

I knew the base rates would only go up from the outrageous amounts they already charge like 139.95 for the 50Mbps or 89.95 for 25Mpbs, but 200 a month is a crime, FIOS just isn't worth it IMO.

Your netgear router should do well for you and if you have any problems report them here and we will get you set up.

Well, we had their "triple play" package... 20mbps internet (they claimed they bumped it up to 25mbps for free but my speedtests all say it's 20mbps), standard definition DVR TV service, and then the phones. It started out at a cool $80, then the second year it creeped all the way up to $130 and now it's an astronomical $200 OR MORE!!! We DON'T even have HD!!!

We are going with Mediacom... 15mbps internet, standard definition DVR TV and the land-line phone (going with AT&T for cellular).


Will do and thank you so much!

 

[chev65]

Thats interesting you would be complaining about FIOS and verizons high prices. I just made a similar comment the other day up in the network connection speeds section at the top of the page.

I knew the base rates would only go up from the outrageous amounts they already charge like 139.95 for the 50Mbps or 89.95 for 25Mpbs, but 200 a month is a crime, FIOS just isn't worth it IMO.

Your netgear router should do well for you and if you have any problems report them here and we will get you set up.

Well, we had their "triple play" package... 20mbps internet (they claimed they bumped it up to 25mbps for free but my speedtests all say it's 20mbps), standard definition DVR TV service, and then the phones. It started out at a cool $80, then the second year it creeped all the way up to $130 and now it's an astronomical $200 OR MORE!!! We DON'T even have HD!!!

We are going with Mediacom... 15mbps internet, standard definition DVR TV and the land-line phone (going with AT&T for cellular).


Will do and thank you so much!

The do it just like the cable company's around here, starting low and then going up all the time. Gigantic scam in my book.

 

[EvilOzzmess]

Oh yeah, too true. I'm sure Mediacom will pull the exact same stunt after our 2 years are up, then it's back to whoever else we've had in the last decade. We've had Dish, Mediacom, Verizon and now Mediacom again (soon). All of them pull the same crap, but NONE of them are as ballsy as Verizon on the price-game. We're going back to them after we're done with Mediacom, but only for the contract deal and then it's back to the lowest bidder but with the best internet again.


Anyhow, ordered that router... didn't know there's been a lot of issues with the 3700 model. I've requested for them to swap it out with the 37AV. Hopefully they can do that, it's only $4 more and apparently most of the kinks have been worked out, as opposed to the 3700.

I'm starting to fear that site it a scam though. They claim it "shipped" at 12AM after I had just ordered the router at 10PM within 2 hours! There IS a legitimate USPS tracking number, but... I'm still suspicious all the same.

We need it by the 27th and so hopefully, if this isn't a scam, it will get here (bonus if it's the 37AV instead - and WITHOUT bumping my other order off and facilitating another long four-day waiting period of processing when it hasn't even shipped yet).


On that same note: I have just discovered that it is possible for me to network our HDTV, Blue-Ray player and Mediacom's DVR Set-Top-Box and so that is what I plan on doing as soon as the router gets here and we can go and get some cheap CAT5e LAN cords to wire it all up (through the wall to the router - don't feel like paying $100 for the "WiFi dongles"). So, again, any tips or help is very much appreciated!

HDTV is a Samsung Series 6 (either the 630, 640, or 650 - not sure because it's not listed but all of them are network enabled with LAN port).
Blue-Ray DVD Player is the Samsung BD-P1600

 

[EvilOzzmess]

STATUS REPORT:

ZASALE.COM IS A SCAM!!! DO NOT PURCHASE FROM THAT SITE OR YOU MIGHT BE SORRY FOR IT!

Just wanted to let you all know. As I already said, they claimed on my order status that they had "shipped" it at 12:00 AM a mere 2 hours (10PM) of ordering. This was not the case at all. I had my mom check her Credit Card, to make sure they hadn't billed it yet... they had, before shipping it (that's a flagship indicator of SCAMS). I Also did more checking up on them, and found out that ONLY three accounts were giving them raving 5-star reviews on google-merchant (another classic sign of a SCAM)... So, when I asked them about it (the 4th day of not seeing anything else happening on the Order information nor on USPS Tracking), their response was to BLOCK ME from their site and also port forward my IP to another page that only displayed "REFUSED" when accessing their site from MY internet connection only (hopped onto a friend's wireless network to check, and I could indeed access their website from it). AGAIN, IT IS A SCAM! LEGITIMATE E-RESELLERS DO NOT BLOCK THEIR WOULD-BE CUSTOMER'S IP ADDRESS FROM ACCESSING THEIR SITE AND/OR SERVER!

Long story shorter, we notified our Credit Company of these fraudulent dealings with ZASALE.com and ZASALE.com has 5 business days to reimburse us before our credit company takes actions to reverse it themselves. So that's problem solved right there, case closed and I will NEVER take a chance on supposed "new" or "upcoming" webdealers ever again. I've learned my lesson.

Again, just wanted to put that out there for anyone else who is considering them. DON'T DO IT!


Instead, we picked up the WNDR37AV from Best Buy yesterday, $169.99 (significantly lowered down by our Rewards Points) came out to a very cool $130.75, that's nearly $4 cheaper than what I would have gotten the previous model (WNDR3700) for IF ZASALE.com had not been a scam. Plus, it didn't take forever (literally) to never get here, so I think we did good.


As to the actual technical status report:

So far I have managed to successfully wire everything up. All systems are go. The Network-Enabled 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands are both set up and functioning, as are also the Guest Non-Network-Enabled 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands (don't want anyone apart from myself accessing the controls and whatnot - especially not guests).

I honestly don't know why there are SO many people complaining that this router "doesn't work" (the WNDR3700 too, which this router IS also - just "rebranded")... I can attest that IT DOES but ONLY if you follow the directions exactly and GIVE IT TIME to set itself up and actually CONNECT to your computer the first time through the LAN cable (which is how the DNS etc.) gets to your computer before the wireless is enabled (for Notebooks)!

We presently have FiOS at 20Mbps, but our speed is registering a jump to 35Mbps! This router truly does exactly what it advertises!


So anyway, that is all I can do right now until I get better quality LAN cables. And on that note:

IF ANYONE KNOWS WHERE I CAN GET CAT5e/CAT6 ETHERNET CABLES FOR CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP THEN PLEASE LET ME KNOW! I NEED SEVERAL OF THEM FOR A TRUE GIGABIT WIRING JOB ON THIS ENTERTAINMENT CENTER NETWORK, TO GET THE TRUE PERFORMANCE NECESSARY FOR HDTV AND BLUE-RAY STREAMING!

Walmart and Best Buy wanted an absolutely asinine $10 - $20 for a mere 7' for the lesser CAT5e... I looked at both of the help personnel and LAUGHED in their faces, then walked out. I am NOT paying more than $20 or $30 for ALL of these cables - it's almost obsolete technology with the rise of WiFi and BlueTooth quickly taking it over (soon we won't even NEED Ethernet at all I suspect) and anything more than $5 for 15' through 20' of CAT5e is CRAZY!

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!