I want to change my computer layout, need your advice...

[JordanJP]

Hey all,

Currently I've got my laptop computer connected to my router via Ethernet, my router is then connected to my modem. I use my laptop as a desktop replacement and it's the only system I've got.

The place that I live in, my apartment is not huge by any means however I want to move my desk to another spot in my apartment. However the issue is where I want to move it, there's no Telephone port to connect my modem and I would have to leave my modem and router possibly at my current location. So essentially the way I'm seeing this is I will be able to move my desk however I'll have to connect to my router wirelessly now as opposed to always having it connected via ethernet.

Is it possible to still configure everything on the router and modem and benefit from the Internet by just a wireless connection ? I thought I read somewhere that you need at least one computer connected via Ethernet at all times in order for stuff to work in your network.

Thanks hope my question is clear enough !

Jordan

PS : Please see the pics for more details hopefully I'm clear in what I want to try and accomplish.

I welcome all your suggestions !

 

[brianzion]

hi no you will not loose any thing by choosing wireless only the speed if you have a router that is wireless n get a wireless n adapter for the usb or a pci card for your motherboard (this is a much better choice ) Wireless LAN

 

[Orbital Shark]

Hi,

Short & sweet...If you were to purchase a wireless USB stick then once connected to the router you will have all the internet connectivity you'd normally have from a wired connection.


OS

 

[TVeblen]

I thought I read somewhere that you need at least one computer connected via Ethernet at all times in order for stuff to work in your network.

This is not correct. You can have your only laptop connect to your router wirelessly without any connection issue.

Wireless connections can be slower than wired connections. A gigabit router, connected to a laptop with a gigabit NIC, wired using an Cat-6 cable, could "approach" 1000 Mbits per second, while a wireless-n connection, under perfect conditions, could "approach" 300 Mbits per second according to science and advertising. But unless you need the speed you can go with the wireless connection and it will work fine for most uses.

Ugh! 3rd place!

 

[brianzion]

ps dont worry about tp-link and windows 7 for compatibility see this link :ar: Compatibility With Windows 7

 

[JordanJP]

Well thanks for all your advice gentlemen, I'm going to move my shit now and see how well I like the layout. When I'm finished I'll report back with my thoughts. Might as well try it out what do I have to lose ? Except time...

 

[brianzion]

post back and let us no what you choose etc

 

[JordanJP]

Well I did change my layout and I think I like it for the time being ! However I do have a bit of a small issue, I think. Seeing how now I'm only using a wireless connection to connect to the Internet, which is wireless N btw. I find that my wireless performance in Multiplayer games is sometimes laggy. I mean earlier I was testing it out playing a game called Alien Swarm on Steam and I lost the connection after a few minutes.

Have you guys got any tips on how I can improve my wireless connection ? My signal is Excellent according to Windows. All bars are showing and I'm only a few feet away from my router, in the back of me.

PS

See the pics I posted !

 

[DirtyElf]

i hate playing multi player games over wireless.. some people claim it can be fine.. but i always find that gaming works much better over a wired connection

 

[mlevy]

TVeblen, while having a gigabit switch is nice, if it's only for one PC (as the OP has) it's not necessary. Home internet will come nowhere NEAR saturating even a 100 Mbit router connection. Heck, I have 2 PCs and streaming media from one to the other is FINE even on a WRT54GL (100 Mbit wired connections).

 

[alphanumeric]

Cordless phones in the 2.4 GHz band and other wireless networks near by can cause interference. Here is a cool little app that might help. inSSIDer Wi-Fi Scanner | MetaGeek Run this on your laptop to see how many other wifi networks are close by. Once you have it running you may see a channel that is less occupied by other networks. Then you just manually set your router to that channel. You can also play around with adjusting your antenna(s) on the router to get the best signal. This app will also show you if you are correctly setup for full N speeds. Once you find your SSID in the list check the max rate column to see if you are listed as 300(N).If your wireless N is capable of using the 5 GHz band that may also help. It's probably less occupied, at least for now. The only thing you don't want to do over wireless is update the firmware on the router.

 

[LiquidSnak]

Just make sure you don't have any major appliances between your router and your computer, which you don't. Refrigerators and the like are not a wireless signal's friend.

Looks much cleaner now

 

[JordanJP]

TVeblen, while having a gigabit switch is nice, if it's only for one PC (as the OP has) it's not necessary. Home internet will come nowhere NEAR saturating even a 100 Mbit router connection. Heck, I have 2 PCs and streaming media from one to the other is FINE even on a WRT54GL (100 Mbit wired connections).

So essentially you're saying that I should have no issue with my wireless connection then eh ? Windows says the speed is 130 Mbps

 

[JordanJP]

thanks for all your input guys ! alphanumeric I'll look into that little app you mentioned !

 

[JordanJP]

Cordless phones in the 2.4 GHz band and other wireless networks near by can cause interference. Here is a cool little app that might help. inSSIDer Wi-Fi Scanner | MetaGeek Run this on your laptop to see how many other wifi networks are close by. Once you have it running you may see a channel that is less occupied by other networks. Then you just manually set your router to that channel. You can also play around with adjusting your antenna(s) on the router to get the best signal. This app will also show you if you are correctly setup for full N speeds. Once you find your SSID in the list check the max rate column to see if you are listed as 300(N).If your wireless N is capable of using the 5 GHz band that may also help. It's probably less occupied, at least for now. The only thing you don't want to do over wireless is update the firmware on the router.

Hey this is what it gave me. Should I be concerned about anything ?

 

[alphanumeric]

-40db is a good strong signal, I'm getting about -50db on my PC upstairs, my routers in my basement. Your router's using 2 channels which is normal for full N. Not sure why it says 270(N) though as mine says 300(N). My router and wifi card are both D-Link, DIR-655 and a DWA-552 with a ANT24-0230 added. As you can see a lot of the channels overlap so it can get pretty cluttered. The only channels that don't overlap with each other are 1, 6 and 11, so they get used a lot. Only time will tell. The other wifi networks signals are a lot lower than yours so that should reduce interference.

 

[TVeblen]

TVeblen, while having a gigabit switch is nice, if it's only for one PC (as the OP has) it's not necessary. Home internet will come nowhere NEAR saturating even a 100 Mbit router connection. Heck, I have 2 PCs and streaming media from one to the other is FINE even on a WRT54GL (100 Mbit wired connections).

:huh: I never mentioned a switch.

 

[linnemeyerhere]

I suggest the purchase of a long Cat5 or 6 cable to keep coiled up and when gaming aggressively just connect your laptop via the cable and when surfing and emailing and such when the fastest speeds aren't as important than go wireless and be free !

 

[Thorsen]

I do this as Linnemeyerhere has suggested. For general daily use, I just use wireless, but sometimes when gaming online, I will hookup the ethernet cable so I know there is no lag. This keeps the cords uncluttered for daily use, and then allows fast connection as well when it is needed.

 

[mlevy]

TVeblen, while having a gigabit switch is nice, if it's only for one PC (as the OP has) it's not necessary. Home internet will come nowhere NEAR saturating even a 100 Mbit router connection. Heck, I have 2 PCs and streaming media from one to the other is FINE even on a WRT54GL (100 Mbit wired connections).

:huh: I never mentioned a switch.

"Gigabit router" implies a router with a built-in gigabit switch. I stand by what I said...