Is there a better way I can setup my network?

Azureth

Azureth

Supreme [H]ardness
Joined
Feb 29, 2008
Messages
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When you come into my apt you enter the living room, the TV, Modem, Router, etc. are all on the wall in front. To the left there is a short hallway with 2 rooms, one is to the right (mine) and the other is the opposite side (roommates), right now I have long ethernet cords stretching from where my modem/router is to both of our rooms, and while it isn't horrible, they are in the way, I was just curious if there is any better way of dealing with this?
 
Off the top of my head:
A) Switch to Wireless N
B) Switch to powerline networking
C) Get longer ethernet cables which will allow you to better orient/setup the cables. For example, with longer ethernet cables, you can pretty much just have the ethernet cable sit flush against the walls and possibly over any doorways.
D) Drill holes in the wall and snake the cables through there.
 
Danny Bui said:
Off the top of my head:
A) Switch to Wireless N
B) Switch to powerline networking
C) Get longer ethernet cables which will allow you to better orient/setup the cables. For example, with longer ethernet cables, you can pretty much just have the ethernet cable sit flush against the walls and possibly over any doorways.
D) Drill holes in the wall and snake the cables through there.
Click to expand...

i would do A, unless i could do D. D would be best if you are allowed to do it. check with the landlord.
 
802.11n wireless router + appropriate client nic(s) all around. Not necessarily "better" but certainly neater.

Check out the recommendation thread. I actually kinda like this router (engenious ESR-7750), but look around. D-link seems to have a few good offerings based on posts in the router thread.

Or, of course, better routing of your cables, ideally involving stapling or otherwise binding cables to corners/walls/floors and snaking, or drilling, but this is harder to do in a rented environment.
 
Danny Bui said:
Off the top of my head:
A) Switch to Wireless N
B) Switch to powerline networking
C) Get longer ethernet cables which will allow you to better orient/setup the cables. For example, with longer ethernet cables, you can pretty much just have the ethernet cable sit flush against the walls and possibly over any doorways.
D) Drill holes in the wall and snake the cables through there.
Click to expand...

1.) D would be ideal, not sure if you have the skills for that..if not then..
2.) A, wireless is decent...sometimes it sucks, sometimes streaming content sucks too.
3.) B. powerline networking is actually pretty sweet...they act as layer 1 devices...think like a long copper cable is what they basically are. They do require a few hundred dollars in up front costs though.
4.) having longer cables on the ground, just looks amateurish...don;t do this.

good luck bro
 
STOP RECOMMENDING WIRELESS FOR STUFF LIKE THIS. WIRELESS IS FOR PORTABLE DEVICES ONLY.

MoCA if you have coax (cable TV) available, else keep the long cords. Ugly > wireless. Make sure you use encryption on the MoCA in an apartment (though it's still more secure than wireless). Use flat ethernet cords if you need to. You can try running them under carpet if you have it and can get under there or you can use one of those cable channel things for the floor if you want simple and safe, but it's ugly.
 
dandragonrage said:
STOP RECOMMENDING WIRELESS FOR STUFF LIKE THIS. WIRELESS IS FOR PORTABLE DEVICES ONLY.
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Pretty sure it's not...

I use wireless for my Apple TV, iMac, and a few other stationary devices, with good results. I use a Cisco Airopnet 1131AP access point for wireless G, haven't had any troubles.
 
dandragonrage said:
WIRELESS IS FOR PORTABLE DEVICES ONLY.
Click to expand...

No.... its not. Its for the EASE of setting up a network without having to worry about wiring at all. Even using MoCA can still limit you to where you can setup a desktop PC... near a Coax outlet in your house.

Do wireless. Chances are your router already supports wireless of some kind. No need to add extra devices to the network. Installing wireless in the pc's could be as easy as plugging in the usb stick.

The wireless usb attached to my WDTV steams 720p movies just fine.
 
You guys must not be transferring data if you truly think wireless is a viable option. If you guys read reviews on Smallnetbuilder then you would know that wireless sucks, even 802.11n 3-stream "450Mbps" products. Just because it works for you guys when you're hardly utilizing it does not make it a viable option for hooking up people's desktop computers, especially when it's only being suggested for a cleaner look when it would work MUCH worse.
 
Nobody said wired = wireless in terms of speed. Anyone knows wireless isnt as fast. Is it normally bearable or even more than sufficient? Sure, especially when we're talking every day use.

This guy wants to connect two devices. Thats it.

Your original statement that wireless is only for mobile devices is till completely false.
 
dandragonrage said:
You guys must not be transferring data if you truly think wireless is a viable option. If you guys read reviews on Smallnetbuilder then you would know that wireless sucks, even 802.11n 3-stream "450Mbps" products. Just because it works for you guys when you're hardly utilizing it does not make it a viable option for hooking up people's desktop computers, especially when it's only being suggested for a cleaner look when it would work MUCH worse.
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Sorry, we all bow down to your superior knowledge and ability to tax a network like none of us can.

Just chill man. We don't even know what he's using the network for, so a suggestion of wireless isn't uncalled for. If no one in the house is doing anything other than surfing the net there won't be any difference between wireless and wired.
 
Powerline or Moca. I like wireless for surfing with the laptop, but anything more serious..esp online gaming...gotta go over metal of some sort.
 
I disagree, I've gamed over wireless G bridged between me and my neighbor (distance of 100ft or so) via WDS between two Linksys routers for years before getting fios. Never noticed any serious lag. Pings were always decent. My bandwidth left something to be desired, but gaming isnt usually bandwidth intensive. However she once tried to stream a movie from my server. That didnt work out so well for her.
 
At my house I've found wireless-G to be perfectly fine for anything other than transferring large amounts of data to my NAS. I imagine N would be better for that.

So for ease I'd go with wireless if you're not transferring files a lot. unless you can get the landlord to install network drops.
 
jadams said:
I disagree, I've gamed over wireless G bridged between me and my neighbor (distance of 100ft or so) via WDS between two Linksys routers for years before getting fios. Never noticed any serious lag. Pings were always decent. My bandwidth left something to be desired, but gaming isnt usually bandwidth intensive. However she once tried to stream a movie from my server. That didnt work out so well for her.
Click to expand...

I stand by my opinion...based on experience. I suppose it depends on the game. I frequently play the Battlefield series of games, which IS one of the more bandwidth intensive games. One of the versions of Battlefield I frequently played was a modded version of Desert Combat with higher speeds on some of the vehicles and planes. When doing some of the higher speed runs...such as dive bombing with the B-17...over wireless the intensive rates would tax the wireless...I'd often get a pause, and then when it caught up again...too late, B-17 would be a crumped pile cuz I crashed into the ground.

And then there's the occasional "reassociate/disconnect/reconnect" which wireless zero config would decide to go through, usually at the wrong time during a game.
 
dandragonrage said:
STOP RECOMMENDING WIRELESS FOR STUFF LIKE THIS. WIRELESS IS FOR PORTABLE DEVICES ONLY.

MoCA if you have coax (cable TV) available, else keep the long cords. Ugly > wireless. Make sure you use encryption on the MoCA in an apartment (though it's still more secure than wireless). Use flat ethernet cords if you need to. You can try running them under carpet if you have it and can get under there or you can use one of those cable channel things for the floor if you want simple and safe, but it's ugly.
Click to expand...

Whatever.... :rolleyes: I have a wireless N setup in my house, and it streams everything just fine.
 
YeOldeStonecat said:
And then there's the occasional "reassociate/disconnect/reconnect" which wireless zero config would decide to go through, usually at the wrong time during a game.
Click to expand...

Are you serious?? I have NEVER had my laptop do this.... I DO however have an Intel -N wireless NIC, and a D-Link wireless-N router. My laptop connects BEFORE I can log into my machine EVERY time, and have NEVER had it drop signal. I am not sure what you are using, but may I suggest better hardware?? :D

Intel NIC's man are where it's at.....

P.S. I know you know that.... just wanted to refresh you on the awesomeness of Intel NICs!! :D
 
Theres just no way any internet lag in regards to bandwidth is caused by a properly functioning internal wireless network. Even wireless B is capable of saturating alot of peoples internet connection. G is obviously needed to get the full potential of out of Comcast or FiOS or something similar.

Pings are fine. At the moment wireless adds 3ms to my ping while having to travel through 2 extra devices (wireless ap, and a switch, before making it to my router). I dont even want to hear that 3ms makes even the slightest difference. Thats about 3x faster than your monitor refreshes. I wish I had ping numbers from my pre FiOS setup mentioned above, but I dont remember. That setup was probably the least ideal setup possible lol. But I've gamed over it and the only time my internet connection cut out was when someone turned on the microwave :eek:
 
QwertyJuan said:
Are you serious?? I have NEVER had my laptop do this.... I DO however have an Intel -N wireless NIC, and a D-Link wireless-N router. My laptop connects BEFORE I can log into my machine EVERY time, and have NEVER had it drop signal. I am not sure what you are using, but may I suggest better hardware?? :D
D
Click to expand...

ROFL...OK...
Intel Centrino here....
And let me see...how many different routers/APs (I can count into double digits..my collection is huge..yes even including Cisco paddles)...and how many versions of firmware....stock, DD, Tomato, Hyper DD, And hi gain 'tennas from FleemanAnderson Bird, ....I can go on and on but the day is running short.

Uhm..yeah, I'm serious.
 
I seriously don't know what to say.... I have DEF. had problems with cheap Broadcom, Atheros wireless NIC's... but NEVER Intel. I use my computer at work all day on wireless(D-Link 7200AP), then close the lid, go home and open the lid, and by the time I type in my password I'm online again. (Another D-Link wireless N router. No idea the model) When I go to bed, I close the lid again, and once again open it the next day at work. And the cycle continues..... and since I'm running Win7, I go WEEKS between reboots. It has never ONCE dropped connection. Maybe I'm just lucky??
 
Get wired if you can. Get wireless if you can't.

Wireless should be fine if you have decent equipment and don't need gigabit speeds.
 
SockMan! said:
Get wired if you can. Get wireless if you can't.

Wireless should be fine if you have decent equipment and don't need gigabit speeds.
Click to expand...

Pretty much this. Honestly...really this. Wired is worth a couple of hours of effort to get in place. It really is dirt cheap compared to a good wireless solution. Over the long haul it will give you less issues and better performance.

If you can't do it in a couple of hours...look at moca or Ethernet over power. If it starts becoming a money issue or a time issue, then I guess wireless.

Nothing makes me hate wireless more than wife being in a good mood, ready for some fun, and then having the show she was streaming start hitching. WAF plummets in that case. My horizontal happiness level greatly increased once I wired nearly all of our streaming appliances.
 
QwertyJuan said:
since I'm running Win7, I go WEEKS between reboots. It has never ONCE dropped connection. Maybe I'm just lucky??
Click to expand...

Same here for Win7, I sometimes go MONTHS between reboots.
XP for my old rig.
But remember, you can't assume wireless is the same for everyone, I don't know what environmental factors you have, and you don't know what environmental factors I have. ANd since I bought a new house, and moved..I might not experience that again if I tried gaming on wireless again.
 
The thread starter lives in an apartment, so I think it's safe to assume that there will be several other wireless networks operating in the area, as well as who knows how many cordless phones and poorly shielded microwaves.
 
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