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| Wireless networking sucks | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Feb 28 2012, 08:27 PM (396 Views) | |
| Benevolance | Feb 28 2012, 08:27 PM Post #1 |
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Ancient Wyrm
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I am so sick of wireless networks. We've got a kick ass dual-antenna gaming router so that if a wireless B device popped onto our network, the wireless N devices wouldn't get shanghaied. And it's been great for a while. But in the past week, our signal quality has degraded to the point where we cannot stream movies on the network again. We live in a pretty dense urban development, and the fact that I can see 40 networks means we've probably got more signal interference than the manufacture planned. But I'm tired of having to troubleshoot these wireless problems. So I went online for solutions, and Netgear offers Powerline products. They connect the network via your structural electrical lines. Plug one adapter into an electrical socket by the router, plug the router into, and plug the other adapter on an outlet anywhere else in the house. Voila! Instant LAN. There are a few tiers offered - from a 10/100 option to a 10/100/1000 option. They've also got options for adding adapters that act as wireless hotspots. It's about $140 for the gigabit kits (two adapters). So for $280 you could do your router + 3 additional locations in the house. Not exactly a cheap alternative, but if it can deliver a consistent signal (even into my basement!) I would be happy. According the BYOACers, several have used Powerline products to run their home networks and there were no naysayers on product quality. Most preferred a Cat5 option if laying new line/open walls were an option, but the Powerline products were a close 2nd place. Edited by Benevolance, Feb 28 2012, 08:59 PM.
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| Andrul | Feb 28 2012, 10:33 PM Post #2 |
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Ancient Wyrm
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I think N still allows you to select different channels. Most people just leave it at the default so you might try changing that before spending money. |
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| Benevolance | Feb 29 2012, 01:22 AM Post #3 |
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Ancient Wyrm
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That isn't bad advice. But unfortunately, I did a quick search for available networks when I got home and there were 15 wireless N networks in range. Wireless N is 5ghz and has a pretty limited effective range. :( I've got a utility to map the channels in use via wireless, so I'm going to see if there are any parts of the spectrum being under-utilized. I've also disconnected the arcade cabinet so it's creating traffic, and I read that disabling the SSID feature can help, since other networks in the area will randomly ping visible SSIDs just for fun. But Jenn was cool with buying new tech. She gave me the green light when she thought it was going to cost $130 per outlet. And it'll switch our two video computers to a 10/100/1000 connection - video playback issues will be non-issues with that kind of pipe. :D Edited by Benevolance, Feb 29 2012, 01:23 AM.
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| Andrul | Feb 29 2012, 09:31 AM Post #4 |
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Ancient Wyrm
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If your wife says go spend money then who am I to argue? :D I know the government in Germany was doing a lot of installation of internet over public utility cables. Can you imagine the potential bandwidth of your average 100,000 volt power cable? |
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| Benevolance | Feb 29 2012, 12:37 PM Post #5 |
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Ancient Wyrm
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I installed a wireless USB stick into my desktop machine. The machine is about 1.5m from the router, and it's getting 60% signal strength. So it may be that the antenna router may be failing, as well. But that makes 4 routers in 6 years. I'm not impressed. I ran the inSSIDer utility and mapped the wireless networks in our area. Our modem was defaulting to channel 6, along with about nine others. It was definitely the most popular channel. I switched it to a channel that had only one other person. It hasn't really helped much. We went from excellent signal strength to very low, almost overnight at some point last week. But there isn't anything we can point to as a specific cause. And I learned that, even though Apple purported to support Wireless N, they were coy and it's ad hoc wireless N, so no 5ghz antenna, so Jenn's iPhone is stuck using the 2.4 ghz spectrum. Stupid Jobs. We're going ahead with the powerline upgrades for the static computers in the house. Jenn insisted on the 10/100/1000 option. That will take the HTPC, Firebird and netbook off the wireless network. Aside from that, I'm running out of ideas. We may upgrade the rouer, as well - if it's antenna is failing, a new router will fix that. But it's a $100 I-hope-this-works kind of investment. In the mean time, I've got a spare wireless G Lynksis router that I might try to set up as a wireless access point. And if we do replace the Netgear router, I'll use this old one as another wireless access point to try and increase our signal range. If I install them at the powerline access points, I might be able to use them as both landline switches and wireless repeaters. I hate wireless networking. Edited by Benevolance, Feb 29 2012, 12:38 PM.
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| Andrul | Feb 29 2012, 01:10 PM Post #6 |
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Ancient Wyrm
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You might also want to download a scanning utility such as this one to check your SNR. Just because you're on a channel without a lot of traffic doesn't mean there's not a lot of noise on it. Of course, your power line option fixes that problem too. |
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| Benevolance | Feb 29 2012, 02:26 PM Post #7 |
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Ancient Wyrm
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:D Okay, after some reading this morning (I really should be studying for my exam; geekdom is a dangerous distraction) it's fairly simple to set up a second wireless router to act as a Wireless Access Point. The catch is that the two routers need to be connected via an ethernet cable. So we'll go ahead with the powerline stuff, but I'll add the spare Linksys WRT45G downstairs to extend the network. It's a 4-port ethernet hub, as well, so I'll be able to hardwire the Xbox 360 and HTPC into the network, whilst simultaneously boosting wireless connectivity in the greatroom. And probably giving us all cancer, if those purple-backed websites with large comic sans fonts and flashing letters are to be believed. :D I might even have a third router kicking around, which I could use to extend range to the far side of the upstairs. It isn't so much obstructions that are bothering our signal, but an overabundance of signals. And by the great Buddah's belly, this is an arms race I intend to win! I will saturate every inch of my house in more powerful signals than my nieghbours, denying them wireless coverage with superior interference and signal boosts! Bwa ha ha ha ha ha! The Powerline adapters are ordered. They should arrive in a couple days. Once I get them installed, I'll share my thoughts on how they work. I should also have the WAP up and running by then, so I'll report on how that process went, too. Edited by Benevolance, Feb 29 2012, 07:38 PM.
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| lgm | Feb 29 2012, 08:22 PM Post #8 |
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Demogorgon
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Good work, Dr. Wirelesstein. Thanks for giving my purple text website more page views! |
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| Andrul | Feb 29 2012, 09:30 PM Post #9 |
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Ancient Wyrm
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I forgot you said you had used the utility. So how was your SNR? |
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| Benevolance | Feb 29 2012, 09:55 PM Post #10 |
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Ancient Wyrm
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I don't recall inSSIDer giving an actual SNR value, but the RSSI value was -73, which seems fairly high. I'd guess the SNR is about 20, which is barely adequate. |
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| Benevolance | Mar 2 2012, 12:51 AM Post #11 |
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Ancient Wyrm
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That was, quite frankly, the easiest installation I have ever done. Coke the adapter into the outlet, connect it to the computer or router via Cat 5 and done. We're getting a connection somewhere between 50 and 80 mbps. Admittedly, that's comparable to what the wireless yielded when it had excellent signal strength and no interference. After the game, I'll try to set up the spare wireless router as a WAP. |
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| Benevolance | Mar 4 2012, 06:28 PM Post #12 |
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Ancient Wyrm
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WAP successful. Adequate electrical outlets, less so. Off to London Drugs to buy a better power bar and more Cat5 cables. Now have power. Bought some ultra-thin cat 6/5e cables at London Drugs and an 8 outlet power bar. Threaded the cat 6 through with our existing stereo wiring to make it all neat. Unfortunately, haven't really got a spot to put the wireless access point, so it's sitting on the back of our couch. Classy. But it's all running. So the adapter in the kitchen isn't nearly as effective as the others, since all the kitchen appliances are running on that breaker. The connection speed is all over the place, depending on what is running. But it's far more stable than the wireless signal was. So, the verdict: if I had my choice, I'd still prefer to cable inside the walls. But in the absense of that option, the powerline adapters are a great alternative. The connection is brilliant between the bedroom, the office and the great room. All are running better than 80 mbps. The adapters seem most effective in rooms that don't have heavy electrical loads/appliances. Edited by Benevolance, Mar 4 2012, 11:44 PM.
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| Benevolance | Mar 5 2012, 04:11 PM Post #13 |
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Ancient Wyrm
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Wait, wait media computer. You are telling me that three hard drives are failing integrity checks? Two fairly new ones and a single old one? I disbelieve the illusion, Mr. Motherboard. I know where this problem likely lies. |
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| Andrul | Mar 5 2012, 04:42 PM Post #14 |
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Ancient Wyrm
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Yeaaahhhh, sounds like Mr. Motherboard needs to be soundly spanked and sent to bed without dinner. |
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| lgm | Mar 5 2012, 10:53 PM Post #15 |
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Demogorgon
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| Benevolance | Mar 7 2012, 11:14 PM Post #16 |
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Ancient Wyrm
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The wireless access point works, bitches! Booyah! |
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| Andrul | Mar 8 2012, 08:10 AM Post #17 |
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Ancient Wyrm
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I need to work on my wireless too. The POS router supplied by Comcast after their tech blew out my Belkin router is bottlenecking. Actually having the same symptoms as you. Shows good signal strength but lousy throughput while the two connected by wire are working great. The latest 360 update took 20 minutes. Soon as I get it fixed I'm going to download the Kingdoms of Amalur: The Reckoning demo. |
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| Benevolance | Mar 9 2012, 12:39 PM Post #18 |
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Ancient Wyrm
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Since adding the wireless access point downstairs and switching to the powerline modules for the stationary computers, our wireless internet quality has improved considerably. The signal quality in the greatroom is now perfect, no interference. The signal quality elsewhere has improved, as well. Altogether it ended up costing us around $400 to set things up. $300 for 4 gigabit powerline adapters, $40 for the improved power bar, and $40 for enough thinwire cat5e to connect the new setup. And that includes an extra 15' cable to the WAP to add our 8-port hub for LAN parties. |
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| lgm | Mar 9 2012, 03:50 PM Post #19 |
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Demogorgon
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It kinda sucks that you had to spend that much and go through that much trouble :( |
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| lgm | Mar 13 2012, 12:23 PM Post #20 |
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Demogorgon
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My 2 year old thought it was fun to mess with the modem/router and hit the power button. No big deal but somehow he magically erased the modem password for the internet, bungled the router access password and the network security was off. There is a WPS button on the back that could explain a bit but not all of it. I officially have a gremlin for a son. |
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| Benevolance | Mar 13 2012, 12:41 PM Post #21 |
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Ancient Wyrm
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He probably found the factory reset button. :D The upgrades were not all that expensive in the grand scheme of connectivity. To open up walls and run hardline through the house would have cost us a lot at least $400 in materials, and a lot more time. Don't get me wrong - when we buy a house, the first thing we are doing is opening every wall up and threading network cables through the entire house, with an RJ45 jack beside every power outlet. We even decided that we'll run fibre optic premptively, while everything is open. |
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| lgm | Mar 13 2012, 04:57 PM Post #22 |
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Demogorgon
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The factory reset button required a very thin instrument. A pen doesn't work and he'd have to hold it for a bit. He did it with bare hands in two seconds. I couldnt repeat the error he got. He's not allowed near my cell phone now. |
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| Andrul | Mar 14 2012, 10:03 PM Post #23 |
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Ancient Wyrm
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Children and managers are both equally adept at screwing things up quickly with no way to explain what they did. We refrain from burying either one for widely different reasons. As I mentioned previously my wireless has been steadily ascending on the Scale of Crappiness, and I had planned to replace it this coming weekend. Well, it decided to give out completely today as Zerxes was trying to work from home (mine, not his) so he called up Comcast, harangued tech support into providing a new router which he picked up in Marietta and hooked up this afternoon. Working quite well, no complaints with the job he did. I did of course have to ask him why he didn't just use the spare sitting in a box 5 feet from the old router. :) Edited by Andrul, Mar 14 2012, 10:08 PM.
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| lgm | Mar 14 2012, 10:53 PM Post #24 |
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Demogorgon
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Kudos to him! Now you still have a backup. |
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| Benevolance | Mar 21 2012, 07:22 PM Post #25 |
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Ancient Wyrm
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I priced out a new PC. $650 taxed and shipped after rebates ($50) for a 3.2 ghz i3 core, mobo with 6 sata connections, on board video, sound and GLAN, 550W PSU, 8 gb PC 10600 ram (2 dimms), and Windows 7 professional OEM. Sans case, optical drives, mouse and keyboards. We've got lots of those. That's considerably cheaper than the pre-configured rigs NCIX and Tiger Direct are selling, but will require mailing in rebates and building the system myself. But while I was researching the new specs, it occurred to me that we might not have a big enough PSU in the media computer. The computer is 4 years old. I know we updated the PSU at one point, but we might have bumped it up from a 350 to 450mhz. Adding four more hard drives into the mix, we may have reached or exceeded capacity. So I'm going to buy a 550W PSU to install in the old media server and see if that helps. $100 is less than $650, if I recall correctly. And if it doesn't fix the problem, we'll already have a PSU when we buy the rest of the components. |
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