Hi All,
I have a Linksys WRTP54G used as my wireless router since I was a Vonage customer. When I set it up years ago, there was my wired PC, a wireless B PC. The windows client at the time wouldn't work with security, so it remained open.
Years have passed, and suddenly I notice that we have 4 wireless N laptops (one is almost always wired Gb), a 5th that's draft-N that may join as a wired Gb HTPC when it's repaired, 2 iPod Touches (G), a Wii (G), 2 cell phones (both G), a wired NAS (10/100), and a network AIO printer (10/100). Friends and coworkers come with G and N computing devices on a regular basis. There's lots of youtube and hulu watching, flash games and pandora.
According to speedtest.net, my wired connection gets roughly 20Mb/s download from the closest server. My wireless from less than 10ft away is roughly 15Mb/s download. My wife complains that the wireless does not reach the backyard, which is what started me looking at a different router, hopefully with better range (it's probably because it's in the basement, under a desk and table). I learned about the internals of routers and 3rd party firmware, some modern wireless know-how from this site, and realize that the router may be limiting the bandwidth.
I'm considering replacing the router with a dual-band gigabit router like the Netgear WNDR3700v2 (unless I can find a v1) or Linksys E4200. It's likely that I'd try OpenWRT+Gargoyle on it. I wanted to use gigabit ethernet in case I ended up putting a (much) faster NAS on it.
My LAN question is, if I have 10/100 and Gb devices on the same switch, wouldn't the Gb devices revert to 10/100? Do I need a separate Gb Switch for these devices, and would it be chained off the router's 10/100 (or Gb) switch?
Or could I find a 10/100 switch with Gb uplink to house the slower devices, run off the routers Gb switch?
My goal is to ultimately have the wired computers talk to the fast NAS over Gb ethernet without having to fall back to 10/100 because of the cable modem, printer or older 10/100 NAS.
My wireless question is, instead of a relatively expensive dual-band router, would it be easy (and cheaper) to go with a 5Ghz Wireless N router like perhaps the Netgear WNDR3300 and use the WRTP54G as an access point positioned closer to the back yard with an ethernet run?
Devices I'm considering:
Netgear WNDR3700v2 and Linksys E4200 are around $125, with high total bandwidth. A refurb WNDR3700 is about $80.
Netgear WNDR3300 refurb and Linksys E2000 refurb are around $50, and I could use them in 5GHz mode in conjunction with the old G router.
Any thoughts appreciated.
I have a Linksys WRTP54G used as my wireless router since I was a Vonage customer. When I set it up years ago, there was my wired PC, a wireless B PC. The windows client at the time wouldn't work with security, so it remained open.
Years have passed, and suddenly I notice that we have 4 wireless N laptops (one is almost always wired Gb), a 5th that's draft-N that may join as a wired Gb HTPC when it's repaired, 2 iPod Touches (G), a Wii (G), 2 cell phones (both G), a wired NAS (10/100), and a network AIO printer (10/100). Friends and coworkers come with G and N computing devices on a regular basis. There's lots of youtube and hulu watching, flash games and pandora.
According to speedtest.net, my wired connection gets roughly 20Mb/s download from the closest server. My wireless from less than 10ft away is roughly 15Mb/s download. My wife complains that the wireless does not reach the backyard, which is what started me looking at a different router, hopefully with better range (it's probably because it's in the basement, under a desk and table). I learned about the internals of routers and 3rd party firmware, some modern wireless know-how from this site, and realize that the router may be limiting the bandwidth.
I'm considering replacing the router with a dual-band gigabit router like the Netgear WNDR3700v2 (unless I can find a v1) or Linksys E4200. It's likely that I'd try OpenWRT+Gargoyle on it. I wanted to use gigabit ethernet in case I ended up putting a (much) faster NAS on it.
My LAN question is, if I have 10/100 and Gb devices on the same switch, wouldn't the Gb devices revert to 10/100? Do I need a separate Gb Switch for these devices, and would it be chained off the router's 10/100 (or Gb) switch?
Or could I find a 10/100 switch with Gb uplink to house the slower devices, run off the routers Gb switch?
My goal is to ultimately have the wired computers talk to the fast NAS over Gb ethernet without having to fall back to 10/100 because of the cable modem, printer or older 10/100 NAS.
My wireless question is, instead of a relatively expensive dual-band router, would it be easy (and cheaper) to go with a 5Ghz Wireless N router like perhaps the Netgear WNDR3300 and use the WRTP54G as an access point positioned closer to the back yard with an ethernet run?
Devices I'm considering:
Netgear WNDR3700v2 and Linksys E4200 are around $125, with high total bandwidth. A refurb WNDR3700 is about $80.
Netgear WNDR3300 refurb and Linksys E2000 refurb are around $50, and I could use them in 5GHz mode in conjunction with the old G router.
Any thoughts appreciated.