Streaming over Wireless

[redone632]

I currently have a file server on my network that holds all my movies and video. It's connected to my DIR-655 router. I have a computer upstairs and a laptop, one is on wireless-G and the laptop is on wireless-N. My problem is is that when playing video through Windows Media Center it becomes very choppy on both the computer and laptop but when play on my wired connection they play fine.

I checked the bandwidth and on the wired comupter it plays at a constant 4-10 Mbps. when I play it on the wireless connections it will play at 4-10 Mbps for a while then drop to basically 0 Mbps and that's when it becomes choppy.

I'm sort of stumped here. Is it that my computer and laptop are dropping their connection? Both have the file server as a mapped hard drive.

Thanks =]

 

[thiggins]

What are you using to check the bandwidth? And how long does the wireless bandwidth stay at 0?

 

[redone632]

I was using the resource monitor in the task manager. It would stay at 0 for maybe 5-10 seconds then play normally again, then stutter, etc. I found out that the QoS Engine on my router might be causing it, so I turned that off and it works fine now.

But there's still one problem I seem to have. With the 1080p movies I have they still seem to stutter or the video will move slower than the audio and they will go out of sync. I again looked at the resource monitor and it wasn't anywhere near capping out my bandwidth over Wireless-N. It play flawlessly on my wired connection but with only 7-15 Mbps which is what the Wireless-N connection can do. I'm a little puzzled here...

 

[thiggins]

HD movie streams have highly variable bandwidth. A better tool for seeing what they really use is NetMeter.

I have a few 720p streams that play well until they hit the peak bandwidth sections (fast action, abrupt change from dark to light scenes) when they break down.

If everything is ok wired, but not wireless, chances are you are hitting peak bandwidth limits.

 

[tipstir]

Being able to tweak the wireless settings using DD-WRT wireless devices can get you better results than using the stock firmware. But all factors come into play though. Sure wired connections is the best, but today so many want the wireless factor.

 

[redone632]

hmmm what are my options if I already am using up my 4 wired ports and I want to connect another?

 

[thiggins]

Buy a switch an uplink it to the router's switch (run a cable between them).

 

[redone632]

would something like this work http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833122111 ?

Does it matter what computers I stick on the switch? Like would I see worse performance if the server + computer were both on the switch?

 

[thiggins]

The NETGEAR GS108 or any other 10/100 or 10/100/1000 switch will work fine.

Generally, you want to put the busiest machines on the same switch, so that you don't saturate the single gigabit link. But my guess is that you won't have enough traffic to worry about that.

 

[redone632]

I think I'll go that route, leave laptops for wireless. Thanks for the help