WIFI network - upgrading mine, suggestions?

[ynohtna]

Hi All

I'm currently running two WRT54GLs with DD-WRT, one as AP and the other in Repeater Bridge mode. I get great coverage and fairly happy with the result.

I now have a laptop with an Intel 5300AGN card and I'm wondering how I should upgrade my wifi network. I want this laptop to utilize it's 5ghz band capabilities and I want better wireless speeds. I do have a couple other computers that already have older draft N cards but not dual band capable. I also have a couple devices on 802.11g.

Should I just a dual band router to add on top of my existing network?

Should I decommission my WRT54GLs and replace it with something else? Would a single dual band router be able to match the coverage of my two wrt54GLs?

Suggestions? Hardware?

Many thanks for your thoughts.

 

[thiggins]

Since everything is working fine and all you want is to add 5GHz draft 11n, look at something like the NETGEAR WNHDE111.

Draft 11n does not provide expanded range. It provides higher throughput at a given location.

 

[ynohtna]

Yea, definitely the impression I've been getting while reading recently... I do want higher wireless through put though. The 5ghz 11n would be ok in a localized area cause it's where I use my laptop with an intel 5300 card most of the time..

I do have a desktop upstairs from where the APs are that I would like to have better wireless speeds too for streaming media. That one has a Dlink Draft N card (first draft?)...

I'd like to have a good, fast, reliable wifi network in the end of it all

 

[ynohtna]

what a headache it's been...

The past week I learn about the quirks of vista networking (wireless) and also quirks of my 5300 AGN card that came with my x200t.

Having problems it seems to copy large files wirelessly on my G network and there are suggestions that it's the fault of 802.11g and there are no such issues in 802.11n

I know you suggested the netgear above, but it's only got 100mbit ports... is there something else you could recommend that's higher or do you really think I won't hit the 100mbit limitation on a wireless N connection?

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[thiggins]

The 100 Mbps ports on the WNHDE111 don't limit its speed, as shown by the performance tests in the review.

 

[ynohtna]

hmm, this thing doesn't seem to be that readily available in Canada

What do you think I should do about DHCP and routing? Keep on the linksys or put it on the netgear? (well actually maybe I'm not so sure about how routing would work in this kind of setup)

 

[thiggins]

Let your router handle DHCP, just as it does now.

 

[ynohtna]

so I'll probably get a the netgear sometime this week... but before doing so, any suggestions on what to do with my computer 'upstairs'? Currently I have a WRT54GL upstairs set on repeater and the upstairs computer is wired to it. Upstairs is pretty much right on top but on opposite sides of the walls, 9ft ceiling & 12ft between walls.

That computer does have an older 2.4ghz N card, currently disabled. If I want to utilize that what would be the best way? Or don't bother at this time... I wouldn't mind to have better wireless speeds up there for media playback from my NAS.

 

[thiggins]

If the WRT54GL is really using WDS repeating vs. acting as a wireless client, you are cutting available bandwidth in half.

Using the 2.4GHz draft 11n card won't help speed unless it is connected with a draft 802.11n router.

 

[ynohtna]

yea I know, I did that setup for range really... since was router to router and the computer connected by wire, it wasn't a big deal.

the added range helps for the rest of the house for other mobile devices that I just want internet browsing.

I want to add 5ghz N for sure and I would add it to the main floor where my modem, switch and router are all clumped together. This is fine as it's also where 5ghz N would be most important for me.

for the upstairs computer... if I want to use the N, is the distance too far? I'm debating whether to just leave the upstairs computer as is for now and get the netgear you recommended OR go with a dual band solution... Actually, I think you reviewed somewhere that 2.4ghz N will crush my G network?

Basically if the products today still suck too much, then I'll just get the Netgear 5ghz N for now or something.

I'm just wondering what I *should* do regardless of cost and what not.

Many thanks for the quick reply!

 

[thiggins]

There is no perfect solution and cost is always an issue.

You will probably get a 5GHz signal upstairs. The question is whether you will get high enough speed to support your streaming. There are no guarantees other than running Ethernet.

If you have TV coax outlets in both locations, you might look at the Netgear MCAB1001. Will start hitting stores in the next 30 days or so.

 

[ynohtna]

The N adapter upstairs is not 5ghz, unless I'm mistaken and ALL N NIC's are dual band.

Interesting device, the moca... I do have coax port, but I think it's disconnected from the main splitter as the cable guy said I'm only allowed to have 4 or something and that specific room was the odd man out. Now whether is worth it!

Many thanks again for your input! Funny, I kind of thought there would be more opinions from other people but I guess you're the main man!

 

[ynohtna]

getting myself a bit all confused from reading the all reviews and not exactly sure what STA and other abbreviations means... plus I'm so tired right now

But I gather that dual band wireless routers are useless for doing combined G and N cause they kill each other's signal.

If I had an existing seperate G network and ADD to my network a dual band N router for 2.4ghz N AND 5ghz N only (no G on the dual band router)... would I experience the same killing of speeds of each other?

Thinking going for the 610N again since a recent firmware update looks good?

The netgear that was recommended seems cool and all but it's only 5ghz N and doesn't give 2.4ghz N. But if the 2.4ghz N is what's simply screwing everything up in the surrounding area then I won't bother with the 610N. If have seperate boxes for G and N (dual band) is ok, then I'd probably go with a 610N (mainly for potential future full suppport from dd-wrt)... thank you!

 

[thiggins]

getting myself a bit all confused from reading the all reviews and not exactly sure what STA and other abbreviations means... plus I'm so tired right now

STA = wireless client

But I gather that dual band wireless routers are useless for doing combined G and N cause they kill each other's signal.

Where did you get that? The 2.4 and 5 GHz bands do not interfere with each other.

If I had an existing seperate G network and ADD to my network a dual band N router for 2.4ghz N AND 5ghz N only (no G on the dual band router)... would I experience the same killing of speeds of each other?

A draft 11n router operating in the 2.4GHz band using its default 20MHz wide channel is the same as an 11g router in terms of interference. When properly set to a different channel, it will not interfere. See Add, Don't Replace When Upgrading to 802.11n.

 

[ynohtna]

Where did you get that? The 2.4 and 5 GHz bands do not interfere with each other.

Well ok, lower throughput when both G and N streams active doesn't mean interference, I guess I got that mixed up in my head.

A draft 11n router operating in the 2.4GHz band using its default 20MHz wide channel is the same as an 11g router in terms of interference. When properly set to a different channel, it will not interfere. See Add, Don't Replace When Upgrading to 802.11n.

Ok thank you, I didn't see this article until now. There's a pretty decent deal on for the 610N and with the promising new firmware, I think I'll get that so I can have 2.4ghz N and 5ghz N along with my separate G network.

 

[zjohnr]

getting myself a bit all confused from reading all the reviews and not exactly sure what STA and other abbreviations means... plus I'm so tired right now

Maybe this is a good time to take a step back, take a breath, and try to remember what your original goals might be. Rushing forward and just spending a lot of money works for some things, but I think this approach is likely to be less effective for upgrading a home network.

I think/guess that however great your throughput/coverage might currently be, it would be even better if instead of using WDS aka Repeater Bridge mode you ran some cat 5e cable and used wired ethernet to connect your primary WRT54GL to the second WRT54GL and used the second as a "pure" access point instead operating both in WDS/bridge mode.

Are the two WRT54GLs withing 300 feet of each other in terms of snaking a cable?

If running cable is not in your skill set, then maybe hiring a person to do this for you might be an alternate place you could drop a few hundred bucks to improve your network?

FWIW,

-irrational john

 

[zjohnr]

There's a pretty decent deal on for the 610N and with the promising new firmware, I think I'll get that so I can have 2.4ghz N and 5ghz N along with my separate G network.

If you have not already done so, make sure the clients you want to use with 5GHz 802.11n can support that.

My understanding from feedback to an earlier post I made was that if a client/STA supports both 802.11a and 802.11n then it will provide dual band 802.11n support.

(If I said that wrong, I'm sure the larger community will immediately step in and correct any mistake. )

-irrational john

 

[ynohtna]

yea my laptop has the intel 5300AGN card (the main reason why I want to add N)

I do have a couple older N cards on 2.4ghz so I hope to be able to hook those up too.

 

[ynohtna]

I received my 610N router today... updated to the latest firmware right away.

Played around with connecting on 5ghz... seems to work well, and the now to get my 5300 AGN card to connect at 300mbps. Which I can't seem to get it to do!

I have the latest driver from intel site for the 5300 AGN card

I set the 5ghz channel to N only
Auto for 20/40
I have tried both no encryption and WPA2/AES encryption

The 5300 AGN won't connect! I can see it but I can't connect to it. It's trying to associate, get IP or what not but it seems unable.

If I set the 5ghz channel to mixed (a/n mode) then it connects but at 54mbps.

Any ideas?

 

[ynohtna]

WMM!!!!!!!! grrrrrr