Wireless scenario

[Ceolmar]

I currently have a Webstar DX100 Cable modem connected to my desktop PC using the USB cable. I also have a Fujitsu laptop.

I am considering installing a wireless network using a Netgear WGT624 router and a Netgear WG511T wireless card in the desktop with a USB wireless adapter in the laptop.

I have the following questions;

1) I would like to hide the router and modem away in the loft. Is it okay to leave it all permanently powered on or should I install a switch downstairs somewhere? Will the equipment have sufficient range to reach all the rooms in my typical sized 3 bedroom semi as well as allow me to work with the laptop in the garden (35 metres long)?

2) The reviews of the Netgear equipment have all indicated that they are easy to set up. Has anyone any contrary experience?

3) How reliable are wireless connections? Do they slow down or suddenly drop out very often?

Many thanks

[MovedGoalPosts]

Moved to Computers & IT discussion from Telewest broadband forum http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...ad.php?t=31795

[nffc]

Your coverage will be poor in the loft, all the water tanks, etc and the fact it's a level above your PCs.

[blenky]

Originally Posted by Ceolmar

I currently have a Webstar DX100 Cable modem connected to my desktop PC using the USB cable. I also have a Fujitsu laptop.

I am considering installing a wireless network using a Netgear WGT624 router and a Netgear WG511T wireless card in the desktop with a USB wireless adapter in the laptop.

I have the following questions;

1) I would like to hide the router and modem away in the loft. Is it okay to leave it all permanently powered on or should I install a switch downstairs somewhere? Will the equipment have sufficient range to reach all the rooms in my typical sized 3 bedroom semi as well as allow me to work with the laptop in the garden (35 metres long)?

2) The reviews of the Netgear equipment have all indicated that they are easy to set up. Has anyone any contrary experience?

3) How reliable are wireless connections? Do they slow down or suddenly drop out very often?

Many thanks

Depends. If you have direct line of sight, albeit through floors, it should be OK. I have my PC set up in a loft extension and my wireless router is two floors below. However as it is DIRECTLY below I get 95% connection quality and strength. When I had it in the same room, but round the corner, it was about 60-70%. Although I connect downwards I don't know if connecting upwards would be. Some advice on positioning can be found here:

http://kbserver.netgear.com/kb_web_files/n101318.asp


I keep my router on all the time the same as my modem.



I found setting up a wireless network reasonably easy, there are a lot of sites on the net giving instructions and advice. One thing i did find useful when setting it up was having a fall back cable connection into the router. I have Netgear wireless router which also has four physical port. If all else failed this meant I could still access the routers set up pages if the wireless connection went totally fubar.



However I've no longer got a physical connection set as I haven't had any issues with it for ages.



Overall I've found wireless to be very reliable. The only issues I've had are with the ntl connection, not the wireless one!

[Halcyon]

I think you will probably be fine with the wireless up in the loft as it will broadcast down to the rest of the house.
Netgear products are easy to set up and normally come with helpful wizard set up guides like Linksys products.

What affects your signal strength depends on thickness and the material in your walls, interference, and any other objects restricting the range.
Most connections will be fine with maybe sometimes a few drops in connection but they will connect back again quickly.
You are fine to leave the equipment on all the time, there is no problem with this and most people do leave it connected.

If you did find that you did not get coverage all over the house you could either move the router, or buy an access point to boost the signal, however this would set you back more money.

Try it out. I dont think you will have many problems unless you lived in some sort of castle with lead shielding and metre thick walls.
Good luck.

[DaveJH]

Hi,

I had NTL installed on Monday and have been having a few problems with this setup (Pace STB + Netgear WGT624). To be honest it might just be I have not configured it correctly, but can't work it out.

When I connect the cable out of the STB all seems to be fine (ran for over a day without any problems).

When I conect the STB to the router and then use the wireless conection works ok at first then after a few hours seems to drop the connection and I have to power everything (PC, Router & STB) before I can get an internet connection again.

At the moment I am in the process of testing the STB conected to the router and then using a wired conection. It is working ok at the moment gonna see if the connection drops over the next 24 hours.

As I said it could just be something I have not set up correctly but been looking through the forum and can not see anything I've done wrong!

Other then that the Netgear seems good.

If anyone has any idea's it would be much appreciated.

[MovedGoalPosts]

to Cable Forum

It could possibly be the PACE STB is on the limits of it's abilities to handle a 1Meg connection. A higher speed and the PACE would probably fall over. What speed do you have.

What are you runing over your newtwork. Larger downloads can place more stress on things that brief busts of activity. Of course your PCs are fully patched?

[DaveJH]

Rob, thanks for your reply mate.

I've got 2MB, I did read in the forums that the Pace is not really good for connections ove 1MB, but when I connect the STB direct to the laptop I didn't have any problems (Kept the connection for over 24 hours without any issues).
At the moment it seems to be ok when I use a wired connection to the router, I've been connected for about 4 hours. It only seems to be when I'm using wireless, connection seems to drop after a few hours.

I am being quite demanding on the connection (BitLord), but this is not a problem when using a wired connection, also connection still seems to drop even when not downloading a lot.

Rob when you say fully patched i'm not 100% sure what you mean (not too technical!). As far as I can tell everything is correct.

[MovedGoalPosts]

Fully patched, means you have all the latest updates fro windows, your antivirus is current, etc.

Hmm, you are using a P2P program. These are notorious for overloading things. You need to be sure that the upload bandwidth isn't geting saturated. I'd suggest limiting your uploading pwoer to 3/4 of the full 200kbps you are allowed. This leaves space for the download acknowledgement packets to get out too. You might even want to reduce the upload by a greater amount.

[DaveJH]

Thanks Rob,

Yeah everything is patched up-to-date. Have limited the upload to 80% of the total upload speed (beleive this is 256kb). Anyway will keep testing over the next few day, probably without using BitLord see if that makes a difference.

Thanks for your help.

[MovedGoalPosts]

Upload speeds for ntl services:
1Meg download = 100Kbps upload
2Meg download = 200Kbps upload
3Meg download = 300Kbps upload.