Transfer over wireless network (slow)

[uk_sam]

I have a 54Mbps wireless router and needless to say, copying anything more than 50Mb is too slow to bear. What options do I have to increase the speed? Would getting a Gigabit LAN Router make a big difference, what transfer speeds should I expect to get? - Will my existing wireless network cards work at the faster speed or would I need to purchase new ones?

Can anyone who has a speedy wireless network give me some tips? Cheers.

 

[Kroegen]

Depends on your router tbh.

We need to know the make and model

 

[Amps]

How slow is slow ?

Every wireless router i have used has been very slow compared to wired.

 

[j00ni]

Further to the other replies, if you do decide to go wired with gigabit kit, you would be better off getting a gigabit switch and attaching it to your existing router, as the gigabit speed will be redundant as soon as data passes through the router to the internet.

 

[uk_sam]

The router I have is the BT Voyager 2100. I just copied a 130Mb video file wirelessly from my desktop PC to my laptop and it took 2min 10s giving me a transfer speed of 1 Mb/s. Now that is what I call slow. The router is a 54 Mbps model so I assumed I should be getting something closer to 6.75 Mb/s when transferring wirelessly? (I assume walls and other barriers would mean I would not get this maximum speed)

I'm confused about Gigabit LAN speeds, are they achieved only using a network cable? Should I go for a 108 Mbps router?

 

[j00ni]

I'm confused about Gigabit LAN speeds, are they achieved only using a network cable?

No, you need to have gigabit ethernet cards (or motherboard controllers) and a gigabit switch (unless it's a direct crossover connection) to get gigabit speeds. Most network cable currently available should be fine for a gigabit network (ie Cat5e, though Cat6 may be better if you are thinking of buying as cost difference is negligable)

 

[Nikolic]

My 54G wireless network tops up at 2MB/s when transfering large files - even when I have full signal.

To be honest, I've always thought that was how fast wireless was? I rarely transfer 200MB+ files anway.

 

[j00ni]

Yeah actual network speeds drop off considerably as soon as you move even a few feet from the transmitter, and walls cause an even bigger decline.

Just because windows says that the connection speed is 54Mbps, doesn't mean it is, just means that is the potential speed

 

[uk_sam]

Thx for the advice guys. I will likely get a 108Mbps router. Some of the better models apparently give a better signal range which willl be good since my router is likely to be downstairs and most of my computers upstairs.

 

[FireBIade]

I think the longer you can hold off buying a new wi-fi router the better. it seems that the new wireless standard might not be far off & also I have seen some wi-fi routers saying they can achieve 300mbps, obviously thats the theoretical max but it may level out at 100mbps after going through a wall or two. When I buy my next wireless kit I want it to be quite a lot better rather than just slightly better.

Fire..

 

[FireBIade]

Another thing to try if you have a laptop, download and install NetStumbler this program will pick up any wireless networks in range whether they are broadcasting their SSID or not. That way you can spend some time choosing a channel which is not in use and adjusting any moveable ariels to give your house as best coverage or signal strength as possible.