Would I benefit from an upgraded solution

The difference between a USB dongle and a PCI card is negligible nowadays- USBs take up the odd CPU cycle which used to be a problem, but a 5GHz i5 is not going to struggle if it loses a couple of CPU cycles.

That said, either a card or a dongle that supports wireless-N would give you a massive boost.
 
Personally I would go usb as it is a more versatile purchase. You are upgrading technically anyway from g to n but you may have an old laptop or acquire one and regret not having the option to swap the dongle from the desktop to the laptop.

Is your provider using cable or adsl? The ideal solution really is to run cat5 cable (this doubles as telephone cable should you want to add an additional telephone socket sometime). Would make more sense to move the router if possible but if not I vote usb
 
maybe I should consider the ethernet idea..

I am just unsure how I am going to route the cable through a few doors up a flight of stairs!

My FPS skills which were previously gimped by my ****e computer (Dell XPS 600) are now being gimped by my bandwidth :(
 
Predicament said:
maybe I should consider the ethernet idea..

I am just unsure how I am going to route the cable through a few doors up a flight of stairs!

My FPS skills which were previously gimped by my ****e computer (Dell XPS 600) are now being gimped by my bandwidth :(
Click to expand...

What I'm gonna be doing (when I say me, I mean my dad lol) is wiring the cable up the outside of the house and then through into the loft and having it drop down into my room, but then I have a built in cupboard it can drop down into but if you have an unseen bit of wall it could come through or something?

I dunno, just an idea anyway lol
 
Predicament said:
How exactly do I setup a powerline network?
Click to expand...

You buy a pair of homeplugs. One end plugs into the wall at the pc, you connect a cat 5 cable into the top of it and into the pc. The other homeplug connects into the wall at the routers end, same again, cat 5 from homeplug to router. No setup is required. It really is super easy.

I vote for homeplugs all day long. Just to be clear, 802.11G tops out at 54Mbps. That's 54 Mega BITS per second, hence the small "b" some people don't realise this and think it's bytes. Anyway, unless you internet speed is greater than 54Mbps... then you aren't being held back by lack of speed, so getting 802.11N is hardly going to improve matters. It's great for sharing files across the network as this is increased, however with regards to internet speeds. It makes no difference unless you are on a silly fast Virgin cable package.

I would always avoid USB. There just not as good as PCI. I've dealt with hundreds, trust me. PCI is always there, it has a dedicated antenna so the signal is stronger unlike the USB versions. They don't get knocked off, they don't utilise a usb port. There cheaper also, the advantages are endless. Someone mentioned, you would regret not being able to connect it to a laptop. All laptops in the last 4-5 years have been sold with built in wifi cards, even the cheap ones. So that's hardly a reason to buy one.

Homeplugs definitely. If not an option, a wireless pci card. The 8 quid TP LINK will be fine. However I'd try running a cable, (not routing it) and test then, to see if it does actually solve the issues you are having before splashing out on homeplugs etc.
 
Confused Stu said:
Powerline networking works well for me. 200 speed kits are really cheap now as well. Otherwise, my vote would be for N wireless USB.
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I also use powerline adapters (although the older 85 Mbps ones) and find them to be very solid. I like the fact that you just plug them in and they work straight away, no messing around with SSIDs, passwords etc :)
 
@panyan you are talking rubbish. cat5 is the cable, you are talking about the connectors. We use RJ45 connectors for LAN, RJ11 is for phones you can use cat5 cable and stick the connector you need on the end for the purpose you desire. I have a box with loads left over when i did my telephone extension in my house, I keep it for knocking up network cable when needed.

@ Buchanan you do talk sense. It was me that said about the laptops. Yes laptops come with wifi but not necessarily n spec. I suggested usb as it is versatile, handy for troubleshooting network problems on pc's and laptops and if it upgrades a laptop so he has better range/signal in the garden it's a bonus.

That was my opinion, I bought a pci digital tv card yonks ago, no matter how many times i tell myself it's better than usb, i still regret not being able to swap it between the rig and my laptop so I can have a tv in the kitchen temporarily.

Jacks solution is the best if we are all honest. It would make sense to buy a box of cat5 and some RJ45 connectors and a crimper. I have a feeling it will workout cheaper than powerline networking although that is definately an option......it all boils down to the spondoolies at the end of the day ;)
 
Buchanan0204 said:
You buy a pair of homeplugs.
However I'd try running a cable, (not routing it) and test then, to see if it does actually solve the issues you are having before splashing out on homeplugs etc.
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Thanks for your lengthy response Buchanan. I'll compare speeds when using an ethernet and get back to you.

Tonester007 said:
I also use powerline adapters (although the older 85 Mbps ones) and find them to be very solid. I like the fact that you just plug them in and they work straight away, no messing around with SSIDs, passwords etc :)
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More and more tempting!
 
I am purchasing this:
Duronic 15m FTP Professional Gold Headed Network Cable - Black - High Speed Premium Quality Cat5e / Patch / Ethernet / Modem / Router / LAN

I just figure I will do my best to cable route!


BEFORE I CLICK PURCHASE:
Does this look ok?
 
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Predicament said:
I am purchasing this:
Duronic 15m FTP Professional Gold Headed Network Cable - Black - High Speed Premium Quality Cat5e / Patch / Ethernet / Modem / Router / LAN

I just figure I will do my best to cable route!

Does this look ok?
Click to expand...

It looks OK.

Have you made sure it's long enough (the cable).

The gold part is a bit pointless but as long as you're not paying more than £6.49 with free delivery it's fine.
 
honosuseri said:
@panyan you are talking rubbish. cat5 is the cable, you are talking about the connectors. We use RJ45 connectors for LAN, RJ11 is for phones you can use cat5 cable and stick the connector you need on the end for the purpose you desire. I have a box with loads left over when i did my telephone extension in my house, I keep it for knocking up network cable when needed.

@ Buchanan you do talk sense. It was me that said about the laptops. Yes laptops come with wifi but not necessarily n spec. I suggested usb as it is versatile, handy for troubleshooting network problems on pc's and laptops and if it upgrades a laptop so he has better range/signal in the garden it's a bonus.

That was my opinion, I bought a pci digital tv card yonks ago, no matter how many times i tell myself it's better than usb, i still regret not being able to swap it between the rig and my laptop so I can have a tv in the kitchen temporarily.

Jacks solution is the best if we are all honest. It would make sense to buy a box of cat5 and some RJ45 connectors and a crimper. I have a feeling it will workout cheaper than powerline networking although that is definately an option......it all boils down to the spondoolies at the end of the day ;)
Click to expand...

Just to back you up. Yes Cat5 cable can be used as phone cable, RJ11 is the connector, just as RJ45 is the network cable connector. It's only a form for data to be trasferred. Data isn't particularly fussy, as long as the plug fits into the slot. :D

Anyway as mentioned. The majority do come with 802.11N these days, very few modern laptops, even cheap ones are starting to be shipped with this as standard. Regardless as mentioned. It offers very little benefit unless transferring large files across the local network.

I wouldn't reccomend him to buy the cable, connectors and the crimping tool... especially if he only needs one cable. He would be much cheaper buying the 30M cable for less than a tenner from OcUK. It comes with the connectors already on so no fussing around. It's not the easiest thing putting on an RJ45 connector, hardly worth the hassle when you can buy it so cheap... fair enough if you plan on doing a lot of cabling at custom lengths, however I don't think this is the case.

That may well be the case with a TV card. Unfortunately this has absolutely zero effect on the original posters solution. Very different things.

Of course running a cat5 cable will work out cheaper... however it's an incovenience if the house is large and it has to be routed outside and through lofts. Pain in the ****. However the small premium is certainly worth it.
 
Predicament said:
I am purchasing this:
Duronic 15m FTP Professional Gold Headed Network Cable - Black - High Speed Premium Quality Cat5e / Patch / Ethernet / Modem / Router / LAN

I just figure I will do my best to cable route!


BEFORE I CLICK PURCHASE:
Does this look ok?
Click to expand...

Here's a good option. 30M may be a bit long, depending on how far they are apart. However this cable is fine. I use it myself.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CB-038-OK&groupid=1929&catid=1069&subcat=
 
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