Tuesday, November 26, 2013

How do I use an old router as a wireless adapter?

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Nathan


We recently moved, and our desktop PC is in a room that doesn't have any access for the internet, and the closest connections we have are on the other sides of the house. Is there a way i can use an old router as an adapter of sorts on my desktop so i dont have to run a LAN connection all the way across the house or pay for an adapter?


Answer
Depending on the router model, you might be able to configure it as a wireless bridge, http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57529336-285/reuse-an-old-router-to-bridge-devices-to-your-wireless-network/ but for the bother, power consumption, performance, etc. You would be better served with an inexpensive USB WiFi adapter.

It is easy to add WiFi to a desktop. You can get a wireless adapter for your desktop PC, they are very inexpensive. Many are under 10 bucks. http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=excharge-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=wireless%20adapter%20for%20desktop&url=search-alias%3Daps&sprefix=wireless%20a%2Caps%2C377 There are two types, the easiest is a USB that just plugs in, the other is a card that involves opening the PC and installing in a card slot.

Unless you specifically need a wireless connection, I would not recommend it especially for a fixed device such as a desktop PC.

Wireless signals are affected by many factors including distance, wall density, electrical interference, directional antenna range, etc.

Wireless connection quality also varies and there is overhead involved in the transfer such as the encryption and decryption of the data used for wireless security.

You should try to centrally locate your wireless router or gateway up high and away from dense walls and electrical and 2.4 GHz wireless interference such as microwave ovens, cordless phones, baby monitors, etc.

For serious gaming or video streaming your best bet is a direct Ethernet connection. Ethernet is unaffected by wireless interference and will give you a rock solid, stable network connection.

If it is not feasible to run Ethernet cable your next best option is to use powerline network adapters. I wrote a review here: http://isp1.us/reviews/netgear-xavb2101-powerline-adapter/

Good Luck...

How do you send internet to other devices, using a computer?




Vanessa


We get internet in one spot in our house with our computer, but I would like to know if there is a way to send it the internet to other devices like home theater systems, and i-pods from the one computer.


Answer
It is possible, however often not cost effective or the best solution.

There are methods such as Internet Connection Sharing (ICS). You can set up ICS on a PC with a Internet connection and connect it to another PC or other device. This requires two network cards in the first PC. The Internet connection can be Ethernet or WiFi. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/using-ics-internet-connection-sharing. This method also requires the first PC to be active any time you need to access the Internet on the second PC.

The best solution for your application is to just add a wireless router. http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=wireless%20router&url=search-alias%3Daps&sprefix=wireless%20ro%2Caps%2C490&tag=excharge-20
This is a efficient way to share a single Internet connection with multiple devices. The router can connect to your devices via Ethernet cables or using WiFi (wireless) connections.

Many people would be likely be surprised at how many active connections their wireless router has. I have dozens. Cell phones, tablets, iPods, game consoles, laptops, desktops, ROKU boxes, Internet enabled devices such as TVs and audio receivers, and the list goes on.

That being said,

Go here http://speedtest.net and test your Internet connection speed.

This is your Internet speed. No wireless router, or connection method can make it any faster.

If you are going to have multiple users or simultaneous devices such s ROKU boxes to do HD streaming such as Netflix, then you'll want a minimum of 10 Mbps or faster.

Your Internet bandwidth is shared among all of the users of your LAN. So any bandwidth others are using will be deducted from the total WAN (Internet) bandwidth that is available to you.

In simple terms, the more users you have the more speed will be required. Streaming video, such as Netflix and Hulu require a lot of bandwidth. Here are the minimum recommendations from Netflix. https://support.netflix.com/en/node/306

The only way to Improve your Internet speed is to upgrade your plan or switch to a faster ISP.

WIRELESS ROUTERS:
Wireless signals are affected by many factors including distance, wall density, electrical interference, directional antenna range, etc.

All of these factors will affect your actual wireless range. As wireless connection quality varies the connection speeds are renegotiated. The WLAN connection may start at 150 Mbps and end up at less than 10 Mbps or drop entirely.

2.4 GHz WiFi connections also experience interference from microwave ovens and cordless phones which interfere with the 2.4 GHz band.

Dual band routers have multiple wireless radios enabling broadcast on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands simultaneously. Using the 5 GHz band cuts down on interference from cordless phones and microwave ovens.. Not all devices can use the 5 GHz frequency. Many laptops and other devices only operate at 2.4 GHz. Thus the need for dual band routers.

You should try to centrally locate your wireless router or gateway up high and away from dense walls and electrical and 2.4 GHz wireless interference such as microwave ovens, cordless phones, baby monitors, etc.

Your best bet is always a direct Ethernet connection. Ethernet is unaffected by wireless interference and will give you a rock solid, stable network connection.

If it is not feasible to run Ethernet cable the next best option would be a set of powerline network adapters http://isp1.us/reviews/netgear-xavb2101-powerline-adapter/

You plug one in by your router and one in the room where you need access and connect them to the devices with standard Ethernet patch cables. The network signals are transmitted over your existing home electrical wiring which will not be affected by wireless interference. There is still overhead in the connection but it is much more stable than WiFi.

Good Luck...




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