Wireless Setup

[DanManIt]

I have just moved and before I had a Linksys wireless G setup. It sucked.

Now that I've moved I'm lookinig into getting a (hopefully) better setup. I've hear good thinks about Buffalo and I'm also interested in the wireless N drafts. Can someone help me out?

 

[DanManIt]

I also heard good things about the belkin n1 wireless router.

 

[Kelemvor]

I've never heard complaints about a Linksys Wrt54G. Might have just been your house. If you already have that, I set it up and use it and see if it's better in its new location. If not, then find something else. Personally I'm fine with a G router since even B is fine for web browsing and internet and such. Unless you need more coverage and such, then you could go N. But it's not a standard yet so there's always the chance that something will change and all the "pre-N" and "draft-n" stuff will become useless.

 

[DanManIt]

Yeah, the linksys didnt cover my house, it was terrible. It would also drop the connection every 20 sec.

 

[JackMDS]

preN has No advantage with 802.11g cards.

A set of preN Router and card is close to $200.

Each additional preN computer is almost $100.

No external Antenna, No Bridges, No Game Cards No nothing but basic Router and Card.

Very high probability that preN would not be compatible with 802.11n

So what Good about preN? Well it sound fashionable to say I have a preN (pre Normal).

 

[DanManIt]

Well I figure if the pre-N covers the house well enough, then there will be no need for me to get on the final version.

 

[JackMDS]

Instead of spending $200 you can get a Buffalo HP.

Next year when the 802.11n comes out you can buy a real N, at a competitive price that would dominant the market when everyone is selling it.

http://www.ezlan.net/buffalo.html

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16833162134

However No matter what, Wireless advise should always be taken with a ?Grain of Salt? since it depends on the specific environment and it could be that No single Wireless Router would cover everything and you need to build WDS system, and nice 802.11g WDS system can be less expensive than a single set of lame preN.

P.S. Just ib case thta you do not know, you can flash both the Linksys and the Buffalo with DD-WRT and build a WDS system.

It would cost you $60 and a little work but the covarge probably would beat any preN system.

 

[OoteR02]

What did you use for your wireless management on the clients?

Where did you put your router?

Did you try a repeater?

What type of walls were in the old place? new place?

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: JackMDS
Instead of spending $200 you can get a Buffalo HP.

Next year when the 802.11n comes out you can buy a real N, at a competitive price that would dominant the market when everyone is selling it.

http://www.ezlan.net/buffalo.html

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16833162134

However No matter what, Wireless advise should always be taken with a ?Grain of Salt? since it depends on the specific environment and it could be that No single Wireless Router would cover everything and you need to build WDS system, and nice 802.11g WDS system can be less expensive than a single set of lame preN.

P.S. Just ib case thta you do not know, you can flash both the Linksys and the Buffalo with DD-WRT and build a WDS system.

It would cost you $60 and a little work but the covarge probably would beat any preN system.

I've done that, and I wouldn't recommend it (haven't tried it with the Buffalo though). Technically, it's a great idea. However, practically, it's just not reliable. Ever since I've gotten the D-Link 4300 (replaced a few WRT54Gs), my wireless network is rock solid. I've also replaced my brother's Linksys wireless router (802.11g) with a D-Link DIR-655 (draft N), BEAUTIFUL! No more dropped wireless connections for no reason and the range is great! Needless to say, I'm not going back to Linksys' wireless products anytime soon.

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: JackMDS
preN has No advantage with 802.11g cards.

A set of preN Router and card is close to $200.

Each additional preN computer is almost $100.

No external Antenna, No Bridges, No Game Cards No nothing but basic Router and Card.

Very high probability that preN would not be compatible with 802.11n

So what Good about preN? Well it sound fashionable to say I have a preN (pre Normal).

The new D-Link DAP-1555 (draft N) will allow you to bridge to their DIR-655 (draft N) wireless router. This is a GREAT product for a few reasons. I have a 360 and an XBox. Instead of getting two wireless adapters, I can just plug them both into the DAP-1555 and share the wireless connection to the wireless router. PLUS, if I get any other consoles that need to connect to the internet, I can just plug those into the DAP unit which has 5 ethernet ports. They demoed this product at CES and it looked GREAT!

 

[aeroguy]

Originally posted by: JackBurton

The new D-Link DAP-1555 (draft N) will allow you to bridge to their DIR-655 (draft N) wireless router. This is a GREAT product for a few reasons. I have a 360 and an XBox. Instead of getting two wireless adapters, I can just plug them both into the DAP-1555 and share the wireless connection to the wireless router. PLUS, if I get any other consoles that need to connect to the internet, I can just plug those into the DAP unit which has 5 ethernet ports. They demoed this product at CES and it looked GREAT!

Jack, I don't quite understand the digram here. I understand the media bridge connected to, in my case, an HTPC and Xbox 360, but I don't understand why they have a second one connected to their DIR-655 Gigabit N router. I could see if you had a wireless G router, but with a wireless N router, why buy a second media bridge? Seems awfully expensive to buy 2 of them in addition to a wireless N router.

Also, someone said "Very high probability that preN would not be compatible with 802.11n."

From what I've read, that's just not true, especially now that we've moved to Draft 2.0.

From the article: "Draft 2.0 hardware is also guaranteed to work with the final 802.11n spec, which is expected to be approved by the IEEE in early 2009."
They go on to say that the chances "Draft-N gear will not be upgradeable are slim at this point. Last week, D-Link announced plans to offer a Draft 2.0 firmware update for some of its products." And yes, the DIR-655 router does have a draft 2.0 firmware update ensuring final N spec compatibility.

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: aeroguy

Originally posted by: JackBurton

The new D-Link DAP-1555 (draft N) will allow you to bridge to their DIR-655 (draft N) wireless router. This is a GREAT product for a few reasons. I have a 360 and an XBox. Instead of getting two wireless adapters, I can just plug them both into the DAP-1555 and share the wireless connection to the wireless router. PLUS, if I get any other consoles that need to connect to the internet, I can just plug those into the DAP unit which has 5 ethernet ports. They demoed this product at CES and it looked GREAT!

Jack, I don't quite understand the digram here. I understand the media bridge connected to, in my case, an HTPC and Xbox 360, but I don't understand why they have a second one connected to their DIR-655 Gigabit N router. I could see if you had a wireless G router, but with a wireless N router, why buy a second media bridge? Seems awfully expensive to buy 2 of them in addition to a wireless N router.

Completely redundant. All you should need is the DIR-655 and the DAP-1555. That's it. The 655 connects directly to the 1555 (wirelessly) and creates your wireless bridge.

 

[aeroguy]

Thanks for the reply. I have no idea why they set up their diagram like that... maybe to sell another piece of hardware

 

[JackBurton]

Originally posted by: aeroguy
Thanks for the reply. I have no idea why they set up their diagram like that... maybe to sell another piece of hardware

Lol, yeah, that's what I figured too.

 

[JackMDS]

Originally posted by: aeroguy
From the article: "Draft 2.0 hardware is also guaranteed to work with the final 802.11n spec, which is expected to be approved by the IEEE in early 2009."

Hmm.. Who guarantee? Ars, You, or the manufacturer. If it is the manufacturer, please point me to a brand name manufacturer that has a page of existing Wireless Hardware that is guaranteed to be upgradeable to 802.11n, I want to buy one.

 

[aeroguy]

Originally posted by: JackMDS

Originally posted by: aeroguy
From the article: "Draft 2.0 hardware is also guaranteed to work with the final 802.11n spec, which is expected to be approved by the IEEE in early 2009."

Hmm.. Who guarantee? Ars, You, or the manufacturer. If it is the manufacturer, please point me to a brand name manufacturer that has a page of existing Wireless Hardware that is guaranteed to be upgradeable to 802.11n, I want to buy one.

Good question. I would like to know Ars' source for that information as well. I assumed it was either the IEEE (the group that approves the 802.11n spec), the Wi-Fi Alliance (the group responsible for certifying 802.11n products), or a combination of the two. So from my very limited understanding, if the product in question has this logo, it is guaranteed to work with the final spec. And you can see that the DIR-655 does contain the logo. I did check its certificate at wi-fi.org (the WiFi Alliance website) and it does indeed meet the IEEE 802.11n draft 2.0 standard.

Ars, Gizmodo, and Gizmodo again all have articles guaranteeing compatibility.

Even an old Anandtech article from 2006 states that "the products released that meet an approved Draft 2.0/3.0 specification are almost certain to be fully compliant with the final 802.11n amendment."

Oh, and I just found this article from ExtremeTech stating that "Again, the IEEE notes that Draft 2.0-compliant gear will be guaranteed to be fully compatible with the final (2009) 802.11n standard." So there you have it, I guess the IEEE guarantees compatibility.

Of course, the articles I cited could be completely wrong. It would be nice if the manufacturers advertised this. I guess they have to be really careful what they say these days... class action lawsuit anyone?

 

[aeroguy]

I apologize for getting off topic here, but I have one more question. Would a Media Bridge allow me to do Wake on LAN? Right now I have a USB adapter on my HTPC which sits in an S3 sleep state. I would like to be able to wake it up remotely to use Webguide4.

 

[JackMDS]

Wake On LAN (WOL) wakes up a computer that is Totally Off. If this computer Hardware is WOL capable sending to it a Magic packet through the LAN Starts the computer.

So if you Media Gizmo is capable of sending a Magic Packet it can be done.

http://www.ezlan.net/WOL.html

As for the Draft 2.0 issue. I guess that you also believe that there is Wireless that can 300feet in a normal indoor environment. After all the data sheets of the manufacturers claims so.

In Matter of Fact the Data Sheet of the D-Link 655 states.

This product is based on IEEE draft 802.11n speciications and is not guaranteed to be
forward compatible with future versions of IEEE 802.11n speciications. Compatibility
with draft 802.11n devices from other manufacturers is not guaranteed. All references
to speed and range are for comparison purposes only. Product speciications, size and
shape are subject to change without notice, and actual product appearance may differ
from that depicted herein.

 

[aeroguy]

Yep, I've seen that disclaimer before, and I think you have an excellent point. The last word should come from the manufacturer after all. Although I must admit that if I were them, I'd do the same thing. Why put yourself in a position for a class action lawsuit should something fall though? No need to take on that kind of risk.

I'm not saying you're wrong and I'm right. Not at all. I was merely questioning your statement that there's a "very high probability" that the final product will not be compatible with the draft version, especially when the governing body of the 802.11n spec, the IEEE, is guaranteeing compatibility. IMHO, that statment is misleading, at best.

What do you think is the probability the DIR-655 will work with the final n spec? Even at 50/50, that's a far cry from the "very high probability" that it won't work as you stated. Personally, based on the IEEE position, I'd put it up at 90+%. I can see why you'd disagree with that, but I think a lot of people are willing to take the risk, and I think they should, as long as they are aware of the facts.

 

[nweaver]

Originally posted by: JackMDS
Wake On LAN (WOL) wakes up a computer that is Totally Off. If this computer Hardware is WOL capable sending to it a Magic packet through the LAN Starts the computer.

So if you Media Gizmo is capable of sending a Magic Packet it can be done.

http://www.ezlan.net/WOL.html

As for the Draft 2.0 issue. I guess that you also believe that there is Wireless that can 300feet in a normal indoor environment. After all the data sheets of the manufacturers claims so.

In Matter of Fact the Data Sheet of the D-Link 655 states.

This product is based on IEEE draft 802.11n speciications and is not guaranteed to be
forward compatible with future versions of IEEE 802.11n speciications. Compatibility
with draft 802.11n devices from other manufacturers is not guaranteed. All references
to speed and range are for comparison purposes only. Product speciications, size and
shape are subject to change without notice, and actual product appearance may differ
from that depicted herein.

We got 180 feet indoors (we reached the end of the building) and then went outdoors and got about 320' iirc. That was netgear draftn 1.0 stuff, with a dell N card. That was also in a "normal" wireless setup (other AP's signals in the area) and inside a brick building. We got 5Mb/s at that range (it was out the building, across the road in a park. Cars crossing the road would almost disconnect us (sitting on a bench)