Thinkpads Forum

To get a better wireless signal should I get a better router or upgrade Internet service? My router is a Linksys G.

what kind of broadband are you on?

It's cable. Downloads up to 1.5 Mbps and uploads up to 384 Kbps.

I updated my Linksys G to a Netgear dual band N. Speedtest reported that I doubled my speed.

That said...your cable company provides a very slow system. What does www.speedtest.net report?

1.44 Mb/s download and 0.37 Mb/s upload. I just need to know what's going to give a better signal a higher internet speed or a N router?

Sorry...to answer your question:

An N router will give you a better signal and increase your range. Not all N routers are the same...a cheap N router in some cases will be about the same as a good G router. I wanted to improve my streaming video and settled on the Dual Band Netgear Wireless N Router.

Here is a good article on how to get more range out of your G router:

http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detai ... -equipment

Bottom line...speed is subjective when you consider that cable does not always deliver constant speed which has nothing to do with signal strenght or range. When your neighbors all jump on the internet at the same time...the cable internet speed drops down. However, the G router will throttle down to a lower speed if it gets interference from other devices like Access Points, other routers on nearby channels, cordless phones, etc. All of these factors can work against you. I would see if you can get a better speed from the cable company and also consider moving to an N router. That said...you need N capability in your ThinkPad otherwise you are wasting your time and money.

Here is my report from Bothell, WA using Comcast:

On Amazon the Linksys N router seems to have very mixed reviews. Is there a better brand?

Grab your wallet...it takes about $150 to get a very good router. Check http://www.newegg.com and sort on the "best ratings". You will find that D-Link and Netgear seem to be the best sellers. Linksys has tons of routers and prices from dirt cheap to quite high.

I settled on the NETGEAR WNDR37AV-100NAS 802.11a/b/g/n 2.4/5GHz Simultaneous Dual Band Wireless Gigabit Router for Video and Gaming...I paid $149 at BestBuy.

The D-Link DIR-655 802.11b/g/n Xtreme N Gigabit Wireless Broadband Router up to 300Mbps/ USB port x1/ Intelligent QoS Technology for Gaming was very tempting and http://www.newegg.com sells it for $70.

Perhaps if you spent a little time checking out these two models you might solve your questions. If you buy one make sure you have a good return policy...one you could live with as several reviewers reported returning them. My router supports four ethernet connections, four laptops, three desktops, one N access point with an 8 port switch, one HD TV with N streaming, two Blu-Ray players with N streaming, a Wii, an iPhone, and a Slingbox Solo. The Netgear N wireless router handles all of these connections without breaking a sweat.

"That said...you need N capability in your ThinkPad otherwise you are wasting your time and money."

Aren't any N routers backwards compatible? Also aren't there usb type things that can give the Thinkpad that capability?

Yes...N routers will drop to G speed automatically. But your range and speed will drop. Yes there are USB N wireless adapters for your ThinkPad.

billp117 wrote: Here is my report from Bothell, WA using Comcast:

Am curious about your Comcast 'tier' ?. I am also on Comcast on the East coast. My download is more than twice your speed, but my upload is a bit more than half yours. I am on a lower Tier called 'Performance', which in this area is advertised as "downloads up to 15 Mbps and uploads up to 3 Mbps with PowerBoost®!" Their 'Blast' Tier is advertised here as " 20 Mbps and uploads up to 4 Mbps with PowerBoost®!", and is another $10 a month. I am thinking about getting it, but not sure about the value of getting this additional upgrade to 'Blast'. It looks like you may have it?

For a router comparison, see this: http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/componen ... temid,189/
It's a no-brainer after that...

Keep in mind that N band can give you better throughput but G can give you further range, so it depends also on the distance and number and composition of walls you have to deal with in your home. I got a Netgear 3700 because I have two home offices in the house and can split my home and work wireless devices across two essentially separate networks, G and N. I get better range on G but as long as I don't go to the far end of the house with a work laptop, I get better throughput on N. I have tried a couple of different dual band wireless N adapters in my X60s, they both work pretty well. Even one floor up and 3 - 4 walls away I get better performance on N.

I also found that a good deal of reading, researching, googling was needed to optimize both the dual brand router and the adapter settings to get all my devices working well. None of it worked right out of the box. IMHO if you have just a few devices and simple needs, a good G router is probably reasonable. I have a Tivo, print server, Blue Ray player, two Dish receivers and 4 laptops on wireless and two wired devices so a higher capability (and more expensive) router helps me out. You will find a lot of good and bad comments about the Netgear (and the other dual band routers). I think most of it comes down to understanding what you can and can't do given the physical layout of your home, the type and number of devices, and use of some of some of the less common router capabilities.

I have never had cable internet so I cannot comment on how you can optimize it.

Mike

billp117 wrote:Bottom line...speed is subjective when you consider that cable does not always deliver constant speed which has nothing to do with signal strenght or range. When your neighbors all jump on the internet at the same time...the cable internet speed drops down ...

That's why I recommend Verizon FiOS to anyone who lives in an area that has it.

On the wireless:


And on wired:

(though I've seen upload speeds around 22Mb/s)

I'm not sure which router I have (it's the one they gave me), but I know that the speed does not drop down as on cable when more people are on the system. To achieve the speeds, when you first set up the FiOS, you do have to run Verizon's internet optimizer tool which configures your settings. If you don't, the speeds are rather disappointing (in my case they were less than I had on cable). But you only have to do that once for each type of network card, and it takes about five seconds and a shutdown/restart (not a reboot) each time.

HarryC...the test will vary during the day. This morning at 10:15 am my speed is...



My Comcast service level is "BLAST". The report is through my X200 using an N connection to the Netgear wifi router. I would get better speeds from a direct ethernet connection.

It is my guess that Me2 has the economy rate service and should consider upgrading for better speed. I am not sure "why" he is asking the question...perhaps he will clarify what his situation is a little better.

As for FIOS...Verizon put all the cables into my neighborhood but does not offer the service to our condo. Go figure. In the meantime Comcast has improved their service and I am not motivated to jump ship if I could at this time. Comcast will meet or beat FIOS pricing if you compare plans. But since I cannot get FIOS the choice defaults to Comcast.

Comcast at 12:02 PM...see it can get better but that is cable for you.

Me2...did we answer your question?

@billp117, I just upgraded to 'Blast' - 62Mbps down, 3.97Mbps up....much better. (R400 running wireless N at 300Mbps on Intel 5300)

@billp117 and Harryc: I'm curious, what kind of speeds are being reported if you use http://www.dslreports.com/speedtest?java=1

Ray, DSL reports uses Speakeasy.net (among others) . When I test to the Speakeasy NY server I get the exact same results.
http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/

20.9 and 3.8...about the same reported by Speakeasy.

Okay, thanks! I was interested in seeing if the Java speedtest app at dslreports correlates to what speedtest.net reports. I can't run any speed tests at the moment since it looks like the family is going to be streaming Netflix movies all afternoon.

Me2 wrote:1.44 Mb/s download and 0.37 Mb/s upload. I just need to know what's going to give a better signal a higher internet speed or a N router?

With that speed from your ISP connection, you present wireless LAN can easily swamp your ISP connection in terms of speed, so concentrate on getting a higher speed internet connection first, and only after you've done that consider upgrading your WiFi router.

Cheers,

Bill B.

Yes you answered my question. Thanks!

RBS -- "For a router comparison, see this: http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/componen ... temid,189/
It's a no-brainer after that"

I really like the chart, but I am so slow to understand technical stuff -- I have Verizon DSL and I would like to replace their Westell modem/router with a dual-band N modem router. I can't tell from the descriptions in the chart which were routers and which were modem routers -- unless they are all modem-routers -- I haven't a clue. I also was confused because the number one on the chart also seemed to have photo storage included?? which I wouldn't want/need --

I'm so dense -- could you look at the chart for me and tell me which one would have, in your personal opinion, the best specs for a dual band N modem router?

This will sound like crazy-ness to most folks here, but...

If anyone is concerned about having the fastest download speeds,

purchase a 25 feet long ethernet cable and connect directly to your router.

robert213 -- "purchase a 25 feet long ethernet cable and connect directly to your router"

I am sure you are right about that -- I am also sure I am too focused on "fastest" speed -- probably because I am an old person (make that an oldER person) with little understanding of how some things work, along with little patience --

My husband does crosswords -- I "play" with my thinkpads -- some old ladies watch soaps; I play with my thinkpads -- I am a very good example of "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing," so I know I can really mess things up if I am not careful --

So here's what I'm thinking... first the direct ethernet connection would be fastest, but it would not be practical from my desk... to the sofa in our family room... to my upstairs bedroom... I also am guessing (because I really don't know) that if my X301 and X200 have wireless n, then there must be some advantage to wireless n -- not sure of that, but want to find out...

What is stopping me from purchasing the dual band n modem/router is that I don't understand how my dsl is delivered to my computers -- I'm guessing it has to have a modem to receive the signal, and I'm guessing the router is what sends that received signal to my family's computers throughout the house -- but what I don't know is do all n routers by default include the modem?

If I purchase whatever modem/router I think is best, and I have trouble setting it up, I at least need to know that I have purchaed the correct equipment -- correct as in is it capable of receiving my Verizon dsl signal and then routing that signal to my home network once configured --

I know these are elementary questions -- and I promise I have been trying to read on this forum and google -- but my brain has not been able to sort this out yet -- don't really want to pay the geek squad for something I'm pretty sure I can figure out myself **IF** I purchase the correct modem/router.

This is simple...ask your DSL provider to install wifi for you. Most provide that service.

If something goes wrong they fix it.

One thing I discovered yesterday is that you need to choose a relatively clear wireless channel (preferable 1, 6, or 11, which have minimal interferance). I was getting terrible download speeds from the far reaches of my house, I changed the router from a ~5 year old 20$ wireless g router to the ISP provided wireless g router. It did not help. Yesterday I was looking, and my problems all started when my neighbour installed a wireless n router - it was on the same channel and was interfering. I changed the channel of my router from 11 to 6, and have had better connections than ever, full strenght throughout the house, no dropped connections. especially if you have a lot of other networks in the area, try changing to another one of the channels above, and see if that helps.

IMHO, unless you have a corperate connection and are trying to cover an office building with wifi, wireless g provides eneough coverage for a house, without distributing wireless to the whole neighbourhood. If you need to download something extremely fast, hook up a wire, otherwise I have had sustained download speeds of 5 megabytes a second over wireless g. If you have the money to beat that, you can afford N.

[quote="emtee3511]What is stopping me from purchasing the dual band n modem/router is that I don't understand how my dsl is delivered to my computers -- I'm guessing it has to have a modem to receive the signal, and I'm guessing the router is what sends that received signal to my family's computers throughout the house -- but what I don't know is do all n routers by default include the modem?
[/quote]

My GF leases her DSL modem/router all-in-one unit from her phone company.

I purchased seperate Linksys modem and router units from Fry's Electronics. Comcast required me to register (model & serial number) my modem. This was accomplished through Comcast's website.

My neighbor said that he was required to register both modem and router.

robert213 wrote:Comcast required me to register (model & serial number) my modem.

My neighbor said that he was required to register both modem and router.

What happens if you don't?