High Powered Wireless Network for Audio

Hi Kij,

The 45 and 11 mbps numbers you mentioned for 802.11G and B are highly theoretical, and useful for advertising purposes only. In practice getting 1/3 of those numbers is doing well.

That is a common point of confusion, in part because many (or all?) computers, depending on the operating system, will misleadingly indicate G connections as being connected at 54 mbps (the theoretical maximum), and B connections as being connected at 11 mbps (also the theoretical maximum).

To get an idea of the real speed, either measure the time required to transfer a large file over the wireless link, or if you have a high speed cable connection to the internet compare internet speed test results (such as those provided at Speakeasy.net) from a wired computer with those you get from a computer that is wirelessly connected to the same router and cable modem.

Best regards,
-- Al

54 or 45 - Hey, 5 out of 4 of us are dyslectic. I agree that these numbers are theoretical but sustained 3Mb/s DSL speed is also not obtainable by perhaps most of the people.

Thanks for Speakeasy.net - my DSL shows 2.6Mb/s

CW,

I will make this recommendation since although the consensus to get a better router is a very good one; I will say your idea to switch from DSL to cable is a good one. When they come to your place to install the cable, make sure you are there and ask them before they do the install what are the minimum signal strength to OK your install. Cable gives you the opportunity to make sure of good signal. With any router, gunk in, gunk out.

To help answer the question of whether it's your wireless router or your internet service that's the problem you could use one of the bandwidth-test add-ons for the Firefox browser.

Trying it both with the computer wired directly to the router and wirelessly from your usual work location should show you if it's your wireless signal strength that's the problem.

Boss302 makes a good point. I'll add that incoming signal strength can be monitored at any time, by interrogating the cable modem. You may wish to do that in the future if performance problems arise.

That can be done from any computer in the house that is networked to the modem, by entering a certain 192.xxx.xxx.x (local) address into a web browser program.

The address to enter depends on the particular modem model, and can usually be readily determined by Googling the make and model number. A password may have to be entered as well, which will also be indicated in some of those search results if it is needed.

Regards,
-- Al