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amber l
I need to strengthen my wifi connection if at all possible without having to run a cable through my house. We have a main computer that the internet box is connected to and that gets internet just fine (obviously) but any time we try to use the wifi from other devices in the house (while someones using the main computer) the wifi is utter crap no matter where you are in the house. Is there a way I can strengthen the wifi so that i can use the internet from my computer without any problems?
Answer
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.
Your best bet, especially for serious online gaming or streaming, is a direct Ethernet connection between your computer and the wireless router.
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.
For stationary devices I recommend Ethernet connections, however I realize that this is impractical for devices such as tablets, iPods, cell phones, etc.
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.
If you still have a weak wireless signal you can either get a wireless extender or a wireless adapter with better range for your WiFi device.
Wireless adapters come in many types and sizes, you may want a high power USB model with external antennas. http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&keywords=high%20power%20wireless%20adapter&linkCode=ur2&qid=1374458138&rh=n%3A13983791%2Ck%3Ahigh%20power%20wireless%20adapter%2Cp_72%3A2661618011&rnid=2941120011&tag=excharge-20
Devices such as wireless extenders can expand your wireless range by receiving weak wireless signals and repeating them to extend the signal range to greater distances.
Here are the two most popular highly rated models on Amazon.
Securifi Almond - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0087NZ31S/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0087NZ31S&linkCode=as2&tag=excharge-20
Netgear Universal WN3000RP - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004YAYM06/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004YAYM06&linkCode=as2&tag=excharge-20
That being said,
How fast is your Internet connection? http://speedtest.net
If you are going to have multiple users or simultaneous devices such s ROKU boxes to do HD streaming, then you'll want a minimum of 10 Mbps or faster. 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
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.
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.
Depending on your exact location, you can choose from several different types of broadband Internet access. They include DSL, cable, fiber, satellite, and wireless from a cellular provider.
DSL is generally the cheapest broadband option, however it is also usually the slowest.
Cable - Cable Internet is a form of broadband Internet transmitted over coaxial television cables. Cable Internet speeds range from 1 Mbps to over 300 Mbps using newer DOCSIS 3.0 technology.
Fiber - Newer fiber optic services can be as fast as 1000 Mbps. Fiber connections can also provide on demand HD television and digital telephone service on the same line.
There are also 3G and 4G wireless mobile broadband services and satellite Internet, but these are normally only used where Cable or DSL are unavailable due to the higher cost, slower speeds and low monthly bandwidth limits.
To compare speed and prices of your local competitors, go to a ISP comparison site that lets you input your address, and compare the pricing and terms of the offers that are available in your area. In the US you can use this one http://isp1.us/find/ .
The physical address is needed because some services, particularly DSL, are very distance sensitive. For example you might be able to get a specific level of service while your next door neighbor can't.
You'll want to pick the fastest plan that fits your budget. In some areas this can be 500 Mbps+. But these high end broadband plans are expensive. You may find that something in the 10 to 50 Mbps range might satisfy your needs at a much lower cost.
Good Luck...
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.
Your best bet, especially for serious online gaming or streaming, is a direct Ethernet connection between your computer and the wireless router.
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.
For stationary devices I recommend Ethernet connections, however I realize that this is impractical for devices such as tablets, iPods, cell phones, etc.
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.
If you still have a weak wireless signal you can either get a wireless extender or a wireless adapter with better range for your WiFi device.
Wireless adapters come in many types and sizes, you may want a high power USB model with external antennas. http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&keywords=high%20power%20wireless%20adapter&linkCode=ur2&qid=1374458138&rh=n%3A13983791%2Ck%3Ahigh%20power%20wireless%20adapter%2Cp_72%3A2661618011&rnid=2941120011&tag=excharge-20
Devices such as wireless extenders can expand your wireless range by receiving weak wireless signals and repeating them to extend the signal range to greater distances.
Here are the two most popular highly rated models on Amazon.
Securifi Almond - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0087NZ31S/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0087NZ31S&linkCode=as2&tag=excharge-20
Netgear Universal WN3000RP - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004YAYM06/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B004YAYM06&linkCode=as2&tag=excharge-20
That being said,
How fast is your Internet connection? http://speedtest.net
If you are going to have multiple users or simultaneous devices such s ROKU boxes to do HD streaming, then you'll want a minimum of 10 Mbps or faster. 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
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.
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.
Depending on your exact location, you can choose from several different types of broadband Internet access. They include DSL, cable, fiber, satellite, and wireless from a cellular provider.
DSL is generally the cheapest broadband option, however it is also usually the slowest.
Cable - Cable Internet is a form of broadband Internet transmitted over coaxial television cables. Cable Internet speeds range from 1 Mbps to over 300 Mbps using newer DOCSIS 3.0 technology.
Fiber - Newer fiber optic services can be as fast as 1000 Mbps. Fiber connections can also provide on demand HD television and digital telephone service on the same line.
There are also 3G and 4G wireless mobile broadband services and satellite Internet, but these are normally only used where Cable or DSL are unavailable due to the higher cost, slower speeds and low monthly bandwidth limits.
To compare speed and prices of your local competitors, go to a ISP comparison site that lets you input your address, and compare the pricing and terms of the offers that are available in your area. In the US you can use this one http://isp1.us/find/ .
The physical address is needed because some services, particularly DSL, are very distance sensitive. For example you might be able to get a specific level of service while your next door neighbor can't.
You'll want to pick the fastest plan that fits your budget. In some areas this can be 500 Mbps+. But these high end broadband plans are expensive. You may find that something in the 10 to 50 Mbps range might satisfy your needs at a much lower cost.
Good Luck...
Will my Dell Studio XPS 8100 run very high or ultra high graphics games like Crysis or GTA 4?
Juice
I just ordered a Dell Studio XPS 8100 Desktop with 64bit windows 7 intel i5 750 @ 2.66Ghz 8 MB Cache 6 GB Dual Channel DDR3 @ 1333mhz 4 DIMMs RAM nVIDIA Geforce G310 512MB DDR3 Video Card 500GB 7200RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 16 MB cache Dell ST2010 HD widescreen Monitor. Will this computer run GTA 4 or Crysis in very high or ultra high?
What video card should I get?
and what power supply do I need?
Answer
Only if you upgrade the graphics card (and possibly power supply, depending upon which card you select). The G310 is an entry-level card which can't even run cutting-edge games like Crysis on medium. You'd need at least a Radeon 5770 or GTX 260 (roughly $175 cards) to run at very high detail, and a Radeon 5850 or GTX 285 is more like it.
For maximum detail you'd need an ultra-powerful GPU... that's what $400-$500 cards like the Radeon 5870 and GTX 295 are for.
For gaming computers the graphics card is the single most important component, having twice the impact of your CPU on frame rates.
*** Update***
You can run $75 cards like the Radeon 4670 and GeForce GT240 without having to upgrade the factory power supply.
The Radeon 5770 requires at least a 450W power supply.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139003
The GTX 260 and Radeon 4890 require a minimum 500W power supply which supplies 36 amps on the +12V rails. So for those cards, get something like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341010
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004
The Radeon 5850 is much more powerful, that's the card to get if you've got $300 to spend. Check the user reviews:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102857
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814103085
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131184
The same power supplies linked above (for the GTX 260/Radeon 4890) will work. Although with one of these babies, you'll have more breathing room for future upgrades:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005
Only if you upgrade the graphics card (and possibly power supply, depending upon which card you select). The G310 is an entry-level card which can't even run cutting-edge games like Crysis on medium. You'd need at least a Radeon 5770 or GTX 260 (roughly $175 cards) to run at very high detail, and a Radeon 5850 or GTX 285 is more like it.
For maximum detail you'd need an ultra-powerful GPU... that's what $400-$500 cards like the Radeon 5870 and GTX 295 are for.
For gaming computers the graphics card is the single most important component, having twice the impact of your CPU on frame rates.
*** Update***
You can run $75 cards like the Radeon 4670 and GeForce GT240 without having to upgrade the factory power supply.
The Radeon 5770 requires at least a 450W power supply.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139003
The GTX 260 and Radeon 4890 require a minimum 500W power supply which supplies 36 amps on the +12V rails. So for those cards, get something like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341010
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139004
The Radeon 5850 is much more powerful, that's the card to get if you've got $300 to spend. Check the user reviews:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102857
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814103085
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131184
The same power supplies linked above (for the GTX 260/Radeon 4890) will work. Although with one of these babies, you'll have more breathing room for future upgrades:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005
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