I need to strengthen My Wifi?

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...

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

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Troubleshooting several internet issues?

baby monitor hd review image

Wait, What

Alright. For the past three weeks or so, my entire family has been having multiple internet issues, and we can't get to the bottom of it. Here's how my network is set up: The router and modem are upstairs, and my parent's computers are connected to it. Another set of two desktops are a floor below it, using WiFi to connect. Our ISP is Charter Communications, and we are paying for 30mbps at the moment. The problem we are having is that when one computer downstairs is being used, the other one has low internet speeds. This is proven in gaming and by using http://www.speedtest.net. The two computers upstairs are not affected.

During gaming, if my brother were to open up a video, I would immediately have my ping go up to 600+, and vice versa. When he is gaming, my download rates are around 5mbps download, and 3mbps upload. Usually when his computer is not in use my computer gets 18-25mbps. The router we have is a NETGEAR WNR3500L and our modem is a Motorola Surboard that is pretty old.

My question is, with the information given, what should we do? Should we purchase a more powerful WiFi router/modem, or go talk to Charter about our internet speeds? Thanks ahead of time.

Answer
Disconnect the wireless router and connect a laptop or PC directly to the modem via Ethernet to make sure that you have exclusive use of your Internet connection.

Reboot the PC or laptop so the modem can assign it a IP address. You should have Internet access now.

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

This is your Internet speed. No wireless router, modem or connection type 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

For example, If you pay for a 3 Mbps Internet connection, you will get 3 Mbps.

No router or Ethernet connection will change your 3 Mbps Internet speed. This connection bandwidth is shared by your entire LAN via your router.

If you have a 3 Mbps Internet plan and one user is utilizing 2.5 Mbps of the bandwidth to stream a Netflix movie that only leaves 0.5 Mbps for all of the rest of the users on the LAN.

Fast wireless routers and connections are designed to stream large files on your LAN quickly. The high speed routers permit fast transfer of files between devices connected to your LAN, however WAN speed is still limited by your ISP. The only way to Improve your Internet speed is to upgrade your plan or switch to a faster ISP.

That being said,

If you are using a wireless connection, I would try temporarily plugging your PC or game console directly into the router via a Ethernet cable.

If your game still lags or video buffers with a direct connection, then the best router /modem in the world won't help, you'll need a better Internet connection.

However if the lag goes away then your problem is with the wireless connection between your router and your game console.

Wireless connections are not good for systems used for online gaming. Wireless signals are affected by many factors including distance, wall density, electrical interference, directional antenna range, etc.

By nature, interference in wireless systems causes problems with smooth, consistent speeds. Your latency (ping) may be 30 ms and wireless interference could cause it to spike to 200 ms or more.

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 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...

HP computers and reliability?

Sabrina

So I've been in the market for a new computer. I currently have a Toshiba Satellite A305 that has been my baby for the past 5 years but it's time for an upgrade. It has an old Centrino 2 processor, 4GB RAM, 320Gb HD and an ATI Mobility Radeon Graphics card. It does what I want, but slowly. It was fast when it was new, but the more expansions I add to my games the slower it gets, and Windows Vista has been nothing but trouble from the start. It uses too many resources and has way too many driver compatibility issues. And now I'm having weird black-out problems with the monitor.

This is my #1 prospect for the price: http://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-Black-dv6t-7000-15-6-i7-3612qm-2-1GHZ-6GB-640GB-DVD-RW-Cam-Laptop-Win-8-upg-/221171230259?pt=Laptops_Nov05&hash=item337ed52633

I really wanted an ASUS, based on what I've heard from others. I have heard mixed reviews on HP, but I think I may have to settle for HP due to the budget. What do you think? Would this computer work for my needs? I game (mostly Sims 3), use Photoshop CS 3 & 5, surf the internet, stream music, and watch movies. I frequently multitask. I also have a 15lb cat that likes to sit/walk on my computer. I also want this to be a long-term investment. I need something that will hold up and be reliable. Is an HP a decent prospect for that?
@Doru: A laptop is a computer. It is a specific type, yes, but it is still a computer. Did you even look at the link? This is not an entry level under $500. It DOES have a 3rd generation i7, a NVIDIA dedicated graphics card, and a 6GB HD. The specs are way better than what I have now and what I have now can handle the games I play. I'm just looking for an upgrade (that doesn't have monitor blackouts and the terror of Vista). I cannot afford more than $700. I'm trying to stick close to $600, so yes, for the specs I want, and in that price range, I'm looking at refurbished. I have bought refurbished before and have never had a problem. The computer I have now is a refurb and it lasted me a good 5 years. It could probably go longer if I forced it to. As long as there is a decent return policy I have no qualms about giving it a shot. I really just want to know if HPs are built to last or if they're too much of a hit-or-miss.

Answer
My sister has the same laptop that you want to buy and it works quite well with her I think. She uses it to do homework, stream videos, and plays games such as League of Legends with it. She's only had the computer for a year so I don't know how it runs long term. I'd say that the laptop would be a good choice for you, although you'll have to anticipate the battery life going down.

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

baby monitor hd review image

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...

Will buying a router fix my gaming issues?

SANE1

So I went to walmart and I was checking out the routers and I saw one where it said it was for streaming hd movies and gaming and all the other basic stuff a regular modem would do but what I want to know is if buying the router is actually going to help me or do nothing at all. So here's my problem: whenever I play black ops 2 on my ps3, my sister is always streaming movies on netflix and it causes me to have an extremely poor connection thus resulting in lag and rendering the game unplayable. However, when she's not streaming, I experience no lag whatsoever so please don't tell me it's lag. Anyway, will the router help me or not? Will it give me more banwidth by getting a router? Is that a common misconception? I of course want to be able to play while she is streaming movies so I'm not sure if that's even possible without upgrading my internet plan. My ISP is verizon and while it is not anything fancy like the fios plan they offer, it runs pretty good larglely in part because about a year or two they connected it straight to a dsl line. The router is about $90 and it is from netgear(sorry I don't know the model). Anyway, any help will be greatly appreciated and I thank you for it.

Answer
No,

A fast router or wireless LAN connection does not make your Internet faster.

A router connects two separate networks and manages the traffic between them.

In most home network applications the router connects your local group of computers and devices known as the LAN with the Internet, commonly called the WAN or Wide Area Network.

Your WAN speed is determined by your ISP and is measured in Mbps (Millions of bits per second).

For example, If you pay for a 3 Mbps Internet connection, you will get 3 Mbps.

No router or wireless connection will change your 3 Mbps Internet speed. This connection bandwidth is shared by your entire LAN via your router.

If you have a 3 Mbps Internet plan and one user is utilizing 2.5 Mbps of the bandwidth to stream a Netflix movie that only leaves 0.5 Mbps for all of the rest of the users on the LAN.

Fast wireless routers and connections are designed to stream large files on your LAN quickly. The high speed routers permit fast transfer of files between devices connected to your LAN, however WAN speed is still limited by your ISP.

You can test your Internet (WAN) speed here: http://speedtest.net

Only way to speed up an Internet connection is to get a faster plan or ISP.

That being said,

For online gaming the two things that are most important are latency and upload speed.

Latency is the delay (ping time) in milliseconds that it takes the signal to travel to the server and back. The lower the number the better, but you'll definitely want a ping time of under 120 ms or you'll have major problems with online gaming. Ideally you want less than 80 ms ping to the gaming server.

Ping time depends on distance and number of connections. Your connection may have to be routed through 15 or 20 hops (different locations) to reach the gaming server. Each server has a delay (latency) due to the distances that the signals must travel. Try to choose a closer gaming server to lower your ping time.

Upload speed also plays a factor in updating your player position data to the gaming server. Slow upload speeds can cause your online game to lag. The faster the better, but at least 0.5 Mbps would be my minimum recommendation.

Wireless connections are not good for systems used for online gaming. Wireless signals are affected by many factors including distance, wall density, electrical interference, directional antenna range, etc.

By nature, interference in wireless systems causes problems with smooth, consistent speeds. Your latency (ping) may be 30 ms and wireless interference could cause it to spike to 200 ms or more.

All of these factors will affect your actual wireless range. As wireless connection quality varies the connection speeds are renegotiated. The connection may start at 150 Mbps and end up at less than 20 Mbps or drop entirely.

Just because a particular wireless router works good at one location does not guarantee that it will have similar performance in a different location due to variance in the factors listed above.

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.

I would recommend a direct CAT5 100 Mbps Ethernet connection between your PS3 and the router.

If it is not feasible to run Ethernet cable you have other options such as 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.

Good Luck...

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