Broadband, Wireless, and my urgent need for help!

[triggercut]

Imagine my chagrin when I relocated to Northern Virginia last year, moving in to a lovely townhome within walking distance of AOL's World HQ, and a stone's throw from the Worldnet Campus where UUnet is headquartered...

...and discovering that broadband wasn't available in our neighborhood. Felt like living in the only tenement in Beverly Hills or something.

Anyway, Adelphia finally got us set up for Cable broadband. Sweet! Now for the dilemma.

My flatmate and I both have computers we want to hook up. His desktop setup is on the top floor of the townhouse. Mine is in the finished basement. There are two floors between the two computers.

Hard-wiring to a router is *not* an option. At most, I'll be living here maybe another year, 18 months or so. This isn't my house, the guy paying the mortgage is the guy renting me half the place. I'm not going to even pose the idea that we drill holes in the floor of his home and run wire and all that. Not an option. No way.

So. If we set up an 802.11g wireless router hub on the middle floor between the two computers (and obviously install wireless cards in both), will we get decent broadband performance? Or, if the extra expense isn't going to be too onerous, would we be better off having me buy my own modem, and having the cable company bill us for two accounts (we both have cable in jacks next to our desktops). Primary usage for both of us is normal internet, with plenty of file downloading for me (eMusic/rhapsody/iTunes) and uploading for him (web designer at AOL). Also, I think we both play online games, although me much, much more so than him.

Thanks in advance for sound guidance on this!

[DennyA]

You should be fine with an 802.11g router, particularly if you can set it up on the floor in between. Even if performance suffers a bit from a weak signal, keep in mind that you only need a max of 1.5 mbps to get 100% of a maxed out cable modem's performance.

I'd suggest D-Link's new USB 2.0 802.11g external unit for the PCs. Going with an external adapter gives you more flexibility in placement, which can help address weird signal problems. And you can place it higher than a slot-based card.

[triggercut]

Denny, a tech-type guy at Gonegold mentioned specifically to avoid USB wireless components for internet gaming due to them introducing a lag every five seconds. True? False? Old Wive's Tale?

Also, someone mentioned integrating a signal-strengthener to help out. Anyone with thoughts on this?

[Case]

Denny, a tech-type guy at Gonegold mentioned specifically to avoid USB wireless components for internet gaming due to them introducing a lag every five seconds. True? False? Old Wive's Tale?

Also, someone mentioned integrating a signal-strengthener to help out. Anyone with thoughts on this?

No. But there's another potential problem, though you may see it only in multiplayer games that max out your system. I've been using the D-Link USB gizmo for a few weeks now on a Media Center PC; no noticeable glitches. However, USB does use CPU cycles, so you may see some performance issues in games that are already taxing your system. But it's probably nothing major.

BTW, the PCI cards generally have removable antennas -- you can always extend them. Heck, D-Link even makes a PCI adapter with extra long antenna:


http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=31

[DennyA]

Never ran into any pauses or noticeable CPU drain when using the external adapter, but it would have taken a seriously bad driver to create a noticeable slowdown on the rigs I was testing on. (Athlon XP 2500 and P4 3.06.)

I have that D-Link with the external antenna as well. The USB setup seems to draw in a stronger signal, for whatever reason.

[mlatin]

usb network adapters of any sort are ASS, stay away from them at all costs, irregardless of what they say...damnit.

1) it's just wrong. usb is for toys and such. like printers and crap like that.
2) won't it suck when, in a year or 2.. whenever microsoft releases whatever new OS you'll be using, there's no driver for the damn thing because it's a stupid USB device? never had that with no PCI card, nosireebob.
3) yeah, related to #2, if you ever decide to use the usb thingy with another OS, kiss whatever use you had planned for it goodbye- you should be grateful you have the miniscule support you do in windows, let alone some other heathen OS.

so, sure, do the wireless thing- it should work out dandy fine.. but good god, stay the hell away from a USB wireless adapter.. get a PCI card that does the same crap.

ok, my damage here is done.

- mlatin - oh god, will it ever end? -

[DennyA]

Interestingly totally flawed logic there. There's more more guarantee of future PCI drivers than there is for USB.

And in a few years, your PC will have no PCI slots, but it will still have USB connectors.

[XPav]

I dunno Denny, ISA slots are just now finally dead, and they've supposedly been on their way out for years.

There's no replacement for PCI in the works really.

The crap about "PCI cards having drivers and USB ones not", well, that is crap. Anyone got a driver for an old PCI TV card that I've got? No?

[SpoofyChop]

Try finding drivers for old Vesa Local Bus cards that you want to use in your super old machine that you play Darklands and Privateer on!

:D

[DennyA]

There's no replacement for PCI in the works really.
PCI Express. Not just for graphics; they talk about using it for network, drive controllers, etc. The first revision has a form factor compatible with current cards, but they're moving to smaller PCI Express configs that will forsake compatibility for size.

I'm guessing that the computers of 2005/2006 will have one to three PCI Express slots, and that will be it. With most motherboards including all the stuff you used to stuff in slots, only servers and hardcore gamers will need more than one slot. (Disclaimer: I have 4 of 5 PCI slots full and four hard drives.)

[XPav]

There's no replacement for PCI in the works really.
PCI Express. Not just for graphics; they talk about using it for network, drive controllers, etc. The first revision has a form factor compatible with current cards, but they're moving to smaller PCI Express configs that will forsake compatibility for size.

I'm guessing that the computers of 2005/2006 will have one to three PCI Express slots, and that will be it. With most motherboards including all the stuff you used to stuff in slots, only servers and hardcore gamers will need more than one slot. (Disclaimer: I have 4 of 5 PCI slots full and four hard drives.)

Only hardcore gamers now need PCI slots period. Ever pulled apart a cheap HP or Compaq machine? Also, who's complaining about the size of PCI cards? Sure, it'd be nice to have a nice expandable case the size of the small ones that all the rage among the hardcore set, but its not going to happen in a couple years.

I mean, Serial ATA drives -- sure, nice, but how many people actually have them?

Uptake will be slow, especially if the specifics haven't been decided or are still in doubt. PCI is known, its common, and its fast enough for most everything. Gigabit ethernet works fine over PCI, and heck, I don't think any gamers or households have gone past 100MBit yet.

I am horribly pessimistic about the future of new acronyms.

[chet]

Believe the new guy!! Ignore Denny and Case, what do they know?

Why not get the router and cards at Circut City. If it doesn't work, they will take everythign back with no restocking fee. It is pretty simple to setup so you can test it in a day and return it the next. Just make sure to download and install any firmware upgrades for the router so you are testing the latest.

Chet

[mlatin]

yes, "ignore the new guy" who has only been around Qt3 since it's beginnings. bite me, chet. guess i haven't started up enough gaming and/or weird sites of my own (which will eventually facilitate my need to start up my own web hosting service) to become as big a troll as anyone else is around here. gosh, wouldn't that be fun!


at any rate, i base my recommendation AGAINST a USB network device on my experiences with having several USB network adapters over the past couple years, and the inability to find drivers for some of them that work in Win2K, WinXP, MacOS9, MacOSX, and quite a few variants of *nix operating systems.

i guess if you are gonna get one, beware that it may not be supported beyond the current popular OS (or OS's) that drivers are currently available for it.

( to which, i've had no problem in locating working drivers for any network adapter, ISA or PCI, for any OS i've used so far. )

[chet]

Sorry I mistook your analytical calling of USB - ass, as not being as well thougth out as case's depth of knowledge and posting of real world situations. I guess Case is just off the mark not understanding USB is just for toys... yeah thats it.

Also we are talking about a gamer, so the thought that the adapter is not going to work with OS2 or some other non-popular OS is pretty moot. Because the games won't be working for that either. Hardly a reason not to choose it.

Your argument was so ASS, I guess I missed where you made any points. But please, heap some off-tangent bullshit onto why your post was oh so valid.

Chet

[triggercut]

Well, my computer is in my office in the basement, and the mobility of the USB antenna is a big selling point (although that D-link adapter looks sweet as well...)

But--

1. USB slots are for "toys"? Um, ok. That's a good reason not to use it then. I'm already half-convinced.

2. In a year or two, I won't be living here in this residence. In a year or two, I'll happily and hopefully be upgrading to a new wireless or broadband standard. In a year or two it's highly unlikely that any of my current hardware will still be in use in my system.

Not a consideration. Let's move on to:

3. "Another OS"? Yeah, I'm thinking of switching to Red Hat for my broadband gaming goodness.

Let me be more clear: when I lived in primitive, old skool Chicago, I had DSL, and it was good. Broadband ruled my little world. I transferred to DC, and have been on *dialup*...on AOL dialup (roommate works there, so it's free) no less, for a fucking year and three months. AOHell. Bloody embarrassing. If you've had broadband, had it yanked, and suddenly had it placed tantalizingly within your reach, what would you care about considerations a year to two years from now? I'm at the stage where if they came by the house and told me I could get BB access for $200 a month, I'd fork over the money happily.

Your damage is certainly done.

I'm buying the USB adapter after work today. Thanks for your help.

[Lunch of Kong]

I'm buying the USB adapter after work today. Thanks for your help.

EDIT: BAH. I didn't see the word BASEMENT in your post. So maybe you do have to miss out on the lushness of a hardline. /EDIT

Sorry, but why are you the one buying the USB adapter? If you're buying the wireless router, it's only fair that you should be the one getting the hardline connection to it.

This is 802.11g. You can put this router anywhere in the house and get good reception.

So tell the cable guy to connect the broadband to YOUR room, and you can have the router next to your computer.

Your roommate should use the USB adapter to connect to YOUR router. :-)

[Case]

Only hardcore gamers now need PCI slots period. Ever pulled apart a cheap HP or Compaq machine? Also, who's complaining about the size of PCI cards? Sure, it'd be nice to have a nice expandable case the size of the small ones that all the rage among the hardcore set, but its not going to happen in a couple years.

I mean, Serial ATA drives -- sure, nice, but how many people actually have them?

Uptake will be slow, especially if the specifics haven't been decided or are still in doubt. PCI is known, its common, and its fast enough for most everything. Gigabit ethernet works fine over PCI, and heck, I don't think any gamers or households have gone past 100MBit yet.

I am horribly pessimistic about the future of new acronyms.

I'm with Denny on this one. I've been talking with a number of systems and motherboard OEMs, and they're all on the boar for PCI express. Here's the likely scenario:

- First systems and mobos with PCI express single-lane solutions arrive mid-2004. These will likely also have 16-lane graphics card slots, too.

- These systems/motherboards will still have PCI slots, just like the old ISA slot coexisted for years.

- Graphics card makers will start to ship x16 cards around mid-year. Some will be native PCI Express, others will have bridge chips to enable support.

- PCI Express is 2.5 gigabits per second per lane. So the single lane slots will be much better for supporting hardware like gigabit ethernet.

- PCI Express is also point-to-point, so there will be no more bus-sharing.

Finally, gamers may not always need the slots, but other people do. Add-in cards for video capture, multiport ethernet, SCSI and so on will continue to exist for some time to come.

[Brad Grenz]

I've got a theory that nVidia is working on a discreet PCI express based audio solution. They never showed much interest in a PCI addon board, but I read an interview somewhere that suggested they had a new audio product in the chute for next year which was why they we're offering the full Soundstorm solution for their Athlon 64 chipsets. So either they're some new integrated audio chip for motherboards or a next gen card to compete with Creative Labs.