Quote:
Originally Posted by stomachmonkey
For a reliable benchmark of "getting what you pay for" you need to be plugged into the router with Ethernet. Short cable, not a 30 footer.
The speed you are paying for is to the router, not your computer.
For instance if you are paying for 15 mbs but your computer is old and only has a 10 mb network card....
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A 30ft Fast Ethernet cable will work light years faster than 30ft of wireless (802.11a/b/g). Fast Ethernet of reasonable quality should easily be able to go to 100ft and the standard allows for 328 (100 meters).
Also, note that the radios in home wireless routers are LIMITED to output no greater than 100mW. That does not even come close to implying that that it what they are set to transmit out of the box. Before I hacked my linksys WAP54G it was putting out a max of ~80mW.
Milt - stop by Fry's in Fountain Valley and pick up a really long ethernet cable. Don't get more than Cat 5 (they have cat 5e and cat 6) unless they don't have it. Cat 5 will be good for 328ft as I mentioned earlier - you only need 30.
I have wireless at my house (and I do this for a living for a large multinational corporation that makes toys but will remain nameless) but due to the construction of my house (lots of wire mesh layered over the gypsum button board) wireless works like crap through some of my house. So I just ran the wires and now I no longer have to troubleshoot the wireless. I do use it but far less than I used to.