Moving from wireless to LAN

[StanleyT]

Background details:
Subscribing to basic (2MB?) Virgin net broadband, formerly ntl customer, living in Bromley. ntl:120 home modem, connected to Belkin N1 wireless router. Three computers in the house (2 PCs, 1 Mac). At the moment they are all on a wireless network, which works well enough with two of them, but unusably weak signal on the third, at the diagonally opposite point of a largish house from the router. This is despite upgrading to a (allegedly more powerful) 802.11n wireless system.

We are considering the option of giving up on wireless and physically connecting the computers with CAP5 cable, and thus moving from wireless to a LAN. There are wired outlets at the back of the Belkin router: is it best to use these and switch off the wireless, or is there another option, such as upgrading the rather old existing modem? (we would then be able to sell or pass on the wireless equipment).

Alternatively, would upgrading the broadband speed be possible here, and would it solve the problem without looping cable round the house? My suspicion is that the wireless signal strength is the limitation: the wireless utility varies between one bar and two bars in strength (no number for signal strength given)

[Halcyon]

Hello and :welcome: to the forums.

The Belkin router can take both wired and wirless connections so you won't need to switch off the wireless on it.

I don't think upgrading the modem will make any difference on a 2mb connection.
You would need to get a new modem from Virgin anyway as other modems will not work.
I'd stick with the modem you have unless it is causing drop outs or connection issues.

Increasing your cable speed won't make much difference as it will not increase the speed your wireless equipment can transmit at or the weak signal problems you seem to be having.

I'd just plug the ethernet cable in the back and connect it to the router. That should sort you out with a more stable connection for the moment.

[Kymmy]

If the wireless doesn't reach then there is always options of wireless boosters, or you can simply just hard-wire in the one out of range PC and leave the others wireless...

The modem and the BB speed is nothing to do with the range of the wireless and upgrading or swapping out the modem (only VM can do this for you) will not really make any difference (though if you did upgrade to 10Mb I think the modem will need to be swapped anyway)

[Sir John Luke]

Welcome to the forum. You could keep the wireless and just use CAT5 for the distant PC, using one of the LAN ports on the router. AFAIK the modem you have should be fine for the 2MB service.

[Halcyon]

That modem is fine for the 2mb service and should only be swapped if it is causing connectivity issues or it's died.
If you decide to go to 10mb, then you would need a new modem.

[General Maximus]

I would go with Luke's idea. If you are happy with the speed you are getting from 2 of yours devices leave them on wireless and either move the 3rd device into the room where the router is for a direct connection or run a patch cable round to it from the router. It will be nice and easy as well, just plug the cable into the back of the pc/mac and you are away.

[StanleyT]

Thanks for the replies, everybody. Will stick to the simple solution, as suggested, and hard wire the distant PC, leaving the rest on wireless.

As for a wireless booster, have tried that. An 802.11n wireless router with booster is about as turbocharged as you can get!

[CrowmanUK]

If its just the one thats giving you problems you could always use something like this to save trailing cat5 round the house, I havent personally used them so I couldnt say how good or bad they are but i'm sure there will be feedback here or on the net somewhere

http://www.play.com/PC/PCs/4-/5488770/Belkin-F5D4071uk-Powerline-Turbo-Network-Adapter-HomePlug/Product.html

[Halcyon]

If possible when laying out the wiring, try to not have the ethernet cables touching or too close to mains cables.