networking confusion

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mike961734
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networking confusion

Post by mike961734 » Tue May 15, 2007 12:41 am

I am moving into a house with friends soon and buying a router as i/we need one. sadly networking is one of my least favorite computer related subjects. i have been looking at wireless routers with wired ports, ports for me, wireless for my notebook using friends. i want gigabit speeds but all i can find that is reasonably priced (under $180) is 10/100 WAN and 10/100/1000 LAN. LAN i understand is the local stuff, as implyed by the name, so by deafult WAN is the connection to the internet. the part that really confuses me, if there is 10/100/1000 Lan yet only 10/100 Wan is it still really a gigabit router? or do i absolutly know nothing about networking? :?

Max Slowik
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Post by Max Slowik » Tue May 15, 2007 2:12 am

It's that most modems by plan (as in, the one you rent from your ISP/ connection service) only use 10/100.

Going gigabit will really just affect file transfers between LAN machines anyway, as I can't really think of any home service that even approaches a sizeable fraction of 100 megabits.

And even then, breaking 100 on file transfers is. . .uncommon.

Das_Saunamies
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Post by Das_Saunamies » Tue May 15, 2007 2:41 am

Don't be fooled by numbers. 100M is plenty for a home network, and if you have WLAN for friends, the wireless connection won't reach anywhere near 100M speeds. Even if you have three machines sending data simultaneously, the bottleneck will be the router's capabilities, not the line speed.

As for Internet, the most you can get right now is probably 10M LAN in apartment buildings, and even that is actually a trunk that gets shared between clients. WAN can be Internet OR an inter-network connection, meaning a connection between two or more networks. So, you don't really need the 1G speed for WAN/Internet connections because the lines simply won't be that fast in the first place.

A home network shortlist:
1x Modem (dedicated, bridging modem works best and is easier to troubleshoot)
1x Router (WLAN+LAN is worth it, 1000/100/10 is not)
Nx WLAN adapters
Nx LAN adapters
Nx CAT6/CAT5e Cables

Does this help you?

Edit2:
*double-confused the dates*
Last edited by Das_Saunamies on Wed May 16, 2007 9:16 am, edited 1 time in total.

mike961734
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Post by mike961734 » Tue May 15, 2007 12:20 pm

thanks for clearing up my confusion. networking just isnt my cup of tea if you know what i mean.
How helpful this forum is still amazes me sometimes.

Das_Saunamies
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Post by Das_Saunamies » Wed May 16, 2007 9:19 am

You're welcome.

Networking used to be a mystery to me too until my summer jobs started to force framework maintenance on me... :wink:

jessekopelman
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Post by jessekopelman » Wed May 16, 2007 4:08 pm

Avoid overpriced cables. Those cables that cost $20+ at Officemax/Staples can be found online for < $10. Also, if you are only running 100 Mbps you do not need Cat6. You don't even need Cat5e unless your cable length is going to be over 30 feet. Of course, there is nothing wrong with buying better cable than you need, for future-proofing -- just avoid paying too much (i.e. don't pay double the price of Cat5 to get a Cat6 solution you won't need for 5 years).

Also, don't pay more than $100 for a wireless router. This technology is in a high state of flux and next year's $100 model will be better than today's $200 model. Buy something decent today and plan on upgrading in a year or two.

Das_Saunamies
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Post by Das_Saunamies » Wed May 16, 2007 7:53 pm

Sound advice on prices. The state of development right now also makes it a good choice to get a separate modem and router: optic, xDSL, HomePNA and cable systems are pretty much standard now, so a modem bought today will still be a modem for years to come. If you buy an overpriced, overcomplicated modem now it'll be the same thing three years in the future, but simple, working solutions will be just that too.

Wireless on the other hand is developing like a wildfire: in every direction it can, as fast as it can. Also, many of the "gateway" products(modem+router+wireless+programmable) are just parts-bin engineering, by which I mean they've been built out of bits they found lying around. I'm just stumped at how poor the quality is on some of the combinations they sell... but if the price tag is 30€, what can one expect.

I only listed high-rating cables so that there would be no shortfall on that front, just in case the boxes get tucked away in a closet somewhere and cable length does become an issue. Also, as you said, future-proofing. Took 1G to usher in CAT6, and even then it isn't really required. A good CAT5e will do the job as long as you treat it right.

But I leave it up to the individual to compare their local prices to online prices, and decide what they can afford or should buy.

jbw
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Post by jbw » Wed May 16, 2007 9:37 pm

About wireless routers: unless you and your roommates need to share large files (i.e., with each other), just buy a plain old 802.11g unit. A Linksys WRT54G or a Netgear WGR614 will only cost you $40 or so.

The "super G" routers tend to use proprietary technology and you thus need to match brands on the wireless cards. The MIMO and draft-N models haven't been finalized across brands either.

Just go with a trusted, reliable solution if possible.

Beyonder
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Post by Beyonder » Thu May 17, 2007 10:54 am

Also, if you get a WRT54G, you might want to make sure you get a version that can run third-party firmware. I believe the WRT54GS and WRT54GL (?) are both capable as well.

mike961734
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Post by mike961734 » Thu May 17, 2007 2:17 pm

thanks again, it's nice to know that i can lower my idea of reasonably priced from 180 and under to under 100. my inner cheapskate is giggling like a school girl :D .

i already have 50 ft of cat5e i used when i lived at home (oddly placed router + lath and plaster + cables through ac vents = alot of distance to cover.) i wasn't planning on getting cat6, for the exact reasons you said das, just dosent seem like anything is even using cat5 to its full potential so why get cat 6.

again thanks for the help.

BrianE
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Post by BrianE » Thu May 17, 2007 4:16 pm

Hi there, you may want to take a look at this page: http://compnetworking.about.com/od/wire ... curity.htm (I just found this through a quick search - someone else can recommend another page if its better reading.)

You probably don't have to do everything it says, but it is all good advice. Most people who install wireless routers never change any of their settings or anything, which is why people are always getting their wireless internet connections "borrowed" by others.

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