Hey guys, right now, my desk and computer is located in the living room (same room as the router). I'd like to move it to my gaming/studio room, but I have an issue. Our wireless reaches back there, but the speed is nothing compared when the computer is in here (it's at full 5mpbs, but on the other end of the house, it's like dial up [that's where my Xbox is located with the wireless adapter x_x I honestly don't know how it works so not-lag-ily]). My family won't put a hole in the living room floor so that I could have a wired connection through the basement to my room. However, basically in the hallway outside out living room there is a hole, and that's what gave me this idea: I could buy a wireless bridge (a device that converts wireless to wired) and run a 50ft ethernet cable to my room from there. But, I figured there has to be some kind of catch, or drastic change in speed if i'd just used ethernet all the way. ?
would you mind sketching your house from side on, including where the router is, the hole is and where you want your xbox to be. Thanks. I'm fairly good with networking so I should be able to help you Ohh and FYI, wireless can slow down connections, but I have exactly the same speed for wireless and wired in my house! It's great. (I mean the same to a hundredth of a kb)
I would do a ethernet cord, that is what I do, because I think the connection is better because it is more direct to your router. Anyway is good, 'cause a 50ft cord, someone trips on it, boom your disconnected. Wireless, You won't get disconnected unless someone takes it out, or your internet crashes.
I find wired is much more reliable than wireless, no random disconnects, noticeably faster. Get an ethernet cable and just run it from your router to your xbox when you play, stash it on a corner somewhere when you don't if you can't have a cable running through your house. Also opening the ports that xbox uses or setting it up so your xbox is a DMZ helps a ton with speed to, also enables your xbox to connect with anyone anywhere.
I had the same problem as you, found out you can run a network through your mains wiring in your house. You buy a pair of adaptors (something like this), stick an ethernet cable in each one and then plug them both in to mains power sockets, one next to the router and one in your room. This also has the advantage that you can then run the ethernet cable out of one of them in to an ethernet switch (basically like a USB hub for ethernet cables), and split it in to two connections, one for a computer and one for an Xbox. Connection quality can suffer depending on how many appliances are on and running in your house, but it still beats wireless by a long way when it's like you're describing it (I had the same thing in my house last year, I could get wireless reception in my room but only just and it dropped off all the time). You might want to look in to them as an alternative, you'd avoid any long trailing cables completely.
As i do have a crap internet conection, i have a very good router i could go 50 metres and have the same conection. Wired is always better. Try buy a new wireless router some routers are designed for long distance conections,
Yeah, pretty much Wired>Wireless in most situations. Wireless can potentially be unreliable. The wireless in my house is bi-polar, so I pretty much use ethernet cables for everything. I'd definitely recommend you go with the long cable, and to make sure you position it where it won't trip people up.
The wireless adapter you use can effect the speed dramatically. I had a wireless G router for the longest time and I would lose signal every once and a while. The router was upstairs and my SexBox is downstairs which had a little to do with it. I switched to a 100' ethernet cable and all was good. Then I bought the new SexBox with the new wireless adapter and upgraded to a wireless N router and its just as fast as a cable and I have never lost a signal. If you can't get the newer higher end stuff then the cable is definitely the way to go, but if you hate cables like I do then I recommend upgrading to the stuff I mentioned, there is virtually no difference.
I wouldn't run an ethernet cable that far. At this stage, it really depends how thick your walls are and how many obsticles will be in the way. I think your best setting up a network all around your house. If the rest of your family want a stronger connection then I would recommend getting a cheap ass router that is compatible with DD-WRT (google it) and then using it as a wireless bridge. (Kinda like how school wireless networks are set-up) If your basement is a cavern like the image makes it out to be, ethernet would be pretty much the same speed as wireless. It all depends on your budget ($20-$30 is best) and what would be fastest and most convenient.
I googled DD-WRT and looked at the wiki page, but I'm still not quite clear on what you're proposing and how it differs from his current idea, would you mind expanding a bit? I'm interested because this could well be useful for me and some friends of mine if it's around the budget you mentioned, approximately the same as the mains networking option I posted which is good but not perfect (though it does have the benefits that it's incredibly easy to set up and easily reusable in other situations).
DD-WRT is basically a custom firmware for your router, it will make it work like a router that normally would cost in excess of $100, it will also allow a cheapass router to bridge. (Check yours is compatible first) This might help you out a bit. What my idea is, is basically, why pay for a bridge and an ethernet cable when you can just boost the signal with a router running dd-wrt? No need for wires, holes or anything then. I'll explain how this works compared to a bridge. A bridge uses a wire and acts as a wireless dongle basically. Using a router as a bridge/extender makes it so you can just connect wirelessly to the router (as if it is just another router) and the router does all the work. No need for wires (other than power). Let me know if you need more help.
So it'd be like another wireless network, kinda slaved to his current one using wireless, which he could connect the xbox to wirelessly? I think his problem is that there's only one place that either a bridge or a DD-RTW router could go, being the hole outside his living room, so the wireless probably still wouldn't stretch down to the room in his basement as it's only marginally closer. Though I'm definitely gonna go check if the old Belkin router I have lying around is compatible, could well be better than having to run a mini-wireless using my Mac's Airport card like I do now, so thanks for the info.
mine did. ^^ i now have a 20meter Ethernet cable running from the study to my room and into my xbox (through the house.) but it has crap internet because i have a crap modem/ router. so i need a new router/ modem. i don't know if the bridge thing would work tho. coz it has to go wireless and then into ethernet. you be better doing a direct connection (but i know that your parents won't let you) hmm... difficult situation. i suppose it would work but it might be just as bad as if it were all wireless in the first place.