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Wired or Wireless for my situation?

Forum General Networking : Network General Discussions - Wired or Wireless for my situation?

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antohnee   10-25-2007 at 02:01:22 AM

well i currently have two desktop computers that will need to be able to go online at the same time, and i was wondering if i should get a wireless or wired router, i will ocassionally have friends bringing their laptops over so they can use wireless. but they will also be able to just use an ethernet cord. so i was wondering which router is best to have since all comps will be able to use a wired router, but it is more expensive for some reason and i want to no which has more speed transfer also

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rgeist554   10-25-2007 at 08:55:02 PM
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Wireless G gives up to 54 Mbs. Ethernet can give up to 1Gbs. There are pro's and con's for each, and only you can decide what is the best fit for your needs:

With a wired system, you're restricted to be within the wire's length of the router. Alternatively you can wire you're entire house and have various Ethernet outlets around the house, but this'll cost a bit of money. You can get Gigabit Ethernet though, but this is only as good as the NIC's it is attached to. (e.g. You're not going to get Gigabit speeds on 10/100 cards.) You also get a bit more security, a plus if you transfer sensitive information.

Wireless. Less restricted by range, but a lower throughput than Ethernet. Speed degrades as signal strength decreases and distance from the router increases. So, if you're 60 ft. from the router and you're at 40% signal strength, you're certainly not going to get the full 54Mbs from wireless G. You have less security with wireless, but as long as you don't use WEP (use WPA or Radius instead) I wouldn't worry to much.

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antohnee   10-26-2007 at 05:38:38 AM
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well i wont have a problem with range, and both my systems are 10/100 so i no i shouldnt get gigabit ethernet. so i'm just wondering which would be cheaper, will wired still be better than wireless even if the wired isnt gigabit? ive seen wireless for a lot cheaper than wired, but id like to no which has better connection, also does brand matter much?

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Grumpy9117   10-26-2007 at 12:54:07 PM
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I think a wired connection is much better then wireless. The best brand is the cheapest.

Grumpy

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rgeist554   10-26-2007 at 03:12:45 PM
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Are you running your own cables for a wired network? If so, you'll need to read up on how to make them and what their max range is before you need a repeater. Since you don't have Gigabit cards, there is no benefit to buying a Gigabit router unless you're going to upgrade those cards first.

Wired connection is more reliable if you take proper care while wiring. (E.g. don't run wires near any microwaves, flourecent lights, anything with electro-magnetic interference) This can mess up your signal if you aren't using shielded wiring.

Wireless connection is nice because of the freedom you get, but this can also lose connection due to microwaves, etc. (My friends wireless goes out every time he microwaves something, but he does live in a tiny little apt.)

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riser   10-26-2007 at 03:57:32 PM
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Get a wired/wireless router so you have both. If you can get the router close enough to your PCs you can wire them up. Friends that come over can use the wireless and/or use a cable to the router.

Simple solution, really. WRT54G (wireless router with switch) runs like $60, a wired router without wireless about $40.

------------------------------ "Alcoholism is a disease, but it's the only one you can get yelled at for having. Goddammit Otto, you are an alcoholic. Goddammit Otto, you have Lupus... one of those two doesn't sound right." M. H.
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antohnee   10-27-2007 at 05:35:14 AM
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yeah im able to wire the two pc's together so range wont be a problem, i just want to no which has better connections since i can use both but i will mosly use it for the two pc's only but if a wireless gives the same speed than a wired, should i just go for the wireless?

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Grumpy9117   10-27-2007 at 01:00:33 PM
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Wired is better. It's more reliable and faster. (100 Mbs vs. 54 Mbs).

Grumpy

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antohnee   10-27-2007 at 11:19:31 PM
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alright thanks thats all i wanted to know

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