Very Worried. Someone PLEASE help :(

[justjohn5]

I made the choice to up my internet, and today a verizon technician came to my house and installed verizon fios. He did all of the cables, etc. and powered up and got a new router/modem running. The router comes with the package I bought.

He had it installed with my old desktop. And this is where the problem begins:
I ordered a new gaming desktop, which will be in a different room. I was certain that I would have internet because I have a phone jack behind the desk where my desktop will stand. But the technician did not install it that way, instead he used some sort of different wires. He told me that that phone jacks will not be used to connect to the internet. Instead, everything will have to be connected to the modem.
SO that basically means that my new desktop will have to be wireless (sad face) I do not even dare switching all the cables he put up with the modem so yeah...

I am just very worried right now.. is it even possible to connect to the internet with a desktop wirelessly?
Do I need to have an adapter or something in the desktop? I think this is the answer...
Onboard Gigabit LAN Network

Will this network card work?I really hope it does..

 

[biggoomer]

My friend you have to keep up with the internet.

You have a few choices here. First off, you could simply move the modem. It really isn't that hard to do and will probably give you the best performance. The second cheapest way would probably be to get a powerline kit. A powerline kit is very, very easy to set up and should give you very good performance. It's as simple as plugging the cord into a wall (if you can plug in a lamp then you can do this) and plugging the other cord into your computer.

The third way would be to go wireless. This would be the most expensive, the most complicated, and would honestly probably give you the worst performance. If you are interested in going wireless then just say so and I can go into more detail.

Here's a link to a nice powerline kit. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833122329

If you want a cheaper one, again, just say so and I can try to direct you.

P.S. Onboard gigabit lan isn't wireless.

Cheers!

 

[holdingholder]

just buy yourself a cheap wireless card, you get a good one for about 15-20 bucks from newegg. Just make sure you heck and see what slots your pc has available (pci or pci express x1).

 

[HugoStiglitz]

something like
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833315099
but its for gaming, you may want to have an electrician come in and put a data point through the wall for you.

 

[justjohn5]

If I move the modem, my other desktop that is currently connected, will not have internet, and about that kit thing, I am only 13 years old, saved up for my system since forever, and I cannot spend another dime..

 

[biggoomer]

I'm afraid that your only option would be to get a very, very long ethernet cable. You should be able to get one for under $10.

 

[kajabla]

^+1 on the Ethernet, or on moving the modem, which comes to the same thing (lots of cabling). I personally have a 100-ft Ethernet cable going all around the walls, stapled in the corners.

 

[x Heavy]

^3 on the very long Cat7 Ethernet Cable to connect. Grab a drill and go through the wall. (Get a parent to help you with that)

I got a few 50 foot cables under the carpeting and along the walls in my home to several computers to the router.

All of the Ethernet cables are shielded.

You are about to learn the power of light in gaming. When I was your age I was gaming over a telephone hoping no one else will pick up the other phone and interrupt the gaming from one computer to another.

You might as well ditch the satellite, cable, telephone and all of that crap. Just bundle the stuff on the fios.

 

[justjohn5]

x Heavy 4 years ago, when I was 9 I started to play computer games. My first online game was runescape. I had the same problem.. whenever someone would call, my internet would crash.


I guess I will do some chores around the house, earn some money and buy a network card and but it in my computer. Or maybe I should buy something that I put in the usb slot? Which ones are better?

Can someone recommend me a network card that will be good for wireless usage?

What made me make this decision:
1. My parents repainted the whole house and put new siding on the exterior, so they were not to happy when the guy was drilling holes everywhere
2. I do not even want to bother them with running cables throughout the house.

This one is very important:
3. My laptop is already connected to fios. I went on the laptop did the speed test, and got 14.8mbps download and 5.73 mbps upload. I just went on my desktop (that has the internet wired with the modem) and the download was 12.9mbps and the upload was 5.71. Why does my laptop have better performance lol? I will make more tests throughout the day.
If my laptop has better performance wireless, I do not mind at all having my desktop wireless aswell.

So.. any recommendations of good reliable network cards, which are good for online gaming( mmo's, raids etc.)

 

[justjohn5]

Also this is the motherboard which my system will have (system is being shipped on the 3rd)

[CrossFireX/SLI] GigaByte GA-Z68MA-D2H-B3 Intel Z68 Chipset DDR3 mATX MB w/ Lucid Virtu Intel Smart Response Technology & 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, USB3.0, 2x SATA-III RAID, 2 Gen2 PCIe, 1 PCIe X4 & 1 PCIe X1

 

[x Heavy]

Just John, those speeds are more than adequate.

In gaming you may find yourself best host in several online games.

 

[kendrose]

If you want to go a really cheap and unobtrusive route, you can use your laptop as the wireless card for your desktop. I do this with my xbox360 in my den with my gaming computer. You get a crossover cable, you plug it into both computers, then on the laptop you bridge the wireless and LAN ports. I have found it to be just fine for gaming on the xbox360, even fast enough for streaming netflix through the xbox.

 

[justjohn5]

Yeah everyone has been telling me that my speeds are perfect for gaming(well almost)
so I do not really mind having a small drop in performance using wireless.

I just want to tell you guys that before I had fios my download speed was .78mbps and my upload was even lower. Now knowing I have it so much faster, even if I do have a small decrease in performance on my desktop, it will still be soo much faster.

 

[PartialGenious]

My suggestion is to get a USB wireless adapter for multiple reasons. One if you ever decide to upgrade and buy another computer you can transfer it easily to the new one. Also the wireless cards usually have built in antennaes that don't work well sitting in a cabinet or down next to the floor right next to the rest of your computer as other electronics cause interference. If you can get a USB adapter with a long extension cable that way you can sit it on top of your desk away from other electronics to get the best reception.

The last thing you need to look at is the wireless router installed by Verizon. Get the model number off it and post back here. Because if he installed a N series router you will probably want to get an N compatible Wireless network adapter. The difference is 802.11 b/g operate on 2.4 ghz. N series can operate in the 5.8 ghz range. Your main difference is 5.8ghz allows for greater throughput IE better speeds. The downfall is the penetration power of 5.8ghz. If there are many walls floors etc in the way you may get better performance staying connected on the 2.4 ghz spectrum as it penetrates through objects better although be it on a slower speed. It is all something to test with and the main thing you will want to do is try running a ping test on both spectrums and see if one is more reliable than the other. To do this go to start run type "cmd" then in this dos prompt type "ping xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx" the x's represent your routers IP address if left to default which it should be then this should be listed on the bottom of your router. It will be a number probably along the lines of 192.168.1.1. Your responses should be under 1ms.

Contrary to what most people think gaming is not about speed more than consistency. I once had a 512k dsl connection (.5mbps) up and down. It would actually game better then my wireless ISP that gave me a 1.5 mbps connection because it was more consistent. The majority of modern games don't require but approximately 200kbps up and down to deliver good game play (Believe me I had monitoring setup on my router at one point watching my throughput to verify this). If you really want to test your network try this speed test. www.myspeed.visualware.com This test will show your QOS or quality of service from your provider and may vary on wireless locally to your router.

Anyways young reader I hope this helps you out. I know this was a much more in depth explanation than needed but hopefully it helps you better understand your problem. If I can I will post some links to adapters I believe are good. Personally I say stick with Linksys but just my preference.

 

[justjohn5]

Ok it is a router from verizon. Hm. on the front it says MI424WR.
I think that is all the information I should give lol, given that on the bottom it has all of the passcodes etc.

 

[PartialGenious]

It is a wireless N capable router. I do not know how it is setup but I would recommend a wireless N adapter. My suggestion would be an AE1000 made by Linksys. They can be found for as little as 40 bucks as high as 55 bucks on newegg. They do have a version with a base and extension cable that would allow you to put it on your desk away from your monitor/other electronics. You may be able to find a male to female usb extension cable cheaper then the extra 10 bucks or so for that particular model. Just look into it.

 

[justjohn5]

this is what I have found about the router, hopefully it supplies enough information...

http://www.actiontec.com/products/product.php?pid=189

 

[x Heavy]

Remember to change the default passwords and such, WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN BEFORE YOU TYPE whatever it is ask for.

h t t p home :/ router user name = Admin or similar and password will be default usually. The whole world knows this.

Change it to something else. You will also probably be making a key, make it as large as possible. At least 16 digits combining everything on the Keyboard. It's a pain... but war drivers will not have the patience or the time to sit on the side of the road in your block trying to poach your access.

 

[justjohn5]

Yeah I made a very tricky key, and I do not think anyone would be able to guess it lol. Its like impossible.

Is belkin a good brand for network cards that go into the usb? I will post a link of a belkin, and also a linksys adapter, and you guys will tell me if they are good, and which is better

 

[justjohn5]

http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-F5D8055-Wireless-300Mbps-Adapter/dp/B001CF2TYC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1317426464&sr=8-3
that is the belkin one.

and this is the linksys that I found..
http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Linksys-Refurbished-High-Performance-Wireless-N/dp/B003VYH1UE/ref=sr_1_7?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1317426582&sr=1-7

So which is better? Also keep in mind that the linksys is a refurbished product...
If you guys think these two are bad, please recommend an even better one.

 

[justjohn5]

any suggestions? My computer shipped yesterday, and should arrive in two days.

 

[PepitoneConQueso]

TP-Link TL-WN722N 150Mbps High Gain Wireless USB Adapter

This is a good one too.

I wouldn't worry about playing on wireless, I played WoW 5 years ago on a crappy DSL wireless connection and a cheap dell adapter that I found in the basement, and I rarely dropped out of raids.

As long as you're close enough to the router, a good quality wireless adapter will work just fine.

 

[biggoomer]

How far away are you from your router? How many walls are in between your modem and where your computer will go?

If you your somewhat far away from your router you may have some problems with a wireless connection. A usb adapter would probably be your cheapest option at this point, but you may get better performance as well as no signal loss if you use a powerline kit or a long cable.

The tp-link above me is probably the best value. Newegg gave it a 5 star (errr... egg) rating.