Cable modem suggestions?

[DoYouKubuntu]

Okay, I've just finished setting up the new router, and here's what we have!

First, when my laptop was hardwired to the router, and NOT connected to it via wireless, its new download speed was...drumroll please...FIFTY SIX MB!!!! That's exactly the same as Time Warner got when they tested the line from their end. Upload is still ~5.5 as expected.

My next step was unplugging the cable from the laptop and testing the speed via wi-fi, while the laptop was LITERALLY sitting on top of the router. Now my d/l speed was ~46 and u/l ~5.5.

Finally, I just tested it again, with this laptop in its usual spot in a different room, with a couple of walls between it and the router. Not so good...d/l is down to ~25 and u/l ~5.4.

So what we know now is that the new router is definitely capable of speeds >50MB, so that's very good. But I don't know what I can do to boost the wireless speed when this laptop is in its usual spot. It's kind of frustrating knowing that I CAN get much higher speed...if I just move to a different room! That's not doable, nor is moving the modem and router to this room. Any ideas?

[GreyGeek]

The power setting on the router is usually set at 70 mw as a factory default. If your router editor allows you can raise it to the maximum allowable 250 mw, but I'd wager that 128 mw would work. My Linksys E2500 didn't have provisions in the firmware app to allow power changes by the user, which is one reason why I upgraded to the DD-WRT firmware.

There is one caveat however. Running the router at the higher power level shortens its life. IF you have to raise the transmit power higher than 128 mw keep a small fan blowing into the router's vent slots.

[DoYouKubuntu]

You know what? I think I'm going to leave well enough alone, rather than risk burning up my brand new router. I can certainly live with the 'slower' speed I'm getting now--considering it's still faster than what I had before! And when I do move this laptop closer to the router, its speed improves, so at least I know faster speed is available to me. Plus, all my other devices are benefiting from the faster speed. It's just that THIS particular laptop is what I do my real work on, so getting better speed on it would be nice. But I'm going to leave well enough alone...for right now.

[SteveRiley]

First, when my laptop was hardwired to the router, and NOT connected to it via wireless, its new download speed was...drumroll please...FIFTY SIX MB!!!!

My initial supposition was that your router's WAN port was possibly not capable of 56 Mbps. Obviously, that supposition is wrong.

Finally, I just tested it again, with this laptop in its usual spot in a different room, with a couple of walls between it and the router. Not so good...d/l is down to ~25 and u/l ~5.4.

Lots of things can affect wireless performance. Throughput will drop off as distance increases. You might have some channel interference with other wifi devices in your neighborhood -- have you tried a different channel?

[DoYouKubuntu]

Hey there, Steve. Good to see you!

My initial supposition was that your router's WAN port was possibly not capable of 56 Mbps. Obviously, that supposition is wrong.

Just in case you haven't plodded through this whole thread: it's a brand-spanking-new router. The old one was most certainly not capable of such high speed. I also have a brand-spanking-new cable modem. So the combination is what yielded better speeds.

Lots of things can affect wireless performance. Throughput will drop off as distance increases. You might have some channel interference with other wifi devices in your neighborhood -- have you tried a different channel?

When the laptop was SITTING ON the router, its speed was terrific. Moving two rooms away caused a real degradation in speed. No, I haven't tried a different channel. However, since I had such blazing speed while the router was THIS CLOSE, doesn't that kind of make testing other channels unnecessary?

[SteveRiley]

Hey there, Steve. Good to see you!

Thanks. My attendance here has been spotty lately. My previous employer went through a leveraged buyout at the end of last month. 400 people, including me, were let go. Half the CTO office got the boot. So I'm in full time job search mode these days.

Just in case you haven't plodded through this whole thread: it's a brand-spanking-new router. The old one was most certainly not capable of such high speed. I also have a brand-spanking-new cable modem. So the combination is what yielded better speeds.

I read the thread, but admittedly probably too fast. I didn't catch the part where you bought a new router.

When the laptop was SITTING ON the router, its speed was terrific. Moving two rooms away caused a real degradation in speed. No, I haven't tried a different channel. However, since I had such blazing speed while the router was THIS CLOSE, doesn't that kind of make testing other channels unnecessary?

RF power is a weird beast. When you're right next to the router, its output is so strong (with respect to neighboring routers) that it doesn't matter what channel you use. When you move some distance away, factors such as free space loss, attenuation, scattering, antenna gains, and more can introduce interference that you don't see when you're bathed in RF up close. (Lots of geeky details.)

Where I live, I can barely keep a 2.4 GHz signal up for more than a few minutes -- the neighborhood is densely populated and saturated with wifi. 5 GHz works great, though.

[DoYouKubuntu]

Sorry to hear you're among the newly unemployed, Steve. That must suck. I hope you find something to your liking soon--and with your knowledge and experience, I'm sure you will.

As for trying other channels, it can't hurt anything, so why not? Maybe tomorrow.

Meanwhile, I have to say I'm actually noticing the increased speed. I mean, I'm seeing web pages load faster than ever before, and that's nice. It amazes me sometimes that some of us old geezers used to do things via 1200 or 2400 baud modems! Can anyone even IMAGINE that now?!

[NickStone]

Ho Steve, sorry to hear that you've lost your job.

With all your knowledge of IT networks wouldn't you be better off going self employed / freelance / sub-contracting?

[SteveRiley]

Thanks, guys.

I guess employment is one of the few areas where I feel old fashioned. I like the security of steady, predictable income from a traditional job. Expenses created by self employment (higher income/FICA taxes, health insurance mostly) seem like quite a lot.

[Qqmike]

Self employment is often boom or bust. When it's boom, life is great, you've made the best decisions on Earth; when it's bust you sit around reading existential literature a lot, and marketing. Marketing is always a full-time job when you are self employed. I don't know where they get all the statistics, but you'll find some on "consultants" which indicate the average number of hard hours actually billable per week is not high, it used to be 12 hours a week (times the high rates you see in consulting). But "consulting" includes a lot of things, lots of areas--hell, nowadays you might find a carpenter who calls herself a consultant billing just $21 an hour. Consulting might mean you are, as I'm fond of saying, self un-employed a lot. I still did it and preferred it, though, or other self employment. And, self-employed, it is often your goal to get a regular, steady, almost full-time client, one that retains you and uses your services on a steady basis. Not always, but quite often you do so at a reduced rate, a concession you make for the steady factor. And quite often that converts to an offer for full-time employment at yet another reduced rate but with increased benefits. Fact is, people are changing jobs, on average, every five years or so; the climate has changed; it doesn't matter what you do or what you call yourself as long as you pretty much just keep rolling, on average, keeping SOME show on the road ;-) Good luck on your job search, Steve. You'll do OK, I'm sure.

[NickStone]

Steve, if you left Amazon on good terms then consider asking for your old job back.

[DoYouKubuntu]

Thanks, guys.

I guess employment is one of the few areas where I feel old fashioned. I like the security of steady, predictable income from a traditional job. Expenses created by self employment (higher income/FICA taxes, health insurance mostly) seem like quite a lot.

I hear you. I was very much the same way. However, when my daughter was in a transition period a while back, I actually encouraged her to work for herself. We ran down the pros and cons, and in the end she decided to give it a try. It was an overwhelming success. And, a year or so back, when she had an opportunity to accept an awesome position with an established company, we did it again, hashed out the pros and cons. She took the job. She's still doing freelance work part-time, because she didn't want to lose the name recognition and everything she had worked hard to achieve. But she's happy with the "known" variables, like how much money she'll make from month to month--which is the same, while before it could be feast one month and famine the next. She also likes the benefits, and not having to pay her own taxes, etc.

If I were you, I think I'd be in heavy-duty job search mode, BUT I think I'd also be hiring myself out for consulting/freelance work. I don't know, and I'm too lazy to look, but is TaskRabbit in your area? If so, you might consider getting on there. It's a really cool service where people hire themselves out for all sorts of tasks, including things like house cleaning and handyman stuff, but also computer related help and other things. I've used it for handyman projects and have been very happy with the results; the guys who came knew what they were doing. I know they're screened and have background checks done, too.

Whatever you do, take care of yourself.

[GreyGeek]

Hope you find a job soon, Steve! I'm confident that with your skill set you will find something that matches your skills and income requirements. The problem is, of course, paying the bills until you find that job.

I had my own consulting business for about 15 years, mainly programming. My experience was that my time was 10-80-10. Ten percent of the time wrapping up the previous client, eighty percent working on the current client's stuff and the rest of the time looking for the next client. Most of my new work came from word-of-mouth from previous clients. The longest I ever went without a contract was three months. It gets scary at times. I got a private pilot license and expanded my range to a radius of about 700 miles from Lincoln. I'd spend up to 6-8 weeks at the client's location. My last client, NE Dept of Revenue, gave me an offer my wife wouldn't let me refuse. It kept me home evenings and weekends.

If you decide decide to go that route purchase $1 to $5M bonding (Liability)insurance. Have a lawyer write a boiler plate contract that you can modify for specific clients and encorporate yourself, sub chapter S or LLC.

[jlittle]

...Finally, I just tested it again, with this laptop in its usual spot in a different room, with a couple of walls between it and the router. Not so good...d/l is down to ~25 and u/l ~5.4.
... Any ideas?

Powerline networking has become more reasonably priced these days. If your laptop doesn't move much you could run an ethernet cable to it from an adapter in the power socket that has the laptop's charger. More expensive, have a powerline wireless access point in the room with the laptop.

[DoYouKubuntu]

Powerline networking has become more reasonably priced these days. If your laptop doesn't move much you could run an ethernet cable to it from an adapter in the power socket that has the laptop's charger. More expensive, have a powerline wireless access point in the room with the laptop.

Thanks for the suggestions. This is new to me! So if I bought something like this TP-LINK TL-WA850RE N300 Universal Wireless Range Extender, and placed it in the room with the laptop, it would increase its speed?