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Q. I am looking for a guide to setup an awesome home network for my house and I am also an avid online gamer. I just bought a house and I want to do it right with the fastest speeds I can get. I am not extremely tech savvy but I know the basics. If anyone can please help or point me in the right direction I would appreciate it. thanks!
Answer
For serious gaming or video streaming your best bet is a direct Ethernet connection. Ethernet is unaffected by wireless interference and will give you a rock solid, stable network connection.
Wireless connections are not good for systems used for online gaming. Wireless signals are affected by many factors including distance, wall density, electrical interference, directional antenna range, etc.
By nature, interference in wireless systems causes problems with smooth, consistent speeds. Your latency (ping) may be 30 ms and wireless interference could cause it to spike to 200 ms or more.
For online gaming low latency is very important.
Latency is the delay (ping time) in milliseconds that it takes the signal to travel to the server and back. The lower the number the better, but you'll definitely want a ping time of under 120 ms or you'll have major problems. Ideally you want less than 80 ms ping to the gaming server.
Ping time depends on distance and number of connections. Your connection may have to be routed through 15 or 20 hops (different locations) to reach the gaming server.
That being said,
What you really need is a fast, low latency Internet provider (ISP).
Depending on what types of Internet services are available in your area, a fast cable or fiber plan would be my first choice.
Your Internet bandwidth is shared among all of the users of your LAN. So any bandwidth others are using will be deducted from the total WAN (Internet) bandwidth that is available to you.
In simple terms, the more users you have the more speed will be required. Streaming video, such as Netflix and Hulu require a lot of bandwidth. Here are the minimum recommendations from Netflix. https://support.netflix.com/en/node/306
It does little good to have a super fast home network connected to a slow Internet connection.
Remember, A super fast wireless router or Ethernet connection does not make your Internet faster.
A router connects two separate networks and manages the traffic between them.
The router connects your local group of computers and devices known as the LAN with the Internet, commonly called the WAN or Wide Area Network.
WAN (Internet) speed is determined by your ISP and is measured in Mbps.
For example, If you pay for a 3 Mbps Internet connection, you will get 3 Mbps.
No router, WiFi or Ethernet connection will change your 3 Mbps Internet speed. This connection bandwidth is shared by your entire LAN via your router.
If you have a 3 Mbps Internet plan and one user is utilizing 2.5 Mbps of the bandwidth to stream a Netflix movie that only leaves 0.5 Mbps for all of the rest of the users on the LAN.
Fast wireless routers and connections are designed to stream large files on your LAN quickly. The high speed routers permit fast transfer of files between devices connected to your LAN, however WAN speed is still limited by your ISP. The only way to Improve your Internet speed is to upgrade your plan or switch to a faster ISP.
Dual band routers have multiple wireless radios enabling broadcast on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands simultaneously. Using the 5 GHz band cuts down on interference from cordless phones and microwave ovens.. Not all devices can use the 5 GHz frequency. Many laptops and other devices only operate at 2.4 GHz. Thus the need for dual band routers.
You should try to centrally locate your wireless router or gateway up high and away from dense walls and electrical and 2.4 GHz wireless interference such as microwave ovens, cordless phones, baby monitors, etc.
Wireless routers are fairly inexpensive. http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=wireless%20router&url=search-alias%3Daps&sprefix=wireless%20ro%2Caps%2C490&tag=excharge-20
I run a ISP review site and blog, a couple of popular high power routers that my visitors have recommended are,
ASUS RT-N66U Dual-Band Wireless-N900 Gigabit Router - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006QB1RPY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B006QB1RPY&linkCode=as2&tag=excharge-20
The Amped Line which includes Wireless routers, wireless extenders, and wireless access points. http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-brandtextbin=Amped%20Wireless&linkCode=ur2&node=172282&tag=excharge-20
As far as the brand goes, the brand is not as important as the model. Some manufacturers release a good model but the next is crap. I would look at the Amazon reviews of models that interest you. Even if you don't buy from Amazon the reviews will tell you a lot about which models to avoid. Look for at least 15 or more reviews with a 4 star or better rating. Read a few and see if they sound like the particular model will work for your application.
Good Luck...
For serious gaming or video streaming your best bet is a direct Ethernet connection. Ethernet is unaffected by wireless interference and will give you a rock solid, stable network connection.
Wireless connections are not good for systems used for online gaming. Wireless signals are affected by many factors including distance, wall density, electrical interference, directional antenna range, etc.
By nature, interference in wireless systems causes problems with smooth, consistent speeds. Your latency (ping) may be 30 ms and wireless interference could cause it to spike to 200 ms or more.
For online gaming low latency is very important.
Latency is the delay (ping time) in milliseconds that it takes the signal to travel to the server and back. The lower the number the better, but you'll definitely want a ping time of under 120 ms or you'll have major problems. Ideally you want less than 80 ms ping to the gaming server.
Ping time depends on distance and number of connections. Your connection may have to be routed through 15 or 20 hops (different locations) to reach the gaming server.
That being said,
What you really need is a fast, low latency Internet provider (ISP).
Depending on what types of Internet services are available in your area, a fast cable or fiber plan would be my first choice.
Your Internet bandwidth is shared among all of the users of your LAN. So any bandwidth others are using will be deducted from the total WAN (Internet) bandwidth that is available to you.
In simple terms, the more users you have the more speed will be required. Streaming video, such as Netflix and Hulu require a lot of bandwidth. Here are the minimum recommendations from Netflix. https://support.netflix.com/en/node/306
It does little good to have a super fast home network connected to a slow Internet connection.
Remember, A super fast wireless router or Ethernet connection does not make your Internet faster.
A router connects two separate networks and manages the traffic between them.
The router connects your local group of computers and devices known as the LAN with the Internet, commonly called the WAN or Wide Area Network.
WAN (Internet) speed is determined by your ISP and is measured in Mbps.
For example, If you pay for a 3 Mbps Internet connection, you will get 3 Mbps.
No router, WiFi or Ethernet connection will change your 3 Mbps Internet speed. This connection bandwidth is shared by your entire LAN via your router.
If you have a 3 Mbps Internet plan and one user is utilizing 2.5 Mbps of the bandwidth to stream a Netflix movie that only leaves 0.5 Mbps for all of the rest of the users on the LAN.
Fast wireless routers and connections are designed to stream large files on your LAN quickly. The high speed routers permit fast transfer of files between devices connected to your LAN, however WAN speed is still limited by your ISP. The only way to Improve your Internet speed is to upgrade your plan or switch to a faster ISP.
Dual band routers have multiple wireless radios enabling broadcast on the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands simultaneously. Using the 5 GHz band cuts down on interference from cordless phones and microwave ovens.. Not all devices can use the 5 GHz frequency. Many laptops and other devices only operate at 2.4 GHz. Thus the need for dual band routers.
You should try to centrally locate your wireless router or gateway up high and away from dense walls and electrical and 2.4 GHz wireless interference such as microwave ovens, cordless phones, baby monitors, etc.
Wireless routers are fairly inexpensive. http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=wireless%20router&url=search-alias%3Daps&sprefix=wireless%20ro%2Caps%2C490&tag=excharge-20
I run a ISP review site and blog, a couple of popular high power routers that my visitors have recommended are,
ASUS RT-N66U Dual-Band Wireless-N900 Gigabit Router - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006QB1RPY/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B006QB1RPY&linkCode=as2&tag=excharge-20
The Amped Line which includes Wireless routers, wireless extenders, and wireless access points. http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-brandtextbin=Amped%20Wireless&linkCode=ur2&node=172282&tag=excharge-20
As far as the brand goes, the brand is not as important as the model. Some manufacturers release a good model but the next is crap. I would look at the Amazon reviews of models that interest you. Even if you don't buy from Amazon the reviews will tell you a lot about which models to avoid. Look for at least 15 or more reviews with a 4 star or better rating. Read a few and see if they sound like the particular model will work for your application.
Good Luck...
Baby Shower and Registry question?
Q. I have a baby registry and pretty much everything in there is the cheapest I can find from $7 to $30. I probably wont know some of the people invited, so should I let them know I am registered or just my family and friends? What if I send out the invites to everyone with a small note that says:
"Gifts not required. However, if you feel so inclined and need an idea feel free to visit our registry at Walmart" or something like, "Gifts not required, but if you want to get one and need some ideas check out our registry at Walmart"
And the registry would say, "Thank you for taking the time to visit our registry. Please don't feel obligated to get anything as your presence is the best gift" Or any combination of the 3.
I don't want to sound like I don't want anything but I also don't want to come off as tacky or greedy. Also, what should I add to the registry or not add to the registry. Thanks in advance.
Im not throwing my baby shower, Im just doing the invitations.
"Gifts not required. However, if you feel so inclined and need an idea feel free to visit our registry at Walmart" or something like, "Gifts not required, but if you want to get one and need some ideas check out our registry at Walmart"
And the registry would say, "Thank you for taking the time to visit our registry. Please don't feel obligated to get anything as your presence is the best gift" Or any combination of the 3.
I don't want to sound like I don't want anything but I also don't want to come off as tacky or greedy. Also, what should I add to the registry or not add to the registry. Thanks in advance.
Im not throwing my baby shower, Im just doing the invitations.
Answer
When you registered they should have given you registry card. You include those in your invites. So people know where you are registered. Some people will buy you things that aren't on your registry, but most people buy you what's on there. I wouldn't put a note on the inside that says anything about gift not required. A baby shower is meant for people to buy the new expecting parents what they need for the baby. People realized that. If they don't want to buy you something, they won't. I added everything to my registry. Just in case someone wanted to buy it for me, you never know. Like, my grandma and 2 great aunts are going in of the bedding together (that was $180.00). Plus, at Babies R Us, whatever you don't get off your registry close to your due date, you get a 1 time 15% off. So I did everything, in case someone doesn't get me the more expensive things, most likely won't, but then I can get it cheaper. I added diapers, wipes, bedding, sheets, plain white onesies, a few toys, pack and play, travel system, bouncy seat, swing, all the decor for the room, mattress, bibs, bottles, bath stuff (baby tub, shampoo, first aid kit, thermometer), baby monitor, everything. A place like Babies R Us, gives you a guide to what you should register for (you can get the list online). They told me register for 3-5 gifts per person invited. Hope I helped! My shower is this weekend!
When you registered they should have given you registry card. You include those in your invites. So people know where you are registered. Some people will buy you things that aren't on your registry, but most people buy you what's on there. I wouldn't put a note on the inside that says anything about gift not required. A baby shower is meant for people to buy the new expecting parents what they need for the baby. People realized that. If they don't want to buy you something, they won't. I added everything to my registry. Just in case someone wanted to buy it for me, you never know. Like, my grandma and 2 great aunts are going in of the bedding together (that was $180.00). Plus, at Babies R Us, whatever you don't get off your registry close to your due date, you get a 1 time 15% off. So I did everything, in case someone doesn't get me the more expensive things, most likely won't, but then I can get it cheaper. I added diapers, wipes, bedding, sheets, plain white onesies, a few toys, pack and play, travel system, bouncy seat, swing, all the decor for the room, mattress, bibs, bottles, bath stuff (baby tub, shampoo, first aid kit, thermometer), baby monitor, everything. A place like Babies R Us, gives you a guide to what you should register for (you can get the list online). They told me register for 3-5 gifts per person invited. Hope I helped! My shower is this weekend!
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