General Wireless Router Question...

[Doug C]

Will a wireless router effect the speed at which your enternet works? For instance I have a Netgear wireless router from around '06. My lap top is hooked directly to it and I have a mac mini that I just hooked up at my house and added it wirelessly. I MM seam a little slower than I expected... maybe as slow as my old laptop or even slower streaming youtube. Will I get faster response from the mini by hooking it up as the main computer via a wire? thanks.

[fuentecigar]

I would guess that since it was made in '06 it is probably Wireless-G. The going rate now is Wireless-N. That is probably the reason it seems slower. Wired, if possible under your circumstances, should be faster. Definitely cheaper. Or you could get a Wireless-N router.
_________________
Mac Book 2.1 Ghz (Penryn) 10.6.7 4Gb DDR2
Mac Mini 1.66 Ghz 10.6.7 2Gb DDR2
KF5EYR

[Doug C]

ok thanks, I will hook it up as the main computer hardwired and see if it's faster. If not then Wireless N here I come.... never an end to what you have to buy..

[fuentecigar]

[edgardito]

I am not sure about your case, but...
Internet providers will give you a bandwidth... something between 1Mbps to 10Mbps (depending your location). A wireless Router supports (on 802.11G) 54Mbps (under best radio conditions). Using Wire will give you 100Mbps....
But remember that internet is limited by the available bandwidth your ISP gives you.
So if you have 3Mbps internet connection, it wont matter if you are using Wireless or Wired Ethernet.

[philiparcario]

[Doug C]

I hooked the mini up directly to the router with a wire and sure enough it's alot quicker. This is fine for my desk work BUT I worry about whether I'll have trouble streaming stuff to an Apple TV, when I finally get one.

Is it safe to assume that this router is the reason for my son's often weak or slow online gaming via Playstation3 ? He gets some momentary freeze ups ever so often. I never considered this until now, but I suppose I could run multiple ethernet cables (or are they called something else) to all PS3, AppleTv, etc. - that's if someone sell really long wires.

As for neighbors accessing my router from outside my home without permission... Am I safe from that, with the WEP key # that I have. Or is it still a possible to get on it - I've always wondered about that.

[fuentecigar]

[edgardito]

Wifi can be problematic sometimes.
You might try changing your wifi channel (or setting it on Auto Channel). Since wifi is not restricted (it uses 2.4Ghz which is free) anyone with a router next to you might be a source of interference. This will be a problem.
Going wire is the safest bet.

Wep was the first form (besides SSID) of protection you could have on Wifi. It is not pretty safe, since anyone with a computer and time, can get your WEP key and use your network.

WPA will make it more difficult, and WPA2 way more. I would go with WPA just to keep your neighbors away.

[Doug C]

When you look at your airport icon in the upper right of the screen you can see your personal network... and often other networks too (belonging to who knows who). The other networks seem to always have a lock symbol next to them but mine does not. Why is that? Like I mentioned I do use a WEP key for security, but since there is no lock symbol, I'm worried I'm missing something and that my network is accessible. Anyone know?

[fuentecigar]

[tom d]

While I am not a networking expert, you didn't say what mac or pc you were asking about. Everyone gave you good answers, however if your mac or pc only has g that is all you will get even with an "n" router. I'm pretty sure that I am correct.

tom d

[Doug C]

fuentecigar - I will look at my route settings again and see if there are any changes I can make BUT I am weiry and nervous to make any changes to it. You see, I went into it yesterday to switch over to WPA2 from my current WEP security code, like was suggested. When I did that it caused me about a 5 hour headache! It caused me to lose connectivity, which I eventually figured out was because my internet provider (ATT) had to make the same changes in their system. They wanted to charge me $50 to do this and help get me back on my network because the Netgear router is considered third party hardware. I decided instead to go back to my WEP security and after doing so it still took me forever to get myself back to my network (because of my 'new to mac' learning curve, mostly).

I was hoping that just having a WEP key assigned to my router that my network would be "locked" - but now it seems not to be.

Tom - I'm dealing with a mid'07 MacMini, 2ghz-2gb-250hdd. The router in question is "G and B", these can or can't be locked?

[fuentecigar]

I don't know why it would make a difference to AT&T what form of encryption you use. All that they should see is the address of the router which is something like 192.168.0.1. However many computers you put behind it is up to you. It should also be your choice what method of security you use. I am not familiar with with AT&T's procedures or why they would want to charge you $50.00 for help. If following the procedure I outlined above is causing problems with your ISP; even though it should not, you may end up being somewhat at their mercy. I would definitely use some form of security. Particularly, if you live in an apartment or if your ISP has a bandwidth limit. You certainly do not want someone stealing your allotment. What you may try since you are already using WEP is to go back into the router; leave it at WEP, make sure you have assigned a password, then save the settings. Log out. Restart. Then see what happens. Other than that, I am at a loss how to help further. I don't know anyone that is currently using AT&T so, therefore my unfamiliarity. Good luck.
_________________
Mac Book 2.1 Ghz (Penryn) 10.6.7 4Gb DDR2
Mac Mini 1.66 Ghz 10.6.7 2Gb DDR2
KF5EYR

[tom d]

I looked up your mini and it is good for n, but if the router puts out only g that is what you will get.

I use an Apple router that I bought as a refurb. from the Apple site, and they are so easy to set up. The only problem that I did encounter was, my internet provider is verizon which gives you the modem however it is also a router which has to be put into bridge mode. Verizon will try to make your router the bridge but I didn't want that. I searched the info and made their modem router the bridge. Is this the problem that you had with att?

Also where I live there are about 15 routers in my neighborhood and most are not locked so it is possible to always use your neighbors internet that is why mine is locked, and I keep it wired.

tom d