Wireless Home Networks

[Walter]

I discovered that 64-bit WEP is not sufficient to protect a wireless home network. My wife had been complaining of slow internet. I checked and sure enough, a new computer was sucking up all the bandwidth. After upgrading wireless security, everything is back to normal.

[Walleyed]

Good find, how did you find someone else was on your network?

[Walter]

My router came with software to configure it.
This software shows what computers are connected to the network.
A strange PC/Laptop/other showed up as connecting wirelessly.
The problem went away since increasing security, though I suppose I should check from time to time.

My wife has been asking for a subscription to NetFlix.
This streaming feature (see link) looks kinda interesting.
http://www.roku.com/netflix
Anyone try this?

[C4d]

We stream movies from netflix. I have an adapter that plugs the video out from the laptop to an HDMI cable for the tv. We stream over the wireless network and it works well. I also take the audio out and play it through our stereo. It's a pretty sweet setup if I don't say so myself. I also stream movies from www.hulu.com - free.

I've found with this setup I don't need direct tv or cable, since I can watch almost any show or movie online.

My coworker just purchased that roku box. I'll let you know if he likes it.

[BobH]

I stream movies from Netflix thru my TiVo box. Can also rent movies from Amazon for streaming, on demand. The Netflix movies are "free", in that they're included in your monthly fee for disks.

[jknoll]

I recently gave my home network a breath of fresh air. The network speed was bogging down to a throughput of 6Mbs. I talked to Comcast and they said my Linksys router dated 2001 was probably the problem.My measured download throughput on the old Linksys router was 6mbs. The new Netgear router provides me with measured download throughput of 26Mbs.

My home system is high speed Internet access provided by Comcast. They guarantee me 12Mbs download speed. My measured speed was 6Mbs. Comcast said my equipment was old and slow. Our house is 9 years old and I have network cable cat 5E running to all the rooms from a network junction box in the basement. The junction box contains the new router that connects to the Comcast supplied Motorola SB5101 cable modem.

I measured my throughput using this web tool: http://68.87.178.6/

I decided on the Netgear WNDR3700 after doing web research.

I got it at Amazon.com for $152:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002HW ... oh_product

I wanted max throughput between the cable modem and the router. This web site provided me with that comparison: http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/componen ... temid,189/

I picked the third from the top router after comparing price and doing other web searches on user satisfaction.

To get the new Netgear WNDR3700 router setup, I used the following very quick steps:

1. Disconnected the old Linksys router.
2. Turned off the cable modem.
3. Removed the new Netgear router from its box.
4. Connected the Netgear router power cable.
5. Connected the Netgear LAN cable from the WAN out on the cable modem to the WAN in on the router.
6. Connected four copper LAN cables from the Netgear router to four rooms in my house.
7. Turned on the cable modem.
8. Turned on the new Netgear router.
9. The router and cable modem communicated and showed the results by their blinking lights.
10. I booted up a home computer copper connected to the router and instantly had external Internet access.
11. I accessed the web server in the router and configured wireless access with WEP security and I changed the router password.
12. I tested the wireless functionality of the router using my Apple iTouch. I entered the router generated passcode in the iTouch screen and had wireless access to the external Internet via the iTouch instantly.
13. I booted a home laptop with wireless card. The Windows network found the wireless signal and asked for the passcode. I entered the passcode and instantly had access to the external Internet via that laptop.

That’s it…

I love this router. It is super easy to install. In fact I did not even use the supplied installation CD. I didn’t need it. I also did not use the installation wizard. I didn’t need that either.

This router rocks. I highly recommend it.

[Walter]

That's quite a speed improvement!
We have a wireless-N Roku player for Netflix but our router is a pokey G.
Maybe I should consider upgrading...

[Walter]

Hey Jim,

I took your advice!
We upgraded to a Netgear WNDR3700.
After doing a little research, I decided that was a good choice.
After downloading the newer install software, setup was a snap.

Trivia:
We bought the router at the Mall of America Best Buy.
We were at MOA taking the Light Rail to see Monster Trucks at the Metrodome.
(3 yr old Daniel is obsessed with them)

[jknoll]

Way to go, Walter. Did you notice any speed increase? Did you do any before and after measurements to quantify the results.

BTW, I saw the ad for the monster trucks the other day. That looked way too cool.

-Jim

[Walter]

I noticed a big increase in speed and range. No numbers, but my ipod can connect throughout the house now.
The Roku player loads up movies faster now using wireless N. Thanks for recommending that router! I'm very happy with it!

[jknoll]

Hi Walter,

How do you like the Roku device? Is it true with a Netflix basic subscription you can then download any number of movies via Roku? Is there a monthly subscription cost for Roku? Does Roku have a hard drive inside for buffering or saving movies? Is there any special Comcast configuration when using Roku? Loads of questions....I am finding that Comcast has such a small selection of movies to rent and they are so expensive. I was thinking of reducing the Comcast service and adding Netflix. Now I am thinking of adding Roku too.

Thanks,

-Jim

[Walter]

Hey Jim,

>> Is it true with a Netflix basic subscription you can then download any number of movies via Roku?
Yes. Not all movies are available for streaming; 17K+ titles last time I checked, but that will increase with a recent deal Netflix made with Warner Bros. Netflix also offers Starz as a cheaper alternative $7.99/mo but limited (1K titles) library.

>>Is there a monthly subscription cost for Roku?
No, you buy the player ($79-129 depending on model). Most game consoles, and a few TV's can be used instead of the Roku player.

>>Does Roku have a hard drive inside for buffering or saving movies?
No, when you select a movie, it takes <10 seconds to start... especially with our fast routers.

>>Is there any special Comcast configuration when using Roku?
Nope.

I am very happy with the player. We stream movies from a big selection, and get physical DVD's from a bigger selection.

[jknoll]

Walter,

This is a very neat option for viewing some online Netflix videos.

So then have you throttled back on the level of Comcast digital TV channels and pkg you get?

Thanks,

-Jim

[Walter]

To be honest we just get high speed internet from Comcast.
Though we might add Comcast TV and VOIP soon.

[BobH]

I get Netflix thru my TiVo boxes. They don't offer all of their movies, I think there's only about 12,000 or so on their streaming list. It's not exactly free; it's included with your membership (which requires a monthly fee).

[Walter]

Follow up on: NetGear WNDR3700
Wireless N is supposed to have greater range than G.
Oddly, the wireless N range of this router much shorter than it's G range.
I still like the router, but thought to mention in case someone else is considering buying one.

[jknoll]

Really?

Walter, what have you discovered in terms of distance from the router in feet?

I have the router in the basement and have full strength wireless coverage through all of the house.

The old linksys G wireless access point was on the second floor and my coverage was limited at times throughout the house.

Overall my experience has been excellent with the wireless feature of the WNDR3700.

-Jim

[Walter]

The wireless G cover is excellent! We have G coverage throughout the house.

The N-coverage at 5 GHz isn't so hot. I have Wireless N at 5GHz and wireless G at 2.4GHz
About 30 feet way from the router our ROKU player reported a poor signal.
Netgear FAQ mentions the 5GHz power here:
http://kb.netgear.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/11645
I could have tried N at 2.4 GHz, but with some repositioning I got a medium strength signal which works fine.
Range generally decreases as frequency increases, but I thought the range would be a bit better.

[jknoll]

Walter is there a way to adjust the power out via the web interface to the router?

I saw this text in the FAQ:
-------------------------
Precision RF engineering has made it capable for the WNDR3700 to extend the range of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz network to the limits. While this router is great to use in large homes and range challenge settings, you might not need the benefit of the highest range the router is capable off.

So you can easily step down on the power to ensure you are utilizing the most optimum power that gives you the most optimum range while saving money and the environment.
----------------------------

I'm thinking if you can throttle back the power, possibly you can increase it too. Or maybe it is already set to the max power out.

-Jim

[Walter]

Good Point! When I was looking into the range issue I checked and the power was set at 100%.
Overall I'm happy with the router!