Hello Yahoo Community, it’s my first yahoo question!
Currently, we’re running a home network using a Motorola Surfboard SB5120 Cable Modem (we have Cox Cable Internet w/ powerboost – *advertised speed* = 15Mbps *actual speed* = 1-2 Mbps, on a good day). We’re running the network through a Netgear 54 Mbps WGR614 v6 wireless router. We have secured the network with a WPA generated passkey.
The problem: the laptops, desktops, iphones, and game systems are not able to connect wirelessly to the router at the same time without at least one getting kicked off the network or the network timing out. We have to do a manual modem reset (you know, unplug the power cord 10 sec, cross fingers, plug back in, etc.) at least once a day if not more often to get the device we want to connect at the time on the network properly.
We want to be able to connect the list of existing devices below but manage connections better so that the network isn’t completely hogged and folks aren’t kicked off the wireless network at home at random. The house is a two story house, but the range of the wifi signal does not seem to be the issue – someone will be surfing the net without any problems on a laptop upstairs in the furthest bedroom away from the router while someone else is trying to connect sitting a foot or two from the router itself downstairs and they can’t get on.
We would also like to create a home network that can not only connect the devices listed below more efficiently, but we want the option in the future to add in a networked printer that the computers can all print to centrally as well as add network-attached storage from two spare USB 2.0 hard drives to do backups on the computers in the house and possibly use as a central media hub/server to stream to the TV in the future.
My best guess for the reason for the problem boils down to three things: 1) The cable modem is a bit old and might be giving out randomly and we may need an upgrade, but I am not sure and/or 2) We need to upgrade our internet service to 25 Mbps and/or 3) The wireless router cannot handle the amount of devices connected to it.
I was thinking about upgrading us to an Airport Extreme Base Station or similar router but need to know if this will be able to handle the connections we need.
We’ve got the following devices connected:
1 Desktop PC running Windows XP connected via ethernet cable
2 Macbook Pros running Leopard and Snow Leopard connected wirelessly
1 iMac running Leopard connected wirelessly
2 iphones connected wirelessly (sometimes – mostly we have to default to 3G due to devices getting kicked off the network randomly and would prefer to use the wireless connection at home)
1 Tivo DVR connected via ethernet cable
1 Ps3 system connected via ethernet cable
1 Nintendo Wii connected wirelessly
1 Xbox 360 system connected wirelessly
1 VOIP Vonage router connected via ethernet cable
Any suggestions for routers or other setup ideas would be great. One restriction is that we can’t run CAT6 or other similar modification solutions as we rent our home. We need a non-destructive solution. I’m willing to run a few more ethernet cables along the floors with cable ties here and there but nothing involving drilling or running wires through a wall.
Any suggestions or advice for our set up would be greatly appreciated! :) Thank you for your time Yahoo Community!
Thanks for the advice TexasNetWolf! I tried the IPCONFIG command to get the ping test going with the router and it seems like the router is definitely the problem. The connection kept timing out as you said, but would work every once in a while.
The next question then would be if I have to get a new router, what kind would be best in terms of ease of set up for the list above – along with some room to grow to add the network attached storage, printer sharing and media server capabilities I mentioned above?
Printer Media, Computers & Internet