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More speed/bandwidth from an 802.11n laptop<-->WiFi Router/Modem connection?
IainB:
^ Yes, different brands of internal laptop wifi cards are not necessarily able to play well with the TP-Link N/150.
The rule is to standardise on what works.
As soon as I got the 150Mbps N USB mini Network Adapter to work nicely, I installed it on my daughter's laptop, and it worked fine there too, so I might buy another mini adapter (the same spec) for her. Then we can download shared "Workgroup" files (e.g., OneNote Notebooks) and stream shared media off of each others' laptops more easily, with the benefit of the faster data exchange rate. Improve the quality of the "local Cloud".
@Carol Haynes alluded to higher wifi speeds than 150Mbps probably being of little benefit otherwise for domestic Internet response times, unless you happen to have a commercial/T3 line or something (which I don't).
lanux128:
has anyone tried one of these devices? according to the blurb on their website, it "offers up to 8 times the range of conventional adapters" and "the signal remains reliable when it passes through multiple walls or floors". seems worth a try if you're having difficulties in getting a signal.
• http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/details/?categoryid=215&model=TL-WN7200ND
Carol Haynes:
Strikes me that a full spec wireless n setup should be better than that. 802.11n should have a much larger range than g, and whilst n-light has a better range it is only single band and not going to be that much better than g.
A lot of manufacturers are going for n-lite these days - personally I think it is a bit of smoke and mirrors. Most people want n (if they even know what it is) and n-lite allows manufacturers to bamboozle people with 'n rated' products that are not full n spec. Presumably it is so that they can claim it is n and it costs them a lot less to produce.
If speed is important to you go for full spec 802.11n throughout. But as I suggested earlier try to buy everything from one manufacturer and if at all possible from the same product range within that catalogus. It is a bit more expensive than n-lite but you are getting at least double the speed and full range/penetration on the signal.
I used to use wireless throughout but now I prefer reliability to clutter free and I use a gigabit switch to connect fixed apparatus together at gigabit speeds, 802.11n lite (using a free router from my ISP - I have an old full rated 802.11n Netgeat router that went a bit flaky and I have to say it worked great while it wasn't flaky but I couldn't justify replacing it given that most of my setup is now wired) for tablets, printers and laptops and mains plugs for hard to reach fixed stuff like TVs (which provide adequate transfer rates for TV streaming).
Combination seems to work well for me and file transfer between desktop computers is excellent.
IainB:
has anyone tried one of these devices?...
-lanux128 (March 04, 2013, 12:24 AM)
--- End quote ---
That's kinda what this discussion thread is all about - 802.11n 150Mbps (also referred to as 802.11n "Lite") wifi equipment - focussing on how to get the best speed/bandwidth out of an existing setup.
The setup was:
(a) The router: a TP-Link TD-8950ND 150Mbps Wireless N ("Lite")ADSL2+ Modem Router. ("Wifi router".)
(b) The wireless network adapter: i.e., the one built-in to my laptop.
This is what I did in more or less the order I did it in:
* 1. I updated the firmware in the router and for the drivers of the laptop's built-in network adapter.
Result: No noticeable effect.
* 2. I fiddled around experimentally with the settings in the router.
Result: No noticeable effect.
* 3. I fiddled around with the settings in the network adapter (e.g., including switching it to 802.11n only, disabling the the 802.11b/g standard functionality).
Result: No noticeable effect.
* 4. I tried bumping up the signal concentration/strength by putting a high-tech 8) reflector "dish" (made from an opened-out beer can) around the router's vertical antenna. This would beam more of the radiated signal in the laptop's direction.
Result: It had a slight improving effect on the signal strength received by the laptop 2 rooms away, but it still wasn't realising the 150Mbps potential even if the laptop was placed in close proximity to the wifi router.
* 5. I changed the setup by installing a TP-Link - WN723N 150Mbps Mini Wireless N USB Adapter and updated the associated driver to current spec., and disabled the laptop's bult-in network adapter.
Result: Success! Definite improvement with the typical signal strength/quality 2 rooms away from the wifi router moving up to about 90Mbps. and quite often peaking at 120Mbps, and 150Mbps being typical in the same room as the wifi router.
* 6. I have today added a second beer can reflector inverted on top of the first, thus roughly doubling the overall reflector area.
Result: A further step up! The typical signal strength/quality 2 rooms away from the wifi router is still about 90Mbps. but now also quite often 120Mbps, and the peak has gone up to max spec of 150Mbps.
What you seem to be suggesting is putting a high-gain antenna on the laptop's 150Mbps network adapter. I feel sure that that would definitely help to make the most of whatever signal is getting through the walls to the laptop, but I have not tried that as I didn't want to invest more $$ than I absolutely had to to get the actual performance up to spec.
Also, in choosing the mini USB network adapter, I deliberately bypassed the older, larger TP-Link - WN721N 150Mbps Wireless Lite N USB Adapter - which probably would have a higher gain antenna (being longer). In my view, small is good and less easily damaged when moving the laptop around - also, less noticeable to my inquisitive 2½ year old son, who represents an environmental risk for laptops, as he has a fascination for them.
lanux128:
@IainB: yes, i just noticed that you were successful in solving the problem. i may have read into kyrathaba's problem's inadvertently but since he is okay with it then i guess that's that. ;)
fwiw, i use this router, TL-WDR4300 with this adapter and i do get 150Mbps consistently. however internet downloads peak at 400K/s while local file transfers can go up to 20MB/s.
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