does anyone know how adding a wireless card to your PC affects your wired internet performance and if it can actually help? if so, what do i need to do in order to have optimal connection?

10/27/2006 10:01:26 AM

It won't affect your wired connection. and it won't help. If you have a wired connection it's faster than wireless. Unless you are using a laptop or want to stop using the wired connection, don't waste your money

10/27/2006 10:22:38 AM

^ okay, i'm talking out of my ass here because i don't know for sure, but wouldn't it only be faster for LAN stuff? i think RR is limited to something around 2mbps down, so even 802.11b should be just as functional as a 10/100 hardwired connection...i know for a fact that when i lived on campus and had both my desktop and laptop on the same wireless router (desktop hardwired, laptop wireless), i couldn't download faster on either one (maxed out at about 1mpps on an extremely awesome day)

also...in theory, if you're using one of those 125mbps or 108mbps super g networks or whatever they are, and all the computers in your lan were capable of that, wouldn't that be faster than a 10/100 connection?

[Edited on October 27, 2006 at 10:44 AM. Reason : .]

10/27/2006 10:43:26 AM

Those 108mbps "speedbooster" deals are voodoo magic and are not to be trusted.

But you are right, for the most part your wireless network is going to be faster than roadrunner so you dont see any benefit doing internet stuff 100mbps wired vs 11/54mbps wireless.

You aren't going to get any benefit from having both cards active at the same time as far as performance goes. Two cards certainly gives you more options (network sharing for example) but for the most part i'd pick one or the other and stick with it. If you are using both to connect to the internet at the same time you could have wierd routing things happen that might hurt your connection.

If its a desktop thats already wired and wont be moving, dont bother with wireless. If you want to move your desktop someone else in the house and dont want to run wires, wireless will do you fine. If its a laptop you'd be fine to leave it on the wireless all the time and just use the wired when you need to transfer your porn to other computers on the network.

10/27/2006 10:55:52 AM

i just want to buy one of those repeater things that allows you to steal internet easier

10/27/2006 11:02:36 AM

Best case, your wireless will have the same performance as wired.

But because of overhead and packet loss, a wired connection is pretty much always going to be faster, if not noticeably so. Speedbooster and all the other bullshit usually get you up to about 35mbps in actual use. 54G runs just about 10% less than that normally.

10/27/2006 11:11:51 AM

"If its a laptop you'd be fine to leave it on the wireless all the time and just use the wired when you need to transfer your porn to other computers on the network."

that was funny......thank you all for the info

10/27/2006 6:22:51 PM

is this the reason for the server disconnection i get when trying to game while on my wireless network?

[Edited on January 11, 2007 at 12:52 PM. Reason : .]

1/11/2007 12:50:52 PM