Author Topic: Wireless Networks and Gaming? (Read 320 times)

funkedup · « **on:** September 12, 2002, 11:08:49 PM »

Do these mix well?

Also I have a question about range.
I'm renting a house on a property that has two houses. The owners live in the big house and I'm in the little house. The two houses are about 15 feet apart.

Would a wireless access point in the main house have sufficient range to connect with a network card in my house? Would network reliability and bandwidth suffer?

Pfunk · « **Reply #1 on:** September 12, 2002, 11:54:12 PM »

Well wireless internet just like any other wireless application soley depends upon the distance between the router and where your access point is. Things also to consider is it a "direct" pathway or are there several obstructions between you and the router. As the distance and obstructions between the two points increase so does the signal and packet loss. The following is a OPTIMAL range between the two (IE no obstcutions). Hope this helps. Really the only way to tell is to set up a wireless network and see what happens. Buy your Equip from the local Best Buy or Circuit City as they both have 30 day return policies. If it doesnt give the desired effect simply return the equipment and think of alternative actions. Hope this helps.

outdoor environment indoor environment
1 Mbps - 1650 ft (503 m) 1 Mbps - 500 ft (152 m)
2 Mbps - 1320 ft (402 m) 2 Mbps - 400 ft (122 m)
5.5 Mbps - 1155 ft (352 m) 5.5 Mbps - 270 ft (82 m)
11 Mbps - 835 ft (255 m) 11 Mbps - 175 ft (53 m)

Vulcan · « **Reply #2 on:** September 13, 2002, 12:50:05 AM »

Funked 15 feet is piss easy.

However, security will be the big issue. Try and buy something that has the ability to secure the network based on MAC addresses (ie only allows access if the wireless card has a corresponding MAC address in the list).

Sancho · « **Reply #3 on:** September 13, 2002, 01:03:20 AM »

15 feet to a stationary gaming rig? just run a cable.

funkedup · « **Reply #4 on:** September 13, 2002, 03:50:31 PM »

Thanks guys I'll give it a whirl with some stuff from Best Buy.

bloom25 · « **Reply #5 on:** September 13, 2002, 04:17:18 PM »

Funked, is there some reason you can't just run a cable?

Vulcan · « **Reply #6 on:** September 13, 2002, 04:39:10 PM »

coz hes a homo poser?

funkedup · « **Reply #7 on:** September 13, 2002, 05:05:08 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by bloom25
Funked, is there some reason you can't just run a cable?

I don't think the owners would accept ethernet cable running all through their house and out the garage door across the very expensive stone walkway and into my house. The houses are only 15 feet apart but the total distance between their computer and mine is like 100 feet.

So to do it right we would need to pull ethernet cable through the conduit which runs phone and cable TV from the big house to my house. This is going to cost $$$$$.

The whole idea of going wireless is that the owners are willing to let me use their cable hookup for free. So if I can buy $250 worth of hardware to get a $50/month service for free, it pays for itself in 4 months.

Going with a wired ethernet would cost me much less than $250 for hardware but I'm pretty sure pulling the cable would put me over $250 in labor or over what $250 is worth to me in terms of pain-in-the-ass.

So it makes wireless a sexy solution costwise and PITAwise.

Toad · « **Reply #8 on:** September 14, 2002, 11:43:05 PM »

Lemme see... $250 in hardware is recovered by saving $50 a month for 4 months?

Engineers.

funkedup · « **Reply #9 on:** September 14, 2002, 11:47:01 PM »