Best way to max out speed

Slippin Jimmy

I got upc 100mb broadband installed on Saturday. I have my laptop upstairs, but my router is downstairs. This is due to the upc box being downstairs. I obviously want to max out my connection, but wireless woulod be too low. Would I be better off getting homeplugs or lan cable?

cookie1977

I would have thought a lan cable but have you wireless N capabilities? I've heard it's decent although I haven't tried it.

Mr. Presentable

Lan cable would be cheapest and fastest, but also most invasive. As poster suggests, a wireless - n rated router would be probable best solution.

fionny

Wireless N will NOT max out your 100meg connection it get close but not full thunder I will get you around 70-80 megs of it...

Also I had gigabit homeplugs for my 100meg connection which still wouldn't do the full line (possibly down to the wiring in the house) I ended up running a cable to my room, there really is no substitute for it. Get 114megs regularly down the line with this setup.

PogMoThoin

A Cat5 cable does gigabit (1000 Mbit/s), its a no-brainer not to run a cable if at all possible

Slippin Jimmy

fionny wrote: »

Wireless N will NOT max out your 100meg connection it get close but not full thunder I will get you around 70-80 megs of it...

Also I had gigabit homeplugs for my 100meg connection which still wouldn't do the full line (possibly down to the wiring in the house) I ended up running a cable to my room, there really is no substitute for it. Get 114megs regularly down the line with this setup.

So decided to buy a wireless n dongle today, but the speed was worse than my current card in my laptop. I think my only option would be to run a cable from my router downstairs up to my room. The only thing about this is that it will be a bit messy. How did you run yours up? I was thinking of running it inder the carpets or something along those lines.

PogMoThoin

Duffff-Man wrote: »

So decided to buy a wireless n dongle today, but the speed was worse than my current card in my laptop. I think my only option would be to run a cable from my router downstairs up to my room. The only thing about this is that it will be a bit messy. How did you run yours up? I was thinking of running it inder the carpets or something along those lines.

You have many options, outside and cable tied neat behind a drainpipe, in the existing conduit beside tv coax, under carpet. Every house is different though. You're best to get cat 5 cable rather than a made up patch lead, get someone with a crimping tool to crimp it for you

Slippin Jimmy

PogMoThoin wrote: »

You have many options, outside and cable tied neat behind a drainpipe, in the existing conduit beside tv coax, under carpet. Every house is different though. You're best to get cat 5 cable rather than a made up patch lead, get someone with a crimping tool to crimp it for you

Whats a crimping tool? I think the best way would be to run it under the carpets up to the room. Im terrible with measurements, what lenght would be suitable? I know you don't know the layout of my house

PogMoThoin

Duffff-Man wrote: »

Whats a crimping tool? I think the best way would be to run it under the carpets up to the room. Im terrible with measurements, what lenght would be suitable? I know you don't know the layout of my house

Max length is 100m so unless you live in Aras an Uachtaran you'll be fine. A crimping tool is a press tool for connecting the connector ends (rj45), someone working in IT or telecoms will have one, very few electricians have although some do.

Slippin Jimmy

I take it a crimping tool is something similar to this,
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-457054-271-Crimping-Tool/dp/B000WTNFBK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1306351113&sr=8-5

I should be able to buy the cable off the net fairly handy anyway.

PogMoThoin

No, one of these:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-44051-Modular-Crimping-Tool/dp/B0013EVHZ4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306351544&sr=1-1

This is cheaper:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-633594-8P8C-6P6C-Crimp/dp/B000LFTKVE/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1306351617&sr=1-7

Slippin Jimmy

PogMoThoin wrote: »

No, one of these:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Draper-44051-Modular-Crimping-Tool/dp/B0013EVHZ4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306351544&sr=1-1

This is cheaper:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-633594-8P8C-6P6C-Crimp/dp/B000LFTKVE/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1306351617&sr=1-7

Cool, and this is the cable?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cat5e-RJ45-Ethernet-Network-Cable/dp/B000IAJHQ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306351933&sr=8-1

PogMoThoin

Duffff-Man wrote: »

Cool, and this is the cable?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cat5e-RJ45-Ethernet-Network-Cable/dp/B000IAJHQ0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306351933&sr=8-1

No, thats a pre-made patch cable with the ends already crimped, What you need is to find out your distance and get some like this. Ask any electrician, they will have some or go for the deal on this page.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cat5e-RJ45-Ethernet-Network-Cable/dp/B000Q6LSBS/ref=sr_1_3?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1306355653&sr=1-3

tommycahir

Any electrical suppliers worth their salt will have Cat5 cable in stock, just measure the length that you need add a few feet on to it for good measure and then ask the local electrical wholesalers for it, think it works out around 10c a foot or so.

They can also supply you with the RJ45 connectors which are around 75c.

Slippin Jimmy

tommycahir wrote: »

Any electrical suppliers worth their salt will have Cat5 cable in stock, just measure the length that you need add a few feet on to it for good measure and then ask the local electrical wholesalers for it, think it works out around 10c a foot or so.

They can also supply you with the RJ45 connectors which are around 75c.

Excellent, thanks a million!

ArtyM

While you are there, ask what trunking(white plastic tubing for concealing wiring) they have. A few lengths will tidy up the wires nicely. Most have adhesive backing and removable front face.

Slippin Jimmy

ArtyM wrote: »

While you are there, ask what trunking(white plastic tubing for concealing wiring) they have. A few lengths will tidy up the wires nicely. Most have adhesive backing and removable front face.

Thanks for the suggestion. Have just been down to my local wesco. They said for a 50m cat5 cable it would be €30, and also said they do chrimping tools and rj45. Just wanted to make sure that this is a good price before buying it. I just need to decide the best way of doing it now, thinking about putting it under the carpets, but the stairs may be a bit tricky.

ED E

Buy a reel and the tool, if you're anyway inclined towards tech, you'll find use for them(I've wired our whole house, a bloody bungalow with a low lying roof and made countless cables of varying lengths for LANs[games]).

Slippin Jimmy

Lethal_Bullet wrote: »

Buy a reel and the tool, if you're anyway inclined towards tech, you'll find use for them(I've wired our whole house, a bloody bungalow with a low lying roof and made countless cables of varying lengths for LANs[games]).

Ah yes I am inclined towards tech as you put it, but I just don't know if I will be using it again. Have the xbox connected to the router, just the laptop is all I need.

PogMoThoin

Duffff-Man wrote: »

Ah yes I am inclined towards tech as you put it, but I just don't know if I will be using it again. Have the xbox connected to the router, just the laptop is all I need.

For now...................you will need cat 5 to every TV in future, I guarantee it :cool:

As Lethal_Bullet said, get the box, its better value

Slippin Jimmy

PogMoThoin wrote: »

For now...................you will need cat 5 to every TV in future, I guarantee it :cool:

As Lethal_Bullet said, get the box, its better value

On the advice of the experts, the box seems the best option. Thanks guys, will let you know how I get on

Capt'n Midnight

PogMoThoin wrote: »

You have many options, outside and cable tied neat behind a drainpipe, in the existing conduit beside tv coax, under carpet. Every house is different though. You're best to get cat 5 cable rather than a made up patch lead, get someone with a crimping tool to crimp it for you

actually an off the shelf cable would probably be better if a 10m would do, or you can locate a 20m patch cable.

just make sure you have all 8 ends flush with the end of the rj45 connector, cut twice , crimp once

Slippin Jimmy

Spent about 4 hours putting in the cable on Saturday. Got the 100m cable and ran it from the router downstairs through 2 walls and the up along the stairs. Was a bit of a pain getting the carpets up in places and putting them back down. Took me 2 attempts with the rj45's, but got there in the end. Did a speedtest on the line today and was tipping 80mb down, 7mb up. All in all im pretty happy with how it went, have loads of cabling left over if I need to run into the other living rooms in the future. Thanks for everyones help.