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Author Topic: Networking advice please.  (Read 3073 times)

kingscurate

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Networking advice please.
« on: April 29, 2012, 09:20:56 am »

Currently at home we have 3 iphones, 4 laptops, 1 pc using the wireless network(netgear wnr2000 router 300 mps wireless) and alli in all there doesnt seem to be a problem. Ideally i want to run pc over ethernet but its 10metres at least from router. So was thinking of using a powerline setup. Any thoughts? And i want to use the printer(pixma pro 9000) on a print server. I have been looking at wifi range extender(esp with dual band), so what would my best options be.
1) Update router to dual band and use existing router as an extender or access point(if its possible to do that)
2) Buy extender and powerline(pc)
3) how do i go about the print server in all this

Many thanks for looking and trying to make sense of what im trying to do
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dreed

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Re: Networking advice please.
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2012, 11:43:09 am »

Currently at home we have 3 iphones, 4 laptops, 1 pc using the wireless network(netgear wnr2000 router 300 mps wireless) and alli in all there doesnt seem to be a problem. Ideally i want to run pc over ethernet but its 10metres at least from router. So was thinking of using a powerline setup. Any thoughts? And i want to use the printer(pixma pro 9000) on a print server. I have been looking at wifi range extender(esp with dual band), so what would my best options be.
1) Update router to dual band and use existing router as an extender or access point(if its possible to do that)
2) Buy extender and powerline(pc)
3) how do i go about the print server in all this

Many thanks for looking and trying to make sense of what im trying to do

Whether powerline will work will depend on how the electrical wires in the walls work. If the rooms you want to connect are wired separately, then it won't work so before you go down that path, find out what wires run where.

The Pixma Pro 9000 has built in networking. What that means is that you could connect that to a WiFi router and then print directly to it over the network rather than through a single computer. i.e. the printer becomes a print server for itself.

So if the current WiFi router isn't in the same room as the printer is, maybe buy a WiFi range extender thing that has an ethernet port to which you can connect the printer to?
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degrub

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Re: Networking advice please.
« Reply #2 on: April 29, 2012, 12:12:32 pm »

i have powerline 500 up and running in my house across two different circuit loops. i get ~ 200Mbit/s bandwidth on Tx and Rx channels. More than enough bandwidth to have several users and an HD video stream. With current generation tech, the key seems to be being on the same phase out of the breaker box (US 110v). The quality of the wire terminations (loose, corrosion) can matter and may benefit from tightening or re-seating. From what i understand, the next generation (later this year and 2013) will be able to use the safety ground which is common to both phases as an alternative if that provides a higher bandwidth connection. My connection is router to router across powerline. i also use the RG-6 cable in my house for some dedicated video services across ethernet with the Netgear MOCA devices.

i believe the wireless extender devices can use a lot of bandwidth, so i would keep them on a fixed channel dedicated if you see issues with your regular wireless.
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kingscurate

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Re: Networking advice please.
« Reply #3 on: April 29, 2012, 12:47:37 pm »

Whether powerline will work will depend on how the electrical wires in the walls work. If the rooms you want to connect are wired separately, then it won't work so before you go down that path, find out what wires run where.

The Pixma Pro 9000 has built in networking. What that means is that you could connect that to a WiFi router and then print directly to it over the network rather than through a single computer. i.e. the printer becomes a print server for itself.

So if the current WiFi router isn't in the same room as the printer is, maybe buy a WiFi range extender thing that has an ethernet port to which you can connect the printer to?
Thanks for pointing out the wiring situation, as im certain the two rooms are on a different circuit.
Regards the print server you have confirmed what i had thought. I just need to get my head round how to use the printer say from a laptop. Would getting a dual band router and connect to my cable broadband modem and using my existing router as the extender, would that setup work?

Many many thanks
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dreed

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Re: Networking advice please.
« Reply #4 on: April 29, 2012, 01:09:49 pm »

Thanks for pointing out the wiring situation, as im certain the two rooms are on a different circuit.
Regards the print server you have confirmed what i had thought. I just need to get my head round how to use the printer say from a laptop.

Using it from a laptop is the same as using it from a PC - you connect to it via the network. In this scenario, there is no USB printer driver to contend with rather you create a network port as the printer. However you will still need to install the printer drivers as they are what generate the output to the actual device.

If you're using Windows 7, you would add a "Local Printer" and "Create a new port" that is a "Standard TCP/IP Port" and enter in the IP address of the printer. Oh, before doing this you need to read the printer's manual to work out how to configure a static IP address for the printer manually once you have it connected to your WiFi network (either by cable or wirelessly.) Other flavours of Windows are similar.

Quote
Would getting a dual band router and connect to my cable broadband modem and using my existing router as the extender, would that setup work?

You will need to read the manual of your existing router to find out if that will work or not.
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Steve Weldon

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Re: Networking advice please.
« Reply #5 on: April 29, 2012, 01:38:42 pm »

Currently at home we have 3 iphones, 4 laptops, 1 pc using the wireless network(netgear wnr2000 router 300 mps wireless) and alli in all there doesnt seem to be a problem. Ideally i want to run pc over ethernet but its 10metres at least from router. So was thinking of using a powerline setup. Any thoughts? And i want to use the printer(pixma pro 9000) on a print server. I have been looking at wifi range extender(esp with dual band), so what would my best options be.
1) Update router to dual band and use existing router as an extender or access point(if its possible to do that)
2) Buy extender and powerline(pc)
3) how do i go about the print server in all this

Many thanks for looking and trying to make sense of what im trying to do
If at all possible run an actual LAN CAT6 cable.  They are trouble free, very fast (if you're running a giga network), and all those wifi signals running through your head will probably someday be know to cause the elimination of a mans sense of humor.. you never know.   I run all kinds of wireless devices over a 450mbps router and they're okay, but a hard wired connection is far superior for a main workstation.  Actual 1080p video streams need to be ideally compressed to work well over a 300mbps router and even the 450mbps router can have issues depending on format/compression.  And what if you want to watch a video, access your NAS, print something, transfer files, download torrents, all at the same time from the same PC?  Excessive example I know, but the point is the bandwidth needs add up.  Powerline adapters are limited and depending heavily on your house wiring, what else is running in the house, and even at their best won't ever be ideal.. at least the current generation.

If your printer uses WIFI I'd use that.  Unless I could easily run a LAN cable to it.  Printers don't put that much demand on bandwidth so wifi works well for them.

I'm of the opinion a man with a drill, a big spool of LAN CAT6 cable, and a bit of time can vastly improve their home network to the point of 100% reliability and speed.  You'll still want wifi for the portable devices, but the static workstations, NAS's, media hubs, cable boxes, slingboxes, etc, etc.. all become trouble free devices which will never step on each other with a busy multi-user household if hardwired..  I recently installed a 16 port gigaswitch and I use most of the ports.. a good switch is nice to have.
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chrismurphy

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Re: Networking advice please.
« Reply #6 on: April 29, 2012, 06:00:13 pm »

I agree with Steve. I'd also add that bandwidth is cut in half with WDS for extending the range of a wireless network, for each hop. If you can run a wired backbone to each access point, this doesn't happen. You may sooner consider relocating the existing wireless access point so it's higher, and/or a better antenna, than dealing with multiple WAPs.
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dreed

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Re: Networking advice please.
« Reply #7 on: April 29, 2012, 07:44:53 pm »

I'm of the opinion a man with a drill, a big spool of LAN CAT6 cable, and a bit of time can vastly improve their home network to the point of 100% reliability and speed.  You'll still want wifi for the portable devices, but the static workstations, NAS's, media hubs, cable boxes, slingboxes, etc, etc.. all become trouble free devices which will never step on each other with a busy multi-user household if hardwired..  I recently installed a 16 port gigaswitch and I use most of the ports.. a good switch is nice to have.

I was tempted to suggest something similar but the poster may not live in a dwelling where they have the permission to do that or that doing so would be far more difficult than it is worth, so I went with what they're doing now...
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kingscurate

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Re: Networking advice please.
« Reply #8 on: April 30, 2012, 09:13:26 am »

Thanks guys, after phoning local company they suggest im complicating things, so best to stay as i am. Like i said in first post, we dont suffer noticable problems.
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Steve Weldon

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Re: Networking advice please.
« Reply #9 on: April 30, 2012, 09:34:20 am »

Thanks guys, after phoning local company they suggest im complicating things, so best to stay as i am. Like i said in first post, we dont suffer noticable problems.
A great example of how your ISP is severely patronizing you and why you should be looking for either a new support tech, or a new ISP.  If someone told me that my conversation with the individual would immediately cease.
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kingscurate

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Re: Networking advice please.
« Reply #10 on: April 30, 2012, 09:46:55 am »

A great example of how your ISP is severely patronizing you and why you should be looking for either a new support tech, or a new ISP.  If someone told me that my conversation with the individual would immediately cease.
I never said i phoned ISP, I phoned a local company for some advice as they are more local to me. His attitude was if aint broke dont fix it. Why spend money when its not needed. I could move my router/modem stup into front room as we have input there, again if its working ok leave where it is.
 Using my printer on a local network which i asked about on here, is where it starts getting complicated. It does not have wifi and no ethernet. We have a wifi all in one, we can use that over wifi.

Many thanks
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dreed

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Re: Networking advice please.
« Reply #11 on: April 30, 2012, 10:54:25 am »

I never said i phoned ISP, I phoned a local company for some advice as they are more local to me. His attitude was if aint broke dont fix it. Why spend money when its not needed. I could move my router/modem stup into front room as we have input there, again if its working ok leave where it is.
 Using my printer on a local network which i asked about on here, is where it starts getting complicated. It does not have wifi and no ethernet. We have a wifi all in one, we can use that over wifi.

Ah, sorry, for some reason when I search for details on the printer, the results suggested that it was network capable.

In that case what you might like to consider is buying a USB-WiFi print server so rather than plug the printer into your PC (and thus need to have the PC on all of the time), you plug the printer into the Wifi/USB device. Again, to get this working properly you may need to statically assign an IP address to the USB/WiFi device. I've used similar devices in the past (ethernet to parallel port) and highly recommend this approach over having the printer attached to a single computer.
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Steve Weldon

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Re: Networking advice please.
« Reply #12 on: April 30, 2012, 11:11:23 am »

I never said i phoned ISP, I phoned a local company for some advice as they are more local to me. His attitude was if aint broke dont fix it. Why spend money when its not needed. I could move my router/modem stup into front room as we have input there, again if its working ok leave where it is.
 Using my printer on a local network which i asked about on here, is where it starts getting complicated. It does not have wifi and no ethernet. We have a wifi all in one, we can use that over wifi.

Many thanks
My apologies, I would never have guessed someone would call a phone company who isn't their ISP for this kind of help.  It helps to understand his answer.
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