I have a question for you computery type people
Yesterday I convinced myself I needed a new router as my current one is over 4 years old, so I've gone and ordered a new TP Link one.

Was that a massive waste of £40? Or will I actually see some form of benefit?
(Bazongaloid, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:12, 2 replies, latest was 14 years ago)

Does your old one still work faster than your net connection?
Does it not drop its connection regularly/noticeably?

Then yes, you wasted £40.

Signed,

A computer science doctor.
( djtrialprice, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:25, Reply)

Oh bum.

(Bazongaloid, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:25, Reply)

I'm not sure if my old one is ADSL2+ though.
The one is. Surely that makes a difference? Surely?
(Bazongaloid, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:26, Reply)

Routers generally have speeds far in advance of residential internet connections
I doubt you'll notice a difference.
( djtrialprice, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:29, Reply)

Is your line ADSL2+?
What kind of speeds to you get through your current router? Do you have 802.11n capability? Does your router have this?
(Himjim died a little more inside on, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:32, Reply)

Stop bringing facts into this
I want Al to cry into his gaping £40 hole.
( djtrialprice, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:34, Reply)

I don't know?
How would I find that out? Virgin did something to my line a year or two back to make it faster, but I don't know what it was. Could that have been them doubling my ADSL?
(Bazongaloid, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:35, Reply)

Well, the fact you have Virgin answers the ADSL2+ question - nearly all ISPs
have this, just a few old decrepit ones don't.

Are you connecting via laptop or PC - your adaptor (built in or dongle) should give you an idea if you can get 802.11n. The Wifi Sticker will either be B/G or B/G/Draft-N or B/G/N.
(Himjim died a little more inside on, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:42, Reply)

It's B/G/N

( Kroney, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:44, Reply)

I'm connecting via a desktop and a couple of laptops
My laptop is about 5 years old.
(Bazongaloid, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:45, Reply)

Then your laptop probably doesn't have a wireless N card in it :)

( Kroney, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:46, Reply)

But, the part of me that likes to be a bit futureproof reckons that if I get a new laptop
I will be able to have my internet in my back garden.

Right?
(Bazongaloid, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:48, Reply)

Faster wireless doesn't necessarily mean greater range
that's down to how good the antennae is and how much electrical interference is between you and your internet-capable barbecue.
( Kroney, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:50, Reply)

I hate computers.

(Bazongaloid, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:52, Reply)

geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek.

(Set your faces to Stunned Bigly, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:36, Reply)

THIRTTTTTTTTTTY EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEIGHHT

(Himjim died a little more inside on, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:43, Reply)

Ouch!!
You know your words hurt, right?
(Set your faces to Stunned Bigly, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:50, Reply)

I can probably give you a proper answer if you want
but I'd need the models.
( Kroney, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:26, Reply)

The old one is a Netgear DGsomething something
The new one is a TP Link TD-W8960N
(Bazongaloid, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:30, Reply)

Oh, those old DGsomethingsomethings, yeah I know those.

( Kroney, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:31, Reply)

They're both 10/100 so you won't notice any increased cable speeds
and that's machine to machine routing inside your LAN. The only thing that'll affect internet speed is your cable connection into your house.

It's wireless N, which I imagine the old one isn't, but again, you'll only notice a difference from machine to machine. Your internet will be slower than wireless G.
( Kroney, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:36, Reply)

Why will the internet be slower on wireless n?
And, and, and, ADSL 2?
(Bazongaloid, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:38, Reply)

Wireless G is slower than wireless N
I just meant that your internet connection is probably going to be slower than them both.
( Kroney, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:40, Reply)

ADSL2+ is just a fancy way of saying they're doubling your bandwidth, basically.
You don't need anything special to use it on your end.
( Kroney, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:43, Reply)

Really?
So my IT support guy is lying when he says we need to upgrade our office router to one that's ADSL 2+?
(Bazongaloid, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:46, Reply)

I don't know about lying.
He probably means that the router can't handle the bandwidth that ADSL2+ is capable of delivering.

Companies typically have much larger connections than home users.

Edit: it really depends on how old your work router is and whether it can have its firmware updated if it is old.
( Kroney, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:48, Reply)

Can you explain bandwidth to me using an anaolgy that is probably innacurate?

(Bazongaloid, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:49, Reply)

It's a relatively simple concept but comes with a fuckton of variables that complicate matters.
If you've got a 1mbps connection and you're sending a 1mb email, it shoudl take 1 second to send. If you're sending a 2mb email over a 1mb connection, it'll take two seconds. If you're sending 0.5mb, it'll take half a second.

If you've got two people sending 1mb emails over a 1mbps connection, it'll take 2 seconds because the bandwidth gets split between the two things.

The old electrical analogy of a garden hosepipe could still be used, only the more water you put into it does not come with a subsequent increase in pressure, it just takes longer.
( Kroney, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:58, Reply)

Now can you explain to me where babies come from?

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 11:01, Reply)

Oh it's ok, I think Himjim has done that below

( tangledupinblue hairy badge with moving eyes, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 11:02, Reply)

imagine fibre optic broadband is as wide as TGB vagina
dial up is as tight and The Luggage's, I hope this helps
( Naked Ape call me Caitlyn, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:59, Reply)

Imagine a hosepipe that runs through a pump (the router)
The pump can only go at a certain speed. If someone increases the pressure of the water in the hosepipe, the rate of flow coming out of the pump will be the same because it can only go at a certain speed.

Getting a bigger pump is the only way to deal with the increased pressure.
(Himjim died a little more inside on, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 11:01, Reply)

Okay, I think I sort of understand.

(Bazongaloid, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 11:06, Reply)

The other thing worth explaining is that the hosepipe itself is owned by Thames Water
and so it fucking leaks. That's why they tell you you won't get that maximum bandwidth if you're any distance from the nearest exchange.
( Kroney, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 11:11, Reply)

I think it might be this one:
www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?hl=en&cp=10&gs_id=12&xhr=t&q=netgear+dg834g&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1440&bih=710&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=5113624221522242262&sa=X&ei=vo2FTtzYOKPS4QT37NGeDw&sqi=2&ved=0CHkQ8wIwAQ
(Bazongaloid, Fri 30 Sep 2011, 10:37, Reply)