BleepingComputer.com: Black Friday Sales

I would like to improve the speed of my internet line. I have been told to upgrade my router. I have the basic equipment provided by my DSL service.

I either know nothing about networking or my head is spinning from all the ads. The basic question, what do I need?

Do I need to purchase both a modem and a router, a combination unit? Dual band?

If we start at the source of the internet connection, I have a filter plugged into the phone connector in the wall. A regular phone line to a 2wire router(?) Then I use a wireless connection to computer #1, an ehternet connection to computer #2 and sometimes another wireless connection to Computer #3.

I guess I am looking to replace the 2wire 2701HG-B with something better. What do I look for in the ads?

Anyone up for a midnight shopping adventure? Okay, we'll just stick to the network stuff.


Thanks.

Posting the computer models connecting your network and subscribed bandwith connection from your ISP would determine if you need to upgrade anything. Also, what activities do you often do you experience any problem on thinking that you want to upgrade? Are you connecting by ISP modem then to 2 wire router?

Computer models: Lenovo G570, Sony Vaio SA3, currently looking to purchase a HP elite-book, all N capable.

Bandwidth: 12 mbps

Main activity is trading. I actively trade stocks, options, futures. Some may call me a day trader. That involves real-time streaming quotes for all the exchanges, charting packages, et al.

The 2Wire is a router and modem combination.

Thanks

If your router is fairly new (no more than a couple years old), a newer router/modem won't speed up your internet. It's probably just the speed you're paying for. DSL is known for being stable, albeit much slower than cable internet.

What is the speed you're paying for?(EDIT: just realized you said 12Mb/s already) Who is your ISP (AT&T?)?

That 2701HG-B is the basic "wireless gateway" that comes with an AT&T DSL connection. I used one for a year (at 756Kb/s down, 128Kb/s up, I think) before switching to cable internet. You're limited by the speed of your connection, not the router itself.

This post has been edited by keyboardNinja: 23 November 2011 - 10:09 AM

Hi Ninja,

Yes, ATT. Stability is why I have DSL. In my area ATT is best. (I know, heard it before.)

Since getting real time streaming quotes is critical for me, reliability is the key. Cable here goes out about once a week. Would love to go cable for faster speed. They just love to go down during the day. What is really irritating, the outages are usually "planned maintenance". Can't they tell you when they know they are going down? Errrrrg.

The basic gateway only supports g, my computers are now N. Doesn't that cause problems?

Off topic question, how do I find out how much Broadband usage I am doing? With all the caps and throttling now, I really have no idea where I am at.

fp

Since you have DSL...you have a number of factors which will always limit your connection speed.

If you relly think your DSL connection is slow...you need to upgrade to a faster connection type (e.g., cable) to see any real improvement, IMO.

Like KBN said .

Louis

Wish our cable company was more reliable I would go that direction.

Thanks for the information. I now know I can sleep through Black Friday sales in peace.

You are all really wonderful to contribute like you do, thanks.

fp

FluffyPup, on 23 November 2011 - 10:27 AM, said:

Yeah, my cable is faster, but fairly unreliable. I had countless outages over the summer, but it seems to have stabilized lately. It actually comes from AT&T, but is bundled with my rent. Unfortunately, I can't get any other service where I live, so I'm stuck with it. I would happily pay a little extra for a boost in speed and reliability (e.g. Charter).

802.11g has throughput of up to 54Mb/s, and your connection is only 12Mb/s...so I think you're good there. 802.11n ups that to 600Mb/s: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11n-2009. It's just a newer standard (kinda like USB 3.0 and USB 2.0).

I think there is software that can keep track of bandwidth usage, but I've never used them, so I can't recommend any. Does AT&T cap or throttle?

FluffyPup said:

I wouldn't count on it.

Thanks.