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    LAN w/ Wireless

    Discussion in 'Alienware M15x' started by dhruv300, Apr 20, 2011.

  1. dhruv300

    dhruv300 Notebook Consultant

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    Hey,

    I recently bought an ethernet cable and I am now both, connected wireless as well as wired into my router. I was wondering if by turning off my wireless radios would it speed up my internet or not? Either that or bridging both the adapters together.

    Thanks in advance.
     
    dhruv300, Apr 20, 2011
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  2. Jdpurvis

    Jdpurvis Notebook Evangelist

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    Usually, a cable ethernet connection is faster than a wireless one, though some of the new protocols are pretty fast. I do not know of a way you could use the combined bandwidth to increase speed. However, for most internet connections, the network speed is limiting. FIOS, with a direct fiber to the house, can deliver 20 MB/s, or even as high as 50. Though Comcast is currently promising they will deliver more, I am skeptical, given their past performance. these speeds are less than a fast wireless connection (54 MB/s or higher) or an ethernet connection (100 MB minimum, and often much higher). I would use the ethernet when you are near enough to the router for it to be convenient, and use the wireless when it is easier. Connecting both is not likely to help.

    Enjoy!

    Joe
     
    Jdpurvis, Apr 20, 2011
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  3. taylrjones

    taylrjones Notebook Consultant

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    Joes is right,

    Unless the ethernet and wireless are from two different ISP's you wont see a speed increase. Even then, the routing and load balancing is complex to set up. It is important to not that most speeds are in Mbs (the lower case b is for bits vs bytes.) For example 100Mb ethernet will only give you 13MB/s transfer.
     
    taylrjones, Apr 20, 2011
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  4. dhruv300

    dhruv300 Notebook Consultant

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    So would shutting off my wireless radios increase internet speed?
     
    dhruv300, Apr 25, 2011
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  5. ElectricTurtle

    ElectricTurtle Notebook Consultant

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    It would decrease your power consumption, internet speed will not be affected at all :D
     
    ElectricTurtle, Apr 25, 2011
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  6. xeroxide

    xeroxide Notebook Deity

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    got wireless n?
    54mb/s i assume you're using wireless g.

    wow consider yourself lucky to get something like fios...
    here down in australia, it's only a pipedream (which was almost made reality but with a major drawback... forced country-wide internet filter)
     
    xeroxide, Apr 25, 2011
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  7. Jdpurvis

    Jdpurvis Notebook Evangelist

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    Internet speed is likely to be limited by the speed of the connection to the ISP, rather than wireless speed. Of course, if you have other computers on the network, the ethernet speed can be significantly faster than wireless.

    You could do the experiment and see...

    Joe
     
    Jdpurvis, Apr 25, 2011
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  8. dhruv300

    dhruv300 Notebook Consultant

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    I'm pretty sure I got an AGN card, though. Does the router make my speed to the slow 54mbps?
    So if I have a MacBook on the same network too (wireless, of course), would turning off wireless radios do any kind of difference?
     
    dhruv300, Apr 29, 2011
    #8