From Issue #4

Speed Racer

11/04 — Dropouts, delays, degradation, and dead air. Those are not the words you want to hear when you start using a wireless network. We have been hearing all about the promise of wireless access almost anywhere through Wi-Fi (also known as 802.11), but the reality for some home users has been nothing but problems.

Tap into the Internet over 802.11g (the new 2.4-GHz radio transmission protocol), and suddenly ESPN.com stalls halfway through page loading. Or try to stream audio to your living room, and Bruce Springsteen sounds distorted and jittery. Fortunately, you can solve most wireless network problems just by tweaking a few important settings, using a new super-fast router from companies such as SMC or Netgear, and installing a high-gain antenna.

The benefits are clear. Once you get the 802.11 network running as fast as a wired LAN (one that uses Ethernet cabling), you can rely on the anywhere, anytime access even more. Feel like browsing through a photo collection from the patio? With a tweaked network that runs faster than the 12 Mbps norm, you can pull up photos in seconds rather than minutes. Streaming over a fast network is smooth and interference-free. Laptop users can archive an entire hard disk without even considering whether the files might traverse the network safely. And, in the future, video feeds from sites such as Movielink and CinemaNow (currently protected by digital rights management laws) will fly over 802.11g faster than ever before.

Step 1: Turbo Router That’s right, we’re going to take this project up to turbo right away—turbo mode, that is. For this to work, you’ll need a router equipped with speed-enhancing technology from either Broadcom or Atheros. Broadcom makes the Nitro speed-enhancement chipset that runs as fast as 40 Mbps or more. Nitro is used in wireless routers made by SMC and others, and it’s generally more compatible, but not as fast as the Atheros technology. Atheros makes the Super-G chipset, which is less compatible but strikingly fast. In some instances, a Super-G powered network will run upward of 70 Mbps.

Why the need for more speed? Just an FYI: a typical 802.11g network user can expect speeds of about 12 Mbps. If you want to transfer a 200-GB MPEG movie file, it could take up to two hours or more, depending on the interference and slowdowns caused by network traffic. On a speed-enhanced network, the same file might take about eight minutes to transfer, which means you can start enjoying the movie sooner and without causing slowdowns for other people using the network. With a fast network, there’s also less danger of someone hacking into the LAN, and stealing the file as it moves across the wireless spectrum because it’s just not available for the same length of time. Also, there’s less chance of the file becoming corrupted or failing to transfer if it moves super-fast across the wireless Net.

Some of the recent router models that support faster speeds include the D-Link DI-624, the SMC 2804WBRP-G and Netgear’s WGT634U. We used D-Link for this project because it’s one of the fastest routers on the market.

To enable turbo mode, first type the router’s IP address (192.168.0.1) into the address bar in Internet Explorer, then type the username (admin) with no password when prompted. Once the router configuration screen appears, click on Advanced, Performance, select Super G with Static Mode, and click Apply. The router will reboot, and when the network comes back online, you’ll be running in Super G mode at speeds approaching (or in some cases exceeding) 70 Mbps. The next step, however, is to configure the client cards for Super G mode. If any 802.11b users in your home try to connect (such as those using older laptop computers or PDAs), they won’t be able to see the network. The solution is to buy extra Super G client cards (more about that topic later).

If you use an older router, such as the Apple Extreme-G Base Station or an SMC 7004AQBR, you can still perform a few tweaks. The most important setting to look for is an 802.11g-only mode, which also prevents 802.11b users from connecting. In general, however, older routers just can’t compare with the newer, faster routers on the market. Should you replace an outdated router? That depends on how much you can benefit from a speed-enhanced router, tend to throw MPEG movies, photo collections, and large MP3 archives around on your network, make hard disk back-ups, or just want speedy access.

Step 2: Client Card Config The next piece in the wireless speed puzzle involves a laptop’s client card or the desktop’s PCI Wi-Fi adapter. Both require some tweaking in order to use turbo mode. You’ll first want to obtain and install the latest Windows XP driver for any card you use, then enable Super-G mode.

Say what? Basically, you’ll need to make sure that any laptop or desktop you use in your home is using the correct client card for the router you are using. For the D-Link DI-624, the matching PCMCIA card is the DWL-G650, and for a desktop the PCI card is DWL-G520. If you own an SMC, Netgear, Buffalo Technology, or any other router, just call the tech support line for the manufacturer to see which cards they recommend for the fastest speeds.

For the D-Link cards, go to D-Link’s Web site and click on the Tech Support section. Enter the DWL prefix and G650 or G520 suffixes in the product look-up fields, and click Go. Look for the driver download you need for your operating system, and then click on it to download, extract, and install the driver. Reboot the computer. After you install the D-Link driver, an icon will appear in your task bar on the lower-right-hand side. Double-click the driver and click on the Advanced button. Under the Super-G area, select Enabled from the drop-down list. Your card will sync up with the router at Super-G speeds. Again, 802.11b users won’t be able to connect at Super-G speeds, so you’ll want to invest in the correct cards and desktop adapters as needed.

Step 3: Install Antennas After purchasing and configuring a router and your computer client cards for high speeds, the next most important step involves installing high-powered antennas around your house. There are two factors when it comes to wireless speed: the capability of the router and network cards, and the coverage distance. For example, an Apple Extreme-G Base Station only covers about 50 feet in 802.11g mode. Many wireless routers will provide coverage in a 300-foot radius, but speeds will drop significantly after about 200 feet.

The solution: a high-powered antenna. Hawking Technology makes an antenna for just about any purpose, but their most powerful range extender is the HAI15SC 15dBi Corner Directional Antenna, which raises the standard output radio power from 2 dBi to 15 dBi. To install the device, you’ll need a ladder and a screwdriver. You can attach the antenna to the router or the standard antenna connection on some client cards (such as those made by Hawking and SMC). Find a corner and mount the antenna close to the ceiling using the provided screws, then attach the cable to the client card or router. There are no special drivers to install: once you make the connections, you’ll enjoy a boosted signal and better speeds throughput. If you don’t get an immediate boost in coverage and speed, try repositioning the antenna in another room (you’ll need to move the router or laptop). Also, a wireless signal is not as effective in a home with sheetrock covering walls as it is in older plaster-walled homes and brick buildings.

Step 4: Reduce Interference A wireless signal transmits on the 2.4-GHz radio band, which just happens to be the same broadcast spectrum used by some microwave ovens, portable phones, and other electronic devices including baby monitors and walkie-talkies. Networking companies have improved 802.11 transmission capabilities over the last few years to respond more favorably when competing devices use the same radio signal. Still, your best option is to upgrade some of those other devices. For example, look for portable phones that use the 5-GHz radio spectrum (cell phones do not cause any interference with 802.11), or move the devices so that they are not used in the 802.11 coverage area. Or, turn them off when they are not in use.

Another common cause of interference: a neighbor’s wireless network. Aside from moving, there’s not too much you can do if someone else decides to run an 802.11 network; but you can tweak your network so that it runs better even with the interference. First, make sure you have enabled turbo mode so that your neighbor’s devices would need to support your particular 802.11 protocol (such as Super G). Install high-gain antennas to boost your signal around your own home. And, see the Interference Tip, which discusses changing the channel designator. You can also try one other tip: talk to your neighbor and see if he or she is willing to change the location of their router to the other side of their home.

Step 5: Configure Extras Lastly, to make the wireless network as fast as possible, you can tweak your digital media receiver (such as the Netgear MP101) and IP Web cam (such as those made by Hawking and D-Link). Both devices connect to a router and can be used anywhere in your home, but don’t require that you connect them to a computer. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the multimedia products require a steady wireless stream. It’s much more obvious when an audio file or video stream is interrupted by network congestion than when you send a data file. With a data file, error-correction makes it seem as though files are moving along just fine. Multimedia stutters and dropouts make the entertainment medium much less enjoyable.

Most digital media receivers (DMRs) support 802.11b or 802.11g, but no current model supports turbo mode, which means you’ll have to solve speed slowdown problems in other ways. The most effective solution when you use a streaming or Web cam product is to disconnect any other device on the network.

Surprisingly, the most common cause of multimedia dropouts is when someone transfers a large file from the Internet or between computers. You should also move the DMR or Web cam as close to the router or high-gain antenna as possible. Also, when it comes to digital streaming, smaller files transfer far more accurately. So when you build up a large library of MP3 files to transfer to the DMR, consider recording them in 96 Kbps for a smooth stream.

In general, the rule of thumb for increasing wireless speed is to upgrade and tweak your router, use the latest drivers, and use high-powered antennas in your home. After that, it’s wise to reduce interference and network congestion as much as possible. Once you tweak the network, you can start streaming and downloading files faster than ever before, which means you can enjoy entertainment more and think about technology less.

Project Snapshot

Estimated Time to Complete: 4 hours

Difficulty Rating: 2 [1=Child’s Play, 2=Use Both Hands, 3=Call for Backup!, 4=Obi-Wan Worthy]

Estimated Cost: $565

The Problem Think wireless is where it’s at? You may get a few more feet, but at a cost—sometimes sacrificing data throughput.

Parts Needed • D-Link Xtreme G DI-624 wireless router ($149.99) • D-Link DWL-G650 CardBus adapter ($69.99) • D-Link DWL-G520 PCI adapter ($89.99) • Netgear MP101 wireless digital music player ($149) • Hawking Technology HAI15SC ($79).

Project Steps 1. Set up your router. 2. Enable turbo mode on the router. 3. Make sure you have the correct client card. 4. Configure the client card. 5. Install an antenna. 6. Configure the digital media receiver and Web cam.

Interference Tip

A surprising number of home users are installing wireless routers. One way to reduce network interference in your neighborhood is to switch your router to an unusual channel, such as 3 or 9. Access the router by typing the router’s IP address into Internet Explorer and changing the channel designator.

Cabling Tip

Sometimes, wireless access is not the best solution for every device you use in your home. If you use a desktop to access the network, consider adding Ethernet cabling. Even if you use a wireless router, you can still plug an Ethernet cable into an open port for a more reliable, stationary connection.

About the Writer

Name: John Brandon Age: 38 City/State: Buffalo, Minn. Occupation: Freelance Writer One thing people would be surprised to know about me: I play a mean blues guitar.