Entries Tagged 'adsl Cable Modems & Routers' ↓

By Omar L. Gallaga Cox Newspapers Published: Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at 2:24 p.m. Last Modified: Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at 2:24 p.m.

AUSTIN, Texas — here are a few tech items — an ultra-thin laptop from Apple, an Android smartphone and wireless broadband stick from T-Mobile, and Time Warner’s highest-speed Internet tier — that have caught our eye this summer and are worth a look.

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (mid-2011 model)

Last month, Apple unveiled new models of the MacBook Air, its very thin, very light, 11-inch and 13-inch laptops. the Air is wedge-shaped and even thinner and more impressively slight than it appears in photos.

The recent refresh adds better performance with significantly more powerful Intel processors, Thunderbolt technology — which promises faster transfer speeds and more versatile ways to connect devices — and a backlighted keyboard.

But the biggest advantage the MacBook Air has is that it comes standard with a solid-state drive (SSD) instead of a hard drive. Imagine my surprise when, in everyday tasks like opening Web pages or editing photos, the Air seemed speedier than my new hard-drive-based MacBook Pro, which costs about $1,000.

The 13-inch Air provided to us for testing by Apple was fast and capable. the most impressive thing I discovered: you can reboot a MacBook Air and have it ready for action in 16 seconds on Mac OS X Lion.

What doesn’t it have that its more expensive Pro counterparts do? no optical/DVD drive, no HD-quality webcam (the Facetime camera is standard-def), and smaller drive capacities, the trade-off for faster SSD technology.

The 11-inch model, which starts at $999, replacing the old white plastic MacBook, has a 64-gigabyte drive and comes with 2 gigabytes of RAM. the 13-inch model, which starts at $1,299, has a 128-gigabyte drive, an SD-memory slot and 4 gigabytes of memory standard.

The MacBook Air doesn’t have the graphical horsepower to run the latest video games, but for even video editing and major multitasking, the Airs no longer seem stymied in their ability to keep up with most laptop users.

T-Mobile MyTouch 4G Slide and Rocket 3.0 Laptop Stick

T-Mobile’s MyTouch 4G Slide has a modest-sized touch screen (3.7 inches), an illuminated slide-out physical keyboard with nicely spaced-out keys and a dedicated camera button on the side, all without too much bulk.

The camera button is a key feature on the Slide because the phone’s biggest selling point is its 8-megapixel, dual LED-flash camera, which can record 1080p video and has a variety of shooting modes (close-up, action and night, for instance). Outdoor photos and pictures taken in decent conditions do look quite good, especially compared with most smartphone cameras.

Battery life on it is better than it is on larger Android phones but still is not quite as good as the latest iPhone. It costs $199 with a two-year contract. If you’re in the market for a 4G phone on T-Mobile’s network, you take a lot of photos and you need a physical keyboard, this one’s a good match for you.

Another product running on T-Mobile’s 4G wireless network is the Rocket 3.0, a laptop stick that can deliver Internet to Macs or PCs via USB. unlike WiFi hotspot devices like Verizon’s MiFi or T-Mobile’s own Mobile Hotspot, the Rocket can only deliver service to one computer at a time.

In Austin and New Braunfels (where I work and live), the 4G service was reliable and I got 15 Mbps download speeds and 1.5 Mbps upload speeds. That seemed great to me until I saw that T-Mobile is advertising the stick as being capable of 42 Mbps download speeds, which I never came close to achieving.

Speeds in Austin were less consistent; even in the middle of downtown Austin, it was sometimes as low as 8 or 9 Mbps, with upload speeds dropping to about 0.5 Mbps.

The device costs $80 with a two-year contract; mobile broadband plans start at about $40 monthly for 2 gigabytes of data.

Time Warner Cable’s Road Runner Wideband Internet service

I’ve been a customer of Time Warner Cable’s Road Runner Internet service since the late ’90s and, even on the mid-tier Standard service I’ve been on, one complaint I’ve rarely had is speed.

Even HD video streaming has worked fine for me, and the price has stayed consistent (about $50 a month without any other TWC services bundled in).

In July, Time Warner introduced “Wideband” Internet in the Austin area, which promises speeds of up to 50 Mbps, more than twice as fast as the service I was getting.

Time Warner installed the service in my New Braunfels home for a trial, and while the installation was quick and professional, the first week with Wideband was rocky.

Until I figured out what was going on, I spent a week wondering why the network would suddenly slow to a crawl or become unavailable when I tried to multitask on the Web; it turned out to be a modem setting the installers hadn’t warned me about to prevent hacking.

Once that option was disabled, download speeds were consistently in the 35-50 Mbps range, according to Time Warner’s speed test website and other independent speed test sites I used. But I only noticed the speed difference when downloading large files or with multiple streams of music or video.

Slow websites still are slow if the logjam is on the other end, and your computer’s processing power, memory and Wi-Fi bottlenecks still are going to be big factors in the speeds you get, no matter the service. We also had a few network interruptions in our area and had to reboot our modem at least six times during a month and a half to restore Internet service.

Where I did notice a huge improvement, though, was in upload speeds. with Wideband, a set of three 50-megabyte files that used to take about 25 minutes to upload to Dropbox.com now took less than five minutes.

Wideband costs $99 a month (or $4 more if you don’t have other Time Warner Cable services). For home users with typical Internet needs, it might be overkill. In fact, Time Warner just announced that it’s upgrading its Standard and Road Runner Extreme tier speeds for existing customers at no additional cost.

Upgrading your Wi-Fi network, making sure your computers aren’t too slow to take advantage of Internet speeds and looking into a less pricey tier of service (somewhere in the $40-$60 range) might better fit your needs.

I have a Linksys Wireless-G Broad band router, I need to get the WEP to connect my DS to the router, but I can't remember it. Just now I wanted to go into the configuration settings and see if I could figure it out, but now I can't even remember the admin user name and password. what would be my best solution?

just press the reset button in the back of the router and go to 198.168.1.1 to set it up

Do I necessarily have to buy a Linksys card OR the Internet performance on the desktop won't matter if I buy the card from another brand?

Any suggestions as to the best cards to buy in terms of price & quality?

No you do not necessarliy have to buy the same type of wireless adapter for your computer. there are many options you can buy. I assume you are using a desktop computer and the wireless router is in your house. you can either get a card to slide into your motherboard or you can get a USB adapter. Typically a USB adapter is the easier method but a little more expensive. but you can easily transfer the USB adapter from one computer to another, so for the average PC user I would recommend buying a USB adapter and also a USB extension so you can place the adapter to get the best signal.

If you have a Laptop you either have a PCMIA or an Express Slot you can get a wireless card that can slide into that slot, or you can use the same USB you would get for the desktop.

When people ask what type of router they should get, I try not to let them get tricked into buying an expensive wireless N router. the range is a bit better, but if you can get fine coverage in your house without it thats fine. also, for an N card to even be able to use the N functionality you need to have a wireless N access point / router. so unless you have or plan on upgrading to a N router, no need to get the N card. also, the wireless N does have faster transmission speeds than the B/G technology. but your internet isn't fast enough to use up the capacity of a B/G card, so unless you are doing some intense LAN party gaming or streaming movies to 10 different computers in your house, there is no need to invest in a wireless N card.

well it really doesnt matter but supposly so you can get beter performance get the same kind as your router yet again i dont understand it since laptops have wireless card but you dont see them being exacly so it really doesnt matter

linksysbycisco.com/US/en/prod… –

directron.com/wusb54gc.html – easier to use usb adapter.

you don't have to but the company general recommends buying related software.

hey..
for this problem you can visit there on att-products.com/ an att internet and services providing company. any type of such problem related to internet and wireless will be solved there.

anykind you want.

code2087.mybrute.com

i normal can connect by typing 192.168.1.1 in the URL but now it is not connecting when i type it in and i think i might have accidentally changed something. any advice on how i can get back on it would help

Netgear's N750 true dual-band 450Mbps router has a sleek casing that attracts fingerprints.

(Credit:Dong Ngo/CNET)

The N750 Wireless Dual-Band WNDR4000 is the first true dual-band router from Netgear that offers the new 450Mbps speed on the 5GHz band. this means it competes directly with Cisco’s Linksys E4200, which was released a while ago.

Apart from the guest networking feature, which lets you create separate Internet-only wireless networks for guests, the Netgear seems to trail behind the E4200 on almost all other counts. It’s in no way a bad router, however.

As a matter of fact, it topped the chart on the 2.4GHz band in our close-range throughput test, registering a sustained real-world speed of 67.8Mbps. Unfortunately, on this same band, which is currently still the most popularly used, the throughput degrades very quickly as the range increases. in our trials, at 100 feet away the router registered only 23.9Mbps, the biggest drop we’ve seen.

On the 5GHz band, the router’s performance was more consistent, but though it was very fast it was noticeably slower than the E4200. Like all routers with an USB port, the N750′s built-in storage network, though well designed, didn’t impress us with its throghput performance, even when used via Gigabit Ethernet.

Overall, at a street price of around $150 (about $20 cheaper than the E4200), the Netgear N750 still makes a very good investment for those who want a robust home network option. this is especially true if most of your Wi-Fi clients support the 5GHz band.

To find out if it’s the right router for you, check out CNET’s full review of the Netgear N750 Wireless Dual-Band Gigabit Router WNDR4000.

I just got Grande cable and I was thinking about either getting a wireless modem or just renting their modem and getting a wireless router. Either way i want to make sure whatever I do everything is compatible. I really want to know what brand I should get. I have been looking at reviews and for every brand they are either the best or the worst. its confusing.

kbserver.netgear.com/products/wgr…

Routers have to work to a standard so they are basically the same.

Like most things you'll get real cheap brands who use unbranded components which will last practically forever and you can pay a lot of money for a branded router that is going to fail as soon as the warranty expires.

The best known makes are Belkin, NetGear, LinkSys and DLink.

Well it doesn't always just depend on the brand, but also the classification within that brand.

For example Linksys (by Cisco) is a very reputable networking company that generally has good quality products. That being said, I have used some of their cheaper/low-end router models and they really are bad. They have to be constantly rebooted and they don't manage to share the speed very well between multiple PCs. their higher-end models aren't bad at all however.

Then you have the business-grade routers. These are extremely reliable and generally have more processing power and features built-into them.

I personally use a business grade d-link wireless router for my home network and it works quite well. I have about 10 PCs wired through whole-house ethernet and 3-4 laptops that roam on WiFi. Connection is stable and reliable 100% of the time.

Edit: Forgot to mention, business grade routers are quite expensive, and I only recommend them for serious users. mine cost about $180, when in comparison you can get a decent router for $60.

2. the Router Setup Software Won’t Detect the Router

The Problem: The instructions to your new router say that the software on the CD that came with the router should automatically get your computer to detect the new router, wirelessly. You’ve tried a couple of times and keep getting a message that indicates the software cannot find the router.

Quick Fix: This is actually a common problem with newer routers on the market that have “automated setup.” sometimes the setup process just doesn’t work. Here’s how you can bypass the setup and go right into the router’s management interface to setup your wireless network. Connect an Ethernet cable from your computer to one of the LAN ports of the router (you can also keep the router connected to the broadband modem). Go into your computer’s network settings. in Windows 7, they are located in Control Panel|Network and Internet|Network Sharing Center|Change Adapter Settings.

Right-click and select Properties of Local Area Connection. Highlight Internet Protocol Version 4 (TCP/IP v4). in the TCP/IP v4 windows that opens, click the radio button, and select “Use the following IP address.” under “IP address” you type an address that matches the default IP address of your router, a string of numbers broken up by periods. You’ll find this in the router’s documentation. For instance, if the default IP of the router is “192.168.1.1″ you should type in “192.168.1.2″—making the last number different prevent an IP address conflict with the router but places your computer and the router on the same network. under “Subnet mask,” type in “255.255.255.0″—this is the subnet mask for your typical home network, and for “Gateway” type in the default IP of the router—in this example it would be the “192.168.1.1″ address.

You now have your computer on the same network as the router. you can now open a browser and enter the router’s IP address. just type the router number into your address bar, like this: 192.168.1.1. you will be prompted to enter a username and password. this information is also available with your router’s documentation. Once you are in the management interface, you can manually setup your wireless connection: the SSID, pass phrase, and security.

If you can’t browse to the router’s interface, you may have made a typo. Recheck your network settings under “TCP/IP v4″ properties once more.

3. the Wireless Network’s Name/SSID Disappeared

The Problem: All of a sudden, your SSID or Wi-Fi network name is no longer listed when you click to see available wireless networks. there are various reasons this might happen, and it’s not an uncommon occurrence.

Quick Fix: Force your computer or device to connect to the router even if it’s not broadcasting. from Windows, go into Control Panel|Network and Internet|Network and Sharing|Manage Wireless Networks.

If you see your wireless network listed, right-click on its icon and click Properties. Check the option “Connect even if the network is not broadcasting its name (SSID).”

If you don’t see your wireless network listed, click “Add” then select “Manually connect to a wireless network” and put your wireless information in.

Mac users: you can also “force-join” an SSID that has stopped broadcasting through a Mac’s Airport Utility. Select to join “Other” and type in the name of the network and password.

Of course, you still want to find out why your SSID stopped broadcasting. Check to make sure broadcasting was not inadvertently disabled in the router’s software, reboot the router, and check for any software updates.

4. My Internet Connection keeps Dropping

The Problem: You are happily surfing the Internet and every now and then the connection drops. Perhaps you see the light flicker down to nothing on your broadband cable modem and then suddenly all LEDs light up again.

Quick Fix: This is a common issue, particularly for those with cable Internet service or FIOS. you wouldn’t believe how often this problem is caused by a degraded signal coming into the cable modem. If you use splitters, try replacing them. If you have several splitters on an inbound cable connection, say one coming into your home and another to break out the cable signal in your home entertainment system, check to see if they are -7dB splitters (printed on the outside of the splitter). Try replacing a -7dB splitter that your broadband modem is connected to with a -3.5 dB splitter, which may decrease signal loss. also, if you happen to have three splitter and you are not using the third connection, try replacing it with a two-way splitter

5. when I Move to Another Room in the House, the WiFi Signal Drops

The Problem: In your living room, your wireless connection is fine. Move into another room and the signal becomes weak or nonexistent.

Quick Fix: There are several things that could cause a wireless signal to drop. the big culprit is interference. Cordless phones and any device using the 2.4GHz band could be the cause. Even things you couldn’t imagine could cause interference, including mirrors and glass. Once you’ve checked for physical interference, test something: do all your devices and computers lose signal at the same location, or just one in particular? If all, chances are the problem lies with the router. Consider external antenna for the router and also check for router firmware updates. If one specific machine is dropping the signal, update that machine’s wireless client adapter or upgrade the adapter altogether.

6. Port Forwarding does not Work

The Problem: You want to run an application that requires a specific port on your network to be open. you follow the directions that the app developers provide only to get the error, “Port closed.”

Quick Fix: Usually, this isn’t a problem with a user’s configuration. It’s a problem on the Internet service provider’s side. ISPs will often block ports to strengthen your network against hackers and intruders. Before frantically going through your configuration steps again, check to make sure the port you are setting up for forwarding is not blocked by your ISP. Use a tool like the Open Port Check Tool to see if the port you need opened is being blocked. If so, contact your ISP.

7. I Forgot the Password to My Router

The Problem: You forgot the password to manage your router. Period.

Quick Fix: You have to reset the router back to its factory default settings. You’ll lose all your configuration settings made on the router. On the back of most routers is a recessed button labeled “Reset.” Using a paper clip, hold this button in until the LEDs on the router blink (the amount of time you need to hold the reset button may vary from router to router, so check the documentation). this will reset the router back to factory settings, enabling you to use the default username and password again. also, many current routers allow you to save the configuration settings so you don’t have to reconfigure after performing a factory reset, so check to see if your router has that capability.

8. the Router Shuts Itself Off

The Problem: After having a router for a while, you notice that every now and then it shuts itself off.

Quick Fix: This is usually caused by overheating. many of us leave our routers running 24/7. As it ages, the router can become more inefficient at cooling. Check to ensure the cooling vents on the router are not obstructed. Unplug the router for a bit. Use a can of compressed air to clear out as much dust as you can from the vents.

Newer routers have energy efficient settings that let you specify when it should shut the wireless radio off or power down, such as after 30 minutes of being idle. If your router doesn’t have this feature, best practice is to turn it off when it’s not being used to extend its life