Best Way to Connect Multi-Room Wired Devices to Net in Non-Wired Home
I'm getting ready to move into a new home and I'm in the process of getting cable broadband internet access installed (RoadRunner). The house is two stories and I plan on needing some kind of wired internet connectivity in 2-3 rooms upstairs, and at least one room downstairs. The devices I will have hooked up to the network are wired only (for the most part), so I need a way to network these via ethernet cables in each of the rooms.
I'd like to determine what the best method would be for getting these rooms networked. The main cable connection is probably going to come in one of the rooms upstairs via coax cable w/ attached cable modem and will be hooked up to a LinkSys Wireless G router.
Due to the distance between all of the rooms that need networking, I'm not really sure what the most practical solution would be. I thought about the possibility of using some kind of wireless access points or routers at each location, and then plugging the devices into those. Not sure if that's viable or not, or how it would effect performance.
If anyone could provide a good plan for doing this all relatively easy and inexpensive, I would appreciate it. Mentions of specific hardware that I could use to accomplish this would be very helpful as well. Thanks in advance!
I'd like to determine what the best method would be for getting these rooms networked. The main cable connection is probably going to come in one of the rooms upstairs via coax cable w/ attached cable modem and will be hooked up to a LinkSys Wireless G router.
Due to the distance between all of the rooms that need networking, I'm not really sure what the most practical solution would be. I thought about the possibility of using some kind of wireless access points or routers at each location, and then plugging the devices into those. Not sure if that's viable or not, or how it would effect performance.
If anyone could provide a good plan for doing this all relatively easy and inexpensive, I would appreciate it. Mentions of specific hardware that I could use to accomplish this would be very helpful as well. Thanks in advance!
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I think that WiReDNeT's answer sums it all up nicely. You can always run a long cable for the few stragglers that absolutely won't let you go wireless.
Opps, wrong link for the wireless USB adapter, that link is for a signal booster, here's the right link:
http://www.dlink.com/products/?sec=0&pid=384
http://www.dlink.com/products/?sec=0&pid=384
FYI, not endorsing DLink as the best, just using their products as an example.
ASKER
Most of the devices are not going to support USB connection and will need to connect via ethernet cable. The D-Link GamerLounge sounds interesting, but is that the way it works (ie: connects to my wireless router wirelessly, and allows me to plug a wired device into it)? Seems you can only plug one device in, and in some of these rooms I may have two or even three devices to plug in.
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Powerline
D-Link - http://www.dlink.com/products/?sec=1&pid=533
Linksys - http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1166859583396&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper
Belkin - http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatSectionView.process?Section_Id=206578
ZyXEL - http://www.zyxel.com/web/product_category.php?PC1indexflag=20050804090200
And I'm sure there are other manufacturers as well.
You can still use wireless APs with them... just connect the APs back to the main router's LAN port[s] using the powerline devices rather than pulling Plenum or Riser rated cat5e (or cat6a of the same ratings) into the walls.
D-Link - http://www.dlink.com/products/?sec=1&pid=533
Linksys - http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?c=L_Product_C2&childpagename=US%2FLayout&cid=1166859583396&pagename=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper
Belkin - http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatSectionView.process?Section_Id=206578
ZyXEL - http://www.zyxel.com/web/product_category.php?PC1indexflag=20050804090200
And I'm sure there are other manufacturers as well.
You can still use wireless APs with them... just connect the APs back to the main router's LAN port[s] using the powerline devices rather than pulling Plenum or Riser rated cat5e (or cat6a of the same ratings) into the walls.
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ASKER
Thanks for the responses. I ended up going with a wireless bridge solution temporarily, which is working out pretty well for now. To limit my costs, I have only added a bridge to one of the rooms that I originally intended to have wired; it is easy enough to move in the event that I need it somewhere else. I'll ultimately get the place properly hard-wired, so this seemed like the most economic solution until then. I did look into the powerline option, where the connection is run through the power outlets, but it was about twice as expensive as what I ultimately ended up with.
ASKER
Some of the rooms are close enough to where the main connection comes in that I thought of trying to run my own Cat5. One of the biggest problems is going to be the room downstairs, which is clear on the other side of the house and down one level from where everything else will be set up.
I'll be in the house for a long time, so I don't want to cut too many corners, but I've got plenty of other things that I have to spend money on. The house is around 2200 sqft, not counting the basement (which I intend on having networked devices in as well, but not until after I finish it). There are a decent amount of homes in the area, but I'm not packed in like a sardine or anything (no rear neighbors for anyone on my side of the street, just woods).