My wife and I have just purchased a second computer, and want to have wireless Internet access on both at home. Do we need (a new) MIMO router to be able to do this, or will our (old) Wireless-G router handle multiple machines simultaneously?

8/1/2007 10:39:11 AM

assuming you have something like a Linksys WRT54G wireless router, you can easily have multiple computers connected to the internet through one wireless router

How do you have your internet set up now?

like this?
cable -> cable modem -> wireless router -> computer

8/1/2007 12:09:08 PM

Yes, you've described the set-up that we're using, and it is a Linksys router, but I don't know the model number off the top of my head.

8/1/2007 1:10:51 PM

you'll be fine then.

i have 4 computers on my wireless.

8/1/2007 1:13:55 PM

you can have up to 254 wireless devices

8/1/2007 1:24:25 PM

MIMO routers = higher throughput, larger range

not needed for 'most' residential users unless you are trying to span long distances or through numerous walls / floors. high media usage (sharing music/video) across the network may constitute a need for MIMO as well, but nothing a normal 802.11g router can't handle for ~4 PC's using the internet at one time


[Edited on August 1, 2007 at 1:25 PM. Reason : /]

8/1/2007 1:25:15 PM

Quote :

"you can have up to 254 wireless devices"

Oh come on man, you know better than that. You know exactly what would happen if you had 254 wireless devices running and connected to a wrt54g (non L.)

[Edited on August 1, 2007 at 1:32 PM. Reason : And yes, I know what the router's specs say]

8/1/2007 1:32:04 PM

unless you have an iphone(s) connected to the router, all the devices arent going to be making simultaneous requests

there should be enough bandwidth

8/1/2007 2:20:24 PM

My WRT54G's could barely handle 3 computers on the same network where 2 or more were running torrents (and they crashed almost hourly.) It's not the bandwidth that's the problem, it's the router having shitty firmware or insufficient capability for multiple torrent users.

Of course I'm not saying 5 or 10 would be a problem with most routers, just don't expect a consumer level router to actually handle its theoretical max number of users in any stable or mildly effective fashion.

[Edited on August 1, 2007 at 2:31 PM. Reason : ]

8/1/2007 2:29:44 PM

[Edited on August 1, 2007 at 2:31 PM. Reason : dp]

8/1/2007 2:31:29 PM

i would argue you just don't know how to tune the preferences in your torrent client

8/1/2007 2:32:11 PM

OK...that's good news! I was hoping to not have to replace my router that's only a year old.

8/1/2007 3:15:46 PM

^^ I'd argue you're talking out of your ass. The problem didn't exist when I used a WRT54GL or when I used my new buffalo router.

8/1/2007 3:17:21 PM

try google - there are plenty of informed users that use multiple PCs with torrent clients that don't have problems after changing a few settings - with the default settings though i do agree that a lot of consumer routers can't the large number of connections

8/1/2007 3:22:40 PM

my old piece of shit linksys B takes a dump when i try to stream audio/video every once in a while

8/1/2007 3:50:15 PM

that's why you don't use the stock linksys firmware on the wrt54g series.

tomato FTW.

8/1/2007 6:39:09 PM

btw, where can i get a military grade wireless amplifier that'll blast out a signal to my entire neighborhood?

8/1/2007 6:54:53 PM

you're going to have to go to venezuela

http://www.engadget.com/2007/06/19/venezuelans-set-new-wifi-distance-record-237-miles/

8/1/2007 8:31:21 PM

hahaha, i'd settle for a mile

8/1/2007 8:36:06 PM