Internet Connection, How do YOU connect to the internet? Options

[JET88]

Hi:
As a pre-newbie to the wonderful world of the MAC, I'd like to find out...
HOW ARE YOU CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET?

Seems to me that a hardwire connection, directly to the cable modem or DSL, is the best way to go.

Some people swear by the wireless Airport Extreme route.

Let me hear your views, ok?
JET...

[justnicola]

I think Airport Extreme is an excellent piece of hardware - i can even use my internet connection if i take my laptop next-door. Airport has been very reliable and does not seem to interfere with download speed etc.

[lepetitmartien]

Before going the Airport way, I'd wait Apple upgrade its hardware at last to support the upcoming "g" norm which is wayyy faster.

The choice of wireless is only if you plan to work let's say with a laptop away from your usual working place. If you're using a desktop computer, there's no reason to, hardwiring is just simpler and faster.

On the geeky side, if you want a mixed network,something like the linksys WRT54G/GS/GL (the models you can change the OS) can give you reliable wireless, good wired network, extensive security options. (note, this is a geek solution, and some rare ISP are not friendly with it even if it's one of the best wireless touer/firewall around)

I'm on DSL, which is way faster than any wireless anyway (24 Mbs). And I plan to move to a Linksys WRT54GS (of an old version) soon as I use a netgear router a friend is lending to me.

[lancet]

yea but..... that all really depends of the flavor of broadband you happen to have.

24 Mbps DSL is ADSL2 and you would need to be <2 Km from the CO (Central Office in US telco speak) . Greater that 2 and less than 5.5 Km you'll get ~15 Mbps or less . If you're further out from the CO than that, you can't have ADSL2. All flavors of DSL are slower the further you are from the CO.

Most places in the world that have broadband do not have ADSL2 yet.

most locations in the US have broadband between 6 Mbps and 15 Mbps.

ADSL2 in the US is being used for longer line runs, similar to "fiber to the neighborhood" and is usually < 15 Mbps.

Cable modem services in the US are around 6 Mbps. Some are rolling out services between 30 and 50 Mbps, in select areas.

802.11b is 11 Mbps , 802.11g is 54 Mbps.

An Airport extreme/ express is 802.11 b or 802.11g.

Your ethernet card can be 10Mbps, 100Mbps or 1000Mbps, newer Macs are 1000Mbps.

So , taking all that into consideration. If your broadband is < than 54 Mbps then an 802.11g Airport extreme would work just fine. If it's less than 11Mbps than any old wireless router will be faster than your internet connection.

or you could just use a wire and not worry about any of this

This post has been edited by lancet: Sun 16 Apr 2006, 16:34

[lepetitmartien]

I'm 1016m from the DSLAM (your CO) (and shortly there will be optical networking…faaaasssterrrr)

BTW ADSL2+ (the name here) is used to bring DSL further, you keep better results than "normal" DSL up to 3000m. Further it extends the DSL up to 5000m instead of the 3600m in theory of the simple DSL.

On the wireless, I mixed up, the new forthcoming norm is the 802.11n. I was talking about this new one which is not definitive but will be by the end of the year.

Right now the macbook Pro use a chip capable of 802.11 a/b/g and the g turbo mode of 108 Mbs (2 x 54 channels). The airport docks are only g 54 capable. So Apple should upgrade its airport line…

it's very difficult to be relevant when comparing thee available networks, I'm lucky, but if I compare to some actual optical networks in Japan I'm not. What we can say is upon the type of house networking you should use, only people in your area (in the USA, your State) can be relevant for the choice between DSL, cable…

- If you plan to move around with a laptop = wireless
- if you use only a desktop computer = wired network
- both? get both.

But chose carefully the router/wireless station.

[drjuju]

I use a wireless access G to get to my Hughes DW7000, and connect at a usual rate of
11Mb/sec. I'm very rural, and the telco (alltel)says not to expect broadband out here in the forseeable future. Gotta love it.