[meldrewreborn]

@DebF_EONNext

Yes long cables are readily available - perhaps others can give advice on the specifications needed, it a little beyond my competence.

[retrotecchie]

@geoffers

Ah but you could get better efficiency and a lower latency with ethernet.

If your internal speed is faster than your external speed, you might not notice much difference, but it is there. Every packet that comes down ethernet is immediately available on ethernet. If you use wireless, each packet has to be wrapped in an additional layer of wireless security which inherently adds overhead to the communication.

Think of ethernet as writing a note and handing it over in person. Wireless involves tucking the note in an envelope and sealing it. It takes no more time to pass the note, but the overhead comes from opening the envelope to get the note out again.

The difference is exacerbated on slow connections, of course.

One of my networks is CAT6 gigabit. Despite the fact my WAN is only 90Mb and that's as fast as stuff comes into the house, I can shuffle stuff between 'pooters at full speed.

You might have a wireless speed of 130Mb but almost 20% of that data transfer is the wireless envelope itself. So a 100Mb ethernet cable would likely be a tad quicker, plus you don't need the overhead of retransmitting the occasional dropped packet...or 'Pardon, Repeat, Over' Syndrome 🤓

[geoffers]

Originally Posted by retrotecchie

@geoffers

Ah but you could get better efficiency and a lower latency with ethernet.

If your internal speed is faster than your external speed, you might not notice much difference, but it is there. Every packet that comes down ethernet is immediately available on ethernet. If you use wireless, each packet has to be wrapped in an additional layer of wireless security which inherently adds overhead to the communication.

Think of ethernet as writing a note and handing it over in person. Wireless involves tucking the note in an envelope and sealing it. It takes no more time to pass the note, but the overhead comes from opening the envelope to get the note out again.

The difference is exacerbated on slow connections, of course.

One of my networks is CAT6 gigabit. Despite the fact my WAN is only 90Mb and that's as fast as stuff comes into the house, I can shuffle stuff between 'pooters at full speed.

You might have a wireless speed of 130Mb but almost 20% of that data transfer is the wireless envelope itself. So a 100Mb ethernet cable would likely be a tad quicker, plus you don't need the overhead of retransmitting the occasional dropped packet...or 'Pardon, Repeat, Over' Syndrome 🤓

That might be the reality of the tech situation, but who gives a toss, since the signal between my eyeballs and my brain is the slowest part of the system 🤓🤣

[retrotecchie]

@geoffers

Good point, well made. Of course, for a teenogre trying to play Fortnite, every millisecond counts!

[meldrewreborn]

@geoffers
Any advice on cable specifications?

[geoffers]

Originally Posted by meldrewreborn

@geoffers
Any advice on cable specifications?

Nope - in my experience just plug anything in and it works.

I've got multiple devices connected with several piggy-backed switches and everything is hunky-dory : probably not good if it was some mission critical network... 🥴

[retrotecchie]

@geoffers

Good advice there, but I'd go for a Netgear switch rather than TP Link. A little more expensive, being metal clad, but a bit less vulnerable to being accidentally kicked or whacked with the vacuum cleaner!

Somewhere like Amazon sells a range of premade cables in all sorts of lengths fairly cheaply. I always keep a few drums of CAT5 and CAT6 in stock and custom make my own cables, but unless you have the crimp connectors, the tools and 'the knack', much easier to buy premade for most folks.

[Poppy_EONNext]

@DebF_EONNext I had the same issue last month when we bought a gaming PC. The signal was awful! I mean it would take at least 10 minutes to load anything.

On the back of mine there are Wifi antennas I think they call them, I moved them around both being in opposite directions and tested the speed online as i'm moving them to find the best strength, this helped a lot! (I first realised they weren't even pushed into the slot so that's why the signal was so bad 😅)

I then got a booster and plugged it in upstairs, this made it even better and I can actually use it as a gaming PC now!
I agree the best thing to do is connect them through Ethernet, but if you are the same as me and have it on the other side of the house this wasn't an option. 🤦‍♀️

[geoffers]

Originally Posted by retrotecchie

@geoffers
Good advice there, but I'd go for a Netgear switch rather than TP Link.

Prior to getting these a switches I'd been using my 2 previous +Net hubs as switches (DHCP disabled, IP changed and WiFi turned off) as I thought I was saving money by reusing perfectly good old kit.

However discussing my recent FttP fibre upgrade on the +Net forum, someone pointed out that the saving in energy by using by a new 5port switch over the old (more power hungry) hub would probably pay for the switch in less than a year 😀

[retrotecchie]

@geoffers

Amen to that. My old BT Hub5 used about 12W. Always on, that's £22 a year at current 'leccy prices. A dedicated 5 port switch uses less than 1W.