i have this http://www.netwood.net/support/manuals/Netopia2241N-VGx-UserGuide.pdf
Now i have not really had any problems do get the odd disconnect but there so rare i am on a 24Mb connection though actual speed from speedtest is 5.29Mb the only thing i really have a problem with is lag with games and if my other half is online the speed really plummets
Could a new router improve download speeds /lag and balance the bandwith better between two computers ?
Yes, is the short answer. That is a very old and slow device.
The reason you are achieving (lets be honest) terrible throughput is due to the way wireless works. Although the G standard is capable of running at 54Mbps, that is when there is little to no noise and you have a very strong signal. (In otherwords pretty darn close to the access point).
If this is being experienced when using a wired connection.... then there must be something up with the hardware.
Are you using this just for routing or are you using it as a modem/router/switch/access point?
I would personally look for something from Asus or Linksys. Either of those two are pumping out some really good stuff (not as good as "homebrew" but still really damn good)
found out its a router and access point aswell so the next router i get needs to have that (or get a modem to) would this do ? http://www.dabs.ie/products/tp-link-300mbps-wireless-adsl2--modem-router-77S0.html?src=3
Yes, most consumer routers are routers/switches/access points all jammed into one piece of hardware, just like the one you currently own, so do not fret.
An increase in speed can be attained by the processor that is in the router. If you have a powerful processor in your router, then packet distribution is going to be quite fast, thus diminishing latency. The issue, though, is that the better the processor, the more expensive the router. A good compromise of performance vs cost is the Asus RT-N66U.
Also, your hardware will only perform to the ability of the weakest link in your network configuration. So, if you buy a powerful router, yet your wifi card in your laptop/tower can only do wifi protocol G, then you will only get the performance of G even though your new router can sustain much greater performance, say with N. So, you need to make sure your wifi card is up to snuff as well with drivers and settings.
I would suggest http://www.dabs.ie/products/tp-link-tl-wr1043nd-n-wireless--gigabit-router-with-usb-7725.html?refs=50043&src=3 this one. 1 lots of users already have it making it easier to get help from others. 2 I know it can handle over 100 mbit routing speeds 3 If you would like to you can load a custom firmware like DD-WRT and Open-WRT.
Certainly cheaper than the one I recommended. That might be a good option for you, Stephen.
cheers will see about that only one more question though our area is due to get fibre broadband soon will there need to be any changes for that ?
Checked that router and a few others seems like need a modem for that seperate seems like if its a wan connection it needs a modem if its a line in or adsl port in the back then it can connect to phone line directly
If your plan is to migrate to fibre optic, then you're gonna want a powerful router so you can take full advantage of the fibre optic. That could be the Asus RT-N66U or even a higher grade router that utilizes AC wifi technology. But, as I said before, this stuff gets invariably more expensive because there is (1) a larger processor, (2) more RAM, and (3) the AC wifi capability. Asus' premier router that that utilizes AC is the RT-AC68U. You can check the specs yourself and compare it to the RT-N66U.
http://www.asus.com/ca-en/Networking/RTAC68U
Yes, you'll need a modem with cable or dsl, for the modem changes the electronic signal to an Ethernet signal for the devices on your network. When you move to fibre optic, however, your ISP will provide you with the equipment as well. It will just be like a modem, a connection to the internet, but it will most likely have router and wifi capability as well. Take the equipment that your ISP gives you for fibre optic and set it to DMZ or bridge mode, and then let your personal router do all the routing and wifi. It will, in most cases, be far superior than whatever product an ISP gives you.
For fiber, it really depends on the ISP. Some ISPs just run FFTC or FTTB and use the current cable/copper infrastructure for the last bit over VDSL2+. Also, some ISPs don't allow you to DMZ or bridge and force you to keep their equipment do the routing (as it is here in France).
Source : I work for an ISP, haha !
Who's running your fiber ? Eircom ? (cause I might be able to help you better if it's eircom)
Wow...that kind of sucks, fffrantz.
cheers for the advice got no idea when i will be able to get fibre.....what really sucks 100mtrs in every direction from my house people can get it .Just the housing estate i live on does not
well the TP-Link goes a bit over the 100 mbit after that you'll need to look into more recent stuff like TP-Link AC1750, Asus N56U or Asus N66U They basically cost 3-4x the price but can do 800 mbit routing. The gap in between basically isn't interesting at all. You would then end up paying about €90 for stuff that can do 400 mbit. At that point you're already better off with those in the upper segment. On the positive note I can assure you by the time you need more than 120 mbit you can sell the TP-Link for a quick buck with little loss.
yep its eircom