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Wifi vs ethernet-->wifi Bridge using router - MUCH FASTER with Bridge
Hi there
If you've a spare / old router which you can set up as a wifi bridge and connect a bit of LAN cable from Laptop into the Bridge router you'll generally get FAR better performance from even a cheap router.
Logic behind this is that most Wifi adapters are half duplex whereas a router is full duplex and throughput will be significantly better.
Another advantage is that you can still use 5 GHZ band even if your PC or whatever only can handle 2.4 GHZ wifi.
If your router doesn't have bridging facilities you can often do it by a firmware upgrade --for most routers try this :
www.dd-wrt.com | Unleash Your Router
Note --this is the Bridging router --not your main one that you use to connect to your ISP with --don't want to cause people to have inoperable boxes !!!!!.
I've found using a Router as a bridge far better than having to have loads of LAN cable all round the house --and also antennae in wifi routers are hugely better than most built in Wifi cards so you can in a lot of cases avoid extra slowdown caused by wifi extenders.
In my "man shed" -- a good 100 metres from the main house - could just about get 8 Mib/s on a very poor 2.4 GHZ wifi signal from the wifi card
Laptop now acceptable - still with 2,4 GHZ wifi but using "Bridged" method with an old EDIMAX wifi 4 port router. Around 70 Mib/s (still a lot slower by about 10X - I'm getting nearly 1Gb/s download in main house on 5 GHZ wifi --ISL has excellent Internet !!!) than in the main house but perfectly OK for streaming Football etc when friends are around and we're all drinking Beer etc -- no complaints from "the Other" about noise, cheers of "Goooooal !!!!", clearing up etc etc !!!!.
Good even for a SLOW Ping -- remember I'm over 100 metres away from my House and on 2.4 GHZ. Wifi --5GHZ not receivable at that distance.
added -- even if your PC / laptop doesn't have a LAN connector it's still worthwhile doing this with a USB-->Lan adapter -- even a USB 2 -->LAN works really well -- USB2 speed will easily handle 75 Mib/s !!! and adapter can cost as little as 6 EUR - those cheap Chinese unbranded ones work fine too.
I've had 4 simultaneous connections through that Bridge router this way -- 2 guys had laptops with no LAN cards - they used the adapters --all very happy !!!. USB"-->LAN adapter-->Lan cable-->Port on Bridge router.
Cheers
jimbo
Last edited by jimbo45; 20 Oct 2016 at 07:38. Reason: added usb->Lan adapter works too