Cable to cable to cable? Networking question.

[Ex-MA Hole]

Here's the issue:

I want to use my OLD laptop downstairs.  My cable modem is upstairs, connected to my desktop.  I have an older wireless hub for my pda.  I upgraded my laptop to win xp and now it crawls (I said it was old).  I have a NIC that is for a wired network for it.

Here's the question:
Is there a way to hook up my cable modem in the basement (Where the cable comes into the house), convert from the computer network cable (cat 5?) to a "cable" cable, run it to a spice, then into the 2 prexisitng cable lines that are exactly where I want them, then re-convert them at the other end from a "cable" cable to a computer network (cat 5?) cable?  Then into the laptop (on the 1st floor) and desktop (2nd floor)?  Does such an adapter exist?  Would it work?

Does this make ANY sense?

[garrettwc]

It can be done. Way back when, a place I worked for was set up with RG-58 (cable)cable that terminated into the usual kind of ends. You would have to buy different NIC cards for your computers because the ports are different IIRC. Since everybody went to Cat5 I don't even know if the old style NICs are still available. Don't even remember what they are called.

Short version of the story, it will be cheaper and better to just run the Cat-5 to where you want it.

[cfabe]

Just run cat5 where you want, or get the proper wireless gear. Coax networking died out about 8 years ago and any of the equipment will be very hard to find, most likely.

[Ex-MA Hole]

I would if I could relatively easily.

My house is 3 floors, and my bedroom has a cathedral ceiling.  I want the wire to the room below my bedroom (No way to feed up) to a room on the other side of the house, 3rd floor. Over the finished garage (no way to feed down).

Will the wireless slow the Laptop down even more?

[Guest]

Speed via wirless.
My laptop runs at 100Mbps via wireless. Granted that is what I get when I take my Laptop to school. The whole secure area I am in is wireless. 100Mbps on my personal laptop, the school's laptop or desktop.
Don't tell me how slow 56.0Kbps is from a home dial up ISP...how well I know.

I do have a friend with cable, we just ran off  a splitter, from in the  attic and dropped down into another room.

Remember there is a difference in through-put and what you actually get. System is only as fast as the slowest node.

I'd run Cat 6 , make sure your NIC is correct and make darn sure you have a hardwire firewall for the wireless.

Scalibilty.  What you want is to spend the monies now, that will allow upgrades down the road without having a lot of hassle.

Often times by the time you spend the monies to 'patch and get by' - you could have scaled to a better system and one that will last a longer time, with the ability to easy upgrade.

I know one fella that has, and other that will be using Fiber Optic. New Contruction runs Fiber to house. For security reasons, Fiber is run throughout the house, no wireless. His business, ( run from house) personal stock trades,  banking and whatnot are pretty secure I'd say.
Including his shop out back with all underground wiring and all - fiber is run there too.

Fiber cannot be breached like Cat5e or cabling. No stray WiFi signals if Fiber is direct to system. Like I said - real need for security for these guys.

That is what I want some day, Fiber Optic throughout.

For fun - look up Robert Flinkenger + Pringles can.  Yes it works, I built one and had an upper classman use it to extend range of a WiFi.

Debates start in...Regular, wavy, or lite Pringles cans - which is best?  I am in the Regular/Original  red can camp myself.

[Marnoot]

Coax is pretty slow, limited to 10Mbps, and is a troublesome technology. Wireless with a unidirectional antenna would be best in your situation if you don't want to string Cat5e cable. If you lock it down with WPA, or frankly even WEP in most situations, you'll be fine.

[jefnvk]

Plug the modem into the wireless hub (which I am assuming is 802.11a/b/g), and get a wireless card for the laptop.  Shouldn't be much more than $20.

[Ex-MA Hole]

Yup, look like the wireless is the way to go.

My question 2nd question (in my previous post), and I wasn't AT ALL CLEAR (sorry), is will the wireless affect the speed of the computer, NOT the transfer rate of info.  The Laptop has something like 128megs of ram.  With WinXP it CRAWLS.  Opening a program takes a good 20-25 seconds.

If I am going to use the laptop to surf here, THR, TFL, etc, will this be ok?  Or, will the usage of said nic drag the system to it's knees?

[jefnvk]

Shouldn't have much of an effect at all.  The only thing I can think of is if whatever software that controls it is a memory hog, you may have some issues there.

[garrettwc]

The Laptop has something like 128megs of ram.

ex-ma, how old is the laptop? What make and model? What processor? If it is one of the common (Toshiba, Dell, IBM, etc) brands, memory upgrades are one of the few things that are easy to do on a laptop. You might be able to find 256 or 512mb stick on the internet. Install that and it should help the crawling if the processor is up to speed.

[cfabe]

Or, you could downgrade the laptop to windows 2, which should run pretty decently on 128 megs of ram.

[HKUSP45]

NIC cards

GAHHH!!!! This drives me nuts! NIC = Network Interface Card

So, you are essentially saying network interface card card ..... about as bad as PIN number

/rant

But to answer your question no, the wireless NIC will not effect the speed of local apps.

[Sindawe]

But to answer your question no, the wireless NIC will not effect the speed of local apps

UNLESS you have a flaky wireless connection AND are playing a game that bogs and stutters when it looses connection to its peers.

[Ex-MA Hole]

Sindawe-  No, just simple forum surfing.

Cfabe:  How do I downgrade?

---------------------


HKUSP45- maybe I was simply sssssssssstuddering?  



:  )  Thanks for the lesson.

[Azrael256]

You might also look into a powerline network adapter.  I've seen some of the newer ones work quite well.

You would be amazed where you can run a wire when you really want to.  I have yet to meet a wall that could not be dealt with.  All you really need is a fiberglass rod and a whole lot of patience.  In a residential situation, it also helps to be really flexible.  If you already have coaxial cable in the place where you want a network cable (yes, it can be bridged.  no, I wouldn't fool with it.), then you've got a ready-made pull-string.  Get a spool of good nylon pull string, cut a length twice that of your run and attach it to the TV cable.  Yank the TV cable out the top, pull the entire length of the pull-string through the hole (anchoring it at the bottom, of course), and use the extra length to pull the TV cable back down (if you want).  

Unlike sm, I would not use Cat6 in a house.  I would go with 5e.  Cat6 is not all it's cracked up to be.  It's too difficult to work with if you're trying to make it gigabit-capable, it doesn't function well even when you do terminate it correctly, and it's too bloody expensive.  Many people make the mistake of thinking that a higher number is just "better."  It isn't.  Cable standards and transmission standards are designed together.  Cat6 isn't designed for 100-megabit networks, and, contrary to popular belief, shows a higher attenuation for 100-megabit networks than Cat5e (had to break out the fluke testers to find that out).  Furthermore, Cat6 sucks royally even for gigabit.  I know it's supposed to be the gigabit copper standard, but it still sucks.  Unless you're using a 3' machine-made patch cable to connect two copper GIBC modules, you're going to have trouble getting gigabit to work over copper.  Fiber is the only way to go (for now) if you want gigabit.