Network Cable Question

My main pc is a Dell (Windows XP) and it's hooked directly my Linksys
wireless router/firewall. My second computer, six year old Compaq running
Windows Me 128 ram, is hooked up wirelessly to the router.

Ever since I hooked the Compaq wirelessly to the router the computer has
had trouble keeping hooked up to the wireless signal. I'm sick and tired of
messing with my second computer. I want it hooked up to the internet and I
want to keep hooked up to the net. So, I'm thinking about taking out the
wireless card and instead running a cable from my router to the second pc.

Here is my question: My main PC and router is in the corner of the living
room. My second PC is in another room. What I want to do is run a cable
outside, run it around the house, then run inside the room to the second PC,
and then hook up the Compaq to my router. So, what kind of cable do I need
for this long connection? A network cable? I want to run this cable
outside the house. Can a network cable withstand cold/rain/snowing/freezing
weather? Do they make network cables long enough to reach around the house
or will I have to buy three or four cables and hook them together? Will I
need some device to boost the signal from the router to the second PC?

How should I proceed?

Thanks!

There are two ways to run cable between rooms, snake it around the baseboards
and doorways or run it through the walls. Depending on where the rooms are,
"through the wall" wiring does not go directly from room to room. In our
house, all the Ethernet cables start in rooms on the second floor, run UP to the
unfinished attic, across the attic to a central channel used to pass wiring up
and down, then down to the basement, across the basement ceiling and up to my
office where the router is. Each room has an Ethernet tap, and computers in
each room use a short piece (say 6') of patch cable to connect to the Ethernet
tap. The Ethernet taps in my office all connect to the router with patch
cable, so called because it is often used in a computer room's patch panel.

If you want to run the wires the cheap and not too pretty way, you can certainly
get pre-cut Category 5 (or 5e or 6) Ethernet cable in lengths up to 100 feet.
Typical pre-cut lengths are 3', 6', 10', 25', 50', 100'.

You do not need anything to boost the signal as long as the cable is less than a
couple of hundred feet long.

But why are you losing wireless connections? Several possibilities: Other
equipment (microwaves, potable phones, cell phones, etc.) interfereing in the
crowded 2.4GHz frequency range used by a lot of devices. Incompatible devices,
router and wifi card. Windows ME which absolutely sucks. It is the worst
Windows release ever. Large areas of metal blocking the transmission of the
wireless signal.

You can also get a sort of wireless repeater unit, depending on the brand and
vintage of router. I used one with some Linksys gear some months ago to
provide reliable wireless between house and office over a detached garage. There
are also wireless antennae for both cards and routers, and they can often
amplify the signal well enough... Ben Myers

On Thu, 24 Aug 2006 01:41:50 GMT, "Von Fourche" wrote:


My main pc is a Dell (Windows XP) and it's hooked directly my Linksys
wireless router/firewall. My second computer, six year old Compaq running
Windows Me 128 ram, is hooked up wirelessly to the router.

Ever since I hooked the Compaq wirelessly to the router the computer has
had trouble keeping hooked up to the wireless signal. I'm sick and tired of
messing with my second computer. I want it hooked up to the internet and I
want to keep hooked up to the net. So, I'm thinking about taking out the
wireless card and instead running a cable from my router to the second pc.

Here is my question: My main PC and router is in the corner of the living
room. My second PC is in another room. What I want to do is run a cable
outside, run it around the house, then run inside the room to the second PC,
and then hook up the Compaq to my router. So, what kind of cable do I need
for this long connection? A network cable? I want to run this cable
outside the house. Can a network cable withstand cold/rain/snowing/freezing
weather? Do they make network cables long enough to reach around the house
or will I have to buy three or four cables and hook them together? Will I
need some device to boost the signal from the router to the second PC?

How should I proceed?

Thanks!

if you are unable to identify the source of interference with your wireless
network that cuases the client to drop its connection, which is often
something like a steel beam in the ceiling or stone/brick wall/chimeny and
wiring is as complex as you describe than i highly recomend that you
consider what is called 'powerline networking'. in each room you simple
plug a gizmo into a regular power outlet that then connects to your
equipment. so one in your living room that connects to your router, and
another in the 'other' room that connects to your pc. often these are sold
in pairs with one gizmo that is the hard wired type and the other gizmo
being wireless... that might work too, but having two hard wired types are
the simpliest thing to configure and eliminate the wireless headaches that
exist in certain homes. these things are amazingly simple to
install/configure, fast, and not too expensive... but they are not
understood by any store salesperson that i have ever met.
good luck.
netgear's offering... (and yes it will hapilly work with your linksys
router)
http://tinyurl.com/jk543
i think a pair of xe102's for $100 delivered is all your need (you can spend
more for newer/faster technology but it probably would be wasted given the
age of the client machine)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833122063



"Von Fourche" wrote in message
link.net...

My main pc is a Dell (Windows XP) and it's hooked directly my Linksys
wireless router/firewall. My second computer, six year old Compaq
running Windows Me 128 ram, is hooked up wirelessly to the router.

Ever since I hooked the Compaq wirelessly to the router the computer
has had trouble keeping hooked up to the wireless signal. I'm sick and
tired of messing with my second computer. I want it hooked up to the
internet and I want to keep hooked up to the net. So, I'm thinking about
taking out the wireless card and instead running a cable from my router to
the second pc.

Here is my question: My main PC and router is in the corner of the living
room. My second PC is in another room. What I want to do is run a cable
outside, run it around the house, then run inside the room to the second
PC, and then hook up the Compaq to my router. So, what kind of cable do I
need for this long connection? A network cable? I want to run this cable
outside the house. Can a network cable withstand
cold/rain/snowing/freezing weather? Do they make network cables long
enough to reach around the house or will I have to buy three or four
cables and hook them together? Will I need some device to boost the
signal from the router to the second PC?

How should I proceed?

Thanks!

ps. the provided software is only necessary if you want to encrypt the data
that is transmitted over your home electrical lines... theoretically someone
outside of your home could eavesdrop on the network traffic that you put
into the power lines. but it also depends on the quality of your house main
circuit breaker, distance (it falls off after some distance), if you think
anyone will ever bother to listen for it, and if you care...

"Christopher Muto" wrote in message
news:bY7Hg.850$Bu2.655@trndny02...
if you are unable to identify the source of interference with your
wireless network that cuases the client to drop its connection, which is
often something like a steel beam in the ceiling or stone/brick
wall/chimeny and wiring is as complex as you describe than i highly
recomend that you consider what is called 'powerline networking'. in each
room you simple plug a gizmo into a regular power outlet that then
connects to your equipment. so one in your living room that connects to
your router, and another in the 'other' room that connects to your pc.
often these are sold in pairs with one gizmo that is the hard wired type
and the other gizmo being wireless... that might work too, but having two
hard wired types are the simpliest thing to configure and eliminate the
wireless headaches that exist in certain homes. these things are
amazingly simple to install/configure, fast, and not too expensive... but
they are not understood by any store salesperson that i have ever met.
good luck.
netgear's offering... (and yes it will hapilly work with your linksys
router)
http://tinyurl.com/jk543
i think a pair of xe102's for $100 delivered is all your need (you can
spend more for newer/faster technology but it probably would be wasted
given the age of the client machine)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833122063



"Von Fourche" wrote in message
link.net...

My main pc is a Dell (Windows XP) and it's hooked directly my Linksys
wireless router/firewall. My second computer, six year old Compaq
running Windows Me 128 ram, is hooked up wirelessly to the router.

Ever since I hooked the Compaq wirelessly to the router the computer
has had trouble keeping hooked up to the wireless signal. I'm sick and
tired of messing with my second computer. I want it hooked up to the
internet and I want to keep hooked up to the net. So, I'm thinking about
taking out the wireless card and instead running a cable from my router
to the second pc.

Here is my question: My main PC and router is in the corner of the
living room. My second PC is in another room. What I want to do is run
a cable outside, run it around the house, then run inside the room to the
second PC, and then hook up the Compaq to my router. So, what kind of
cable do I need for this long connection? A network cable? I want to
run this cable outside the house. Can a network cable withstand
cold/rain/snowing/freezing weather? Do they make network cables long
enough to reach around the house or will I have to buy three or four
cables and hook them together? Will I need some device to boost the
signal from the router to the second PC?

How should I proceed?

Thanks!

"Von Fourche" wrote in message
link.net...

My main pc is a Dell (Windows XP) and it's hooked directly my Linksys
wireless router/firewall. My second computer, six year old Compaq
running Windows Me 128 ram, is hooked up wirelessly to the router.


snip

Are we sure this isn't WinMe acting normally (especially if the wireless
adapter on this Compaq machine happens to be USB) ?

ME is in my list of suspects. ME is ALWAYS in my list of usual suspects along
with Kaiser Soze and Mr. Kobiyashi... Ben Myers

On Wed, 23 Aug 2006 23:20:48 -0500, "S.Lewis" wrote:


"Von Fourche" wrote in message
hlink.net...

My main pc is a Dell (Windows XP) and it's hooked directly my Linksys
wireless router/firewall. My second computer, six year old Compaq
running Windows Me 128 ram, is hooked up wirelessly to the router.


snip

Are we sure this isn't WinMe acting normally (especially if the wireless
adapter on this Compaq machine happens to be USB) ?

"S.Lewis" wrote in message
...

"Von Fourche" wrote in message
link.net...

My main pc is a Dell (Windows XP) and it's hooked directly my Linksys
wireless router/firewall. My second computer, six year old Compaq
running Windows Me 128 ram, is hooked up wirelessly to the router.


snip

Are we sure this isn't WinMe acting normally (especially if the wireless
adapter on this Compaq machine happens to be USB) ?


I'm using a wireless card in a pci slot.

I think I should add ram and upgrade to XP. Would XP run and be stable
with 500 ram and 850mhz processor?

Heck, sometimes I think I should trash this computer and buy a cheap, used
Dell pc for three or four hundred dollars. I don't need a powerful computer
for my second computer. I mostly serf the net and transfer songs from my
main pc to the second pc. The Compaq came with great speakers. I guess I
use it mostly to play music. The Compaq monitor still works fine. I would
only need the tower.

Von Fourche wrote:
So, what kind of cable do I need for this long connection?

Cat 5 network cable - comes in reels of 305metres. The maximum length of a
single cable (plug to plug) is 100metres.

I want to run this cable outside the house. Can a network
cable withstand cold/rain/snowing/freezing weather?

The cable on it's own will be waterproof, but it will suffer UV degradation
on the parts outside the house. Run the external parts of the cable through
a UV protected conduit of some sort.

Do they make network cables long enough to reach around the house or will
I have
to buy three or four cables and hook them together?

As long as the total distance is less than 100metres, you can run one cable.
It's unlikely that you'll find a ready-made cable of 100m, so you'll
probably have to fit the ends to it yourself (works out expensive if you're
never going to do it again - you need special tools and testing kit, about
£200-worth). Probably best to call a local network engineer to install the
cable.

Will I need some device to boost the signal from the router to the second
PC?

The 100m maximum length is for unboosted cable. If you want to run cable
over longer distances, you should put any old bog-standard network switch in
the middle.

How should I proceed?

Forget all the above, and dump the machine running Windows Me. Buy an XP
machine, and all your wireless problems will disappear!

Regards,

Pete.

"Nicholas Andrade" wrote in message
m...
Christopher Muto wrote:
ps. the provided software is only necessary if you want to encrypt the
data
that is transmitted over your home electrical lines... theoretically
someone
outside of your home could eavesdrop on the network traffic that you put
into the power lines. but it also depends on the quality of your house
main
circuit breaker, distance (it falls off after some distance), if you
think
anyone will ever bother to listen for it, and if you care...

Honestly, I'd say you're much more likely to have an eavesdropper on a
WiFi connection than on a powerline one. Although someone spying on
powerline ethernet connection would be much harder to spot (and it can
easily be done from a house a good distance away on the same grid).

that is my thinking, accept for the distance part, which is unclear to me.
these devices don't work in large homes that have multiple electrical panels
(but there is a way to bridge the panels so they do) and so i wonder how
much and how far information is leaked outside of the house for others to
see.

"Von Fourche" wrote in message
k.net...

"S.Lewis" wrote in message
...

"Von Fourche" wrote in message
link.net...

My main pc is a Dell (Windows XP) and it's hooked directly my Linksys
wireless router/firewall. My second computer, six year old Compaq
running Windows Me 128 ram, is hooked up wirelessly to the router.


snip

Are we sure this isn't WinMe acting normally (especially if the wireless
adapter on this Compaq machine happens to be USB) ?


I'm using a wireless card in a pci slot.

I think I should add ram and upgrade to XP. Would XP run and be
stable with 500 ram and 850mhz processor?

Heck, sometimes I think I should trash this computer and buy a cheap,
used Dell pc for three or four hundred dollars. I don't need a powerful
computer for my second computer. I mostly serf the net and transfer songs
from my main pc to the second pc. The Compaq came with great speakers. I
guess I use it mostly to play music. The Compaq monitor still works fine.
I would only need the tower.





That machine would run XP acceptably with 512mb of RAM for your uses.
Additionally, I think you'd see improved connectivity using WinXP versus
WinMe.

WinMe does very little well other than to be unpredictable.