Re: Wifi adaptor recommendations

Joel Wir=C4=81mu Pauling posted on Tue, 24 May 2016 22:04:02 -0700 as
excerpted:

[N replaced with G in a followup, editing it inline here to help anyone=20
who finds only this post later.]

> [G} DOES NOT HELP at hotels. [G] over 2.4ghz forces ALL stations on tha=
t
> broadcast bandwidth (yes even those not participating) to downgrade to
> Legacy mode ( this behaviour is stupid, but that's what we get for
> backwards compatibility of mac80211 that should hace been abandonded
> after G for a complete redesign ). And there is always some device in
> hotels that ensures you will almost never get anything useable out on
> 2.4ghz channels.
>=20
> 5ghz (a and ac or a+n) ammeloriates this, and because of the narroweer
> and more abundant bands and channel options.

Valuable tip.  Thanks!

> The chances are however likely you're get shapped to hell by their
> captive portal before either of these issues. That class of hotel in th=
e
> states you will be lucky with 3 mbit per device, be happy with 10 or 15
> for the premium paid step option.

3 Mbit... isn't the 640 Kbit I was using on DSL for awhile.  AFAIK 3 Mbit=
=20
was what the cable modem was capped at when I first got cable internet. =20
(Some places were 1.5 Mbit still but Cox had upgraded most of their=20
territory to 3 Mbit by that point.)  It's usable.  I just won't be able=20
to do package sources updates and watch youtube at 1080p any longer.  I=20
may not be able to do 1080p without buffering at all.  But 720p for a few=
=20
months won't kill me, especially since a lot of content is either 720p=20
original/max or 1080p still image anyway.

> As others have said it is time to replace your G device (not least
> because you are a culprit of said above behaviour ;-) ... you can get
> 3x3 dual band dual proc ath9k+ath10k routers that are openwrt-able for
> 50-70$ (i liked the tplink ac1750 v2 As a budget buy, but i hear the
> v3's require using lftp mode to flash ).
>=20
> Look on openwrt.org for suggestions.

Makes sense.

Ultimately I want to put together an amd64-based router, as I said, in=20
ordered to be able to put gentoo on it, and build at least base packages=20
for it and my main machine at the same time.  The problem I'm hoping to=20
solve is that openwrt is great, but it's different than my main machine=20
and single purpose, so I really don't have time to learn how to master it=
=20
properly.  Similarly, when I had an x86 netbook, I had a 32-bit chroot=20
image on the main machine to build its packages, but I found it was lucky=
=20
to get upgrades once a year, which made them always a major pain.  So I=20
decided making everything amd64 based and building most packages only=20
once, was definitely the way to go.

But $50-70 for temporary solution of a few months, and as a fallback when=
=20
I do get the amd64-based router, isn't bad and can be considered a minor=20
expense associated with the temporary, especially given that I'll not be=20
having to worry about rent or utilities.  I /may/ not even worry about=20
reflashing it to openwrt, but I definitely want to keep the option open,=20
so want an openwrt compatible device.

> Bridge mode is a BS proprietary method ONLY implemented on bcm2xxx
> chips. You can achieve what you want with relayd (Bridges l2 broadcast
> domain of ANY two networks regardless) on ANY router running openwrt.

Thanks.  Another valuable tip. =3D:^)


I'll be working thru Friday, but have the weekend and early next week=20
(thru Wednesday anyway) off for the move.  So unless I simply reconfigure=
=20
the G for the first few days and see how it goes, I'll probably make the=20
trip to Fry's Sat/Sun/Mon, of course cross-checking frys.com against the=20
openwrt site to get an openwrt compatible before I go.


So there's a few more days left for recommendations if anyone else has=20
any. =3D:^)

--=20
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman