Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with wireless

My Brother wireless printer doesn't work after resetting my laptop.

The Card Cheat — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 12:13:09 -0800

I have a MacBook running OS X 10.6.8 and a Brother HL-2270DW printer. This morning I had to reset my entire system using Time Machine; everything else is up and running, but the printer doesn't work. I've tried reinstalling it with the printer setup disc, but the laptop won't detect our wireless connection when I get to that step (it suggests disabling my personal firewall, but I don't have one set up.), and the laptop won't let me add any printers in System Preferences. Any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated, because I've spent all afternoon trying to figure this out.

How do I test the speed/reliability of a network?

Betelgeuse — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:39:41 -0800

I have a somewhat complicated home network (see inside) that works OK most of the time but is occasionally unreliable. What software tools exist for testing the long-term reliability of a network (i.e. over several days)? After asking this previous question, I set up my home network in the following way:

Cable Modem -> Main Router -> Powerline Adapter -> Secondary Router working as an Access Point

This gives me network access in the basement and another corner of the house (where the wireless from the main router wouldn't reach). This works OK much of the time, but I have annoying intermittent problems where I'll try to load a web page and it will just hang for, at times, close to a minute. Then everything will load and is fast again.

I can't tell if this problem is limited to wireless (it seems like it is, but 80-90% of our access is wireless) or if it's a problem with the PowerLine adapter (my current suspicion). I have moved the main router to the other side of the Powerline adapter and it seems better (suggesting it's NOT the Powerline), but problems often take a few days to crop up after I've reset my network hardware, so that's extra-annoying.

So, what I'd really like is tools with which I can test network connectivity or suggestions on how to troubleshoot. Since the problem is intermittent, any tools would need to be able to test the network over, at least, a 24 hour period. My technical skills are moderate and software that runs on a Mac is preferred (although I could dig out the Windows/Linux box if I really need to).

Ideas on what my problem might be are also welcome.

How can I improve the wireless network signal in my large house?

freecellwizard — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 20:05:34 -0800

I just moved into a large house where my Netgear router does not provide a strong wireless signal to the whole house. I tried buying a repeater but despite being a programmer, I am lousy with hardware and am not really grasping how to set it up, or whether it's even the right answer. Help! I've Googled this and there is a wide range of conflicting info out there. Current setup:

- Netgear RangeMax Dual Band N Wireless Router WNDR3700 - two networks active at 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz ( I tend to connect to the 5G one)
- Time Warner cable modem and "turbo" service
- (new) Winstars WS-WN518N2 Wireless Repeater/Access Point

This whole thing started because the router is downstairs in a front office but we have a Mac upstairs as well as an iPad, phones, and a DVD player with dongle that streams Netflix. Network speeds using speedtest.net are like:

- wired connection to router through 5G network - 24-27 Mbps
- wireless connection through 5G (iPad in same room) - 18 Mbps
- iPad test on back stairway landing - 2 Mbps, sometimes fails test

The PC store guy said the extender was easy to set up, but not for me. It has two modes (Repeater and Access Point). I didn't expect Access Point to require ethernet running through the house, but it seems to so I picked Repeater. However then I got a different network name; also in the initial setup while attached to my Vista PC I've got it showing multiple connections somehow. On top of that the speed tests go way down for all the wireless tests while the repeater is plugged in.

Obviously I don't know what I'm doing :-) Mainly I just want to know if I'm even on the right path. I've heard of using a second router as an extender but am unclear if that solves the "two network names" problem. Or maybe there's a way I can just tweak the original router (or buy a better one) so it covers the house better.

Thanks in advance ... I wish setup of this stuff was like my Sonos system ... 2 buttons and good to go.

What wifi-extending method is best for a garage-turned-studio?

acidic — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 14:32:04 -0800

My rented studio is located right next to the main house, but the wifi signal coming from my landlord is very weak. What can I do that won't inconvenience my landlord? The landlord has U-verse wifi (a password-protected 2Wire router). The router is located fairly close to my house; it can't be moved. There are no ethernet jacks in my studio, although the previous tenant had cable TV so there's a coax cable coming out of the wall (I've checked, and it supplies the free channels). So I figure my options are:

1. Wifi extender, located on the wall closest to the main house, or outside (weather?) I installed an extender at my parents' house, and it works ok, but I would like tips on finding the best one.
2. Ethernet over powerline. I think my landlord would be willing to plug the router into one of these, but I don't even know if it will work because my space was originally a detached garage.
3. Separate internet service. The wifi cuts out for a minute or two at a time several times a night, and it's pretty annoying, since I do a lot of streaming. I'd be willing to pay for separate internet service (Time Warner), if that's even allowed (we share a mailing address) and would solve the problem (or will the connection drop affect both services).
4. Something else? Access point, antenna, etc?

Cheap conference room audio for non-profits

Fnarf — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 11:13:06 -0800

I need a better audio setup for a projector in a conference room for a non-profit with no budget. Seriously: we're poor. This question has been asked before, a few years ago, but there wasn't enough detail to help me.

We have an adequate projector, but I want to first mount it on the ceiling as a permanent installation, so someone (usually me) doesn't have to set it up every time, and all the cables end up back in the right bag instead of in the trash. I can do that part, and run the video cable down the wall and up to a table where a laptop can be placed.

Audio is a problem though. We have an old Samson wireless mic, with a small Bogen amp, which is underpowered and feeds back, but it works. But we can't run laptop sound. We have to set up a pair of cruddy computer speakers and plug into the headphone jack on the laptop, but the whole setup is cumbersome and unconnected.

We've even had people try to hold the mic up to the laptop speakers, or the phone handset, which makes me cry, and people's ears bleed. We've tried a big satellite conference room phone, but people steal it (anything that's not bolted down disappears within the hour).

What I guess I'm dreaming of is a wireless gizmo that plugs into the laptop headphone jack and connects to the Samson wireless receiver, or equivalent. I've seen cheapo USB transmitter/receiver sets, but I can't guarantee a free USB port on the computer, either -- it's old.

I'm also hampered by the fact that I don't know what the eff I'm doing -- I understand the computer and video end of it, but anything beyond a 1/8" headphone plug on the audio side confuses me -- I look at the specs and see all this "balanced output" and "600 Ohm" and I dunno what that is. I need someone to talk to me like I'm stupid.

And, as I mentioned, we have almost no money for this. In the other thread someone mentioned spending $750, and that's not likely to happen. $150 might fly.

What video camera will meet my requirements?

yesster — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 13:40:34 -0800

I want to have a very lightweight camera that has no wires, but sends a video feed to an android device. I want to mount it on a telescoping pole for close-up inspection of stained glass windows. I do restoration and repair of stained glass for my living. So it would be great to be able to use a camera on a pole to do assessments onsite without ladders or scaffolding. I'm thinking battery operated. It would be handy if it had onboard storage, preferrably an SD card. But I really need to be able to watch a screen HERE while the camera is up THERE, and have no wires. I would prefer to purchase from amazon, but am open to other sellers. Also willing to consider other solutions entirely. Let's pretend cost is not a big factor.

Where are the outlets???

one4themoment — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 14:09:13 -0800

Company wants to group skype, and everything is working great Except the main conference room, which is about 8x bigger than the others. Now they want a wireless webcam for video and a wireless mic for the middle of the room. Best suggestions? I find great stuff for small areas... but we're talking about a 2800 sqft (at least) area and they want to see and hear everyone. Limitations beyond wireless are... lack of power outlets, lack of hdmi (audio/vga ports available... in certain places only). In my head... it's not possible without serious equipment. Linking two rooms the size of my kitchen to a room the size of 4 of my apartments... I'm not saying it's not doable but I'm thinking money... and more than skype. So... best wireless skype compatible cams and mics... humor me or prove me wrong...

Inexpensive wireless music streaming

psycho-alchemy — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 13:46:40 -0800

I want to be able to stream whatever my computer is playing to another room in the house. In addition, I would like to occasionally stream videos to our old, but oversized, TV in another room. I started shopping and looking at media streaming bridges and wireless speakers and frankly it seems there are a bunch of options and I don't know where to start. It probably needs to go 40 or 50 feet away. I don't think bluetooth would work and the only things I own with an ethernet port are my computer and the wireless router. Can someone point me towards a good reliable sytem?

In search of a lasting wireless network solution

Rhaomi — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 07:12:09 -0800

After wasting two different off-days trying to get my damnable modem+router working, I want to return them both and get something entirely new. Any good recommendations for a solid, reliable DSL modem and wireless router set-up with decent NAS support? THE STORY SO FAR:

- had an ISP-supplied hybrid modem/router for a few years that worked fine
- bought a new laptop last year and swapped the hard drive for an SSD
- decided to use the spare hard drive as an external drive for storing large media files and performing automatic backups
- bought an Apricorn USB hard drive enclosure designed to support NAS stuff
- bought a Western Digital My Net N600 router with a USB port designed to support NAS stuff (the old modem had no USB ports)
- ran into endless bizarre problems trying to get the N600 maintaining a connection to the old modem in bridge mode
- discovered plugging in and using the external drive was crashing the router firmware
- exchanged N600 for a better-spec'd N750
- more bizarre problems; dropped connections; router web interface sluggish
- tried installing a firmware upgrade from the official website
- now the router won't even boot up, *not even after a paperclip factory reset*

(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻

There are just too many potential glitches and conflicts here for me to deal with any more -- the fact that the modem is old (and in bridge mode), the general bugginess of Western Digital's routers, the fact that I'm using a laptop hard drive instead of one purpose-built for NAS work.

So I want to start from scratch. New DSL modem. New router. Maybe even a new hard drive and/or hard drive enclosure if that might help.

What I need to know:

- What's the best option for a reliable dedicated DSL modem? No-frills is fine as long as it's reasonably fast and can support a PPPoE connection type.

- What's the best option for a reliable wireless router with support for an external USB hard drive? I'm willing to spend more if it can buy me quality, dependability, and a no-hassle set-up with a decent web interface. I'm seriously tired of troubleshooting unaccountable wifi problems via unhelpful router settings pages that crash often and don't tell me anything useful.

- What's the best option for a reliable external hard drive set-up? I'm not doing enterprise-level stuff here -- I just want it to store my iTunes, my movies, and have some space left over to automatically back up a ~256GB SSD. I already have a laptop hard drive in the Apricorn enclosure I mentioned, and it did allow me to (temporarily) access my files wirelessly. But I'm not sure if the crashes I mentioned were due to the Western Digital router being shoddy or the hard drive/enclosure set-up being inappropriate for that purpose. Should I maybe reformat the hard drive for use as a NAS? Or would it be better to just get a purpose-built USB NAS drive?

I'd also be interested in a decent combination DSL modem/router with NAS support if that would be easier to set up. My current, years-old modem/router hybrid works flawlessly, but just doesn't have any USB ports to plug a drive into (only a USB B port, which apparently can't support that kind of thing).

Any recommendations -- especially based on personal experience with the device -- very much appreciated!

Help fix my hotel wireless

Zosia Blue — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 14:28:40 -0800

Can't get my hotel wireless to work on my MPB running Mountain Lion. Help! At a hotel in Duluth, MN. Trying to get the wireless to work on my MPB, Mountain Lion. Wireless is working for everyone else and on my phone -- just not my laptop.

The facts:

-Wireless doesn't require a password, but does first require a connection to the hotel's site (like when you sign into Starbuck's Internet).
-In Chrome, I get an Error 107 SSL protocol error.
-In Safari, the site trying to get to the welcome page just endlessly loops and never connects.
-The page trying to connect says: 192.168.100.1/login?username=username&password=password (note that I don't need a username or password -- the router is bypassing this step by filling it in for me)

What I've tried:

-Firewall on and off
-Renewing my DHCP lease
-Restarting the browsers, computer and wireless connection

The internets say to check my Proxy settings, but nothing is checked or notable about the settings.

Help me so I don't lose my mind on this work trip? The front desk wasn't helpful (and it's an issue on my end, so not their fault). Thanks.

Is there a catch to MVNOs?

Aizkolari — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 13:08:02 -0800

Are there any drawbacks to using an MVNO/prepaid cell carrier? I'm changing jobs soon and will need to get my own phone and cell carrier. I live in Boston, MA and want to buy a Nexus 4. Looking at carrier option, it seems like someone like Straight Talk would be a good option, especially since I'd be bringing my own device.

My only concern is if the service quality of the service. With Straight Talk, for example, I'd be on AT&T's GSM network in Boston, I think. I have friends who have AT&T service and they say it's fine, but I wonder if as an MVNO customer I'd get second-tier access or service.

I'm essentially wondering if there's some kind of a catch here that pays for offering connectivity at lower pricing. I've read this previous thread and people are generally positive but I thought I'd check again specifically on service quality.

Do any mefites use these kinds of prepaid providers? If so, how good is your coverage and service access?

Windows 7 and the unseen wireless router

Inner Universe — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 06:47:26 -0800

I've been blessed with the task of finding out why my father's windows 7 laptop can't connect to his new Virgin Media Broadband router. The laptop can't find the router, and I can't find a fix... The broadband router is newly installed, the laptop less than a few months old, but it seems like the laptop can't find any wireless networks whatsoever. A lot of the suggestions and fixes involve changing the router's security or downloading drivers, but obviously the laptop can't connect, and I'll be damned if I know how to mess with the Virgin box, as my own is much different.

As I'm posting this at his place, I can verify that the router works fine; another laptop in the house can also connect easily with just the SSID. The fault must lie with the laptop/operating system but... For once, I'm stumped. Any ideas on how to get W7 to detect the wireless router? I should hopefully be able to progress from there.

Internet, you're being weird. Stop it.

Rhaomi — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 18:01:41 -0800

Trying to set up a new wireless network and running into all kinds of strange problems. Connections dropped every few hours! Some machines work, some don't! Can connect to internet, can't connect to router! DOGS AND CATS LIVING TOGETHER (literally). Please help. The set-up is a little convoluted, but does work (until it doesn't).

The original router is an ISP-provided 2wire HomePortal 1700HW, a combination DSL modem/router that plugs directly into a phone jack and broadcasts it as a WiFi network. It's a few years old but has worked decently on its own up to this point, so I don't think the problem lies there.

The newcomer is a brand-new Western Digital My Net N600 router, acquired both to improve on the range of the old one and to provide networked storage capability for shared music and such.

Configuring the two of them to work properly was a bit of a dog, but I finally did get it working. The phone jack plugs into the old 2wire, now set to bridge mode to disable its built-in wireless capability. The 2wire plugs into the N600 via Ethernet. And the N600, armed with all the correct PPPoE login information from the ISP, correctly connects to and interprets the DSL coming in from the 2wire and broadcasts it out. Even the network storage works!

Problem is, every couple of hours this connection fails, and in the weirdest way possible.

Right now, I'm typing this on an old 'n' busted laptop running Windows XP. It's currently connected to the N600's wireless network and can browse the web no problem. All the status lights on the routers are green, running an ipconfig command returns normal IP address information (including the router's IP), I can ping the router at that location fine.

But I can't connect to the router's settings page (192.168.1.1). WTF?

Also, a visiting Chromebook can connect to the network but can't load any websites... except for AOL webmail, of all things. A test email sent from a phone showed up in the inbox fine, while Google, Facebook, etc. look dead. Not even Gmail, mail.live.com, or even just plain old aol.com work -- just mail.aol.com. This Chromebook doesn't have a data connection, btw, just WiFi. I say again: WTF?

Meanwhile, a newer Windows 7 laptop can't connect to the N600 network at all ("Unable to connect..."), and even plugging directly into the N600 router via Ethernet won't work -- I can ping it fine, but neither websites nor the router settings page itself will load.

Various mobile devices are likewise denied -- various iPhones and iPads can't connect to the network at all.

Power-cycling the N600 router solves all these problems and things work alright for all devices... for a few hours. Until everything craps out again, for no apparent reason.

What could be triggering this issue, and how do I fix it? I've dealt with wonky router stuff before, but it seems totally bizarre to me that:

- the status lights on both routers are fine, including the N600's "internet connection OK" light
- ONE laptop can connect to the router's WiFi and browse the web, and can ping the router, but can't access the router itself
- the other laptop can ping the router through a wired connection, but can't access the router settings or browse the web that way
- a Chromebook can connect to the network and can load *one* website (mail.aol.com), but nothing else
- no other device (apart from that first laptop that mysteriously works fine) can connect to the WiFi network at all

Any thoughts or advice appreciated; I'd love to get this problem fixed rather than have to venture back to Best Buy and try to find a replacement (maybe an N900? who knows).

First time projector user needs help! Wireless video vs. wireless audio.

lattiboy — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 16:01:58 -0800

Help figuring out the best setup for a home theater projector. Total projector newb here.... I'm moving to a new house with a larger living room in March and I recently purchased this Acer projector after reading a lot of reviews saying it pretty much destroys anything under $500 away.

I did this lame SketchUp for a visual aid as to what I'd like to do.

I wanted the Xbox and the PC and the receiver to all be on the screen side of the room because (from what I can tell) setting up the Kinect wirelessly is a somewhat expensive nightmare, I don't want a PC directly behind me on the couch, and I don't want to have cables running across my living room floor. It's old oak floors with area rugs.

I realize audio is much easier to wirelessly transmit, but for the reasons stated above I would much prefer the components in front of the couch.

To further complicate things the projector only has VGA input (it scales HD to XGA), so I'll be using the component output of the xbox and the DVI output of my video card with a VGA adapter. So, I'll need a signal switcher with remote too.

PS I did search first, but this thread is about a projector with built-in wireless capability.

Wireless Repeaters - Easy , effective, and fun?

elmonobonobo — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 08:55:02 -0800

Wireless Repeaters - Easy , effective, and fun? A friend is staying in the upstairs of a large house where she gets spotty signal from the home wifi to her ipad.

I think a wireless repeater is in order, but it would have to be (near-)zero configuration as there are no techies in the house.

Do repeaters really work? Are they easy to set up?

Are there other user-simple options that I should be considering?

Stream music from my pc to my android phone over local wireless.

cthuljew — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 10:30:43 -0800

I want an app that I install on my Droid 3 phone that'll find my computer on my home wireless network and which I can point to my music folder and stream. I've found a couple services that involve setting up local servers, web apps, and what have you. But ES File Explorer can find my Windows PC on my wireless network and transfer files without any hassle, and I want a music player that can do the same basic thing, but present my music as a tagged library, like the default Android music player. The idea here is that I can have my phone in my pocket, and walk around my apartment doing chores or whatever, but still have my entire music library available through my headphones.

I realize this is an absurdly specific request, but I vaguely suspect something like this exists, but is gonna be basically impossible to find via Google. Even a suggestion for a slightly more involved app (as in, one that requires a desktop application or something) is fine if it's elegant and fairly trivial to set up. Thanks, hivemind!

Good inexpensive keyboard for Kindle 8.9 tablet?

snap_dragon — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 08:54:28 -0800

Looking for recommendations on a low end keyboard for the Kindle Fire 8.9 HD model. Hoping to get something on sale $30-40 (and i do realize this limits quality a bit...). I need to order it today if possible. Again, not expecting any whiz-bang but something rather basic and simply functional.

Rural Internet Access: Help my Dad get a connection that can actually let him stream..., well, anything!

MMALR — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 07:43:40 -0800

Rural Internet Access: Help my Dad get a connection that can actually let him stream..., well, anything! At one point in my youth, I was heavily into hardware and could have probably figured out a way to do this, but at this point -- I'm all ears for help.

The scenario is this. My Dad lives in a small, central Illinois community whose internet access providers are slim to none. Right now, he has a tiny 'dish' on the side of his house that transmits to a wireless access point that is perched on an enormous grain elevator that towers over the entire town. That signal relays to a central station, and he's on the Internet. His downstream is steady at 0.5 Mbps.

We looked into WildBlue, but I'm uncertain as to what plan he would need. I haven't ever had to translate internet usage on a household into gigabytes, only on my phone since I have to abide by my 2 GB limit through ATT. I never hit that, but that's on a phone, not a computer that can stream Netflix, etc.

The other option is... he has a giant house TV antenna that sits outside and is roughly 50 feet tall from the ground. Is there a way to attach some sort of extender that could possibly get him to better providers?

What about other options? Monthly fees is a problem unless he's getting good service. If we can make purchases of hardware (one-time) to improve his service, that would be ideal.

Any suggestions are welcome! Help him enter the age of streaming movies!

Can I use my old router as a repeater?

rybreadmed — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 12:18:32 -0800

How can I use my old router as a wireless repeater? I just replaced my Trendnet TEW-639GR router (this guy right here) with a Netgear N900 (this guy). I did this because I have an old house with thick plaster walls; the signal just wasn't reaching to the other side of my (relatively small) house.

So I got the new router set up. It seems to work pretty well. At the other end of the house, though, it still shows a poor signal--better than the old router, but still pretty crappy.

I would like to use the old router as a repeater or wireless access point. I'd like to take the signal from right before where it drops off (the kitchen), and repeat it to the bedroom (crap signal). I have no idea how to do this. It seems to have the capability, though. The old (Trendnet) manual says, "When WDS is enabled, this access point functions as a wireless repeater and is able to wirelessly communicate with other APs via WDS links." That's the last mention of it in the manual. Thanks for the help, Instruction Manual. You're a big help. And in case you can't tell, Instruction Manual, I'm being sarcastic.

So, is there a way to do this?

Can't figure out wireless connection issue

camylanded — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:22:13 -0800

I can't connect to the wireless network-- have connected with other laptops and my smart phone just fine to this connection. Is there something I can change on my computer? I need to figure this out ASAP or I may have problems with applying for jobs and doing my schoolwork! I share a connection with 2 other people—none of them have had any problems connecting to the network through phones/laptops/game consoles. I have an HP dv6-7122he laptop that runs Windows 7 Home Premium edition. I’m not sure the exact model of wireless modem, but it’s a newer model rented from Comcast/Xfinity/Whatever they call themselves now. Last year, I had an HP netbook that did not have this issue. My android phone also has not had this issue with the wireless connection. This has been going on with this wireless connection since I purchased this laptop in July. I’ve never been able to use this connection with this computer. I was lucky enough to have a neighbor who has been letting me use her connection, but she is moving out of her apartment and once that happens, obviously her wireless is going to go with her. I need wireless for school and would not be able to purchase direct internet for my home until January. I can connect to other wireless connections fine (although I will admit that I’ve had problems with two other connections but the public connection at school fixed itself when I changed it from a public connection to a "home connection")….

When I try to log-in to the wireless network, it says it’s ‘identifying’ for longer than usual, and then it will come up with small exclamation point logo and tell me that it’s an unidentified public network. I cannot change it to a home network. I have also reset the router hoping that would solve the problem, but it does not. Sometimes it will connect randomly to Google for me, but then it stops working. When I try to diagnose the problem using Windows Network Diagnostics, it just tells me to reset the router. I’ve done this several times and it does not work. I know this is a relatively common problem, but I don’t know how to fix it. Please help?

Autonomous wired and wireless repeater for travel?

ftm — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 06:41:59 -0800

I need to find a small device to be an all purpose router for connecting my iPad/iPhone and MacBook to both wired and wireless hotel networks, using a single hotel login. D-Link DIR-505? Or something else? The device needs to be able to act as a wireless repeater - repeating a hotel-side wireless network to a new wireless network which all my devices can see but will go through the same connection (so I don't have to pay 3 times, for hotels that only allow one device per account).

It also needs to do this with wired networks. Lots of devices can do this, but the catch is I need to be able to access and configure it with no Ethernet connection, for when I just have my phone and ipad. That is, if the device forces me to make an Ethernet connection to set up the in-room wireless network, it won't work for me.

Keeping size and weight down is really important to me. The DIR-505 looks like a good solution, and is has a USB charger too (although I can't find the current spec). It's got a lot of really iffy Amazon reviews though. Can any lightweight road warriors weigh in with suggestions?

Wireless headphones without the headphones

primethyme — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 09:47:46 -0800

Is there such a thing as a wireless headphone amp (wireless headphones without the headphone)? I'm looking for a solution to get audio from a TV on one side of the room to headphones on the other side of the room, without running a cord. There are many types of wireless/cordless headphones, and I read through all the previous threads about them here. But what I really want is something that I can plug my own headphones into. Basically the transmitter and receiver part, but with an output jack instead of built-in headphones. My wife and I both have specific (and very different) headphones we like to use, so even if we could find a wireless pair that works for one of us, the other would be unsatisfied.

Does this exist?

Should I go with a wireless or wired sound system?

zagyzebra — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 19:45:30 -0800

I'm wondering whether to go with a wireless sound system or in-the-wall wiring. The walls in my house are coming down, and I have to decide whether to wire the entire house for sound, or to go with a wireless system (like Sonos). The house is about 2500 sq ft, with high ceilings, and a downstairs basement. I'd like to be able to have the option of sound in almost every room. That said, the master bedroom is on one end of the house, and the downstairs basement on the opposite end. And it's a long house. The four most important rooms are the living room, master bedroom, kitchen and basement.

I'm no audiophile. Music is important to me, but I'm not a hardcore connoisseur. I'd like to be able to listen to music in the basement, the master bedroom, the kitchen and the living room (and maybe in the side yard and/or the outside deck if that's not asking for too much).

With all the new wireless technology, I'm unsure whether it makes sense to even do wiring in the walls anymore. Besides, how many speakers can you run off of one amp? On the other hand, this will be my only chance to do wiring in the walls, and I don't want to miss an opportunity.

Unsure quite what to do, and thought I would turn to mefites for advice and recommendations.

Large-headed man needs help finding headache-less headset

ofcourseican — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 15:30:38 -0800

I have an absurdly large head and most (95%+) headphones don't fit me. Fellow big-headed headphone-wearers, please recommend to me a pair of wireless headphones/headset that are wide and tall enough that they won't give me headaches! (Special conditions: no earbuds, clipons, etc. Needs to be headphones.) Here's what I'm looking for, separated into must-have qualities and would-like ones. (All of these are really "must-have" qualities, but with my large head size I realize I'm going to have to compromise somewhere.)

Must: Headphones/headset. I'll use a separate mic if I *have* to, but when I'm at my computer (which I'm at 16+ hours a day) I use skype, play games, etc, so having a boom mic on the headset is really needed. Plus a separate mic will render the whole "wireless" condition moot.
Must: Wireless. Wireless. Wireless. I'm so sick of having wires.
Must: Over the ear with large earcups (my ears are absurdly large as well, sigh) so my ears don't get sore.
Must/Would like: No bluetooth. I have a pair of bluetooth headphones, but they have zero chance of working with anything but my PC and mobile devices, and I don't like that. Plus bluetooth has audio quality issues (from what I've read) and the connectivity sucks (in my experience, anyway).
Would really like: Base station that takes multiple inputs (optical, analog, whatever) so that (hopefully) I can hook up multiple lines to it like I did with the Astro A50's that I tried (more details on that below).
Would really like: PC/XBOX compatible would be preferred, but PC compatibility is a must, since I can probably buy adapters to turn XBOX audio into something they can read.
Would like: Good quality audio. At this point that's the lowest on my list, though, since I just want something that fits!
Price: IDGAF. the Astro A50's were $300 and if I could find a pair of headphones that met all (or most) of my needs, I'd pay triple that. I love to listen to music while I work and I love to get rich audio from movies/games, and it's getting pretty old having to rely on crummy/inferior headsets or clipons.

What I've tried:
- Most recently (returning them tomorrow): Astro A50's. I loved them but they were too tight on the sides and too short by a good 1-2 inches, so they hurt the sides of my head and the top, too. I got headaches after 10 minutes of using them, even after I removed the top cushion. If they had been 2+ inches taller and not so tight on the sides I would have kept them and never let them go. Bonus: They worked with my PC and my XBOX at the SAME TIME. SCORE!
- Plantronics Audio 355 multimedia headset. This is what I use most of the time since it's light enough that even though it's too small, it doesn't give me immediate headaches. I still get them, though. And the audio suuuuuucks. Aaaand the earcups on them are about 1/2 the size they need to be to fit me.
- Air-fi bluetooth headphones. These are probably the best (comfort-wise) I've found so far even though they still hurt after a while. The bluetooth connectivity is iffy with my computers but they're tall enough and they don't pinch very much on the sides. Downsides are the bluetooth, crappy sound, the fact that they're not over-the ear (sound leakage) and general poor quality construction

I also have several pairs of earbuds and clipons (my Audio-Technica ATH-EW9's are what I use most of the time) but I can't get good, rich sounds out of them, plus they're wired and don't have a microphone.

I hope I included enough details that someone out there can help me out. If you can recommend a pair from a place that has a good return policy, that'd be swell. Thank you!!

Bridging a Cisco router thru a Verizon FiOS Actiontec router to improve WiFi speed: worth the trouble and, if so, how?

Jamesonian — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 12:54:27 -0800

My FiOS speed is a blazing 75Mb/s thru a wire but only about 30-35Mb/s wireless. Verizon tells me that this is all I can expect through their Actiontec modem/router. Can I improve this WiFi speed by bridging my Cisco EA4500 thru the FiOS router? If so, can anyone provide me with a step-by-step way to re-configure the FiOS router to allow for the bridge? All of the resources I can find on-line are confusing and don't cover my specific situation. All help is appreciated. Thanks in advance!