4 Networks on Router

[Kev Sharratt]

I have recently set up streaming to my xbox 360 & wii from my main PC across my home network.

The network is completely wireless, wireless n router Netgear DG834N, I have 2 vista laptops with wireless N and my PC which runs XP Pro and has a USB 2 wireless N adapter, the 360 & wii are also wireless but the 'g' variety. I am running TVersity on my PC to stream.

I was having trouble with stuttering on mp3's and figured it was the speed over the network causing the probs. My router is upstairs both my PC and the xbox are downstairs, there are also metal beams in the loft, so reception is not perfect. I updated the router firmwear to the latest DGteam edition '850' and that seems to have solved the stuttering.

When I look at the router settings I can now have 4 networks with different SSID's on the router, so....
1. I could put the xbox on its own network as this is the most bandwidth needy item, but would that stop the streaming from working as my PC would be on a different network?
2. Both my wife and I bring our work laptops home for evening work (these are additional to my 2 daughters laptops mentioned above). Should I set up a guest network to keep the laptops that have been connected to other servers away from my home network PC's? Also my 2 daughters mobiles can connect and are obviously taken elsewhere so maybe should go here

Generally having the ability to have 4 networks on one router, how is it best to organise them

Thanks for any advice

Kev

[Ol'Tunzafun]

The advantage of multiple SSIDs is being able to set appropriate security levels for different clients. It's a great way to isolate those units requiring tighter security. It doesn't give you any more bandwidth, but if the streaming worked before, it should still work on its own network.
A guest account can be a practical solution.

[Kev Sharratt]

so if i moved the 360 from 'Network 1' to 'network 2' it will still see 'TVersity on Study' which is connected to 'Network 1'

thanks

Kev

[Kev Sharratt]

Also by bandwidth I meant internally with my home network, not internet access bandwidth. My broadband is OK but the 360's 'g' adapter does not give me great access to it.

[Ol'Tunzafun]

For two devices to be connected they have to be on the same network (with the same SSID).

[Midknyte]

Merely putting a device into a different SSID does not give it higher bandwidth. You'll need to look up QoS settings for your router. Unfortunately, I don't have that model and the DGTeam documentation is very sparse.

[cat6]

What counts in a Network is the IPs and Not words.

You cannot "con" Hardware to give more bandwidth than what it was designed too.

You cannot augment the sum of Bandwidth to be more than the original point can give.

You can Not combine bandwidth in regular peer-peer Networks.

As an example you can get better traffic (Not Internet) between Network devices that are connected between them with better hardware.

If you connect to the Network a Giga Switch and plug Giga capable computers to it, the switch can be on the same Network and would comuniate to any Network device, but the faster (Giga) traffic would be only between the Giga computers that are connected to the Giga switch. It would not make faster the Internet or other traffic the originated elsewhere, only the traffic that originate and terminates between theses Giga capable computers that are plugged to the Giga Switch.

Similarly can be done with Access Point too.

[Kev Sharratt]

Thanks for the advice, I think I will just set up a 2nd one for 'guests' so they are secure from my own machines

cheers

Kev

[cat6]

Best solution is actually this (keep to the principles and adapt them to your situation).

Network Segregation - http://www.ezlan.net/shield.html

All the risky stuff on the first Router.

Your Good stuff on the second Router.