Networking info and WEP or WPA encryption?

More tech advice for you today. I have been immersed in research in hopes of solving a wireless networking issue. I now have three devices that need access to the internet. Since the PS3 will connect wirelessly I am ok there for now, but the DirecTV needs to connect for Video On Demand. The SlingBox needs a connection so I can watch TV on my PC from anywhere. I have a Linksys Game adapter that works as a wireless connection, but it only supports one device. So I have internet connectivity for two of the three devices. If I want to download Video on Demand and watch it remotely through my PC, I can’t unless I find a solution that will support the three devices.

It appears my best option is the D-Link DAP-1522 > Xtreme N Duo Wireless Bridge/Access Point. I am also surprised at how long it took me to find this. I would think this is a popular item, but BestBuy doesn't sell this according to their website. Linksys live chat support based in the Philippines recommended their WET54G Wireless-G Ethernet Bridge but wireless G is old and slower technology. The D-Link DAP-1522 bridge will allow me to connect up to 4 Ethernet-enabled devices such as Game Consoles, Digital Video Recorders (DVR), and Digital Media Adapters (DMA) to my wireless network at 802.11n speeds. I just bought the Linksys Gaming adapter and now it already needs to be replaced. This is why I am blogging. Hopefully someone else will benefit and I get to vent my frustration.

One very important fact that I learned as a result of my research today involved encryption that you use on your Router to prevent unauthorized access. Up until today I have been using WEP. I learned today that WPA is actually better and I learned that as a result of using WEP I was not able to take full advantage of the speed potential of my router.

Do you still use WEP encryption for your home network? Do you have a router that supports 802.11n speeds? If so you may not be connecting at full speed. If you are using the D-Link Gaming Router DGL-4500 (This may or may not apply to all routers that support the 802.11n technology) and you want to take advantage of the fast wireless speeds, then don’t use the WEP security option. This was news to me and the news paid off big time. If you choose the WEP security option the router will only operate in Legacy Wireless mode (802.11B/G). This means you will not get the 11N performance due to the fact that the WEP is no supported by Draft 11N specification. You spent the money to upgrade to this technology, so it aught to do what it advertised to do. To bad D-Link doesn’t let you know this important fact during the setup process. It should be shown in bold red print rather then a small blub buried in the manual.

What does this ultimately mean? Prior to using WPA my SlingBox streaming was ok, but there was some delay in optimizing which meant choppy audio initially as well as pixilated video. After making the change to use WPA security my SlingPlayer is streaming video at around 5500kbps. Smokin! Now when I change channels the picture shows up quickly without cutouts in audio. While slinging at work I was limited to around 300kbps. Next time I am at work I hope to see much higher #’s now that my Slingbox is slinging media at a much faster rate.

I still need to connect the sling box with HD cables. I might stop by Best buy tonight to pickup the required Sling Media HD Connect Cable. I will see if they will price match Amazon who sells the item for $10.00 bucks less and free shipping. This way I can use my Best Buy Rewards and I don’t have to wait to obtain the item.