Wireless N receiver for PS 3?

[darien87]

Hey guys,

I think my wireless internet connection is dragging me down when I play Battlefield 3 online. I was told that getting a N-type wireless receiver would help. What is this?

 

[j_garcia]

What service do you have an what wireless unit are you using now?

 

[Adam]

Hi, Darien. The person was talking about a wireless receiver that uses 802.11n. That protocol is faster than the 802.11g that is built into the PS3. Upgrading from the built in wireless to an external access point that uses 802.11n (like this one) made a huge difference for me when streaming video from my PC. You must have an 802.11n wireless router/transmitter to take advantage of it.

So, if you are using the built in wireless and your Internet service is faster than ~15Mbps download, then an 802.11n receiver might help you out. One easy way to figure out if faster wireless would help is to try a wired connection if you can run a wire that far.

 

[Grador]

Before investing in some hardware I would try moving your ps3 temporarily to plug it in wired to the router. If you notice a difference then it may be a good idea. I would venture to be that the issue [if you actually have any] would be with your internet connection rather than your wireless setup.

Head here, for gaming the ping is the most important number (lower better): Speedtest.net - The Global Broadband Speed Test

 

[GlocksRock]

You can use something like this, it's what I use for my blu ray player in the room that has no hardwired connection, and it works really well.

Amazon.com: Cisco-Linksys WET610N Dual-Band Wireless-N Gaming and Video Adapter: Electronics

 

[darien87]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. My ISP is Verizon. I called them up and asked if my modem is Type N and they said "yes". I also had them upgrade me from 1Mb/s to 3. I then hooked the PS 3 directly to the modem with an ethernet cable, (had to run it 30' across the living room to the kitchen where the modem is ). I've played BF 3 a few times with the PS 3 wired to the modem and it doesn't seem to make too much of a difference. Maybe it's a little better. I did notice that downloads go faster though.

But I'm definitely not getting 15mbps per Adam's suggestion. I did a few speed tests from Speed Test.Net yesterday and was getting 1.8mb down and .5 up.

I ended up buying one of these since Newegg was selling refurbished ones for $20.

Newegg.com - Refurbished: NETGEAR WNCE2001-100NAR Universal Wireless Internet Adapter For TV & BLU-RAY IEEE 802.11b/g/n Ethernet Port Up to 300Mbps Wireless Data Rates Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA2-PSK, WPA-PSK), WEP, WPS

Looks like the price went up a bit. It was $19.99 when I bought it. I figured at the worst it couldn't hurt. We'll see.

 

[GlocksRock]

Thanks for the suggestions guys. My ISP is Verizon. I called them up and asked if my modem is Type N and they said "yes". I also had them upgrade me from 1Mb/s to 3. I then hooked the PS 3 directly to the modem with an ethernet cable, (had to run it 30' across the living room to the kitchen where the modem is ). I've played BF 3 a few times with the PS 3 wired to the modem and it doesn't seem to make too much of a difference. Maybe it's a little better. I did notice that downloads go faster though.

But I'm definitely not getting 15mbps per Adam's suggestion. I did a few speed tests from Speed Test.Net yesterday and was getting 1.8mb down and .5 up.

I ended up buying one of these since Newegg was selling refurbished ones for $20.

Newegg.com - Refurbished: NETGEAR WNCE2001-100NAR Universal Wireless Internet Adapter For TV & BLU-RAY IEEE 802.11b/g/n Ethernet Port Up to 300Mbps Wireless Data Rates Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA2-PSK, WPA-PSK), WEP, WPS

Looks like the price went up a bit. It was $19.99 when I bought it. I figured at the worst it couldn't hurt. We'll see.

When using speedtest.net, you won't see speeds faster than what your ISP is giving you. The 15mbps is only when trasnferring data from once source to another on the lan.

 

[Grador]

Again I will state, the ping is far more important than speed on games. What's your ping?

 

[Adam]

First, that Netgear works well. I have one. It only works over 2.4 GHz (not 5 GHz), but it will transfer data faster than the built in wireless in the PS3.

As Glocks said, when I mentioned the 15 Mbps for your Internet speed, that was my estimate (based on my in home performance) of the speed that you'd need before you'd exceed the PS3's built in capability. At 3 Mbps, you really don't need the Netgear. However, if you decide to stream HD video to the PS3 from something in your home (like a PC), that Netgear will make a very noticeable difference.

 

[darien87]

Again I will state, the ping is far more important than speed on games. What's your ping?

I think the best ping I've gotten from the few times I've run the Speedtest.net test was 55ms.

 

[Grador]

I think the best ping I've gotten from the few times I've run the Speedtest.net test was 55ms.

That is pretty decent and I wouldn't imagine a 55 causing you many problems. It might help if it were better, but there is little you can do about that. If it gets over 100....things start to get real rough.