Upgrading - A Tale of 2's

Upgrading a computer system - hardware and software - is an ongoing process. Just about the time that one becomes comfortable with something PC-related, a new version hits the market. In the case of hardware upgrades, users end up with at least two of everything - the original device AND a second unit. An example of this would be a few upgrades which I recently made to my network.

My wireless network has worked very well for almost two years. And the fact that it is an 802.11b compliant system is not a problem (you may notice wireless products advertised as 'wireless B' or 'wireless G' - part of the IEEE industry standards definition). When I considered installing it, I wanted to link my notebook PC to my network. 'B' did the trick with a 100-300 foot wireless range.

But then, something happened. I started adding devices to the network...scanners, external hard drives, burners, webcams and digital cameras, memory card readers, etc.

My digital camera uses an SD memory card, and I prefer to use a card reader to transfer images from the camera to the PC, rather than draining the batteries while connected via a cable. For a few still photos, the reader worked fine. But with movies files and/or a large number of photos, connecting to the 1.1 USB port on one desktop unit seemed to take forever.

Additionally, the external hard drive seemed to take a painfully long time to read/write from the desktop, when connected via the USB port. Because the USB 1.1 controller and port installed on most systems more than a year old allows for data transfers at rates up to 12 Mbits/s, this has been more than adequate for most users. But with high capacity drives, video streaming, and other issues, the USB 1.1 has become woefully inadequate. So, in my case, I upgraded the PCs on the network (with the exception on the mobile PC) to USB 2.0 cards and controllers. Not very costly, very easy to install, and what a difference in speed. Downloads and transfers happen in seconds rather than minutes, since USB 2.0 operates at speeds of up to 480 Mbits/s (forty times faster than 1.1). For more about USBs, read this.

The next problem which I encountered was streaming video over the wireless network. With the 10/100 wired network, data between devices flows smoothly. But when I attempted to stream video over the wireless network, or transfer data from the external hard drive to the notebook via USB, I found the images freezing and the audio being interrupted. With the 'wireless B' network, data rates max out at 11 Mbs, and this was clearly causing a bottleneck during streaming. Audio streaming, such as internet radio, worked fine, but requesting video required more bandwidth. So, once again, I decided to upgrade the wireless network.

I purchased and installed a 'wireless G' router and cards for the desktop units and notebook PC. By utilizing the wireless network, the notebook did not need the USB 2.0 card to reach higher data transfer rates. As long as no other 'B' devices are connected to the network, the 'G' card will operate at speeds up to 54Mbs, and my notebook is usually operating at that speed. (If you choose to have 'B' cards also operating, the data rates will drop to 24Mbs).

So, while I now have my network operating at acceptable (to me) performance levels, I also have new paperweights and doorstops to complement the drink coasters (ruined CDs and DVDs) that I have accumulated over the years.