Wireless gaming adapter

panerd · 06-04-2009, 05:14 PM

I guess I could register on a tech forum but you guys seem to be pretty knowledgable. I was wanting to start using Directv's "On Demand" with a wireless adapter. While I was at it I figured I would kill two birds with one stone and get something that would also work with my PS3. (Obviously I am not that into online gaming but it would be a neat featue to always have on hand)

So at stores like Best Buy I see that I can buy something like this for about $80. The reason I am wary though is that I know that I can buy HDMI cables on the internet for like $15 and they are in the $50's there. Also I am not sure if the kid knows what he is talking about and if it will work with both.

So is there a cheaper alternative out there that will work with both?

panerd · 06-04-2009, 05:15 PM

Dola: Anyone familiar with why there is no HBO on Demand with directv but everything else is there? Seems like HBO and Directv don't get along very well. (Their channel package completely lacks compared to cable HBO)

panerd · 06-04-2009, 06:39 PM

trying a different title

Alan T · 06-04-2009, 06:47 PM

I assume you mean something like a linksys wireless game adapter that connects to your already existing wireless network and on the other side connects with a cat5 cable to your direct tv box or your ps3 or such?

It basically works just like a wireless adapter for your computer, you just have to configure it using a PC before moving it to the game system that you want to use. You can only plug one device into it at a time since it is a bridge, you can't connect a switch or hub on the back end to connect up multiple things to it.

They often times are pretty sensitive to cordless phones running on similar frequencies or other wireless devices nearby to them I find. You also have to ask yourself if you are going to have any kind of problem with reliability on it due to your wireless access point that it connects to being too far away or too much interference in between.

I have numerous "media" devices connected to my network at home, but I find that I don't care too much for doing it wirelessly. Connecting up a PS3 or XBOx360 wirelessly with one of these to play games online usually is fine because the games you play are designed to be able to tolerate a certain amount of latency, but depending on what type of media you are streaming (such as I assume Directv's ondemand works via IP), you might not be as happy with latency as it will sometimes cause excessive buffering.

If you have any real time media players that you want to use over it, you're usually far better off just running a wired connection. If you insist on wanting to do it wirelessly, the wireless gaming adapters can work, but there are possibly other more reliable solutions available as well, but they might require more technical knowhow. (such as you can get two specific model type of routers that are capable of running third party firmware and setting them up to bridge to each other wirelessly and get generally better quality, but that requires a pretty deep level of understanding to do so).

So that probably is more than you wanted to know, but I hope it helps.

Hammer755 · 06-04-2009, 07:12 PM

DirecTV recommends the WGA600N to connect wirelessly because the newer DTV receivers will auto-detect it (instead of configuring via PC as Alan described), making the setup very easy. I picked up one a couple of months ago for ~$90, which seems to be a pretty consistent price, and it worked as advertised.

However, I've read that this particular adapter is a bear to use for any other purpose. I have an older model for my PS2, the WGA54G, which still works smoothly.

Hammer755 · 06-04-2009, 07:18 PM

Dola

I'm pretty sure that no matter what choice you make, you won't be able to run both your satellite and PS3 through simultaneously.

gstelmack · 06-04-2009, 07:25 PM

Wireless networking sucks for gaming. Dropped packets are a killer.

stevew · 06-04-2009, 09:48 PM

If I wanted to connect my Xbox and my Dish receiver to my network all I would need is a long cat6 cable to my DSL router, a hub and 2 shorter cables? Or do I need another router to plug that stuff into. I know you could theoretically bridge wireless routers but I'm not that advanced.

Alan T · 06-05-2009, 04:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevew

If I wanted to connect my Xbox and my Dish receiver to my network all I would need is a long cat6 cable to my DSL router, a hub and 2 shorter cables? Or do I need another router to plug that stuff into. I know you could theoretically bridge wireless routers but I'm not that advanced.

It depends on what your "DSL router" is. If it really is a router that hands out internal private IP addresses to your internal network already, then yes you are correct (even though hubs are fairly obsolete these days, and small low-end dumb-switches are very affordable and do the same thing better). You don't need cat6 cable for it unless you plan on upgrading your entire network to gigabit and actually expect to run applications on it that can benefit from it however. You can just go with cat5 or cat5e cable for most cases if you are going with a traditional 10/100 network.

06-04-2009, 06:47 PM	#4
Alan T Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Mass.	I assume you mean something like a linksys wireless game adapter that connects to your already existing wireless network and on the other side connects with a cat5 cable to your direct tv box or your ps3 or such? It basically works just like a wireless adapter for your computer, you just have to configure it using a PC before moving it to the game system that you want to use. You can only plug one device into it at a time since it is a bridge, you can't connect a switch or hub on the back end to connect up multiple things to it. They often times are pretty sensitive to cordless phones running on similar frequencies or other wireless devices nearby to them I find. You also have to ask yourself if you are going to have any kind of problem with reliability on it due to your wireless access point that it connects to being too far away or too much interference in between. I have numerous "media" devices connected to my network at home, but I find that I don't care too much for doing it wirelessly. Connecting up a PS3 or XBOx360 wirelessly with one of these to play games online usually is fine because the games you play are designed to be able to tolerate a certain amount of latency, but depending on what type of media you are streaming (such as I assume Directv's ondemand works via IP), you might not be as happy with latency as it will sometimes cause excessive buffering. If you have any real time media players that you want to use over it, you're usually far better off just running a wired connection. If you insist on wanting to do it wirelessly, the wireless gaming adapters can work, but there are possibly other more reliable solutions available as well, but they might require more technical knowhow. (such as you can get two specific model type of routers that are capable of running third party firmware and setting them up to bridge to each other wirelessly and get generally better quality, but that requires a pretty deep level of understanding to do so). So that probably is more than you wanted to know, but I hope it helps. __________________ Couch to ??k - From the couch to a Marathon in roughly 18 months.

06-04-2009, 07:12 PM	#5
Hammer755 High School Varsity Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Houston, TX	DirecTV recommends the WGA600N to connect wirelessly because the newer DTV receivers will auto-detect it (instead of configuring via PC as Alan described), making the setup very easy. I picked up one a couple of months ago for ~$90, which seems to be a pretty consistent price, and it worked as advertised. However, I've read that this particular adapter is a bear to use for any other purpose. I have an older model for my PS2, the WGA54G, which still works smoothly. __________________ I failed Signature 101 class. Last edited by Hammer755 : 06-04-2009 at 07:13 PM.

06-04-2009, 07:18 PM	#6
Hammer755 High School Varsity Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Houston, TX	Dola I'm pretty sure that no matter what choice you make, you won't be able to run both your satellite and PS3 through simultaneously. __________________ I failed Signature 101 class.

06-04-2009, 07:25 PM	#7
gstelmack Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Cary, NC	Wireless networking sucks for gaming. Dropped packets are a killer. __________________ -- Greg -- Author of various FOF utilities

06-04-2009, 09:48 PM	#8
stevew Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: the yo'	If I wanted to connect my Xbox and my Dish receiver to my network all I would need is a long cat6 cable to my DSL router, a hub and 2 shorter cables? Or do I need another router to plug that stuff into. I know you could theoretically bridge wireless routers but I'm not that advanced. Last edited by stevew : 06-04-2009 at 09:49 PM.

06-04-2009, 05:15 PM	#2
panerd Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: St. Louis	Dola: Anyone familiar with why there is no HBO on Demand with directv but everything else is there? Seems like HBO and Directv don't get along very well. (Their channel package completely lacks compared to cable HBO)

06-04-2009, 06:39 PM	#3
panerd Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: St. Louis	trying a different title

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