Help with NAS and WiFi limitations

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dominicmck

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#83393 16-May-2011 01:36

Hi Everyone.

I am trying to setup a NAS for the first time and I need some help understanding what I can and cant do with Wireless Networks. My flat has an existing wireless rougher that the internet comes through. This is a g/b wifi network.

I would like to connect a wireless NAS to this network so that the NAS has access to the net. However to access the NAS from my MAC I would like to use the built-in Wireless N on the NAS for increased speed. The Mac and NAS are in the same room, the router is in another room with average signal (enough for internet but too slow for wireless backup). Also my Mac would need to access the internet, either via the NAS or directly on the g/b network.

I haven't bought the NAS yet (suggestions welcome) and the router is a THOMSON TG585 v7.

Is this possible without extra hardware. If not what would be the easiest way to enable this?

Thanks for your help.

Dom

michaelmurfy

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#469458 16-May-2011 01:40

What kind of NAS is this? It is possible assuming your NAS has DHCP turned off + a IP on the "Regular Network" the Thompson creates.

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dominicmck

16 posts

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#469459 16-May-2011 01:43

Hi,
Thanks for the quick replay. I haven't chosen a NAS yet. So it isn't a problem for a NAS to simultaneously be operating a b/g connection and a N connection?

Spyware

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#469468 16-May-2011 07:13

Two Ethernet interfaces and route between them. Use 2 routers or access points in wireless client mode as the wireless devices. Synology have NAS models with two interfaces but maybe rack mount.

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webwat

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#469545 16-May-2011 11:09

I would recommend not connecting any NAS by wireless, it should be wired to your router or switch. If you try to connect wifi from a computer to another device thats also on wifi, you compound the congestion issues and any problems with interferance or sharing the radio frequency that crop up on the wireless.

Time to find a new industry!

Ragnor

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#469630 16-May-2011 13:41

How far apart are the rooms?

Ideally you want to run a network cable from the router to the other room and have a cheap 5 port gigabit switch there that the MAC and NAS can plug into.

A TP-Link TL-SG1005D 5 Port Gigabit Switch is ~$50

For running a cable, where there is a will there is a way - under the house through the artic etc.

shk292

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#469854 16-May-2011 20:33

Just how bad is your wifi connection from mac to router? If you could sort this out to an acceptable speed, then plugging the NAS into the router will give you a simple solution. I have a -N router and laptop that connect somewhere between 50 and 130Mbps, with a Linksys NSLU2 acting as a NAS. Speed is fine for backups and as a shared file store for photos, music, documents etc. If there are files that you want to access with better speed, you can always use something like synctoy to keep local copies on the laptop.

nickb800

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#469878 16-May-2011 21:11

Ragnor: where there is a will there is a way - under the house through the artic etc.

I know geeks will go to long lengths to form a good home lan, but the north pole would be too far for me :p

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Ragnor

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#470096 17-May-2011 13:36

nickb800:
Ragnor: where there is a will there is a way - under the house through the artic etc.

I know geeks will go to long lengths to form a good home lan, but the north pole would be too far for me :p

Haha indeed!

Important not to get artic and attic confused.

Mark

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#470597 18-May-2011 16:02

I've a combination of wired and wireless in my house, the wireless was meant mainly for walking about devices but I do have my AppleTV using it to stream video files from my Mac ... I had a situation last week where I had to take the Mac off the wired and onto the Wireless (computer room flooded) and the link to the AppleTV got really flakey .. lots of drop offs and slow syncing ... so I recommend not doing wireless to wireless transfers :-)

Router I have is an elcheapo TP-Link TW8960N ($134), works great! I had no end of grief with Belkin, Dlink and Linksys not supporting Apples Bonjour protocol properly (the AppleTV needs it).

As to NAS choice .. I just bought a Thecus N4200pro and so far so good .. but Synology and Qnap also get good reviews ... the routers that have a USB port on them that can share a disk are generally complete crap (last one I tried from Belkin was managing 1.5Mb/s .... my Thecus does 62Mb/s with no tuning and just dragging a big file from Mac to NAS as the test).

Have fun!