Lag for wireless networking?

[FiL]

As most of you know your ping is an important part of your stats in Networked gaming.

I was wondering what the pings achieved with computers are in games when using a 802.11b wireless Ethernet?

examples of what i get are in CounterStrike

100Mbit LAN : 5 ms
512kbit cable modem: 30ms
56k Modem : 180ms!

So i'd be interested to see what a 802.11b wireless Ethernet ping is, or even what a shared broadband connection over 802.11b wireless Ethernet pings like

<A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/mol_gen" target="_new"><font color=red>My Computer</font color=red></A>

 

[bum_jcrules]

Lets just say this...

Even if you had a 11Mbit wireless setup the ping would be about 9 times more than a 100Mbit connection.

100/11 = (ratio) = 9.0909

9.0909 x 5ms = 45.4545ms


So if you used a cable connection and then used a wireless router to have everyone connected to the cable modem you will have even more lag.

It would be addative and not multiplicitive.

45.4545ms + 30ms = 95.4545ms

If there is a multiplicative factor then it would be...

(45.4545ms + 30ms) x Factor = "X"

A friend of mine, <A HREF="http://www.jonkiddy.com" target="_new">Jon</A> (AKA <A HREF="http://ipa.buffalostate.edu/~mrkid/" target="_new">MrKid</A>), has a <A HREF="http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=22&prid=415" target="_new">Linksys BEFW11S4</A> and a <A HREF="http://www.sonystyle.com/home/item.jsp?hierc=9683x7018x9032&catid=9032&itemid=44421&type=o" target="_new">Sony Vaio</A> hooked up wirelessly. We don't ever use it for gaming. We would never want to either. It is more fun to be able to walk around the house and outside while still being connected to the internet. He does that sometimes when we IM and he has to go get his mail. <A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/bum_jcrules/P1010001.JPG" target="_new">Picture of the Vaio on the desk</A> hooked up wirelessly.

<b>"If I melt dry ice in a bathtub, can I take a bath without getting wet?" - Steven Wright</b>

 

[FiL]

just remember that bandwidth and Lag are two mostly independant things....

You can't say that a 100Mbit LAN is 9 times less laggy than a 11Mbit wireless connection becuase of bandwidth.

a 10Mbit LAN is NOT 10 times more laggy than 100Mbit.

The lag all comes from the various processes such and losses from the system.....and I'm guessing that from what you say, wireless is a lossy laggy system. thanks


<A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/mol_gen" target="_new"><font color=red>My Computer</font color=red></A>

 

[bum_jcrules]

In terms of peak bandwidth? Going from 100Mbit connection to a 11Mbit connection will in deed cause more conjestion and thus "lag." You have to agree with that... Besides... latency and bandwidth are interwoven things.

I have had 200ms+ lag on a 256Mbit cable connection. Some of the lag is from the server, some form the machine you are on, and the rest is the systems inbetween.

All things being equal. You will most likely have some form of increased lag using a wireless 11Mbit connection verses a hardwired 100Mbit connection. Call it two users with the same machine configuration, less the network connection adapters, and one server. All tied into a hybrid hub. You will see less lag in the hardwired machine than the wireless.

One thing you have to remember is that wireless connections use electromagnetic radio waves. Reguardless of the frequency there still needs to be a conversion from electical signal to radio signal and back to electrical. That is a major source or "lag" or latency or whaterver you want to call it.

Also, distance and physical obsticals can seriously decrease signal strength and bandwith.

So is it exactly 9.0909 times... most likely not. However you are looking for a real world number that no one in their right mind would want to connect to if a 100Mbit or higher connection was available.

If you really need to have the numbers I will test it out next Tuesday. Until then you will have to deal with hypotheticals from me.

<b>"If I melt dry ice in a bathtub, can I take a bath without getting wet?" - Steven Wright</b>

 

[FiL]

yeah i was referring to gaming on a 10Mbit LAN will not be more laggy than a 100Mbit LAN for the most part.

I await the numbers from you with great anticipation

<A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/mol_gen" target="_new"><font color=red>My Computer</font color=red></A>

 

[Popsikle]

well here are the facts. This is on a Dual t1 network, There is a fully switched 100mbps network, and a fully switched 11mbps 802.11b network.
802.11b:
Ping between wireless Computers: ~5ms
Ping to a wired machine: ~5ms
Ping to Yahoo.com: ~85ms

Wired:
Ping between wired computer: 1ms
Ping to wireless computer: 4ms
Ping to Yahoo.com: ~23ms

Note that The wireless machines were around 1000+ feet away in the dorms, and im sitting up in my office. There are also 500+ users on the wireless network, and thier bandwith to the internet is throttled (hence the higher yahoo.com ping)

WIRELESS IS PERFECTLY ABLE TO HANDLE GAMING!!!!

 

[phr0ze]

I ran a similar test. I have Pro Cable (368kb/3.5mbit) connection. Wired computers go into Linksys BEFSR41 router. AP is an SMC also connected directly to the router.

Wired system to Yahoo. (Averages of the 4 pakets. Run 3 times. 12 packets in all)
22ms
19ms
21ms

Wireless to yahoo.(same number of packets)
23ms
22ms
22ms

Average to ping wireless to wired (3 tests)
2ms
2ms
2ms

Average to ping wired to wireless (3 Tests)(You never know)
2ms
3ms
2ms

Wired to wired (Just to see my net performance)
<1ms
<1ms
<1ms

Wireless to Wireless
5ms
5ms
6ms

I guess from looking at the numbers Wireless to wired isn't bad So I would make the server wired to the AP and everyone else should get good times. I definately agree this is fine for gaming. We set up a wireless network with a wired server to 50 wireless clients and all 50 clients were communicating to the server simultaneously with no noticable side effects.

Finally wireless is far faster than cable modem or dsl.


---------------------------------------
phr0Ze

I've been hiding in the shadows @ THG since 97.
AMD1800/768MB/9700Pro/Dragon+/240GigRaid0/DoubleWide with Redundant 350watt