Optimize my wired connection for gaming.

[dauntlessds]

I am not sure at all if this is the correct place to post this question but here goes.

I have a Belkin F5D8233-4 Wireless N Router and i know it isn't all that great but it has been reliable through all of the torture I put it through. I usually have 5 devices connected to it:

Windows 7 Computer = WIRED (On almost always)
WinXP Pro Computer = WIRED (On half as much)
Wii/Blu-Ray Player = WIRED (On a 1/8 of the time with single CAT5 switched between the two when in use)
2 x Google Nexus S = WIRELESS (WiFi is always set to ON on these phones because T-Mobile doesn't offer stable 3G in my area)

My wife and I want to start playing Tribes Ascend together and I want to optimize the router for FPS gameplay, or even just gameplay in general. I am familiar with Port Forwarding but the Belkin does NOT make it plain and simple. I don't think port forwarding is necessary for Tribes Ascend but I've read that "port forwarding helps tremendously no matter whether it is needed or not." (confirm or deny) I am sure there are things I can do to optimize my router for gaming through wired connections seeing as I don't care for wireless gaming, it's just plain stupid to game on a wireless connection.

Some other information that might help:
I have a Linksys CM100 Cable Modem running Comcast Hi-Speed Cable Internet.
If there is something else I may have failed to mention I am sorry. I will gladly edit my post when that info is divulged.

 

[phil0083]

I am not sure at all if this is the correct place to post this question but here goes.

I have a Belkin F5D8233-4 Wireless N Router and i know it isn't all that great but it has been reliable through all of the torture I put it through. I usually have 5 devices connected to it:

Windows 7 Computer = WIRED (On almost always)
WinXP Pro Computer = WIRED (On half as much)
Wii/Blu-Ray Player = WIRED (On a 1/8 of the time with single CAT5 switched between the two when in use)
2 x Google Nexus S = WIRELESS (WiFi is always set to ON on these phones because T-Mobile doesn't offer stable 3G in my area)

My wife and I want to start playing Tribes Ascend together and I want to optimize the router for FPS gameplay, or even just gameplay in general. I am familiar with Port Forwarding but the Belkin does NOT make it plain and simple. I don't think port forwarding is necessary for Tribes Ascend but I've read that "port forwarding helps tremendously no matter whether it is needed or not." (confirm or deny) I am sure there are things I can do to optimize my router for gaming through wired connections seeing as I don't care for wireless gaming, it's just plain stupid to game on a wireless connection.

Some other information that might help:
I have a Linksys CM100 Cable Modem running Comcast Hi-Speed Cable Internet.
If there is something else I may have failed to mention I am sorry. I will gladly edit my post when that info is divulged.

I heard you say cat5. You might want to see if your routers ports will support Gigbit connections. If so you'll need Cat 6 cables to comply with the Gigabit standard. I'm almost 90% sure your pc's will do Gigabit if you've bought them within the last 3 years. So to sum it all up, in order to run a Gigabit connection 2 things need to happen. 1. Devices on both sides of the cable need to be Gigabit capable and 2. you'll need Cat 6 cable, because Cat5/Cat5e will only support 10/100 megabit connections and not Gigabit. also you can replace you cable running between your cable modem and your router with a Cat 6 cable, if both devices support it, a Gigabit connection will be automatically established.


I know its way off-topic for what you were asking but you did say you were trying to get a little bit more performance out of your home network. Sometimes people have two Gigabit capable devices hooked up with a Cat5 cord and it'll fall back to 10/100 megabit, and your only a cord swap away from having a faster connection.

This will not improve the speed of your internet, just the general performance of your home network

 

[mrfatbox]

Cat5 bit of a no no if it is old school CAT5 but CAT5e will run Gigabit just fine in the home, unless you are talking over 50m cable then you are going to have a problem. You only need CAT6 Cable if you are going to use 10 Gigabit Ethernet.

 

[phil0083]

Cat5 bit of a no no if it is old school CAT5 but CAT5e will run Gigabit just fine in the home, unless you are talking over 50m cable then you are going to have a problem. You only need CAT6 Cable if you are going to use 10 Gigabit Ethernet.

Well if he's over the 50m for Cat 5e (which I doubt he is, but still), then he'll need to switch to Cat 6 with a maximum length of 100m for running Gigabit.

Cat 6 is the standard at my work and that's all we buy in 1000ft boxes, unless the customer specifically asks for Cat 5 or Cat 5e, because Cat5/5e has pretty much been phased out in the commercial/industrial sector now in favor of Cat 6 just because you can go farther from the data closet without falling back to 10/100.

And from what I've been reading its better to do 10 gig over Cat 6A because it performs much better in environments with high noise levels, and is less susceptible to crosstalk interference.

 

[dauntlessds]

So Cat6A is the only thing I can do? The two computers are literally right beside the Router with less than 4 feet between them. I was using custom made Cat5 cables i made a while back that were the exact length between each device. The only Cat6 cable I have is like 50ft or so and it's the one connected to the Wii/Blu-ray player so I'll definitely have a look at a spool of Cat6A. Thanks a lot for the help guys!

 

[phil0083]

So Cat6A is the only thing I can do? The two computers are literally right beside the Router with less than 4 feet between them. I was using custom made Cat5 cables i made a while back that were the exact length between each device. The only Cat6 cable I have is like 50ft or so and it's the one connected to the Wii/Blu-ray player so I'll definitely have a look at a spool of Cat6A. Thanks a lot for the help guys!

dauntlessds, There is no need to have Cat 6A cables since I can almost guarantee that none of your devices are 10 Gigabit capable, only 1 Gigabit capable. And all you need for a 1 Gigabit connection is just regular Cat 6.

Unless you have some rackmount switches that your not telling us about ha ha!

 

[ngrego]

Changing your cables will offer you little if any noticable upgrade in your network speed. At small distances the Cat5/Cat5e cables will do the job nicely!

If you are having trouble opening ports on your Belkin check this out:
http://portforward.com/
Find your exact router model and the game you are playing. Follow the instructions and you should be able to configure your router for gameplay.

If you still experience lag in the gameplay, it may be the game server you are playing on. Usually game servers have the most traffic on weekends and weekday evenings when people are at home and have spare time to play!