What to get with faster internet? Lots of networking questions for all you gurus

[Random0541]

Alright everyone, we finally made the switch to faster internet [Was(6 down/1 up) Now(105 down and I'm guessing 5 or 10 up)]. We decided to purchase our own modem and router rather than having to pay to rent.

We ended up with this one:
http://www.amazon.com/SURFboard-SBG6782-AC-DOCSIS-1750AC-Router/dp/B00GJ7Y7MU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1439743577&sr=8-3&keywords=surfboard+modem+and+wireless+router

It's debatable that you should get a separate modem and a separate wireless router (Discussion #1: I would love to hear y'alls opinions or take on the matter)

This is said to be one of the best all-in-ones that money can get you and I was looking at all the bells and whistles and saw the 2.4 and 5.0 wi-fi connection capabilities, 802.11ac dual concurrent connections, blah blah blah. However when reading I came across a couple of terms that I wasn't too familiar with and was hoping I can get some 'dumb-ed down' terminology. I wouldn't say I'm completely computer illiterate, but my forte is more towards other computer components rather than networking. So with that long, probably overdone intro out of the way lets get into it:

Topics on the chopping block: (The rest of the discussions)

1. MoCA Technology for Networking: What is it? What is it used for? Does it pertain to a simple home internet set up?

2. Regarding the said all-in-one modem and wireless router above: Is it overkill? It has 4 gigabit Ethernet ports however I'm only going to be getting 105 down so would I see any benefit with the gigabit connections since I my internet speed is dependent on the ISP? Although it says on the box that the download speeds are up to 343mbps so then what does a gigabit connection really mean? Is a gigabit connection on relevant if you have fiber gigabit internet?

3. We are setting up the new modem in a separate room now and I was looking at getting a powerline adapter for my room because I heard that is a better option than just using wi-fi. I am in between these two:

http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-PA4026-KIT-Powerline-Starter/dp/B010Q29KRK/ref=sr_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1439750773&sr=1-2&keywords=powerline+adapter&refinements=p_89%3ATP-LINK

and

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Y3QPG1A

and I think it really comes down once again to 'am I going to see any increase in bandwidth with the gigabit connection that the second link has? Or is it completely overkill? But if there is something that I am not taking into consideration then please let me know.

4. I know that having faster internet is completely unrelated to the Ping latency that you get in games, but are there any useful things to do to achieve a lower ping in game?

5. Do the type of Ethernet cables (I'm not sure if a gigabit connection requires a completely different type of cable or not) do I need to get new cables or will ones that I have laying around the house suffice? What is the difference between all the CAT (insert number) Ethernet cables?

To clarify what my intents on the use of the faster internet is for:
I do some programming here and there, usually gaming while either streaming a movie or watching a twitch stream.

If there is anything else I can let you know to improve your ability to answer or help please just let me know!
Thank you everyone in advance!

 

[RealBeast]

Well that is quite a wall of text and you may want to address specific issues in separate threads, but here goes.

(1) MOCA is a solution for passing Ethernet signals over coaxial cable, and IMO while occasionally useful, has been surpassed by newer and better powerline adapters.

(2) Nope, not overkill. You probably cannot buy a good router now that does not support gigabit Ethernet. Moreover, while it is faster by a factor of around 8.5 than your ISP download it allows faster transfers between your local machines from one to another if they are attached to the LAN ports (subtracting overhead, you will see around 880Mpbs actual speed between two machines that have fast storage like SSDs or reading from HDD to SSD).

(3) IMO absolutely no choice there -- the TP-LINK TL-PA8010P KIT AV1200 Gigabit is one of the fastest powerline adapters out there at present. It supports MIMO, which increases bandwidth substantially over the older models like the 500Mbps that you linked. My guess is that you will see in the range of 200Mbps with low latency from that adapter, compared to 45-60 Mbps from the other older model that you listed.

(4) While a faster connection is not really unrelated to latency, the key for gaming is to keep the latency low by using anything other than wireless. Ethernet is first choice, and powerline is a close second with the newest adapters.

(5) For gigabit Ethernet you need a CAT5e or CAT 6 cable, but every CAT 5 patch cable that I've ever used has been adequate. It is just a matter of old CAT 5 cables being good enough to meet standards, but never having been tested to the standard. I would expect that pretty much any modern Ethernet cable that you use (if it has not been damaged) should be fine for gigabit use. I used to test every cable that I got, and never do anymore since they all pass.

For best results on streaming and gaming stay with something over a wire, Ethernet or powerline. Wireless is great for low quality video or cellphone connections, but it does poorly for high definition video due to bandwidth needs and is often unusable for gaming where latency is key.

 

[Random0541]

Well that is quite a wall of text and you may want to address specific issues in separate threads, but here goes.

(1) MOCA is a solution for passing Ethernet signals over coaxial cable, and IMO while occasionally useful, has been surpassed by newer and better powerline adapters.

(2) Nope, not overkill. You probably cannot buy a good router now that does not support gigabit Ethernet. Moreover, while it is faster by a factor of around 8.5 than your ISP download it allows faster transfers between your local machines from one to another if they are attached to the LAN ports (subtracting overhead, you will see around 880Mpbs actual speed between two machines that have fast storage like SSDs or reading from HDD to SSD).

(3) IMO absolutely no choice there -- the TP-LINK TL-PA8010P KIT AV1200 Gigabit is one of the fastest powerline adapters out there at present. It supports MIMO, which increases bandwidth substantially over the older models like the 500Mbps that you linked. My guess is that you will see in the range of 200Mbps with low latency from that adapter, compared to 45-60 Mbps from the other older model that you listed.

(4) While a faster connection is not really unrelated to latency, the key for gaming is to keep the latency low by using anything other than wireless. Ethernet is first choice, and powerline is a close second with the newest adapters.

(5) For gigabit Ethernet you need a CAT5e or CAT 6 cable, but every CAT 5 patch cable that I've ever used has been adequate. It is just a matter of old CAT 5 cables being good enough to meet standards, but never having been tested to the standard. I would expect that pretty much any modern Ethernet cable that you use (if it has not been damaged) should be fine for gigabit use. I used to test every cable that I got, and never do anymore since they all pass.

For best results on streaming and gaming stay with something over a wire, Ethernet or powerline. Wireless is great for low quality video or cellphone connections, but it does poorly for high definition video due to bandwidth needs and is often unusable for gaming where latency is key.

Yeah I'm sorry about the spam of questions on one single thread but man you crushed it out of the park! Thank you so much RealBeast for pitching in and helping me gain a bit more knowledge in the networking department!

 

[RealBeast]

Happy to help, if you run into any problems, we're here. :lol: