Alright so basically in our apartment we pay 99$ a month to get Time Warner's best ineternet speeds.  They say it goes to 50mbps, but general with only our laptop on and doing tests highest I've ever seen is usually 27-29mbps.  Now I have a decent gaming desktop I like to play Dungeon Defenders on and have been experiencing lag when I really believe I shouldn't and am trying to find out why.  I am not good at understanding internet specifics and how it works but I also believed I had a good modem and router.  Also there are 3 of us living here, each of us has an iphone (though I generally make my roomates turn it off to save internet for computers) a gaming laptop, an ipad, a gaming desktop, a ps3 (connected directly to the router) and a roku and apple tv that generally aren't all on at the same time.  We usually only have the ipad, ps3, gaming laptop and desktop on.  Are we just trying to run too many internet using items at once?  Generally I have been making sure everything but the gaming desktop are completely shut off and I still experience lag!!  I am going to give specifics to see if I need a new router or modem or adapter but please any suggestions, hints, or anything else will be helpful as I feel we should not have this problem.

PS:  If we have too many things on and using the internet at once it kinda just quits working. 

Thanks for any help and here is my router, adapter, and modem:

Medialink - Wireless N Broadband Router - 150 Mbps - 2.4 Ghz - 802.11n

This router is the perfect solution for adding a wireless network to your home or business. It fully complies with wireless standards and is guaranteed to work with any manufacturer's 2.4Ghz wireless adapter and most manufacturers' DSL/Cable modems.

Specifications
- Wireless Data Transfer Rate: 150 Mbps
- Supports 802.11b, 802.11g and 802.11n Adapters Operating on 2.4Ghz Wavelength
- Includes 4 Port Ethernet Switch, Wireless Access Point, and Firewall
- Wired Data Transfer Rate: 10/100 Mbps (Ethernet 10 Base-T)
- Routing and Firewall Protocol: DHCP
- Antenna: (1) Internal
- Power Adapter:
INPUT: 100-240V (suitable for international use), 50/60Hz, 0.3A 
OUTPUT: 9V - 0.6A (600mA) 
DC Plug Dimension: 5.5mm (Outer Diameter) x 2.5mm (Inner Diameter) x 10mm (Length)

Security
Medialink Wireless Routers support the most current Security Protocols and Encryption Types to allow you to easily keep out unwanted intruders to your wireless network. The following Security features are supported:
- WPS (WiFi Protected Setup)
- WPA and WPA2 Security Protocol
- WEP, TKIP, and AES - 64 and 128 Bit Encryption

Microsoft WHQL Certified
Medialink Wireless Routers are certified by Microsoft to be compatible with the following Operating Systems: Windows 2000, XP (32 and 64 Bit), Vista (32 and 64 Bit), 7 (32 and 64 Bit).

Also supports Mac OS X and Linux.

Additional Features
- EZ Connect Setup Wizard Makes Configuring Your Router Simple
- Wall Mountable To Save Desk Space

Customer Service
Medialink Products are backed by superior customer support. If you need assistance you can call us Tuesday through Saturday 9am to 6pm Eastern or email us after hours and someone will respond within the next business day.

Adapter:

Medialink - Wireless N USB Adapter - 802.11n 150Mbps

* Compatible with any Brand 802.11g or 802.11n Router Using 2.4ghz Wavelength
* Microsoft WHQL Certified
* Supports WEP, WPA and WPA2 Security
* Live US Based Customer Service

Offering the ultimate in simplified Wi-Fi installation, Medialink's 150Mbps Wireless N USB Adapter offers a simplified one click installation. Insert the CD, click "install software" and the utility will auto-detect your operating system and install the appropriate drivers. (Windows 7 Users, just plug and play! No CD required.)

Compatibility
- Any PC or Laptop with a USB port, 733MHz CPU, and 64MB Memory
- Any brand 802.11g or 802.11n router using 2.4ghz wavelength
- Windows 2000, 2003, XP 32-Bit/64-Bit, Vista 32-Bit/64-Bit, Windows 7 32-Bit/64-Bit
Docking Station Included with Attached 3ft USB Extension Cable for Desktop Convenience

- NOT COMPATIBLE with Xbox 360, PS3, Blu-Ray Players, Roku Boxes, or any device that does not run an Operating System. Also will not work with Dual Band Routers that only broadcast N speeds on 5ghz wavelength.

Microsoft WHQL Certified
Unlike many Wi-Fi adapters, Medialink adapters are Microsoft WHQL certified to ensure compatibility with the major operating systems listed above.

Security
This adapter provides state of the art standards-based security features: WPA/WPA2, IEEE802.1X, 64/128-bit WEP. With these enhanced security features, you can encrypt your data and only allow authorized users to access your wireless network.

And router:

http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-SurfBoard-SB6141-DOCSIS-Cable/dp/B007IMPMW4/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1356980315&sr=1-2&keywords=Motorola+SB6141+SurfBoard+Cable+Modem+SB+6141+Docsis+3.0

Motorola SurfBoard SB6141 DOCSIS 3.0 Cable Modem

Are you experiencing actual  " lag" or is your computer losing framerates or " chugging" so to speak.

There is a difference in network lag and the computer struggling to render or losing framerates. To me it sounds like your network is fine and your PC is the problem. But I could be wrong.

I have much slower internet in my home and have zero problems. Wife on Ipad/phone, daughter on Iphone, me on my gaming desktop or streaming video/downloading. We do all this at the same time and dont have problems.

One tool you can use to check you're ping if you are using Win7 is Resource Monitor.  Start the game then tab out and open resource monitor, click on network tab then select the game you are playing (it may take a few minutes for the system to upload the info).

Sometimes high ping can be caused by the routing to the games server,  it may be getting bottlenecked somewhere inbetween.  Also if you are using a wireless router make sure you have it secured with a PW (someone could be stealing you're bandwith).

Originally posted by stayontarget

One tool you can use to check you're ping if you are using Win7 is Resource Monitor.  Start the game then tab out and open resource monitor, click on network tab then select the game you are playing (it may take a few minutes for the system to upload the info).

Sometimes high ping can be caused by the routing to the games server,  it may be getting bottlenecked somewhere inbetween.  Also if you are using a wireless router make sure you have it secured with a PW (someone could be stealing you're bandwith).

How much ping would be considered too high?

Originally posted by dreamer05
It's more of a 'chugging' or 'stuttering' that is the problem.  For example when my boyfriend was on the gaming laptop and we were playing a Dungeon Defenders game he had hosted, it starts to stutter or lag on my desktop I was on.  Then we switched and when I hosted I didn't experience it on my game but he did in his on the gaming laptop.  The computers specs should both be able to handle the game, it plays just fine when we hook up an actualy network cord between the two of them with no problems.

That sounds like it's a problem with your LAN, and your ISP has nothing to do with it.  Wireless is intrinsically unreliable, and the farther it has to send a signal, the worse it is.  That's why I recommend running an ethernet cable whenever it is practical instead of relying on a wireless connection.

Apart from downloading the original game or patches for it, games don't actually use very much network bandwidth, because they want to be playable by people with slower connections, don't want to have to pay for massive amounts of server-side Internet bandwidth, and using a ton of bandwidth wouldn't really do much good, anyway.

Originally posted by dreamer05

/snip

How much ping would be considered too high?

Depends on the game,  For FPS's the lower the better (50-100).  For a non-fps game you will probably see skill delay (1-2sec delay) at or around 250 ping or higher.

I'm not sure if this is you're problem though.

Originally posted by Quizzical

Originally posted by dreamer05
It's more of a 'chugging' or 'stuttering' that is the problem.  For example when my boyfriend was on the gaming laptop and we were playing a Dungeon Defenders game he had hosted, it starts to stutter or lag on my desktop I was on.  Then we switched and when I hosted I didn't experience it on my game but he did in his on the gaming laptop.  The computers specs should both be able to handle the game, it plays just fine when we hook up an actualy network cord between the two of them with no problems.

That sounds like it's a problem with your LAN, and your ISP has nothing to do with it.  Wireless is intrinsically unreliable, and the farther it has to send a signal, the worse it is.  That's why I recommend running an ethernet cable whenever it is practical instead of relying on a wireless connection.

Apart from downloading the original game or patches for it, games don't actually use very much network bandwidth, because they want to be playable by people with slower connections, don't want to have to pay for massive amounts of server-side Internet bandwidth, and using a ton of bandwidth wouldn't really do much good, anyway.

So would a better router help?  It's not really possible to syc up everything in the house to the physical network?  Although I had thought this could actually be the problem.

First things first - just try wiring up your computers with ethernet cable.

If that helps, then it's definitely your wireless - if it doesn't, then it's either your router or your computers. A basic home router should be able to handle 10+ computers without breaking a sweat - but throw wireless in there, and one wall, or microwave oven, or cordless phone can throw everything askew.

Keeping it wired with ethernet cable is optional, but without doing that first as a step toward figuring out what the real problem is, it's a shot in the dark. You can't get any better signal than wired ethernet though, and if possible, you should wire up any computers your able to get to (within reason - I know you don't want to necessarily have ethernet cable strung down the hallway and through doorways).

Originally posted by Ridelynn

First things first - just try wiring up your computers with ethernet cable.

If that helps, then it's definitely your wireless - if it doesn't, then it's either your router or your computers. A basic home router should be able to handle 10+ computers without breaking a sweat - but throw wireless in there, and one wall, or microwave oven, or cordless phone can throw everything askew.

Keeping it wired with ethernet cable is optional, but without doing that first as a step toward figuring out what the real problem is, it's a shot in the dark. You can't get any better signal than wired ethernet though, and if possible, you should wire up any computers your able to get to (within reason - I know you don't want to necessarily have ethernet cable strung down the hallway and through doorways).

I really don't believe it's the computer, I've playyed mmos and other high graphics games with no problem.  I believe it's what you said, wirless router with walls and microwaves and cell phones and all that.  I mean aside from getting a 300 ft ethernet cable there is really no way to hook it directly to the router.  I just can't believe they haven't made a wireless router that can better handle the situation. 

Originally posted by dreamer05

I believe it's what you said, wirless router with walls and microwaves and cell phones and all that.  I mean aside from getting a 300 ft ethernet cable there is really no way to hook it directly to the router.  I just can't believe they haven't made a wireless router that can better handle the situation. 

What is the distance from your router to your computer? If it's really nearly 100 meters and there are walls in the way, then that's likely the problem.

Could you maybe move your router so that it's closer to the computers? If not, could you buy another device for amplifying the wireless signal, something like: http://dx.com/p/portable-2-4ghz-802-11b-g-n-300mbps-wireless-wifi-repeater-ac-100-240v-107457 (caution: That is only an example of a device that could work, I'm not very familiar with how to extend the range of wireless network)

Originally posted by dreamer05

Originally posted by Ridelynn

First things first - just try wiring up your computers with ethernet cable.

If that helps, then it's definitely your wireless - if it doesn't, then it's either your router or your computers. A basic home router should be able to handle 10+ computers without breaking a sweat - but throw wireless in there, and one wall, or microwave oven, or cordless phone can throw everything askew.

Keeping it wired with ethernet cable is optional, but without doing that first as a step toward figuring out what the real problem is, it's a shot in the dark. You can't get any better signal than wired ethernet though, and if possible, you should wire up any computers your able to get to (within reason - I know you don't want to necessarily have ethernet cable strung down the hallway and through doorways).

I really don't believe it's the computer, I've playyed mmos and other high graphics games with no problem.  I believe it's what you said, wirless router with walls and microwaves and cell phones and all that.  I mean aside from getting a 300 ft ethernet cable there is really no way to hook it directly to the router.  I just can't believe they haven't made a wireless router that can better handle the situation. 

Troubleshoot the router first. Is it dual band? Choose a different SSID name for both the 2.4ghz and 5ghz bands. Do not connect to the 5ghz band. The 5ghz band will only provide marginal improvements and has very limited range. I almost always get better performance out of the 2.4ghz band on my dual band wireless-n router. Change the channel for each band to either the highest or lowest channel. Do not use the default channel. The default channel will be easily interfered with by other routers, phones, microwaves etc... Also, change your channel width from mixed to 40mhz. (EDIT: If you're really far away from the router, use a channel width of 20mhz).  Make sure your router is wireless-n. Anything else is old, subpar technology. Then, ensure you are using WPA2 security mode, WPA is slower and will affect performance. Do NOT use WEP. Also, make sure the router is only working in wireless-n mode, not mixed. If it's not a wireless-n router, just use wireless-g, not mixed. Do not use wireless-a or b.

If your router is not old, works correctly, and is setup correctly, then it very well could be your ISP. Most ISPs today have some dirty practices when it comes to installing your cable. This is why I never let someone come setup the cable at my house. I call, let them know I have a bachelor's in CIS, and that I just need the equipment lol. What they often do, specially in suburban areas, is chain your connection off of existing connections (from the box in the backyard).

In apartments you need to worry about attenuation. Often times there are hundreds of feet of coaxial cable used in apartments. This causes attenuation in the connection of most users in the apartment complex, which will seriously degrade your internet performance. This will also happen in some suburban areas depending on how the lines are laid. Attenuation is unavoidable. Unless you have repeaters setup along the connection. But you don't own the apartment lines and can't just setup repeaters. And in suburban areas it's impossible/illegal to modify lines not on your property.

Long list of problems with wireless made short?  Don't use it when you can use wired.

Mirrors, ceramic tile, bath tubs/sinks, electric wires, water pipes, water itself, and thick concrete walls all can cause data loss when they are in-line with a wireless router. If someone else near you is using  a microwave oven/device or the same sub-channel of bandwidth for their network that also can cause data loss/interference.

I would not expect miracles in an apartment with Time Warner.  Time Warner is the worst major cable provider in the US, so chances are in an apartment you are going to have alot of shared load with your neighbors.  Only way to correct this is Time Warner upgrading their networks and reducing the amount of people on your node by offering more.

At 28-29mbps there are 2 things I would question.  Are you actually bonding to more then 1 channel.  Each channel is only capable of 30mbps.  In order to use that tier of service you need to bond to atleast 2 channels.  To see how many channels you bonded to type in 192.168.100.1 in a web browser.  This brings up your modems diagnostic menu.  From here you can check several key things.

First is how many channels are active.  They will have actual numbers in them.  If only 1 is active, call your isp because you need more then 1 active.

Second is your actual upstream and downstream signal.  Your upstream signal should be between 37 and 52.  Ideally it should be around 44.  Your downstream signal should be between -10 and 10.  The closer to 0 the better.  Finally is the SNR or MER.  This should be between 33 and 50.  Anything above 36 is good.  If its outside that scope then there is a problem on your line.  Most likely it is the line coming into your apartment.

The second thing I would question is if the lines can support a DOCSIS 3.0 connection.  If any of the line are 59 coax then there is no hope of it.  In older apartments this is typically an issue.  The connecters at the end affect it as well.  If the connecters are hexed shape this will cause issues for modern cable signals.  The splitters can also cause issues if they are not pretty good.  You can test this by doing a tracert.  If the ping going from your modem to its next jump is more then 10ms then its probably a splitter issue.

There are WiFi extenders - they do work, but at a price. They will reduce the overall speed of your network. However, if right now your getting 1Mb out of a 250Mb WiFi N connection, and with the extender you get reduced to 40Mb, but it's a consistent 40Mb, then you make out in the long run.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833315112
I have used the older model of this - it works ok, but can be tricky to get set up (you need to have your wireless channel set statically, and make sure to set the bridge network name to the same as the one you are extending).

There are a heap more available: this is what I usually recommend to people who are wanting Wireless in their desktop - to use one of these in Bridged mode as a WiFi adapter.
http://www.newegg.com/Wireless-Range-Extender-Media-Bridge/SubCategory/ID-2948?Tid=17195&cm_sp=WiFiNet41-_-VisNav-_-RangeExtenders

100 ft is a long way for wireless in a house. It's no big deal out in an open field, but add a few walls and appliances and what not, and it's a stretch. Most home routers get about 50ft (or through 2-3 rooms) before they start to really drop rapidly in a typical house.

~~ Also, as a side note:

A spool of Cat5e (1000ft) costs about $70 at Home Depot, a set a crimpers about $20, and the connectors about $0.20 each. A single 100' ethernet cord will cost you about $75 at Best Buy. If you mess up crimping the connection, you just cut off the $0.20 connectors and try again.

http://www.ertyu.org/steven_nikkel/ethernetcables.html
Everything you ever wanted to know about ethernet crimping