connecting to the internet?

[R4Liam]

Hi, I was wondering what is the best and fastest way to connect to the internet using the windows 7 operating system? Or even the latest Ubuntu operating system? Don't ask me about windows 8 because I don't like the look of it.

I am worried whichever wireless adapter I get will be slow in speed and when playing games on PC lag is a problem. I also have an Ethernet connection but I don't really want to use that, any suggestions?

 

[Arras]

Technically the best, fastest, most reliable, safest and easiest way is to plug in an Ethernet cable and be done with it, no matter the OS. Other than that... what are you even asking exactly? What router to use?

 

[Kouen Hasuki]

Best is Ethernet over a gigabit connection to the router with some nice Short as possible Cat 5e cable but in reality it wouldn't affect anything if you use a normal 10/100 and Cat 5 Ethernet cable.

That said I don't personally notice that much ping or speed difference with WiFi if you have good signal and not hopping through any WiFi Repeater

 

[FAST6191]

Being in the UK you would probably only be slowed down if you employed a couple of people to communicate in semaphore. More to the point though if it is an accepted networking standard with support in any halfway modern OS it is likely to be several times faster than the average UK internet. Still there is the potential for some types of lag so go with N class wireless (it is basically all you can get nowadays anyway) or if you can stand the possible wrath of the radio hams and have a stationary machine go with an ethernet over powerline option.

For suggestions on the hardware my usual advice is find whatever the hacker set (wander on over to the likes of aircrack-ng) and/or linux set are using and go with that. Router wise if you have some extra functionality you need (USB drive/printer network share, guest network, ultra high range (which may come at the cost of a guest network)....) then narrow by that.

 

[Originality]

The fastest way to connect to the Internet is to plug in an Ethernet cable to a router that's already set up. Second fastest is to connect to said router via WiFi without any security pass phrase.
If you're asking what it is you need to get connected, that would be a WiFi device (e.g phone/laptop) and a router. If your laptop doesn't have built in WiFi, then you need a WiFi adapter.

If you're asking what will give you the fastest connection, Ethernet cable again. WiFi over short distances has no noticeable difference. The further away from the router you are, and the more interference in the air (cordless phones, microwaves, lead based paint), the more shaky the connection and slower the average speed.