Recommend some 802.11n gear?

wheresmybeaver

Hey lads,

We're moving a lot of large (5Gb+ files) around our old 802.11g network and it's getting pretty congested. I've been doing a bit of reading on the new draft n hardware out there but there seem to be huge differences between the hardware of various manufacturers. My main priority is speed, at short range (longer range is not really an issue). Direct ethernet cable connections aren't ideal in our setup. And we also have a NAS with a gigabit port we should really be making better use of.

Can anybody recommend a wireless n router or router / ADSL2 modem combination? I'll also need to get PCMCIA or Expresscard n adapters for the laptops. I usually order stuff from komplett, but there's quite a range there and its difficult to tell whats the new stuff and whats already been out for a year or two (I assume newer is better in 802.11n hardware).

Also, in reality, are there problems mixing and matching n gear from different hardware manufacturers? eg a router from D-Link, but a laptop card from Belkin??

Thanks!!

BigEejit

I have used a DIR-655 with a DLink USB adapter on the pc and even in a very congested neighbourhood with 12 x 802.11G networks visible in site monitor. I was showing 270mbit in the next room (20 - 30 feet and one wall in between) ... file transfer speeds were very good, but unfortunately the router died on me .... it just started constantly rebooting. I have since learned that this is a pretty common failure that would have been avoided if the router was vertical instead of horizontal.

So I brought it back and got a Netgear Rangemax Next 834 (I think, roughly the same but with 100mb switch) and a netgear USB adapter and to be honest it was rubbish. I found it slower and all round not worth it so I brought it back.

There are a few other routers coming out and I think I will be getting a Linksys WRT-600N ... this has 802.11a/b/g/n with the ability to plug in a usb hard disk... there is a Apple Airport jobby that has these features but apparently not very well implemented. Buffalo have one as well but are currently being dragged through the courts for potential patent infringement and so these are hard to find as they are not being manufactured at present...

probably not very helpful :rolleyes:

DemoniK

I second the DIR-655 (have one myself) - a great router, only downside is no 5Ghz, to be resolved in the DIR-855 and no ADSL modem. There is a version with the model - can't remember the model though.

A neighbour has the Apple airport extreme - very good also - no modem, and can operate in 2.4GHz or 5Ghz modes - not both.

On downside - transfering 5GB over wifi is pretty crap, even with 11n. You'll never get the full 320Mbps as quoted - would definitly recommend getting some gigE wired links in instead.

But if wireless is a must you won't go too wrong with one of the above routers.
As you pointed out mixing devices from different manufacturers is also of concern. In reality - it's all about the chipsets. Dlink tends to use Atheros, not sure what's in the Apple, e.g. with my PC and server (both atheros) connected via the router, I get very good sustained data rates - but add my laptop (Intel chipset) it only gets about max 60% of the thru'put and drops the others by about 20-30% min.

Another thing to be aware of with 11n is if you plan to share with 11g devices. If you do mix them then you won't get full speed for either the 11g or 11n. Smallnetbuilder had a very good article on this here which I've seen first hand. The article suggests leaving the 11g network in place and adding an 11n to handle the newer stuff. In this regard the apple would be good because you can run that in the 5Ghz space and leave the 2.4Ghz space alone.

The holy grail for most 11n users is the dual band routers. So far only Linksys (WRT-600n) and Buffalo have them. These will do both 2.4Ghz for legacy devices, and a seperate 5Ghz for the newer ones. This gets over the problems with 2.4Ghz band which is shared with bluetooth, most wireless receivers for mice/keyboards, and of course neighbouring wifi networks (I'm upto 15 neighbouring networks now ).

And finally - have you considered powerline networking. Maplin do a very nice ADSL modem/router which has 11g and powerline - not sure if it's the 85Mbps stuff or the 200Mbps. The 200Mbps will definitely be better than 11n.

Lots of info - hope some of it is of use.

JohnnieM

Rikd..Great info there...

BigEejit

Very good info indeed

Also in my research I heard that the Belkin 802.11n router (the one with the display on it) will drop to G speeds if something legacy is connected, this may or may not be fixable in a firmware update.

Also just to clarify: even though your wireless link is showing 270Mb/s or something, your data will almost certainly not shift at that rate, have a look at online reviews that go over this in detail. A wired gigabit will be much much faster (10x? 20x?).

As mentioned as well, the new 200Mb powerline stuff is supposed to be good. I dont know how good it would be in old wiring (or very new wiring)

wheresmybeaver

Wow thanks, a lot of good information there!

I found through my own research that the D-Link DIR-655 is rated as one of the fastest of the n routers, but on further examination the speed increase is not considerable enough to warrant the investment in a router, adapters and laptop cards. Its a major bummer that the n standard doesn't mix and match with other manufacturers too well because inevitably when one of us buys a new laptop with 802.11n built in, it probably won't work with the network we already have in place, or it'll only work with dire speeds. And this issue of the ENTIRE network dropping down to g speeds whenever a non-g device attaches; completely impractical!

Looks like the draft n 2.0 standard is entirely that; a draft. Not ready for the big time.

I think maybe for ourselves, the best solution is to leave the current g network in place, and use wired connections whenever the large file transfers are required. Maybe upgrade to the D-Link DIR-655 purely just for the gigabit ports; I've seen that wired transfer speeds with that router are quite good.

Cheers lads!

davejacko

this rocks, works with PC and Mac's. 802.1n and has USB for adding a network drive to the base station.

http://store.apple.com/Apple/WebObjects/irl.woa/9814043/wa/PSLID?mco=3AE0C296&fnode=home/shop_mac/mac_accessories/airport_wireless&nplm=MB053&wosid=Jv2FyXLaPPyJ2k3rqUqfn6QCqgW

mathias

Looks like the draft n 2.0 standard is entirely that; a draft. Not ready for the big time.

Thats exactly what it is and the standard still has a good few hundred issues to iron out before final ratification.
In my opinion it was a mistake based on greed that led to the release of the two draft n standards , all they have done is drawn negative press for anything 802.11n.

My advice for any n product is wait till its finished , it promises to greatly improve wireless connectivity but theres no point shelling out cash for n products till its finished.
Any Draft compatible devices will have issues with existing wi fi products and may not work at all with the final ratified standard , which , hopefully , will be done this year.

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9019472&pageNumber=1

Does that mean we can't expect 802.11n products until final ratification?
Products based on Draft 2 are available now and have received generally positive reviews both in terms of increased speed and range and compatibility with older Wi-Fi products. The products are being aimed at consumers; as stated previously, corporate IT shops are unlikely to be interested until after final ratification of the standard.

Vendors are not making promises, but they are saying it is their hope that the Draft 2 products will be firmware upgradable to the final, ratified standard when it is eventually approved. After that time, enterprise-focused vendors such as Cisco are expected to release 802.11n products.

Aren't draft-802.11n products being certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance? If so, what does that mean?

The Wi-Fi Alliance is a trade organization made up of Wi-Fi vendors; it is not a standard-setting body. However, because the standard-setting process can be long and tortuous, Wi-Fi equipment vendors were anxious to release next-generation products. There were frequent reports that products based on Draft 1.0 had problems interoperating with older Wi-Fi products and with other Draft 1.0 products. However, products based on Draft 2 seem to be more reliable and interoperable.

To make sure that's the case, the Wi-Fi Alliance will start certifying products based on Draft 2 this summer, testing for interoperability and compliance with the draft specification. That means that any products you buy that are certified will be backward compatible with 802.11a/b/g. It isn't known yet, however, whether they will be forward compatible with products based on the ratified standard.

In addition, Intel is supporting Draft 2 802.11n technology in its Centrino chip sets. Vendors of equipment such as routers will be allowed to put a logo on their packaging indicating that those products work with the Intel gear.