'Best' Wireless N Router for My Needs?

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HK - 17 May 2008 00:00 GMT

I have an existing setup with a PC desktop and an HP laptop. Both are
wired to a typical network, but on occasion the HP laptop is carried
about, and communicates with its built-in wireless G to a wireless G
router I have connected to the network.

Recently I obtained a Macbook Pro, which, as we know, has a wireless N
receiver. Mostly it is "hardwired" to the network here, but, like the
HP, will sometimes wander about the premises.

I'd like to take advantage of its wireless N. My existing wireless
router runs at 2.4 GHz, and I'd like to find a wireless N router that
runs at 5 GHz (I'm assuming it is gigahertz, not megahertz, right?).

I see no reason to buy a dual band router, since I already have a
working wireless G router.

I was thinking a mac Airport Express would do the job. My understanding
is that I can run it strictly as a 5 GHz router, hardwire it to my
gigabit switch, which is hooked up to my wired router, give it a
non-conflicting IP and everything would work... YES?

But I am wondering what other N routers I might consider. Suggestions?

Thanks.

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Ecnerwal - 17 May 2008 01:11 GMT

>Suggestions?

The router does not "run" at 5 ghz - that's it's transmission frequency.
In all likelihood, your internet connection is far slower than the
connection speed you can get running from your present 802.11g to the
Macbook, so adding an 802.11n will merely lighten your wallet.

It will have NO EFFECT WHATEVER on your web-browsing or downloading
speeds.

Your list of local machines does not include a huge datastore that the
Macbook will be calling upon over the local network, so the Macbook's
speed will be limited by the incoming network's slowest link (almost
certainly your cable modem, or DSL modem).

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HK - 17 May 2008 01:40 GMT

>> Suggestions?
>
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> speed will be limited by the incoming network's slowest link (almost
> certainly your cable modem, or DSL modem).

You know, I was sorta thinking that, except that when I run internet
download "speed tests" on the wired or wireless connection, the "wired"
connection is always faster, even when the wireless router was sitting
right next to the Macbook Pro.

It's a puzzlement!

I backup the PCs to an HP MediaSmart Server via wired gigabit. There's
no real way to do that (yes, I can backup to a share, but that's it)
with the Macbook Pro, so I back that machine up via firewire to a
dedicated hard drive. So, I wouldn't be using wireless for local backups.

Thanks for the input!

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You - 17 May 2008 22:06 GMT

> You know, I was sorta thinking that, except that when I run internet
> download "speed tests" on the wired or wireless connection, the "wired"
> connection is always faster, even when the wireless router was sitting
> right next to the Macbook Pro.
>
> It's a puzzlement!

I can't imagine why it would be a puzzlement, your wireless has more
overhead bits to send, it runs Half-Duplex, and isn't even close to
100BaseT speeds, at it's best, which will NEVER happen. So, what's to
puzzle over?????

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Gregory Weston - 18 May 2008 01:03 GMT

> > You know, I was sorta thinking that, except that when I run internet
> > download "speed tests" on the wired or wireless connection, the "wired"
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> 100BaseT speeds, at it's best, which will NEVER happen. So, what's to
> puzzle over?????

The fact that even an 802.11b connection should be able to cope with the
full capacity of a typical consumer Internet link? (Which is what the
poster to whom HK was responding was indicating.)

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Fred McKenzie - 17 May 2008 18:10 GMT

> I see no reason to buy a dual band router, since I already have a
> working wireless G router.

HK-

What you are suggesting, is to use an "N" router in "A" mode. Why not
just get an 802.11A router?

Yes, the AirPort Express "N" can be configured in "A" mode. It can also
be configured as a bridge, which would allow wireless users to obtain
their IPs via DHCP from the wired router.

With the firmware upgrade installed, the Express "N" can also provide
wireless access to a client connected to its Ethernet port. You may
want to have one in your collection anyway.

Fred

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Mac Forum / General / Hardware / May 2008

'Best' Wireless N Router for My Needs?