First-hand experience with 802.11n?

Tech-Talk

Is 802.11n all it's cracked up to be?

I use a LinkSys WRT54G3GV2-ST router to connect my home network (wireless and wired) to the internet via Sprint's EVDO network. It works very well for me. A friend wants to do the same with Verizon so I recommended the LinkSys WRT54G3G-VN ($124 street) or Cradlepoint CTR500 ($188), depending on what type of EVDO modem he gets from Verizon. Both are 802.11g. However, I'm thinking that maybe he should spend the extra bucks and get an 802.11n router, such as the Cradlepoint MBR1000 ($246). I doubt whether he can or will use the extra bandwidth, but the supposed 3x range increase would certainly be nice, since he wants to put some wifi cameras around his detached garage.

Has anyone gone from 802.11g to 802.11n? What was your experience regarding increased range?

BTW, we both live out in the hill country west of Austin, where there is no cable or DSL. The best we can do is EVDO or RF, and, IMO, EVDO is more cost effective and more reliable than RF. And satellite is just for suckers. :-)

Paul

Comments

Hi Paul, I'm finishing up my

Submitted by rcdaniels on Tue, May 5 2009 - 3:11 AM.

Hi Paul,

I'm finishing up my doctorate in EE at UT and part of my research was prototyping IEEE 802.11n. I've also interacted with vendors on the design of IEEE 802.11n systems, so hopefully I can weigh in with some useful information. Theoretically, you can see significant gains in both range and data rate with 11n. In practice, like everything else, there are several factors such as environmental conditions, antennas, and max transmit power that will determine the degree of these gains. If you want to see experimental consumer tests of 11n, you should be able to Google and find several tech reviews.

For simple range extension, I really don't think 11n is necessary. There are several alternative (cheaper) WiFi technologies such as repeaters and high gain antennas to increase range with 11g systems. Unless you really need the boost in data rate that 11n offers (e.g. high speed home networking), it seems unnecessary to spend that much money when you can just buy a 11g repeater (which will probably extend your range further anyhow). If you're using your home network just for Internet traffic (which will be, at best, on the order of megabits-per-second), you probably won't even notice a difference with 11n.

IEEE 802.11n is a great technology, especially for wireless office networks, but for home use I think it is often overkill (this probably will change in the future as more home devices go wireless). Whatever solution you choose, make sure you Google and see if the product is any good. For whatever reason, there is a significant amount of bad engineering floating around with WiFi devices.

~Bob

Bob, Wow, thanks for the

Submitted by plong on Tue, May 5 2009 - 5:45 PM.

Bob,

Wow, thanks for the great advice. Unfortunately, there are not many choices for EVDO routers. LinkSys, Cradlepoint, and D-Link are the only manufacturers I can find. Probably only a half-dozen routers are compatible with Verizon's 3G network and, of those, half will be appropriate for a specific use, e.g., battery powered or accepts external antenna.

Yes, Google is my friend. He/she/it tells me that Cradlepoint products are best. Please email me if you would like to steer me towards or away from a vendor or product.

Paul