Upgrading to Wireless N on a Budget - Page 2

Wireless-N Tips and Considerations

There are many considerations, catches, and interoperability problems you need to address when moving to Wireless N. Here are several tips to get you started in the right direction.

• Replace your adapters too: Putting in a new router may provide a bit more range, but you won't get increased speeds from systems that still use an 802.11g link to talk to the network. If you want increased data rates, make sure each PC has a Wireless N adapter. On the other hand, you might also want to ...
• Keep your old Wireless G Gear: Though Wireless N works with 802.11b/g, operating in mixed mode can dramatically reduce throughput. Therefore, set your new router to force Wireless N and plug the old router into the back. Then users without a new adapter can still connect to the old router.
• Some Macs are upgradable with software: Select Mac computers can be upgraded from 802.11g to Draft-N with a $1.99 software update from Apple.
• Carefully change the default channel width: To get the maximum data rates of Wireless N, you must change the default channel width from 20MHz to 40MHz. Just be careful, as this can actually have an adverse effect on clients further away from the router. The change also doubles the frequency range used and can wipe out other wireless networks operating in b/g mode.
• Don't use WEP or WPA: With most routers, you won't be able to take advantage of Wireless N's increased performance when using these encryption methods; you must use WPA2.

Making Your Final Decision

When setting your budget for an 802.11n upgrade, consider what we discovered. A thrifty kit can cost 50 percent less while losing only 10 to 20 percent in wireless speed; however, wired-to-wired connections will be much faster with routers sporting Gigabit Ethernet.

Some routers in this price range may have only the bare minimum of features. Also consider the other parameters we discussed when figuring out if you want to upgrade at all -- it may not be so easy.

As with most hardware, going cheap is for those that don't require the best of the best in performance and features. One big showstopper, for instance, would be if you regularly transfer large files between wired PCs. On the other hand, looking for low-priced Wireless N upgrades can be a great way for many small business or home users to save money.

Eric Geier is the author of many networking and computing books, including Home Networking All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies (Wiley 2008) and 100 Things You Need to Know About Microsoft Windows Vista (Que 2007).