802.11n vs 802.11g

Question

I have a Dell Latitude D630 with Windows Vista Business. I also have a Dell Dimension 8400, which came with Windows XP, but which I upgraded to Windows Vista Business when I got the Latitude. I also have a D-Link DI-824VUP 2.4 GHz Wireless router. The router generally works OK, but it is obsolete and I want to replace it.

Device Manager Network Adapters shows that both computers have “Broadcom NetXtreme 57xx Gigabit controllers”. The Latitude system description at the time of purchase shows “Wireless LAN (802.11): Intel 4965 802.11a/g/n Dual-Band Mini Card”. Device Manager shows “Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN”. I have a functioning LAN, with file transfer implemented, and Internet access via the wireless router. The Dimension is connected via cable to the router, which in turn is connected to an ISP-provided modem to broadband cable access.

I use the Latitude primarily for Internet access, backup to the Dimension, and use away from home. I do not do any gaming or music or video downloading. They are both used for working, not entertainment. Maximum range needed is less than 100 feet, though through interior walls.

I have two questions. (1) Is 802.11n stable enough to make it the best choice? I don’t want to purchase another router that will soon become obsolete. (2) Do I need to purchase a plug-in adapter, such as that offered by NetGear, or will the one I have work successfully with any 11n router?

Davet50 · Answer

Q#1 Sort of and maybe.        The 'N' spec has not been fully ratified and is expected to be sometime next year. Being that it is not certified the diffieren mfrs have adopted differnt methods to implement the specs. The majority of the unit do run stable for the most part. The kicker is will the current hardware be flash upgradabel to the new specs when fully ratified. For the most part there is a change in the antenna layout on the latest go around so this will more than likely lead to new hardware.  Q #2 If you can limp it out stay with your current rig if it is functioning with in your needs. Remember the speeds of a 'G' system is 53 mbps which is far faster than any ISP provider out there. Where the wireless speeds come into play is within the network form client to client.

Harbour · Answer

Unfortunately, I think you are completely right on both points. The D-Link hardware seems to be working fine, but the Wizard that I have to run everytime I've turned it off has gotten rather iffy. It wouldn't run for several hours 3 times in the past week. I'll just leave it on and hope it works if we have a power failure. If it really does die on me before they finally stop messing around with the standard and the vendors get their act together, I'll probably stick with the "g" since that certainly should work. But NetGear wants you to buy their adapter even with their newest "g" router, for an additional $70 or so. I keep quoting NetGear because they're the only one I've researched so far. My complaint against the D-Link documentation is that what I've seen is written for communications technicians. I'm very familiar with computers, but have little if any knowledge of the communications end. Most of the CNET users seem to think that none of the routers are any good and that documentation and support is universally rotten, but then it's the people who complain who submit comments.

If anyone has a contrary view on any of this, I'd sure like to hear it. Otherwise, I'll follow your advice. Thanks for the response. I love your quotes, by the way, especially the one about idiots.

Larry R · Answer

I checked the user manual (which was a pain to find since the router model is discontinued ;)) just to be sure my memory was correct, and it appears it is. Unless you are leaving the router off for extended periods of time (weeks or more) you should not need to re-run the configuration for the router every time you power it on. Also, unless there is some other reason for doing so, you don't really need to turn off the router when you are not using it.

If you are needing to reconfigure the router every time you power it on, it sounds like the router itself is having problems. Leaving it on would be a temporary fix, however, as when I have seen Dell routers do that they invariably failed in a relatively short time (a few months at most). Luckily I have rarely seen this problem in any brand of router.

As long as the hardware is following the standards (for any wireless version) it should not matter what brand the adapter and access point are when communicating. In practice, there are incompatibilities, but unless the standard hasn't been decided yet (such as the current status of 802.11n) those incompatibilities are normally few and far between. This means it should not matter what brand router you get, your wireless card should connect to it just fine using 802.11g.

Harbour · Answer

Thanks for the info. Actually, I can never recall a time when I didn't need to reinitialize the router after turning it off. I think it may just be so old that it doesn't meet the normal standard in that regard. It's a simple process - just keep hitting Next, Restart and Continue. Lately it does take up to three retries to get it to disconnect and reconnect, something D-Link tech support told me to do a long time ago after running the Wizard. When it doesn't work I get a message saying it can't connect to the website even though I clearly do have an Internet connection. I had been turning it off lately to get rid of the flashing lights at night and to give it and the modem time to cool off.

I suspect that the reason NetGear is pushing their adapter is because even their latest 11g router uses MIMO, something which the card in the Latitude may not be designed to handle. I think I'll do more research on my options with 11g in case it dies on me completely before 11n is finalized, and then, if it lasts that long, go with the best 11n I can find.

Thanks again to both of you. I really appreciate the help.

Networking, Internet, & Bluetooth

802.11n vs 802.11g

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