Wireless Home Networking - Index of

Chapter 17: Ten FAQs about Wireless Home Networks
The bottom line is that 802.11n is not only a safe recommendation but also a
good one. Although it’s far from perfect (the state of the art always moves forward),
802.11n provides a combination of range, compatibility, and speed
that makes it good enough for most people. You are not going to find more
speed or range than 802.11n draft 2 systems offer.
Q: Should I consider buying one of the enhanced 802.11g (Turbo,
MIMO, or Pre-N) systems rather than standard 802.11n?
Before the current draft 2 802.11n systems hit the market in 2007, most
manufacturers launched Wi-Fi products that were faster (and longer range)
than standard 802.11g systems and used proprietary (meaning not standardsbased)
variations of 802.11g. These systems are often labeled with marketing
terms such as Turbo, MIMO, or something similar (every manufacturer uses
a different term) that indicates these are 802.11g routers on steroids.
We’ve used a number of these systems, and for the most part they work
well, when they are used in a network of the same equipment. In other words,
these systems work well in a network in which everything (routers, adapters,
and so on) is from that same manufacturer using the same proprietary
technology. These systems also work fine with standard 802.11g (or even
802.11b) equipment, but the full range and speed benefits are realized only
in a homogeneous network.
Our only problem with these systems comes into play when we look forward.
802.11n systems are now on the marketplace, offering similar or greater
speed and range benefits, and these benefits will work with any other 802.11n
certified gear, from any manufacturer. So if you choose an 802.11n system
instead of one of these proprietary systems, and then buy a new laptop next
year (with built-in 802.11n), you’ll be able to get the extra speed and range
on that laptop without buying any extra equipment (which may or may not
be available at that point).
We think that manufacturers are still selling enhanced 802.11g gear mainly to
continue supporting customers who’ve invested in these technologies over
the past few years. If you’re building a new network, it makes a lot of sense to
invest the small extra amount in an 802.11n system instead of in one of these
older systems.
Q: I can connect to the Internet by using an Ethernet cable but
not by using my wireless LAN. What am I doing wrong?
You’re almost there. The fact that everything works for one configuration but
not for another rules out many problems. As long as your AP and router are
the same device (which is most common), you know that the AP can talk to
your Internet gateway (whether it’s your cable modem, digital subscriber
line [DSL] modem, or dial-up routers, for example). You know that because,
when you’re connected via Ethernet, there’s no problem. The problem is then
relegated to being between the AP and the client on the PC.
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