InDigital Reviews Wireless Routers
This online gadget review show is over thirty minutes long and they review a lot of products. The segment that was most interesting to me, however is the review by Hahn Choi of the new wireless “standard” 802.11n. If you let the episode download and fast forward to 28:49 minutes, you’ll get to the wireless segment:
My current wireless router is having problems and is requiring a reset every day or so. It looks like it’s time for us to buy a new one. Should we just replace the old one or go with the newer and faster wireless routers that do 802.11n? I don’t know much about wireless routers, but faster is better, right?
Not necessarily…
The 802.11n standard has been around for over a year, but they still haven’t finalized the standard. That means the one company’s router might not work with another company’s computer. That’s a big “might” but that is still a risk of adopting right now.
If that’s the risk, what is the benefit? How much faster is it? That’s the cool part of Hahn’s review. He tested three routers:
He sent a huge file to all three routers and here were the results:
Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station: 2 minutes
Linksys Wireless-N Broadband Router: 3 minutes 41 seconds
Buffalo Airstation N-finiti Wireless Router: 4 minutes 29 seconds
The same test with 802.11g routers took between 5 and 7 minutes, so you could potentially cut your wireless transfer time in half with the new wireless routers. This could make a big difference if you just bought yourself the new Apple TV and want to send over that new movie you just bought on iTunes. For normal surfing the web with your laptop, however, you might not notice the difference. If you are a power laptop user in your home, then the new wireless standard will probably be a good investment for you. If you just casually use the wireless in your home, then you can probably wait until your old router breaks down before upgrading.
I don’t have that option, however. My wireless router is on its last legs now and the appeal of half the download times is enough to entice me to get the Apple AirPort Extreme, even if it’s more money than the other two. I won’t have to worry about compatibility with the MacBook Pro and I’ll be able to take advantage of the quicker download times.
Thanks for the review, Hahn!
Via: WWdN: In Exile: InDigital episode 13 – The Rear View Mirror