If you have ever shopped for a wireless router then you may have noticed that there are different types of wireless protocols beyond just the manufacturers. We will run down the differences and help you make the right choice.
801.11 is the common thread among the four standards. They have been developed by the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) LAN/MAN Standards Committee (IEEE 802). I am glad that we have that out of the way.
The four different protocols are denoted by the letters A, B, G, and N tacked onto the end of 802.11.
A and B were the earliest standards released in 1999. They use separate frequency spectrums and modulation techniques. The “B” protocol allows up to 11 Mbit/s of throughput and the “A” allows up to 54 Mbit/s. The “A” protocol was not really adopted by the wireless device manufactures and “B” is quickly fading into history.
The “G” standard released in 2003 has become the de facto protocol that you will find on store shelves. The throughput speed is up to 54 Mbit/s, and the range is slightly farther than “A”. This shares the same frequency spectrum with “B” so you will find most “G” wireless equipment to be backwards-compatible to the “B” protocol.
The “N” standard is the newest protocol on the block. The problem with this standard is that it really does not exist, yet. The wireless manufacturers are taking guesses as to what the final standard will be when it is completed in 2008 or 2009. You may find pre-N and draft-N models on your local store shelves. The throughput of this newest standard is reportedly up to 248 Mbit/s (That is 2.5 times faster than many of today’s wired connections). The range is much greater than current standards with distances up to 70 meters.
So what should you purchase? For most that will surfing the web and reading email and only occasionally moving files the current “G” standard is more than sufficient. The “G” protocol routers can be purchased for as low as $35 at big-box retailers. If you will be moving large files in such as watching full-screen movies from an in-home or office file server then the $90+ might be justifiable for the “N” standard. Just remember that all of your equipment must be “N” standard or else the speed will fall back to the “G” standard. Most laptop makers are not taking the plunge to “N” yet so you likely have a “G” built-in wireless card. One more word of warning on using the “N” standard is to stay with one vendor such as Cisco or D-Link because there can be issues with cross-platform compatibility.