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Wireless N Draft Routers

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evs

Limp Gawd
Joined
May 9, 2006
Messages
265
Seeing as how Draft 2.0 is coming out, not sure if they're on routers yet, and it's claimed to be able to be upgraded to the final spec when it's released through firmware updates, is it worth purchasing a new N router now? Or should I just be waiting?

I've been itching to buy a new router, and especially now that N is nearing completion and my ISP just got rid of it's heartbeat server thingy...
 
If you want to upgrade your router now, the argument can be made for a 802.11n product. The 802.11n routers tend to have significantly faster processors for higher-speed routing and QoS, as well as gigabit LAN ports.

Atheros has maintained that its current Draft 2.0 compliant chipsets should be upgradeable to the final version of 802.11n. However, they just announced their next-generation Draft 2.0 chipset (AR9001) a few weeks ago, which they said will ship in products this fall. They release a new-generation solution every ~18 months.

http://investors.atheros.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=149102&p=irol-newsArticle&t=Regular&id=1004657&

The AR9001 is to be Atheros' last chipset release before the final version of 802.11n is ratified.

If you aren't in a rush, you may want to wait for solutions based on that chipset. On the other hand, if you want a nice router today with high-speed routing and QoS that supports 802.11g MIMO and may be upgradeable to the final version of 802.11n, then you might want to look at several of the shipping products.

For interoperability reasons, I would stick to Atheros-based solutions, as they have the widest 802.11n draft compatibility in the industry. Unlike some other implementations which require you to use hardware from the same vendor, the Atheros 802.11n draft implementation is compatible with several third-party 802.11n draft products, including Intel's Centrino chipset.
 
For the past 2 years...most of the wireless networks I've done have been MIMO/Pre-N/Draft-N. The benefits are simply too much to pass up...primary benefit being the fantastic increase in range, and the ability to punch that signal up another floor, or down the hall across the house/office into other rooms.

With the price of routers being sooooo low, and actual "N" being darned near 2 years away before we actually see products on the shelves..who cares if it needs to replaced way down the road.
 
oh ok. thanks heaps for that mate.

Do you have any suggestions as to routers that use the Ahteros chipset? I'm not sure which ones use it.
 
Airgo True MIMO chipset rocks....
I can't stand Atheros client wireless NICs...I run from those.
 
evs said:
oh ok. thanks heaps for that mate.

Do you have any suggestions as to routers that use the Ahteros chipset? I'm not sure which ones use it.
Click to expand...
Examples include the Apple Airport Extreme, D-Link DIR-655 and DIR-855, and Belkin N1.
 
D-Link DIR-655 has some awesome ratings.
I went with the buffalo WHR-HP-G54 because it has a built in amp and supposedly has an even stronge signal, although it's not N speed. I decided to wait and go for this budget router.
 
RoBo said:
Why do you want to get a Atheros chip?
Click to expand...
Atheros' XPAN is the only 802.11n router chipset compatible with the Intel 802.11n hardware in Macs, Dells, and other notebooks based on the Centrino chipset. As far as I know, Atheros is also the only vendor to offer 802.11n Draft 2.0 certified drivers for all of their products.

Every other vendor (Airgo, Broadcom) uses a proprietary implementation of 802.11n that only works with their hardware. Use other hardware and you are stuck with 802.11g speed.
 
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