Do I have this right - Dual Band Question

[bigten333]

I currently have a Linksys BEFSX41 (wired) for my routing. When I needed more ports, I added D-link DGS 2208 (wired) as by then my desktops all had gig ports, and I wanted better transfer of data between some of my gig clients for photo sharing and backups. I keep my printing segmented off with a Trendnet 10/100 (wired) switch. When the laptops started appearing I provided access via a Dlink travel router set to AP mode. I'm pretty sure the wireless side is "g".

I have grown very unhappy with surfing speeds and have changed the cable modem 3 times. I pay for upgraded Roadrunner speed, but I don't feel it being any differently than before.

So now I'm thinking about changing my router as I see it is listed pretty low on the charts. I'm going to leave my wired clients wired - to the new router. I'm feeling it is probably time to get a wireless router at this point although it is not wireless than is causing me to try a new router.

If I understand this "band discussion", I'll be able to use my current AP to provide service to anyone who had a/b/g, and then get a new N router to take advantage of the improved speeds (I said MAYBE) for the new laptops. The AP will be wired to my new router.

So, I don't need a dual band router, correct - just an N radio. I'm thinking that these config will not cause the wired or N traffic to slow, correct?

The wired traffic is the most important and should be the fastest.

So, I only need a single band router - correct?

 

[stevech]

I use $45/mo Roadrunner cable (So. Calif.). It provides 20Mbps+ burst speeds for a few 10s of seconds and 0.9Mbps up.

But most internet servers are a fraction of that.

11g with a decent signal is more than fast enough for most Internet servers.

No need for dual-band or 11n unless your 2.4GHz (11b/g) is too congested. I mean too much traffic on all 3 non-overlapping channels (1, 6 and 11). Traffic means a busy channel, not the mere existence of other networks.

So if any of your WiFi laptops have a weak signal, that being < 30% or more negative than -85dBm, then you should reposition the AP you have, or since it's a travel device with a poor antenna, you might want to get an antenna for it, or buy a cheap 11g router and config it as an AP.

 

[thiggins]

Swapping out the router will only increase wired routing speeds if your Internet connection is higher than the values you see listed in the Router Charts.

Remember that cable modems use shared bandwidth, which can vary by what other users on your node are doing.

If you opt for a new router, the widest selection is among wireless routers. Oddly, you'll probably pay more if you want a wired-only router. You can always just shut off the radio.

Dual-band routers can be helpful in areas with a lot of 2.4 GHz band networks. 5 GHz is usually less crowded, but has reduced range.

You can try a single-band N router to see if it improves wireless speed. But don't get your hopes too high due to the factors that stevech noted.

 

[stevech]

Dual-band routers can be helpful in areas with a lot of 2.4 GHz band networks.

May I preach: It's not the number of detected networks (SSIDs), it's how busy these are, and if there are no channels (1, 6 or 11) where the traffic is low on average.

 

[thiggins]

May I preach: It's not the number of detected networks (SSIDs), it's how busy these are, and if there are no channels (1, 6 or 11) where the traffic is low on average.

Yes, of course.