N class WIFI

[mindwave]

Just a question.

 

QAnyone using N class WIFI cards, routers devices with MDV?

 

If so are you seeing a spped/distance increase?

 

I realize that its NOT a standard yet, and having once owned a 9600 modem I tend to stay away from NON standards.

 

But Cnet had an article this AM about the benefits THEY were seeing using N class (in windows of course).

 

Personally I use the Linuxant driver method in my laptop, but just curious to see if anyone has tried N class and if so what their experience is.

 

J

[Ixthusdan]

I have installed n class at a client's home. Since it was 64 bit, I had to compile the latest ndiswrapper to get the prov ided windows driver to work. Incidentally, it would not work in 64 bit windows, so I had to install regular windows. But it works fine in 64 bit Mandriva. But, I saw nothing to justify the hassle. I will say that the card picked up my g network without an antenna.

[SoulSe]

The standard is at a 98% ratification point, so it may as well be fully there. I would bank on it and from what I have seen at some premises, the range is certainly better.

[iphitus]

It's not uncommon for standards to be used before they're complete. Take 802.11i, it was hurriedly implemented in devices while it was in draft stage, under the name WPA when people realised WEP sucked. The final 802.11i spec is out and known as WPA2. There's fortunately no incompatability as this constitutes a driver update at most, or a software update at least.

 

Many of the -n vendors put out guarantees their hardware would be compatible, and unless there's some core changes -- unlikely at this stage. Any changes that could occur, would generally be fixable at a driver level, as the tendency nowadays is to develop soft wireless cards, leaving the driver to do most of the work.

 

You're only going to see any benefit with 80211n hardware, if all of your wireless infrastructure is n based, or at least, the wireless point, and if communicating to other wireless clients, their wireless.

 

Then many people won't notice the difference between 802.11b and n. n is no 'faster' it just has more bandwidth. Web browsing doesnt max out my laptops' 80211b connection, so it's not going to appear any faster on a 80211n connection. You'll only notice the difference if you need the bandwidth for things like large file transfers between local computers, or if you are lucky enough to have an internet connection > ~11mbit

 

James

[Ixthusdan]

I agree that it has to be all "N". I installed an "N" router as well as the "N" cards. He is picking up a doctor's network about half a mile away, but I haven't hacked into it for him! ;)

[SoulSe]

Well of course Internet speed is moot unless you live somewhere like Hong Kong or South Korea and have a gigabit connection. Other than that, no connection in the west is going to be too fast for the 54mbps of 802.11g (unless you live in a big data centre).

 

Throughput to the internal network will be double that of 802.11g. I can confirm that because I've seen it. But, of course, you need to have 11n on both sides for that to be true.

 

I'd wait a little before getting an 802.11n card. Not because I'm worried about the standard, but just because they'll get cheaper.