Web Development Insight

I just read the N standard (802.11n which will be 10x faster than 802.11g) will not be final approved until July 2007 so anything you buy now is nonstandard and may not be able to be upgraded via firmware. Also you have to buy the corresponding receiver cards in order to have the super speed work and it may not work, either. But you get the use of faster speed until 802.11n equipment is official.

With N standard at 540MB (theoretical) and the standard Ethernet at 100MB the deciding speed factor may be your Ethernet network. GigE, which will ship with some 802.11n wireless routers, is rated at 1000MB so be sure to get GigE capability when buying an 802.11n wireless router.

If you decide get a new router/WAP (wireless access point) make sure you check for firmware upgrades right away. I bought a Linksys router/WAP and it was behind several firmware upgrades right out of the box.

Doug

Just about everyone has a laptop these days. And many users have wireless access in their home. I look at the number of access points and see I have many neighbors with them.

Note: a WAP (wireless access point) can be a separate item or built in to a router. It generally has two antennas attached to it.

One common problem is low signal strength. Many things can contribute to a low signal.
One thing to keep in mind is that a more important metric is connection speed. Laptops can perform fine if the signal strength is low but connection speed is where it should be (it depends on what wireless protocol is being used: 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, 802.11n).

Here are some tips on improving your wireless laptop experience:

• The higher the better. Place your WAP high up to maximize signal range.
• Keep the WAP away from monitors and metal. Mine is in the center of the room and my laptop can pick it up anywhere and outside, too.
• Get a different WAP. The older ones used the 2.4GHZ range; unfortunately microwaves and wireless telephones (not cellphones) can affect the signal. Newer router/WAPs use 5 GHZ radio waves which makes them much more immune to interference.
• Move the WAP around because the antenna placement has a big effect on where the signal can be picked up. Even turning it a little bit can have a noticeable effect.
• Buy a range extender such as the Linksys WRE54G

Check out Wireless Access Point Tips for setting up a WAP securely.

Doug