WiFi advice needed

[heavyd]

I have a Cisco wireless N router attached to my desktop (with a fast Cox cable connection). I have an Atheros N adapter in my Asus netbook. When I connect to the net on my netbook, my connection shows as a "Wireless G Network" @65 Mbps.

I'm not a complete computer idiot, but I'm new to WiFi. Can anyone shed some light as to why my connection is not N rather than G?

Thanks

[nayslayer]

Is it a dual band router? You may have only configured the G, Some don't run both bands at the same time. I'd go through the config on the router to see what you have enabled

This may help you a bit, good luck

http://homesupport.cisco.com/en-us/support/linksys

[hammondc]

Yeah...what is the model of the Cisco?

[Cigar Mike]

It is also possible that some routers will run in N mode until one client tries to connect in a lesser mode, and then the router will switch down to comply with the lowest common mode between all the clients. (So, if you have another computer on the network that can't do N, but does do G, the router steps down to G to make everyone happy.)

Realistically, this might not really be that big a deal unless you're doing a lot of media sharing or gaming or something on the same router (between computers in your home), as even at 802.11g speeds you're still likely bandwidth limited by your ISP (cox). In other words, that extra speed only shows up mostly when you're going from the computer on your desk to the one in the living room, but when you're reading posts on Cigar Asylum then you're still at the mercy of however fast Cox go. So, irritating when you see it say "G" and not "N", but no practical difference in usability for most stuff.

[heavyd]

The router is dual band model E4200. I think the problem may be the adapter, which is B/G/N.

Originally Posted by mleska

Realistically, this might not really be that big a deal unless you're doing a lot of media sharing or gaming or something on the same router (between computers in your home), as even at 802.11g speeds you're still likely bandwidth limited by your ISP (cox).

I never considered this...good info. I only web surf and listen to Pandora on the netbook, so maybe I should not be too concerned. I was thinking that web pages would load faster with N, but it sounds like that may not be the case..

Thanks for the advice, guys. I really appreciate it.

[mosesbotbol]

You should be able to configure for only N connections. You may have it set to Auto.

There's a bunch IP tweaks you can do to your PC that usually increase bandwidth as well.

[Silound]

ALL wireless devices are constricted by antennas and wireless chipsets. Newer, higher-end routers have multiples of each and allow multiple simultaneous wireless networks to be broadcast independently. This means that there is a separate network broadcast for g(up to 54Mbps), n(up to 300Mbps), and a/n(up to 600 Mbps, also known as 5GHz band).

The vast majority of routers operate a single wireless network known as a "Mixed-Mode" network, where the network supports multiple connection specifications (a/b/g/n). On these routers, the connection speed is determined by the devices connected. The network will resort back to a Wireless-G connection if a legacy device is connected.

The only way to get the true speeds of Wireless-N is to have what is known as a "Pure-N" or "N-Only" network set up. This means the router is configured to only broadcast an 802.11n (or 802.11a/n for 5GHz band) signal spreading over multiple channels (think driving down the middle of a two lane road instead of just one lane...more room means you can drive a wider car!) and you are required to use the WPA/WPA2 PSK option. This will result in faster connection speeds.


Be warned! This will NOT increase your internet speed, but it will help prevent issues with wireless performance degrading things like Netflix streaming.