very disappointed in wireless n

[ZippyDan]

just spent ~300 buying a new linksys wireless N router and notebook card. was replacing a linksys wireless g standard router and built in dell notebook wireless. at first i was getting LESS range. after some tweaking, im not at the exact same range i had before. guess ill have to return this

 

[n0cmonkey]

N or Pre-N?

 

[spyordie007]

It has to be Pre, it's still draft.

 

[JackMDS]

There is pre-N, draft N, MIMO like, etc.

I.e. there No 802.11 N, there is only 802.11 Scam.

http://www.ezlan.net/faq#MIMO

 

[RyanM]

My first thoughts upon seeing the post title:

"How can you be disappointed in something which doesn't exist yet?"

 

[ZippyDan]

yes, its Draft N, but Linksys doesnt really market it as such afaik Linksys never marketed a PreN router (at least under that name, i think they just called it MIMO?), so it should have been obvious what i was talking about.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: ZippyDan
yes, its Draft N, but Linksys doesnt really market it as such afaik Linksys never marketed a PreN router (at least under that name, i think they just called it MIMO?), so it should have been obvious what i was talking about.

My point was that it isn't 802.11N compliant, so don't expect anything to really work.

 

[spyordie007]

Sure doesn't look to me like they are trying to hide that it's Draft:
http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellit...name=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper

The Access Point built into the Router uses the very latest wireless networking technology, Wireless-N (draft 802.11n).

There is a reason they call it "Wireless-N" and not "802.11n"

Also keep in mind that it's almost certain that none of the gear you have now is going to be compliant when the standard actually comes out. The number of comments out on the standard are staggering.

What you have now and quality 802.11n equipment (when it exists) are going to be a world apart.

 

[ZippyDan]

Originally posted by: n0cmonkey

My point was that it isn't 802.11N compliant, so don't expect anything to really work.

if i buy two Linksys Wireless-N products (namely a router and a pcmcia card), that claim to deliver 4x range when compared with their own Wireless-G products and are at least somewhat based on a new standard, then i expect 4x range, and i expect it to work

Originally posted by: spyordie007

Sure doesn't look to me like they are trying to hide that it's Draft:
http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellit...name=Linksys%2FCommon%2FVisitorWrapper

Uh, the title of that link just says Wireless-N router. At least with PreN it was in the title that it wasnt final. Then I have to read through the 4 bullet point summary, then into the product description, through the first paragraph, and finally into the second paragraph to find that its draft N. Additionally, I wasnt talking about a website, I was talking about how Linksys markets it, in other words the packaging, which says Wireless-N in big letters (yes it also says Draft in tiny letters, and I wasnt fooled into thinking it was final)

Originally posted by: spyordie007
There is a reason they call it "Wireless-N" and not "802.11n

please compare these images
http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/productimage/33-124-136-08.JPG
http://images10.newegg.com/NeweggImage/productimage/33-124-068-06.JPG

the Wireless-G router is fully 802.11g compliant, the Wireless-N router is not 802.11n compliant. therefore your trying to make a distinction between Wireless-N and 802.11n from a marketing standard doesnt make any sense

anyway, my problem wasnt with the product being draftN or N, it was with it not delivering what it promised... 4x the range of Wireless-G. perhaps i should say i was disappointed in Linksys and then you can all feel better

 

[Slug]

I believe AT has recently done some reviews on N devices.

 

[nweaver]

Do you believe all claims made by the manufacturer? Belkin claims higher speed with gold plated parallel cables....


SOME draftn gear DOES provide more speed and distance, I know, because I tested some for Dell...not 4x distance (this was real word conditions) but a decent boost, and we had a great speed (5Mb/s true throughput) at that distance. I would look on Dell's webpage for a whitepaper for more info.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: ZippyDan
anyway, my problem wasnt with the product being draftN or N, it was with it not delivering what it promised... 4x the range of Wireless-G. perhaps i should say i was disappointed in Linksys and then you can all feel better

Actually, the failure here is actually believing what a manufacturer tells you and being supremely misinformed.

Buyer beware.

 

[n0cmonkey]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: ZippyDan
anyway, my problem wasnt with the product being draftN or N, it was with it not delivering what it promised... 4x the range of Wireless-G. perhaps i should say i was disappointed in Linksys and then you can all feel better

Actually, the failure here is actually believing what a manufacturer tells you and being supremely misinformed.

Buyer beware.

Wait, marketing guys lie/bend the truth/distort reality/exagerate? This changes everything...

 

[nweaver]

tbh, I know that draftn CAN have 4 times the range....

you just have to go 40 feet underground, in an open, concrete box with nothing in it...(I know a vendor who tested this way)

Really look up the Dell whitepaper, it's based on REAL WORLD usage and expectations. Dell was very concerned about making the whitepaper results reproducable for the mass public.

 

[RebateMonger]

Interesting....from ABCNews.com and PCMagazine.
Lance Ulanoff, of PC Magazine, says, "Don't buy Draft-n WiFi equipment".

"Don't Buy?Draft-n wireless.
Though 802.11 pre-n impressed us, draft-n has been completely underwhelming, with short transmission distances and inconsistent performance. The routers show all too clearly the unratified nature of the forthcoming "n" standard."


"Maybe Buy?Pre-n.
If you can find any pre-n routers and adapters, you might want to buy them. They're faster than any other wireless option out there, and they may be upgradable to the final ratified standard (whenever that arrives). In addition, they could make the dream of wirelessly streaming video from PC to router to access point to the destination point of your choice a reality. "

 

[nweaver]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger
Interesting....from ABCNews.com and PCMagazine.
Lance Ulanoff, of PC Magazine, says, "Don't buy Draft-n WiFi equipment".

"Don't Buy?Draft-n wireless.
Though 802.11 pre-n impressed us, draft-n has been completely underwhelming, with short transmission distances and inconsistent performance. The routers show all too clearly the unratified nature of the forthcoming "n" standard."


"Maybe Buy?Pre-n.
If you can find any pre-n routers and adapters, you might want to buy them. They're faster than any other wireless option out there, and they may be upgradable to the final ratified standard (whenever that arrives). In addition, they could make the dream of wirelessly streaming video from PC to router to access point to the destination point of your choice a reality. "

I've only ever worked with draftn, but we were able to stram a 10Mb/s HD video without any problems at 70 feet through a thick metal wall.

 

[spidey07]

meh, any "good" network guy doesn't EVER, EVER, EVER use stuff that is not standard.

There's a reason why.

Don't trust any review sites, trust those in the know like nmweaver.

 

[nweaver]

Originally posted by: spidey07
meh, any "good" network guy doesn't EVER, EVER, EVER use stuff that is not standard.

There's a reason why.

Don't trust any review sites, trust those in the know like nmweaver.

I don't/wont use pren, draftn, etc. I only know about draftn because someone paid me to test it (and was suprised by how well it seemed to work)

 

[nweaver]

btw, look for a link to that whitepaper (I'm asking the dell folks where it's at) soon

 

[ZippyDan]

Originally posted by: nweaver
Do you believe all claims made by the manufacturer? Belkin claims higher speed with gold plated parallel cables....


SOME draftn gear DOES provide more speed and distance, I know, because I tested some for Dell...not 4x distance (this was real word conditions) but a decent boost, and we had a great speed (5Mb/s true throughput) at that distance. I would look on Dell's webpage for a whitepaper for more info.

no i dont believe all claims. but if they claim 4x vs. their own product (not "leading competitor"), then i expect it to perform at least somewhat better than (say 1.5x if not 4x), instead of worse than. not to mention i was fooled by fancier (and more directional?) looking antenna

 

[nweaver]

statistics are a joke, as are "test" results, unless you have full disclosure of the conditions and everything. I have seen draftn go 4x the range...it was 6 levels below ground in a huge parking garage empty of all vehicles.