Routers Classification and Speeds

Obtaining the Best Router Speeds

The best and the latest wireless routers that are avilable in the market currently are 802.11n standard routers. Other standard routers available are 802.11(a/b/g). 802.11b/g/n are backward compatible but 802.11a standard operates on 5 ghz frequency and need specific hardware that is compatible with it. 802.11n standard routers can go up to a speed of 248 mbps, 802.11b standard can go up to 11 mbps, while 802.11a/g can go up to 54 mbps.

It is always a good practice to check the frequency of the modem, in order to prevent interference caused by another wireless device operating on the same frequency, for example, your wireless phone. Before you buy a wireless router, check the wireless standard of your wireless card or adapter. You have to buy a wireless router that supports your wireless card. For example, if you have a wireless card of standard 802.11 b/g, then buy a wireless modem that supports the same standard for easy communication between the two devices. Difference in standard can also limit your connectivity speed.

You can also look for the range of the wireless signal. Suppose you have a bigger house and wish to be able to connect to internet from any corner of your house, then you can purchase a wireless router with two antennae, which is technically referred to as “Simultaneous Dual Band” device. This router supports all the wireless standards and decreases interference caused by other wireless devices.

Router Classification

“802.11n” uses MIMO(Multiple input Multiple output) technology to get seeds upto 248 mbps. Its a technology where the routers uses multiple antenas to send an receive information instead of a single antena. This is acheived though Spatial Division Multiplexing (SDM). SDM spatially multiplexes multiple independent data streams, transferred simultaneously within one spectral channel of bandwidth.