Wireless Router

Wireless Router

The speed for a wireless connection is important in achieving maximum possible internet connection speed and file transfer speed for a WLAN (wireless network) according to your needs. Wireless speed is ultimately determined by the strength of the signal between the router and the client’s device, and the signal in turn may be influenced by the technical standards of both the router and the client’s device with environmental factors coming in between. Wireless router speed is not to be confused with internet connection/modem speed. The latter specifically concerns the connection between the router/modem and your internet host while the former is about the connection between the router and your devices.
The WLAN standards to look out for these days when making your acquisition are 802.11g (54 mbps) and 802.11n (600 mbps). Having been commercially available since 2004, the 802.11g standard operates in a frequency band of 2.4 GHZ and is the cheaper of the two options. The 802.11n standard – working in the 5 GHZ frequency band – is more recent and with its higher range and capacity to deliver up to 600 mbps, it is the more expensive option.

802.11g is recommended if you are a home user operating seeking fairly high speeds in an interference-free environment and/or reasonably small range where signal strength will be optimal, performing basic tasks such as web browsing, online shopping and emailing if high speed is not essential, or have a short budget. 802.11n is better suited to those who can afford it and seek to perform heavy duty tasks such as media streaming and online-gaming, not to mention perhaps needing a strong signal with regards to environment.

Cons with both of these standards may include backwards incompatibility with older (and now outdated) wireless standards such as 802.11b, which may mean you are unable to connect devices which use this older technology (for example a first-generation Nintendo DS) while working with these signals. Enabling such backwards compatibility meanwhile may hinder performance in compromising for these older standards. Furthermore as file transfer rates have yet to reach those provided by wired standards such as RJ45 (ethernet cable) or USB, high definition content cannot be streamed optimally.

Factors which hinder signal strength and thereby speed include the positioning of the router and the combined density of objects in between the router and the client device which may provide interference and the channel at which the router is operating. Interference by other wireless devices is also relevant to this with operating frequency being taken into account. Make sure that there is as little physical obstruction as possible, which can be helped by positioning the router in a not-so-enclosed space with the antennas (if it has any) staying upright. You can change the channel by going into the wireless configuration settings (usually by entering the router’s IP address that should be provided into your web browser and typing the user name and password), which is an option to consider if you experience any connection slowness or there is wireless interference. Changing the channel in the latter case can help make sure that the potentially conflicting devices are operating at different frequencies and therefore less likely to interfere with each other. And if you can afford it, there are wireless extension devices which by using the same wireless technology as the router, can be used to relay and amplify the router’s signal when placed at the right point.

It may be helpful to connect your wireless device (particularly in the case of home computers) directly to your router via ethernet cable for such maintenance purposes, especially given the risk of breaking up the wireless signal in the process and being unable to take further action. This is also helpful in the event you deduce there is a problem with your internet connection speed and you need to do a speed test with reliable results.

WLAN connections can be very tenable if you can determine a speed that suits your interests. It is a matter of finding the right one that can be best adapted to your needs and environment, for which the tips enclosed may help.