Nevermind the promises printed on the package. Unless your
office happens to be a small computer lab without walls, furniture
or people, you won't get anywhere near the transfer speeds or
range attributed to 802.11g networking devices.
But who said that's all there is? The latest from Belkin,
Linksys, Netgear and others should be hitting store shelves right
about now--super-duper adapters that transfer data several times
faster and farther than plain old 802.11g devices. Some claim
performance beyond that expected from the next-generation 802.11n
protocol, though that standard is nowhere near being ratified.
Of course, this is one product category where mileage will vary.
It will certainly vary from the ideal, even from one room to
another, if your office and network traffic changes at all. In the
world of wireless, cubicle partitions and competing electronics,
even people affect speeds and feeds.
Content Continues Below
Still, having played around with six of these prequels under
field conditions (the field behind my house), I was impressed.
Unless you're transmitting from a lead-lined vault or leave
kryptonite lying around, it's a safe bet they would deliver a
boost in speed and coverage for your network, too. How noticeable?
The only honest answer is: Your mileage will vary. More on that
later; first, a word about how they operate.
Finding MIMO
While vendors might add a little secret sauce, all pre-n
adapters use some variation of a common-sense idea that,
unfortunately, has been tagged with the usual propellerhead
acronym: MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output). It simply means
multiple radios send out multiple data beams that get picked up by
multiple antennas.
That may similar to the more powerful antennas and repeaters
long available to turn mere g adapters into super g adapters (see
"Buyer's
Guide"). But MIMO devices operate differently. Super g
adapters still broadcast along a direct line of sight to one
another, hoping to push through obstacles by dint of signal
power.
Super-duper adapters send their signals in different directions.
They ricochet off walls, furniture and even people to reach blocked
access points. That's where parsing algorithms pick the
strongest, most consistent signal, changing to another signal if
the scene changes moments later. Netgear says its router uses seven
different "smart" antennas to sort through more than 100
overlapping broadcast patterns.
It's anticipated that the same technique will be at the
heart of the 802.11n protocol, but those specs are still up in the
air. The Wi-Fi Alliance, which arbitrates Wi-Fi interoperability,
isn't happy about vendors jumping the gun--or labels like
"pre-n" and "MIMO." "Manufacturers that
put 'pre-n' on the box are irresponsible," says Ken
Dulaney, vice president of mobile computing at tech research and
consulting firm Gartner Inc. in San Jose, California, voicing the
view of both Gartner and the alliance.
Gartner fears market confusion, conflicts among neighbors and
inter-brand incompatibility. Prequels of the 11g protocol needed
firmware retrofits, "and that protocol was 80 percent
there," says Dulaney. "We're only 20 percent of the
way to 802.11n, which may not get firmed up until 2007."
Pre-n vendors say their solutions are independent of that spec
and won't cause conflicts. If anything, says Vivek Pathela,
Netgear's senior director of product marketing and management
for residential products, pre-n technology will enhance the
bandwidth of 802.11n adapters.
What Is "Fast"?
By how much? I'm not telling--at least, I won't quote
absolute results because the very same hardware I played with would
perform differently at your site.
These days, vendors also avoid touting ideal speeds. Marketing
claims are framed as "eight times" or "800 percent
better." And don't expect those multiples when
broadcasting to nearby access points--only because 11g adapters do
relatively well in close range. It's out on the edge of your
network where pre-n adapters reduce dead spots and boost throughput
the most. But isn't that where you need the extra oomph?
I got excellent coverage--even when standing in my field. Web
pages snapped in place, and 11g adapters sped up with a MIMO router
on the network (instead of the router falling back as in the
pre-g days). When every connector was MIMO, it was like
transferring files between directories on the same PC.
Are they worth the extra dough? Not if you expect faster web
browsing and, like so many, share a sub-1Mbps internet connection,
says Dulaney. Of course, he adds, you still get extra internal
bandwidth. So I say, Why not?
The $50 to $100 price premium on pre-n adapters is only
temporary, and you'll quickly get it back in productivity gains
anyway. Even if 802.11n is better, you'll have had about 18
months of zippy networking and can take your pre-n adapters home to
network that super-duper entertainment center you'll have by
then.
But pass on faster and better? Ignore the technological
imperative? Nah, that's like pulling on Superman's
cape.
Look, Up in the Sky!
These adapters sport multiple antennas--and red Gs on their
leotards.
- Belkin
Wireless Pre-N Router: This three-antenna router uses Airgo
Networks' True MIMO to achieve "800 percent wider
coverage" and "600 percent faster speed."
Pre-N Router: $160
Pre-N Notebook Network Card: $100
- Linksys
Wireless-G with SRX: Although using the same Airgo MIMO and three
antennas, SRX devices supposedly deliver "three times"
the range and "eight times" the speed of 11g
devices.
Wireless-G Broadband Router: $199
Wireless-G Notebook Adapter: $129
- NETGEAR
RangeMax: This seven-antenna router uses Video54's BeamFlex to
deliver three to 10 times better speed/range.
RangeMax Router: $150
Mike Hogan is Entrepreneur's technology
editor.