View Full Version : Dual Band Wireless N Access Point
I'm looking to upgrade from my old 3Com 54G access point to a dual band wireless N access point.
Current setup as follows:
Sky Netgear DG834GT >>> 3Com Gigabit Switch >>> 3Com 11G Access Point >>> 2x laptops with Intel 5300 wireless cards and 3 aerials fitted.
Any recommendations???
Del Lardo
14-04-2009, 11:05
For now I really wouldn't bother unless you desperately need the extra bandwidth. There are new chipsets in development that should be hitting the market in retail products in Q1/10 and you'd be far better off waiting for them.
To be honest I don't use either laptop myself and it's only since my brother got his NC10 that the 'issue' has cropped up.
Apparently he is loosing signal while he is using the NC10 in his own room on the first floor, opposite side of the house to where the WAP is located.
I've knocked up a quick floor plan of both floors and added a guesstimate of the area that the WAP is serving without any noticeable loss of signal.
I'm really only looking for an improvement in wireless coverage first and bandwidth upgrade second. I was considering upgrading to N as the only major addition to the network for the next 3 to 4 years (about as long as the 3Com has served me).
Ground Floor (http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/9867/groundfloor.jpg)
First Floor (http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/4518/firstfloori.jpg)
The Intel 5300 Wifi cards in each laptop were replacements to the pre-installed Atheros cards that came with the NC10’s (no matter which driver I used they wouldn’t connect using WPA to the 3Com). As the 5300 cards are N ready I thought I would see if that in combination with an N access point would get rid of any dead spots in the house.
I’m still keeping a look out for a suitable candidate.
Albeit a little on the expensive side, the Apple Airport Extreme appears to fit the bill of a suitable candidate.
Does anybody have any recent reviews/comments on the draft N revision? I can only appear to find plenty of the older reviews online.
I've got the new Airport Extreme and it works really well, I get coverage now in areas where I didn't get coverage before and being dual radio it means I can use my laptop which has N while my daughter is using her laptop or her DS which don't have N without any slow down.
I was very impressed by the performance, especially as all the aerials are built in.
Are you using the Airport along side a DSL/Cable modem or as a wireless access point?
I'm still intending to use my Sky Netgear DG834GT and simply replace the 3Com WAP.
I guess that to use it as a WAP only that I would need to disable NAT + DHCP and simply connect it to the Netgear via the Lan port (or would it need to be connected via the Wan port?).
The config utility for the Airports is very very clever - it'll ask you want you want to do with it and will then do the setup itself so you don't actually have to do anything with NAT, DHCP or whatever.
With my Time Capsule it'll even turn the WAN port into an additional LAN port if you have it setup as you want it.
I've got a DSL modem and the Airport connects directly into it, it was incredibly easy to set up. I'm considering grabbing an Airport Express as well to extend the network out so I get good wireless coverage in the garden! I have a cable to the back of the house already so if I just plug it into there then I've got an easy to configure and set up extender.
The config utility for the Airports is very very clever - it'll ask you want you want to do with it and will then do the setup itself so you don't actually have to do anything with NAT, DHCP or whatever.
With my Time Capsule it'll even turn the WAN port into an additional LAN port if you have it setup as you want it.
I had read that the setup for the router is software based and not web based like most other routers.
I've got a DSL modem and the Airport connects directly into it, it was incredibly easy to set up. I'm considering grabbing an Airport Express as well to extend the network out so I get good wireless coverage in the garden! I have a cable to the back of the house already so if I just plug it into there then I've got an easy to configure and set up extender.
Our home is quite large but has cat5e in all rooms except the kitchen and bathrooms. The only reason for having wireless is due to my father not wanting to be tied to the end of a cable when he's online.
Both my father and brother have Samsung NC10's (upgraded wireless cards to Intel 5300 with a third aerial fitted) but neither have chosen to use them outside (yet). I guess that if the need arises, I could fit an Express extender to the closest cat5e run and extend the network to the opposite side of the house that covers the garden.
I had read that the setup for the router is software based and not web based like most other routers.
Correct.
I placed my order (direct with Apple as it didn't appear to be any cheaper elsewhere) first thing this morning. It's shipped already by UPS so may have it tomorrow.
After owning the Extreme for a few weeks now I can only say that I'm no better off with my moaning younger brother and his wireless dropouts.
I will be trying out other spots around the house to see if I can get a better coverage (one possible spot is to attach it to the ceiling on the first floor above the stairs leading up from the ground floor – minor DIY required to mount it along with £45 cost for Apple’s ceiling mount kit).
Another option I am considering is to purchase either the Express adapter (though I'm interested to know if this is simultaneous dual band or single band draft N) or pick up another Extreme and locate it upstairs to extend the WiFi network.
As far as I know, the Express is single band.
As far as I know, the Express is single band.
Yep.
Del Lardo
04-06-2009, 22:23
Solution for you. If possible return the Airport Extreme and get a refund, if not possible sell it on ebay.
Order two of these (http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/Shop/ShopDetail.asp?ProductID=3848). Put one downstairs in router mode and put the other on the other side of the house in bridge mode connected via ethernet.
Lots of coverage using two routers for a hell of a lot less than an Airport extreme. You can even use the £45 you saved on a mounting bracket ;D (sorry, I do like Apple kit but that is taking the piss) to buy me beer.
Solution for you. If possible return the Airport Extreme and get a refund, if not possible sell it on ebay.
Order two of these (http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/Shop/ShopDetail.asp?ProductID=3848). Put one downstairs in router mode and put the other on the other side of the house in bridge mode connected via ethernet.
Lots of coverage using two routers for a hell of a lot less than an Airport extreme. You can even use the £45 you saved on a mounting bracket ;D (sorry, I do like Apple kit but that is taking the piss) to buy me beer.
To be honest I would see that as a bit of step back even though it may improve coverage. I could quite easily just use my old 3Com upstairs in my brother's room for him but I wanted an N WAP to make use of the N cards in the laptops.
Cost wise, the Airport Extreme was no more expensive compared to the other offerings from Netgear, Linksys etc. (dual band kit).
Either way my brother can choose to wait for me to re-position the router or just get out of bed (were he looses signal).
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