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Old 10-03-2005, 09:24 PM   #2 (permalink)
marshall5
 
Newb Techie

Join Date: Jul 2005

Posts: 47

marshall5

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I was glad to see this question asked, as I was thinking this to myself a little over a month ago...

I recently did some research on the current "best" wireless setups (802.11 devices), and stumbled across a review which compared some of the newest wireless devices. They conducted bandwidth throughput tests amoung the newest devices, and found that the Belkin Pre-N router and Pre-N notebook card achieved the highest speed/longest range out of the group. This would be considered an 802.11n network by the way.

I currently own both of them (you have to for them to be compatable on your own network), and man o man, through a few walls and about 40ft away, the laptop signal is always at 4 out of 5 bars and at a constant 108mb/s. If you have heard of 802.11b or g (g being faster), this doubles 802.11g speeds if you're in the same room as the router, and extends available connection range by something like 800% (they claim).

All sounds great for us home network owners, now for the bad news...

You mentioned you would be connecting to a wireless network at a hotel...ehh, all I have to say is good luck with high speeds. You can buy this card for your laptop, but without the hotel owning an 802.11n router, you will just be connecting to an 802.11g or even possibly an ancient 802.11b network (the card is compatable with them all). My experience with hotel wireless is often very poor. Some of them are only using 1 or 2 routers for a huge hotel, and the fact is, the people whos rooms lie far from the router suffer the most. You may be indeed very upset with the connection speed, also taking into account that many people may be trying to route through the same connection as you, who knows how much bandwidth will be available.

Anyways, you mine as well get the Belkin Pre-N card, that way when you stumble across an 802.11n connection, you'll be able to take advantage.

Here are some links for a start:

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...156884&_LOC=US

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...156885&_LOC=US

Hope this helps!
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