Routers and Adapters: Which are Fastest?

This shows the performance for combinations of NETGEAR routers and adapters. Although you cannot get the 802.11 IEEE Standard's maximum Mbps, the higher the theoretical Mbps, the better the performance.

Wireless equipment which appears "fast" is a combination of how much it can transmit (throughput), how far it can reach (range), how well it rejects radio frequency noise, how well the router can redirect transmissions to avoid obstacles, and other factors such hardware firewall efficiency. Performance depends on combinations of products used, too. These are only guidelines only: the success depends on your situation.

• The fastest are NETGEAR's RangeMax NEXT routers and adapters, working together (however this information is too new to be available for the table, below.)
• The next fastest ( and most expensive ) is NETGEAR's RangeMax router and adapter, working together.
• The next fastest is the WPNT834, using the WPNT511 adapters (and not using any slower wireless adapters on your network). This combination will probably make your local network performance faster than your ISP connection to the Internet.

Speed is limited by several factors: your performance will never be as high as the IEEE standard maximum, because, in part:

• The IEEE protocol itself has overhead.
• Other radio devices will interfer with your transmission.
• Many common materials absorb or reflect radio waves in ways that reduce performance.
• Security, while very important for wireless users, causes overhead.
• Certain features, or certain features in combination reduce performance. E.g., logging, especially when running a Web server.
  

Maximum wireless signal rate derived from IEEE Standard 802.11 specifications. Actual data throughput will vary.
Network conditions and environmental factors, including volume of network traffic, building materials and construction, and network overhead, lower actual data throughput rate.

n101607.asp March 9, 2006