Is D-Link the best source for 802.11n-capable access point??

Hi all...I recently installed my Atheros a/b/g/n card, more specifically, the Atheros 5008, and reading through the Atheros website, it seems that D-Link is the company, which has the Atheros chipset in it. There is no Atheros router, per se, but D-Link has won all kinds of awards, perhaps because of its dealings with Atheros!

I am a total Atheros fan, as it was like getting a new technology, even when trying my Atheros mini-PCIe card in my T60p, compared to the Intel 3945ABG I had in there before, on only 802.11g!! G was SO much faster using the Atheros card instead of the Intel that it convinced me right then and there, way before I got an N router.

Having said that, I need to make a decision as to which N access point to get, and it does seem that D-Link might be my best choice to go with, rather than my beloved Linksys routers that I have used in the past, and solely for the Atheros chips apparently "running" the D-Link equipment.

Just from the experiences with the Atheros-N card, I'm sold on ANY Atheros-powered equipment, so I'd like to get opinions from D-Link users, Linksys users, Atheros users, and anyone else who is knowledgeable in WiFi.

Thanks all!!!

 

well, in dual band, go w/ linksys wrt600n, dlink wgl4500--dir855(soon to be released) or apple/mac airport extreme........

go here

http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/

to read the reviews.......

 

I have a D-Link DWL-G730AP, which can work as AP, RT and client mode,
is 3"x2", I love it.

 

You definitely want atheros and performance, which = a D-link router.
The main thing to decide then, is whether you need to connect 802.11g devices at the same time, or if you only need to run 802.11n.

If it's the former, which is obviously more common, the only router that can deliver the best performance is the upcoming DIR-855. This is because it is dual radio (not just dual band), in order to deliver full performance for 802.11n and 802.11g etc at same time. There's hardly any routers with this yet, and no others with actual atheros AFAIK (Linksys WRT-600N does not have atheros). It's being delayed until June.

If it's the latter I would suggest DGL-4500 or DIR-655, and set them to 5GHz band only.

 

Thanks to everybody! This post stuck out at me, because it goes to the heart of my question! Is it really advantageous to get a D-Link router or Access Point, since I have the Atheros AR5008 mini PCIe, which is the latest one, the 11a/b/g/ n. In response to your question, yes, I'm only after wireless-N! Although the other user of the network (very infrequent user!) has "only" G, which is more than enough for him. He could even get away with just 802.11b, and be happy.

Do you, or anyone else, know if Linksys gets chips from Atheros, too? Using the smallnetbuilder.com tool, the Linksys 600N, which is what I was going to get, and may still, is at the top of the list, ahead slightly of the D-Link, if you don't count the Airport Extreme (Apple), which, for some reason, is way ahead of everything.

I am still overseas in Europe, which shouldn't matter, but it means that I only need an N Access Point, NOT a full-fledged router. For back home, I can still wait and see what might be coming out now that Draft 3.0 was released in January. And then, I will obviously get a router, not just an AP!

So getting a D-Link would really mean that I would get Atheros to Atheros communication, which will be better, no matter what any site says/claims?? Has D-Link struck some kind of deal with Atheros, so that only D-Link gets Atheros chips/chip sets??

I'm asking because again, just using it for G, Atheros vs. the Intel card, which was in my Thinkpad before made a HUGE difference. It's amazing! Same router, and all on G, and it makes THAT MUCH of a difference. WoW!

One last question. I'm assuming that D-Link has "Atheros inside" in its Access Points as well?

Sorry for the long post. Thanks for your responses!

 

aarrrggghhhh

The DIR 655 is single band, 2.4GHz........ It therefore CANNOT transmit on the 5GHz band!!!!!!!!

cheers.....

each manufacturer is trying to get the best product and at this point do not care about compatibility w/ other products. Intel almost seems to have the inside track w/ wifi cards are many, many laptop manufacturers.....

If you can wait till the final N spec comes out in 2009. Prices will have dropped by then and more dual band/dual radio routers will be on the market by then. Hopefully, Buffalo will have settled w/ Cisco and we'll have even more quality products to choose from......

 

Well, I want something now. And I'll buy a new router in 2009, if it's necessary, and if I can't just upgrade to the final "Draft" by way of firmware upgrade. Will that be possible, by the way do you know??

For now, I've experienced the blazing speeds of N, so why would I wait an entire YEAR to get going with this now?? At any rate, never mind the router for now like I said...which Access Point should I get? And in YOUR opinion, is the Atheros to Atheros only in D-Link, and if so, is it a good idea to make THAT the basis of the decision-making process as to which Access Point to purchase now?

Those are my bottom line questions. And then I'll head to the store, make the purchase, chain it in, and report as to the speeds and reliability.

On a side note, I briefly had an AVM FritzBox 7 270 N router, but it is not wanted here, so I had to take it back. I got speeds between 180-250Mbps. Consistently. Reliably. That's what I want. But in an Access Point, and the AP is connecting to an AVM FritzBox 7 170, the G version, where I'm currently running a Netgear AP, also a G version, with much success. But not in the 200-250Mbps range, but about 6 times slower, and the range of N will benefit me tremendously because I am in a big house and the router is not only ill-placed, but I'm also as far away from it as I could be. I'm at the south end of the third floor, and router is located on the north end of the first floor lol...

Please note: This is not my house, and I cannot change anything except adding an Access Point to the AVM FritzBox 7 170.

Finally, I'm glad you touched on the subject of the single vs. dual band issue, because the 7 270 was a dual-band router, and therefore almost twice as expensive. I definitely want a DUAL-band Access Point!

Thanks!! I'll make sure I'll write a full report, so that the outcome of this thread will hopefully, and I dare say it will, help someone else who may find themselves in a similar situation.

Thanks again!!!

 

Really???
Oh well, good thing I ordered it last week solely to use the gigabit and 802.11g (and max sim. conenctions), not the wireless! Well, while I was wanting wireless I was needing both 802.11n and 802.11g anyway, so only thre DIR-855 would have satisfied me.

Whoops - apologies, should have known such an obvious one as that.

By the way I still don't know whether 'dual band' refers to the 40MKz channels or the 2.4GHz and 5GHz doublle capability. And frankly, I shouldn't have to, it should just work, and it right now it doesn't and that's why I've gone gigabit when I need my desirable insane LAN speeds.

 

Well the DGL-4500 has 5GHz. And in fact I was trying to research on forums what the difference between the two was apart from some "Gaming" features, and I couldn't find any, so I thought DIR-655 had 5GHz.

And - I know what dual band is again...5GHz as well as 2.4GHz - two bands....duh! what I learnt months ago when first hunting this stuff. oh boy.

 

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=237575&page=2

Let's merge the threads...I'm getting the D-Link Access Point DAP-1353... I posted the latest there. I'm closing in on the finish line...