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    Wireless Range: Factors

    Discussion in 'Networking and Wireless' started by FFT, Aug 2, 2010.

  1. FFT

    FFT Notebook Consultant

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    What determines wireless range?
    I have tested a Netgear WGR614v9 802.11g and a Netgear WNR2000 802.11n (2.4Ghz only) routers and they seem to have exactly the same wireless range when testing 802.11g.
    The WGR614v9 has one dipole antenna while the WNR2000 has 2 internal antennas and supposedly uses MIMO. Shouldn't the WNR2000 have better performance?

    Does Internal vs External Antennas really matter? Linkysys (Cisco) seems to have mostly internal antennas. I would have thought external antennas would have better performance.

    Also, why do they claim that 802.11n has better range. 5Ghz does not travel as far as 2.5Ghz. Is it because of MIMO / multiple antennas?
     
    FFT, Aug 2, 2010
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  2. kgriffin6979

    kgriffin6979 Notebook Geek

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    As far as I know, N means more speed at the same range vs G, but not more range. I think many N routers claim increased range not because they are N but because they have a more powerful signal and better antennas.

    Maybe on paper the WNR2000 should have better range, but there are many routers out there with identical specs and different performance, plus the variance in walls, doors, glass, etc. There's always going to be a variation, sometimes large, in the real world.

    There is also the factor of the device you are using to pick up the signal (WLAN PCIe card, USB device, desktop card, etc).
     
    kgriffin6979, Aug 2, 2010
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