What should I look for and expect in a WiFi router? What's the industry norm these days?

Question

i suppose the 'g' band supports the highest speed (with exception to pre-N) right? so what do the numbers before the 'g' mean? e.g .804g

Answer 1

First and foremost, look that it is "WiFi Certified" and make sure it supports WPA2 security, and the rest is mostly marketing hype. I would suggest Linksys, a division of Cisco, they generally come out on top in terms of performance, ease of use, and support, according to PC Magazine and similar mags. So the extra 5 or 10 dollars for a Linksys is justified. This has been my experience as well. As for what you should "expect" the answer is the same: ease of use, good web interface, complete feature set, good security options, good help available both online and if you need to call for tech support.

Consider getting one with a built-in 4-port 10/100 switch for example. I'll mention some specific models below. This just gives the extra flexibility of having both wired and wireless connections.

Beware going with the new 802.11n and all the hype surrounding it about higher speeds and longer distances, it's not even a finalized standard yet. In some cases you'll get great results with a pre-N product but the final standard can and will change which might make it junk sometime next year.

The home user norm is a b/g router or access point such as the Linksys WRT54G, which the industry and small business norm is an a/b/g such at the Linksys WRT55AG. I'd spend the extra few bucks and get the a/b/g model so you have more flexibility down the road in case you need to use 802.11a channels for certain reasons.

Grab a "Computer Shopper" or PC Magazine or similar mags and look up their wireless router product reviews, that'll give you a good idea and more details on what to look for and what NOT to fall for in terms of marketing hype. Finally, don't believe everything you read online in terms of product reviews from other users! One good (or bad) review/experience usually means very little regarding what you'll experience yourself.

Answer 2

I agree with the answer from above, but I would stress going with an a/b/g access point. There are too many devices that can distort the 2.4Ghz band (b/g). 5.8Ghz (a) is still an unlicensed frequency, but has much fewer problems.

Pre-N or wanna be MIMO (mulitple in mulitple oute) technology is not yet perfected. The only company that has a worthwhile product is SOHOWARE and they are pricey.