Wireless Connectivity

4 Ways to Get More Out of Your 802.11n Wi-Fi Network

In a recent post, I made the argument that even though the 802.11n Wi-Fi standard is draft technology, it’s worth upgrading to now. If you are running an 802.11n network at home, it’s entirely likely that you could be getting more out of it. In this post, I’ll detail four easy ways to get more from your wireless network.

Use USB Adapters to Add Systems to Your 802.11n Network. There are many inexpensive USB adapters that you can use to very easily add machines to an existing 802.11n network. PC users can go with 3Com’s Wireless USB Adapter for adding systems to an 802.11n network. For Mac users, the MaxPower USB Stick Adapters are only $50, and will put your Macs on your 802.11n network easily.

Add a Range Booster. If you’re using an 802.11n router alone to get wireless access around the house, consider adding a range booster for faster performance wherever you may roam. D-Link’s Wireless USB Rangebooster can be found online for around $100, and can let you do things like roam wirelessly outside while getting good speeds.

Guage Your Wireless Performance. There are several free utilities you can use for testing the actual throughput you’re getting from your wireless network at various locations. QCheck is an excellent one that can help you quantify your performance and evaluate whether range boosters or extra access points might make sense for you.

Experiment with Different Locations for Your Wireless Equipment. Wi-Fi is radio technology, and radio technology is extraordinarily bizarre in terms of what works well and what doesn’t. If you’ve never experimented with different placements for your router, range booster, and access points, do so. Simply placing a router up high, instead of down low, can give you much better performance. Central locations are also good to experiment with. Also, don’t place a router or access point near metal or obvious obstructions.

By Samuel Dean

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