I have a Linksys wireless 802.11b network, but this is not able to take advantage of the latest broadband speeds, and suffers from dead spots round the house. Should I go to 802.11g or straight to the draft 802.11n standard? Malcolm Myles-Hook
Wi-Fi networks typically deliver less than half the theoretical peak speed, but the most common 802.11b should be able to provide 4-5Mbps over short distances (a few metres). This could be a limiting factor if your broadband speed is 5-7Mbps or more. The 802.11g version is rated at 54Mbps and you should be able to get about 18-20Mbps over short distances. This is enough to handle most real-world broadband connections. Also, 11g is a standard, and the equipment is widely available and reasonably priced. It's normally the best choice for high-speed users.
However, 802.11n equipment can offer twice the bandwidth (40MHz instead of 20MHz) and usually has two or three aerials to provide multiple streams of data. The theoretical speed is 248Mbps so you might get 100Mbps in real life (I've not tried it). Another claimed advantage is much greater range.
Against that, equipment designed to the draft 802.11n specification is more expensive, and you will need new laptop cards, not just a new router. There is also a small risk that current equipment may not be fully compatible with the final standard, though I assume you will be able to update your software when 11n is finalised.
Remember, you can always connect your PC using an Ethernet cable for large downloads. Cables provide better throughput, more reliability and greater security than Wi-Fi.
