What router to buy to give me greatest distance?

Hi All!

I now have a Linksys B router with a range booster on top of it that has given me great service up to my third floor. I am getting a new computer with a G card in it and want to upgrade my router. I prefer Linksys, as have no problems with it for the last 5 years. Which one should I get, and do I need a range extender for it? I need to get to the third floor with this, as my internet cable is on the first. Thank you for any suggestions!

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Reply to
Kay
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If the "B" is working well, why not just use it?

Reply to
RBM

Kay hath wroth:

Most modern routers have fairly similar 802.11g range/speed performance. Some run more transmit power, but that doesn't buy you much if the receivers are all the same. I kinda prefer something with an Atheros chipset, but even that won't buy you much range differentiation. Whatever you find, as long as it can handle an external antenna.

What does give you range is the antenna system. You can take a dozen wireless routers and they will all get roughly the same range if used with the same antenna. That's not the case with different antennas. A directional antenna, preferably at both ends of the link, should work nicely. I can't recommend a specific antenna as you didn't describe the coverage area (i.e. numbers please).

Since you're shooting through floors and walls, something that tolerates multipath might be a worthy investment. The various 802.11n Draft 2.0 routers will do that, but that also requires an 802.11n card at the client end. Otherwise, they're no better than a generic router.

Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

Your G card should still be able to run B. Honestly I don't think you will see enough difference in the speed to make the upgrade worth your while. This is one time where I would default to "if it ain't broke don't fix it"

Steve B.

Reply to
Steve B.

Old cartoon of old man adjusting the TV rabbit ears and wife scremaing, "If it works, don't mess with it...Look what happened with AT&T"

Reply to
DTC

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