First Gigabit Wi-Fi Routers Ready to Launch

[shaunp]

How many simultaneous connections?

I would be interested to know how many simultaneous 1Gbps connections it would support. WiFi is useful, but I tend to use a wired connection between my NAS and a couple of PC's as I want faster transfer speeds.

If one of these routers would support around 5 simultaneous 1Gbps connections and a few others at a lower speed then it would save having a separate switch of these devices.

I'm looking forward to seeing some hands-on reviews

 

[nuckinfutz]

I would be interested to know how many simultaneous 1Gbps connections it would support. WiFi is useful, but I tend to use a wired connection between my NAS and a couple of PC's as I want faster transfer speeds.

If one of these routers would support around 5 simultaneous 1Gbps connections and a few others at a lower speed then it would save having a separate switch of these devices.

I'm looking forward to seeing some hands-on reviews

Beam forming may help when you need to handle multiple streams of content.

http://www.quantenna.com/beamforming.html

 

[gramirez2012]

I have a strong feeling that the next Mac hardware updates we see will include 802.11ac. If history is any indicator, Apple is usually one of the first companies to adopt the latest 802.11 technology. Apple started shipping Macs with 802.11n back in late 2006, long before the standard was finalized and long before there were many products on the market which could utilize the technology. Seeing that other manufacturers are already coming out with their new 802.11ac products, I think the next Mac updates will certainly include it.

 

[bwrairen]

Exactly ! Expect the 15in MBA/P to have 802.11ac and NO GB NIC and to launch coincident with an 802.11ac Airport Express (at least).

In 2013.

 

[Val-kyrie]

What problem are you trying to solve? It would always be fastest to run Cat-6 cables.

WiFi really sucks compared to copper (and the fact that copper runs each cable as a full duplex connection compared to wireless being a shared half-duplex bottleneck). Ten systems on Cat-6 could run at an aggregate bandwidth of 20 gigabit per second. Ten systems on gigabit wifi could run at 1 gigabit per second.

What data are you transferring (internet streams [likely limited by your modem], backups [likely in the middle of the night when performance is not important], local file server access [most likely to benefit from faster WiFi if you can't run copper])?

I have a daughter with a Nintendo DS which uses 11g (or b?) but my iPhone and MB use 11n. Also, I would like to utilize the speed increase associated with 11ac in the future for faster local access to a file server.

My problem is the layout of my apartment. I subscribe to DSL (for cost reasons) but I have only one (working) phone jack in my bedroom and there is no way for me to run ethernet cable from my router to my computer desk.

I am concerned with the ability to use 11ac and 11b/g/n without slowing down my 11n connections.

 

[Mr Bigs]

Netgear? Sorry, they've joined Sony on my "never again" list. I had one of their top-end routers (at the time) the WNDR3700. It's been 3-4 years since release, and the thing STILL doesn't work completely right with stock firmware. I got an ASUS RT-N66U to replace it and I'm loving it.

Now if Apple would just release a router with QoS, I'd be all over that!

I agree,had nothing but trouble with Netgear wound up putting it under my truck tire. I prefer Linksys now !!!!

 

[gnomeisland]

I am concerned with the ability to use 11ac and 11b/g/n without slowing down my 11n connections.

Assuming you've got the empty airspace in your building/area I'd say keep whatever router you've got working adequately now and add an 11ac router to the mix when they come of age. My gut is that most "dual band" 11ac routers won't give you three layers of segregation (ac, n, b&g) so they'll be a compromise on some level.

Just make sure the two wirless routers are hard wired to each other and that one is operating in bridge mode and it should be pretty seamless and not require much more maintenance. I did this for the first several years after I transitioned to N.

 

[BiggAW]

Assuming you've got the empty airspace in your building/area I'd say keep whatever router you've got working adequately now and add an 11ac router to the mix when they come of age. My gut is that most "dual band" 11ac routers won't give you three layers of segregation (ac, n, b&g) so they'll be a compromise on some level.

Just make sure the two wirless routers are hard wired to each other and that one is operating in bridge mode and it should be pretty seamless and not require much more maintenance. I did this for the first several years after I transitioned to N.

You won't get three. But what it looks like now is you could do the 5ghz band on ac, since it only works on 5ghz in these initial routers, and do b/g/n on the 2.4. If you upgrade all the machines that need a lot of throughput to ac on the 5ghz band, you can just let the b/g/n on the 2.4ghz band degrade. Or run multiple routers. We do this at home, with the main one G, and a secondary one running dual band N.

There could potentially be four levels of segregation, although I don't think there's any devices out there that still use b, so basically you could split between g and ac.

 

[Sackvillenb]

Excellent. The future. Becoming the present.

 

[jnpy!$4g3cwk]

How many SSIDs ?

I checked the docs and didn't see where it said how many SSIDs it supports? It does have "guest", so, I assume that means at least two? With different security policies?

I wish I had three, because, there are just some older devices that seem to get confused by "n", and, I would like to have a second 2.4 GHz "b only" channel just for them.

 

[BiggAW]

I checked the docs and didn't see where it said how many SSIDs it supports? It does have "guest", so, I assume that means at least two? With different security policies?

I wish I had three, because, there are just some older devices that seem to get confused by "n", and, I would like to have a second 2.4 GHz "b only" channel just for them.

It would have to be 3. I'm guessing private 5ghz ac, private 2.4ghz b/g/n, and guest 2.4ghz b/g/n.

That second channel would require a second radio, not just an SSID. You can have an old router hooked up as an AP, but you'd loose the MIMO and other advanced capabilities of the newer gear that still helps in b/g modes.

 

[jnpy!$4g3cwk]

It would have to be 3. I'm guessing private 5ghz ac, private 2.4ghz b/g/n, and guest 2.4ghz b/g/n.

That second channel would require a second radio, not just an SSID. You can have an old router hooked up as an AP, but you'd loose the MIMO and other advanced capabilities of the newer gear that still helps in b/g modes.

As I read the docs, it has two radios, but, I'm not really sure. For some reason, on overly home-consumer oriented gear, they usually seem to be afraid of putting in too much technical detail.

 

[BiggAW]

As I read the docs, it has two radios, but, I'm not really sure. For some reason, on overly home-consumer oriented gear, they usually seem to be afraid of putting in too much technical detail.

You can run multiple SSID's off of one radio. That's how the guest network would work. It would have two radios, three SSIDs. Some corporate level gear runs 8 or more SSIDs on one radio.

 

[AppleMacFinder]

I doubt anyone in the real world even remembers 802.11a.

Otherwise, did we even get N final hardware for longer than a year? I am still seeing Draft N hardware to this day. I know a few high end routers were released within the past 18 months with N Final but that did not last long.

e.g. AEBS

 

[batotman]

Netgear? Sorry, they've joined Sony on my "never again" list. I had one of their top-end routers (at the time) the WNDR3700. It's been 3-4 years since release, and the thing STILL doesn't work completely right with stock firmware. I got an ASUS RT-N66U to replace it and I'm loving it.

Now if Apple would just release a router with QoS, I'd be all over that!

Agreed. I bought a G router from them and it was crap. Against my better judgement and because i read several glowing reviews I bought a WNDR3700 and WNR3500L. Range and speeds sucked. Never again.

----------

I agree,had nothing but trouble with Netgear wound up putting it under my truck tire. I prefer Linksys now !!!!

You have given me a satisfyingly wonderful idea. I plan on buying a Glock 19 this summer. I hate my Netgears. Just collecting dust because my trusty WRT54GL outperformed them and is about a million times more reliable.

 

[tshrimp]

Darn. I just bought a WNDR3700 and now this comes out. I wish I would have known during the return period. I have had very good luck with Netgear as I seemed to replace my routers every year until I switched to them. I hope this has the download meter like my 3700 as my ISP has limits.

I guess this new router is not that big of a deal as I stream high def via my older wireless n net gear (3500 v1)and my new one (3700 v2).... Except on my mac. Only Windows 7 streams it well. For some reason my Mac just doesn't work that well when it tries to stream.

 

[BiggAW]

Agreed. I bought a G router from them and it was crap. Against my better judgement and because i read several glowing reviews I bought a WNDR3700 and WNR3500L. Range and speeds sucked. Never again.

We have a WNDR 3700 upstairs acting as an N router on 2.4 and 5 ghz, and a WRT-54Gv.1 in the basement with Tomato. The WRT-54G is maxed out for transmit power, and it has 7dbi duckies on it. The WNDR is obviously stock. In the basement, they are equal. On the first floor, the WNDR absolutely owns. We have to keep both, as some older laptops aren't liking the N, and a newer one won't work on G, so we need both networks to support them. The difference with the WNDR is MIMO. It keeps the signal levels farther away from the router WAY up. Even with G devices, it makes the signal much more reliable.

I don't, however, have any experience with the WNDR as a router, as we are using it as a switch and AP, and the WRT-54Gv.1 is the router, as it, and the cable modem are located where the cable, phone, Ethernet, and power distribution for the house are located.

 

[demodave]

I'd be psyched for a huger speed Tine Capsule

My Time Capsule is 2008 or 2009 vintage, so I would appreciate the improvement in range and speed. I cannot currently fully utilize my 12 Mbsp down and 1.5 Mbps up throughout my home, especially not when the Time Capsule is backing up, which - in the kitchen - is painfully slow. So I'd appreciate the bump.

I suspect that true 12 Mbps down would more than meet my needs for day-to-day use, and if I could stock up a Tme Capsule with content and stream it to my TV (or Apple TV) effortlessly, that would also be a plus.

To my mind, more speed is always better. I don't want *my* hardware to be the bottleneck.

 

[jesterjohnson]

Gig speeds to match my ISP

In Chattanooga, we have the country's first 1 Gig internet speeds to the house. The limiting factor has been the routers. Now we have the routers to go with the speed.

 

[BiggAW]

In Chattanooga, we have the country's first 1 Gig internet speeds to the house. The limiting factor has been the routers. Now we have the routers to go with the speed.

Jealous. There's been wired gig routers out for a while. 802.11ac won't get to the full 1gbps, but it will probably handle more than most computers can (seems to be around 200-300mbps sustained).

 

[ZMacintosh]

Well it is 5th-generation in terms of speed; we've gone through 2, 11, 54, and 600 Mb/s before 802.11ac came about.

Yeah terminology is going to get mixed up and confuse consumers with all the 3G, 4G, xG, etc

"Wi-Fi 5" would be okay, doesnt incorporate 5g which would make people think they can get wireless connection anywhere or something just as nonsensical.