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iPhone 3GS 802.11n?

L

LA MacUser

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 26, 2009
15
0
I'm not sure if this of any interest but I've recently discovered that my iPhone 3GS is able to do 802.11n networking. As far as I know the iPhone 3GS will only work on a 802.11b/g or 802.11n with b/g compatible network.

I have a wireless network consisting of a 1TB Time Capsule and an Airport Express. I've recently had trouble with the set up using 802.11n with b/g compatibility and switched my network over to 802.11n only in the 2.4GHz spectrum. I knew that I would loose the ability for my iphone to get on the network but was OK with that.

I noticed today that my iPhone is now getting on the n only network. I can use it as normal but only with the 802.11n 2.4Ghz setting. I've tried the other 4 settings and it works only on the 802.11b/g compatible and the 802.11n only 2.4Ghz setting.

I'm not sure if this has anything to do with the carrier update for MMS yesterday as I've only noticed this today.

Has anyone else been using their iPhone 3GS on the N only (2.4Ghz) setting?

If this is old news or was previously known, I apologize for the repost.
 
Thanks for the link, but 802.11 n only IS working.

I should have been a little more specific in my posting title.
 
macfanboy said:
in case you can't read the dates, i'll just tell you that your thread is from 2007, the year of the FIRST generation iphone, NOT the iphone 3GS
Click to expand...

You got me there cheif. There was a link in the post that takes you to the 3GS spec page. I should have just linked that.

Question, does the 3GS do N?
 
Well I can't connect to my 5ghz N dual-band Time Capsule with my 3GS, so maybe you got a "special" 3GS. The 3GS doesn't have an N chip, or at least - the early 3GSs didn't...
 
WilliamG said:
Well I can't connect to my 5ghz N dual-band Time Capsule with my 3GS, so maybe you got a "special" 3GS. The 3GS doesn't have an N chip, or at least - the early 3GSs didn't...
Click to expand...

I realize that the 3GS specs say b/g only and that the N spec covers both the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz spectrum.

I've tried the different configurations offered in the Airport Utility. N does work for me, but only in the 2.4Ghz setting.

If the question arises, I purchased the 3GS the first day it was offered.
 
LA MacUser said:
I realize that the 3GS specs say b/g only and that the N spec covers both the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz spectrum.

I've tried the different configurations offered in the Airport Utility. N does work for me, but only in the 2.4Ghz setting.

If the question arises, I purchased the 3GS the first day it was offered.
Click to expand...

I see. Well that may be possible, but I only use 5Ghz for N, since 2.4Ghz is mostly pointless. 5Ghz is where the performance is (40MHZ vs 20MHZ for 2.4Ghz), and also less interference from 2.4Ghz devices (Bluetooth, other WiFi networks, microwaves, phones etc).

http://www.wireless-nets.com/resources/tutorials/choose_802.11n_spectrum.html
 
iPhone 62S said:
From this post, it looks as if the 2.4GHz band isn't the 802.11n only one.
Click to expand...

As you can see from my Airport Utility configuration screen shot, it does show 802.11n only being 2.4Ghz.

Could someone with an earlier version Time Capsule (not dual band) and an iPhone 3GS test this out? I have the latest iPhone software 3.1 (7C144) and uploaded the MMS carrier SW yesterday. My Time Capsule firmware version is 7.4.2.
 

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WilliamG said:
I see. Well that may be possible, but I only use 5Ghz for N, since 2.4Ghz is mostly pointless. 5Ghz is where the performance is (40MHZ vs 20MHZ for 2.4Ghz), and also less interference from 2.4Ghz devices (Bluetooth, other WiFi networks, microwaves, phones etc).

http://www.wireless-nets.com/resources/tutorials/choose_802.11n_spectrum.html
Click to expand...

I agree. The 5Ghz is better for the points you mentioned. But theoretically having the iphone at 802.11n (only not b/g compatible) has the benefit of it's use not slowing the N network down to G speeds.
 
Wireless G uses 2.4 Ghz. From what I have googling, if your router is set to N and 2.4 Ghz then G will connect. True wireless N is a little more than just the bandwidths.
 
sinsin07 said:
Wireless G uses 2.4 Ghz. From what I have googling, if your router is set to N and 2.4 Ghz then G will connect. True wireless N is a little more than just the bandwidths.
Click to expand...

Thanks for looking into this.

If that is the case, I'm having a little trouble understanding what the differences are between 802.11n b/g compatible and 802.11n only is. Wouldn't there be no need for 802.11 n only at 2.4Ghz then?
If 802.11 n only is not true n, then what is it. Are there 2 speeds to the n spec?
 
The options I am given via the Airport Utility are as follows:

802.11n (802.11b/g compatible)
802.11n only (2.4GHz)

802.11n (802.11a compatible)
802.11n only (5GHz)

From what I can tell, the iPhone is only supposed to work with the b/g compatible setting, which lowers the throughput to g speeds when accessing the network.

Screen shot attached.
 

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LA MacUser said:
Thanks for looking into this.

If that is the case, I'm having a little trouble understanding what the differences are between 802.11n b/g compatible and 802.11n only is. Wouldn't there be no need for 802.11 n only at 2.4Ghz then?
If 802.11 n only is not true n, then what is it. Are there 2 speeds to the n spec?
Click to expand...

Well maybe I should not have use the term "True N". I have to delve further to see if you would still get MIMO at 2.4GHZ on your other N devices. I have not found a technical reason yet why you would not.

Now you have me curious. I need to by an N router next week. My biggest problem is I have 30 devices running on G or B at my house. For those I can change, I guess it's one card at at time.;)
 
sinsin07 said:
Well maybe I should not have use the term "True N". I have to delve further to see if you would still get MIMO at 2.4GHZ on your other N devices. I have not found a technical reason yet why you would not.

Now you have me curious. I need to by an N router next week. My biggest problem is I have 30 devices running on G or B at my house. For those I can change, I guess it's one card at at time.;)
Click to expand...

Wow. That's quite a bit of wireless devices you have. Good luck with the upgrades.

Still can't figure out the n issue on the iPhone. Good problem to have though. :)
 
LA MacUser said:
Wow. That's quite a bit of wireless devices you have. Good luck with the upgrades.

Still can't figure out the n issue on the iPhone. Good problem to have though. :)
Click to expand...

Some I can't update, Xbox, PS3, PSP, and Wii but I won't need to. I want to be able to get the benifit of N on at least some devices, or why spend the money.

From what I gather, your phone does connect to the wifi, just not on G, is that correct?
 
sinsin07 said:
Well maybe I should not have use the term "True N". I have to delve further to see if you would still get MIMO at 2.4GHZ on your other N devices. I have not found a technical reason yet why you would not.

Now you have me curious. I need to by an N router next week. My biggest problem is I have 30 devices running on G or B at my house. For those I can change, I guess it's one card at at time.;)
Click to expand...

Or you could run two concurrent wireless networks, one 802.11g and one 802.11n. I have a linksys G router and an Airport Extreme both hooked up to my edge router/firewall and I get the best of both worlds!
 
sinsin07 said:
Some I can't update, Xbox, PS3, PSP, and Wii but I won't need to. I want to be able to get the benifit of N on at least some devices, or why spend the money.

From what I gather, your phone does connect to the wifi, just not on G, is that correct?
Click to expand...

That is correct. I have the network set up as N only. Somehow the iPhone is connecting to the network. I can use the iPhone to control iTunes on my MacBook pro via the Remote app., surf the web, etc.
 
matttye said:
I think I read somewhere that the updated 3GS hardware is capable of 802.11n, Apple just had to enable it.
Click to expand...

I believe that I read something like that as well.

I'm curious if the carrier upgrade for MMS had anything to do with it.
 
I always thought I good wireless N router was backwards compatiable even if only set to N mode
 
mike12806 said:
Or you could run two concurrent wireless networks, one 802.11g and one 802.11n. I have a linksys G router and an Airport Extreme both hooked up to my edge router/firewall and I get the best of both worlds!
Click to expand...

I know this is off topic, but what are you using for your edge router/firewall?

Thanks
 
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