Is an all "N" WiFi network better than mixed?

[mpls]

I currently have all "N" capable devices on my wifi network, except for a "g" Airport Express. Will upgrading that AE to "N" improve overall throughput on my network? I'm talking theoretically, not about whether I'm likely to notice or not.

- 2 dual band Airport Extremes
- 1 "N" AExpress
- 1 "g" AExpress
- 3 macs ("N")
- iPad
- iPhone 4

 

[alust2013]

Only to the devices that connect to the g express. However, only fiber optic networks can provide speeds that exceed g, and those aren't super common yet

 

[mpls]

Only to the devices that connect to the g express. However, only fiber optic networks can provide speeds that exceed g, and those aren't super common yet

So having my AExtreme configured as 802.11n (5GHz)/ 802.11n (2.4GHz) is no better than 802.11n (5GHz)/ b/g/n (2.4GHz) ?

I don't understand the comment about fiber... lots of things are faster than "g" (eg, 802.11n, gigabit)

 

[alust2013]

So having my AExtreme configured as 802.11n (5GHz)/ 802.11n (2.4GHz) is no better than 802.11n (5GHz)/ b/g/n (2.4GHz) ?

I don't understand the comment about fiber... lots of things are faster than "g" (eg, 802.11n, gigabit)

If you allow it to have other configurations, it will pick the highest speed available. While n, gigabit ethernet, and even 10/100 ethernet are even faster link speed than g, ISPs often don't provide connections that can saturate a g network. The only ISPs I know of that provide service fast enough to take advantage of n are fiber optic.

 

[GGJstudios]

So having my AExtreme configured as 802.11n (5GHz)/ 802.11n (2.4GHz) is no better than 802.11n (5GHz)/ b/g/n (2.4GHz) ?

I don't understand the comment about fiber... lots of things are faster than "g" (eg, 802.11n, gigabit)

Some devices can't operate at 5GHz. I had my network set to N (5GHz) and my wireless printer wouldn't connect. Changed it to 2.4GHz and it connected right away.

If you allow it to have other configurations, it will pick the highest speed available. While n, gigabit ethernet, and even 10/100 ethernet are even faster link speed than g, ISPs often don't provide connections that can saturate a g network. The only ISPs I know of that provide service fast enough to take advantage of n are fiber optic.

Yes, but it's more than ISPs and internet connection speed. In the local wireless network, N speeds are faster than G speeds. If all devices are N, the network will run faster than it would at G, as far as data transfers within the network.