Setting up a wireless N router, want everything to work with it?

[askfareed]

Basically i am getting a wireless n router on tuesday and the reason i have purchased it is so i can have better wireless signal range. All the computers and iphones in my home are 'N' enabled, however there are 2 iPhone 3GS which i think can not connect to N networks. But i have also heard it can if it is a 2.4ghz and not a 5ghz, or maybe the other way around???

So my question is which do i have to set it to for the iphone 3gs's to be able to connect and will there be any difference in speed, or signal range if i change it to 2.4ghz or 5ghz?

Thanks

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Well if you iPhone connect to the router the wireless speed in the 2.4 Ghz range will be limited to G speeds only. the 5 Ghz band will still run at N speeds but 5 Ghz has less range than 2.4 Ghz.

 

[askfareed]

Me and my family use the router to gain access to the internet only, either through computers, iphones or xbox live. We don't fileshare through the router between computers.

In the kitchen there is barely and signal with my current wireless router. So with the wireless n router should i make it 2.4ghz or 5ghz? Which one will the iphone 3gs work with or neither? Even if it uses it at g speeds, other computers will still use it at n speeds?

My internet speed is 12mb/s if that makes any difference.

 

[seppler]

iPhones only have a 2.4GHz antenna, but if your wireless-N router is dual band (like the latest Airport Extreme) then you can make the 5GHz band A and N-only, and then support B, G, and N on the 2.4GHz band at the same time. Also, I don't know of any N routers that aren't backwards compatible, unless you put them in N only mode.

Also, you can communicate at G and N speeds without much speed degradation. Only devices with 802.11b radios can dramatically effect speeds of the rest of the network, in my experience.

 

[WillEH]

I have a Belkin N wireless router, all my Apple product work perfect. My MBP, iPhone, etc.

 

[askfareed]

iPhones only have a 2.4GHz antenna, but if your wireless-N router is dual band (like the latest Airport Extreme) then you can make the 5GHz band A and N-only, and then support B, G, and N on the 2.4GHz band at the same time. Also, I don't know of any N routers that aren't backwards compatible, unless you put them in N only mode.

Also, you can communicate at G and N speeds without much speed degradation. Only devices with 802.11b radios can dramatically effect speeds of the rest of the network, in my experience.

Yes it is dual band, so if i do this, then my imac will be connected to the 5ghz n band, but my 3gs in the kitchen will be connected to the 2.4ghz band? Won't signal range decrease when i do this?

 

[schmidt65]

The iPhone 3GS can only connect to a b/g wireless network, it cannot connect to wireless N regardless of 2.4ghz or 5ghz.

The iPhone 4 does have a wireless N chip inside, but only at 2.4ghz (not 5ghz) So it can connect fine to wireless N at 2.4ghz, but will not see any 5ghz wireless networks.

Best to setup dual networks (or dual band if you can), one at wireless G for the 3GS, one at wireless N for the imac (which can connect to 5ghz)

 

[cyclotron451]

Yes it is dual band, so if i do this, then my imac will be connected to the 5ghz n band, but my 3gs in the kitchen will be connected to the 2.4ghz band? Won't signal range decrease when i do this?

well the latest Airport Extreme basestation that I bought as Apple refurb does allow simultaneous dual-band. It also has MIMO - multiple in-multiple out antenna technology which means it can try and steer a beam of 5GHz and/or 2.4GHz towards the client devices that are talking to the basestation.
These 'N' routers can often give much better signal strength than the older models. You can also choose to define your ITU region as one where the maximum power is available, 100mW is the maximum on 2.4GHZ but at 5GHz it depends on the regional ETSI/FCC laws.
Austria is quite a good choice?

http://www.wifi-doc.com/Cisco.Press-802.11.Wireless.Ne/1587051648/ch03lev1sec6.html#ch03table03

if your router is 'simultaneous' then it's just like having 2 routers.
I think a careful reading of the manual , then googling for the online FAQ for your router should answer any questions. choose a unique SSID (making sure it's not amongst the top 100 or even top 1000 names of a router - to avoid precompiled rainbow table attacks) and a strong password with WPA/WPA2 encryption will help for security. usually , when first testing a router - get everything connected with no password, then when the system is proved to work, impose the access restrictions, and check again which devices can cope! Things like a Nintendo DS may need a 'guest WEP' sub wifi net creating? Have fun!