wireless router HELP!

you'll only get up to 54mbps. as those are the cards you have in the laptops. but really, its not like you're internet connection is going over 54mbps is it? i wouldn't waste the cash on a marketing ploy like that.

 

Get an Airport Express the range is amazing with a MBP.

 

MIMO is only one of that router's selling points. Another is range. You'll find (if you purchase it) that the range is almost ridiculous. I bought the Rangemax WPN824 and it was throwing its signals 3 houses down easily. Another is that it minimizes blindspots by intentionally bouncing signals around obstacles instead of through them. the WPN824 has like 7 antennas that constantly hunt for the best antenna profiles for the best coverage.

No, you won't be able to take advantage of the MIMO technology without MIMO-enabled wifi cards. No, its not a gimmick...your throughput does actually increase (I've yet to see an article that suggest that its all gimmick). Yes, you get far greater range, even moreso than Airport Express...MIMO is designed to have better range than typical routers and as you increase your distance from the WAP, the throughput is actually supposed to increase with a MIMO-enabled card.

Sadly, my experience with the WPN824 didn't go well (it kept dropping wifi AND wired connections and required frequent reboots of the WAP), so I replaced it with a Linksys WRT54GX4, which is far more stable, in my experience so far.