802.11b or Not 802.11b? That is the Question...
If you are not familiar with wireless standards, there are three main ones. 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g (also know as A, B, and G networks). The first one is rarely deployed except in some corporate areas. It is fast at 54 megabits per second (54 mbps), but it runs on the 5 GHz frequency and the range is not as good. 802.11b and 802.11g both run on the 2.4 GHz frequency, and offer better range, although the range does vary widely based on the brand of equipment you buy and other external factors as well. The main difference between B and G is speed- B offers transfer speeds up to 11 mbps, while G can reach speeds of 54 mbps. Because they run on the same frequency, just about all B and G items are dually compatible with each other (meaning B cards can connect to G routers at 11 mbps and G cards can also connect to B routers at 11 mbps). So in theory, it sounds like G would be your best bet since it is faster. Many retailers are only offering G equipment and are urging their customers to buy upgrades to the new G standard right away. So the question is, has 802.11b become obsolete, and should you chuck your B equipment and upgrade to G?
No, you should not. In fact, as cheap as B equipment has become these days, I would recommend buying B if you plan on building your own wireless network. But G is almost five times faster right? Yes, techincally it is. But if you want a wireless setup in order to share your cable or DSL broadband connection, you will not notice a speed difference. This is because the fastest broadband connections generally top out at 3 megabits per second. So whether you connect with a B or a G network, your fastest browsing and downloading speed will only be 3 megabits per second, not 11 or 54. It's like deciding to buy a car- does it matter to you if car A can only reach top speeds of 180 mph and car B can reach 225 mph? Most likely no, since you will never be taking the car above 80-90 mph on the interstate. Even for you daredevils, you probably won't ever hit the top speed, so it doesn't really matter. The same holds true when discussing B and G. Now this is not absolute. Some businesses may have multiple high speed T1 lines and they might be able to take advantage of the faster G speeds. Also, networks that are being built primarily for file sharing and not so much for Internet sharing can benefit from the faster speeds of G. But if you are like most, and you only want wireless equipment so you can share your broadband connection, B will be more than enough.
It is true, that some day down the road broadband connections may eventually exceed 11 mbps. But wireless speeds are years and years ahead of broadband speeds, and by the time they do without a doubt there will be at least one, if not more, wireless standards for home use that will far exceed the speeds of B or G.
So if you already own B equipment, don't rush out to buy G unless you have a specific need that requires it. And if you haven't bought any wireless equipment yet, when shopping around, it may be wise to consider buying B since you can find most B equipment at lower prices than G.
posted at: 22:30 | path: | permanent link to this entry