# The best wireless N router??



## Bogi094 (Sep 6, 2008)

I am looking for a nice wireless N router that could possibly work with time machine.

I have a desktop at home and would like to to have at least 3 ethernet ports. My budget would be at Max. $80 before taxes

I was looking at this D-link router from Staples and it appear to be a wireless N router- dual band, and share port technology. I assume that the Usb would work for a hard drive for time machine? or even a network printer?

Can anyone help me out, and tell me if this router is good and if I could get a better router for the same amount?

Thanks!

Here is the link to the D-link- STAPLES | BUREAU EN GROS
and
D-Link DIR-628 RangeBooster N Dual Band Router

Will this router be compatible with my Mac?


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## FlaminWiz (Feb 18, 2008)

It says it Mac OS X (v10.4) so if you have that or higher, you should be fine. 

Also, it does not say 802.11b so if you have any devices that use network B, you should be safe. I doubt you would even have a B-only wireless device though so yeah.


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## Bogi094 (Sep 6, 2008)

*Time Machine*



FlaminWiz said:


> It says it Mac OS X (v10.4) so if you have that or higher, you should be fine.
> 
> Also, it does not say 802.11b so if you have any devices that use network B, you should be safe. I doubt you would even have a B-only wireless device though so yeah.


Would time machine work with this? I have a 500gb external drive, but i think time machine only works with there own routers? What do you think?


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## FlaminWiz (Feb 18, 2008)

Time Machine will work with almost any external hard drive. I think you're referring to the Time Capsule BTW. Also, for your 500GB external drive, can it connect from the router or does it have to connect directly through computer?


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## Bogi094 (Sep 6, 2008)

*Time Capsule, sorry*



FlaminWiz said:


> Time Machine will work with almost any external hard drive. I think you're referring to the Time Capsule BTW. Also, for your 500GB external drive, can it connect from the router or does it have to connect directly through computer?


Yeah, i wanted to ask if i can make this a time capsule since it has a usb port, but im not sure if my mac can access that


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## FlaminWiz (Feb 18, 2008)

A Time Capsule (hardware) is:
Apple - Time Capsule
Basically, it's a wireless router (N) with a built-in hard drive (500GB or 1TB) but it is very expensive (500GB-$299 and 1TB-$499). 
For Time Machine, all it requires is a external hard drive in which the computer has access to (by USB or networking is fine, as well as FireWire if you have it since it's faster than USB and Networking).


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## Niteshooter (Aug 8, 2008)

Your profile doesn't mention where you are located but you might want to check out Canada Computers Canada Computers - Your Neighbourhood Computer Store and Service Centre - PC Systems and Hardware Components, Notebooks, Electronics, and more. for the DLink. We bought our DIR 625 from there as they had the best price in the area.


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## Bogi094 (Sep 6, 2008)

*Gta*



Niteshooter said:


> Your profile doesn't mention where you are located but you might want to check out Canada Computers Canada Computers - Your Neighbourhood Computer Store and Service Centre - PC Systems and Hardware Components, Notebooks, Electronics, and more. for the DLink. We bought our DIR 625 from there as they had the best price in the area.


Im in the GTA, and I wanted the 628 because of the USB, so I can connect my 500gb hard drive to it and use it as a backup for my Mac. Its $79.99 and thats the best I found. Currently I am using a 54mbps trendet, which gives me errors with MSN, and doesnt let me watch Youtube. I could wait a bit if the router can get cheaper- but not so long because not being able to go on msn and watch videos on my wireless network is killing me!


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## G-Mo (Sep 26, 2007)

I gotta ask... why Wireless N? Are ALL you wireless devices 802.11n? If not, you are wasting money since a router can only operate as fast as it's lowest connected device, so, that means if you have anything 802.11b/g connected to your network (iPhone, iPod touch, game console, apple tv, older computer, etc...) you won't be running wireless N...


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## digitddog (Jul 5, 2006)

Visit this page for more documentation on the D-Link DIR-628.
D-Link TechSupport DIR-628

According to one of the tech support documents there, Share Port isn't supported by Mac, only Windows. So you probably won't be able to use the D-Link as a print server or wireless network disk for your Macs. 

I'd recommend an N device solely because it can extend your wi-fi range (and prices are dropping significantly). 

Otherwise, I can't recommend any specific router. I've had good experiences with wireless devices from D-Link, Linksys and Belkin, though, and wouldn't hesitate to try them again.


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## Bogi094 (Sep 6, 2008)

*Dir-615*



digitddog said:


> Visit this page for more documentation on the D-Link DIR-628.
> D-Link TechSupport DIR-628
> 
> According to one of the tech support documents there, Share Port isn't supported by Mac, only Windows. So you probably won't be able to use the D-Link as a print server or wireless network disk for your Macs.
> ...


If the USB doesnt work is OSX then i might as well get on without a usb port. Do you know anything about the DIR-615, how does it do in range and speed- if anyone knows. It's $50 which is pretty cheap!


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## Vexel (Jan 30, 2005)

First off.. Do you have stationary Macs in your home? If so, you can connect your external to one of them and share the drive over the network. Works great with Time Machine, especially hooked up to gigabit ethernet. I'd definitely recommend an N network for the transfer of these files if it's completely wireless though.

There's a few things you can do to not lose N speeds. You say you have an Airport Express. So, this is exactly how I set up my network.

Get your N router (whichever you chose) to run in N only mode. But, connect the Airport Express via Ethernet to that router. Use the AE to broadcast your B/G wireless network. Now, you have an access point for both N and B/G clients on 2 separate networks that are linked to each other. Basically, you're running the Airport Express in Bridge mode so that it re-distributes your N network via Ethernet.

I'll give you an example of how this operates.

I have a Macbook, iMac, AppleTV, iPhone and Windows Laptop.

Both the Macbook and AppleTV can run Wireless N, so I've configured them to connect to my router wirelessly on a network called "Vexel's Wireless N." They're the only clients allowed to access this network wirelessly.

The iMac is connected via Ethernet to the Airport Extreme serving the N connection. 

The Airport Express is connected via Ethernet as well. This broadcasts a network called "Vexel's B/G." So, I use this network to connect my iPhone, and Windows Laptop.

My external harddrive is connected to the iMac. I've also connected it to the Airport Extreme, but it's not needed. Basically, since the iMac doesn't have Wireless N, I had to hardwire it to get Gigabit Ethernet speeds. Which, really helps with the transferring of files and such. My printer is also shared off of the iMac.. but, it would be just as easy to set it up wirelessly from the Airport Extreme, or Airport Express.

Now, for my recommendation. Honestly, I haven't seen anything that comes close to touching the Airport Extreme in form, function and ease of use. It's a little more money than you're willing to spend at the moment.. but, what I would say to you is to wait a while, save some more and get an Airport Extreme. It will do everything that you're asking of it, and more.

I'm done now.


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## Z06jerry (Mar 16, 2005)

Bogi094 said:


> I am looking for a nice wireless N router that could possibly work with time machine.
> 
> I have a desktop at home and would like to to have at least 3 ethernet ports. My budget would be at Max. $80 before taxes.
> 
> Thanks!


Allthough more than $80, I believe the AirPort Extreme is the _only_ wireless router that supports Time Machine (unofficially). Sig sells it at a discount.

SIG Electronic, Apple Hardware, Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station with Gigabit Ethernet MB053LL/A


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## G-Mo (Sep 26, 2007)

That's a great setup Vexel! Very smart...


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## digitddog (Jul 5, 2006)

If a USB-port isn't critical, I'd suggest buying the D-Link DIR-615 and giving it a shot. If it doesn't work, you can always return it. (I see that it's on sale at Best Buy for $50. A Linksys WRT160N is on sale at FutureShop for $80.)

If you want a USB port for printing and/or an Airport Disk, I agree with Z06jerry: the Airport extreme is a very good, relatively affordable option. Providing your spare hard drive is HFS+ formatted, you should be able to use the Time Machine app for backups. I bought mine from SigElectronics, where they currently list at $150 plus $10 flat-rate shipping.


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## Niteshooter (Aug 8, 2008)

FYI that USB port is not used to attach a hard drive. It is used for configuration of the device only. I discovered that when I was shopping for the router we bought as I had also seen the port and incorrectly assumed you could plug a hard drive in there.

Kevin


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## Z06jerry (Mar 16, 2005)

Vexel said:


> First off.. Do you have stationary Macs in your home? If so, you can connect your external to one of them and share the drive over the network. Works great with Time Machine, especially hooked up to gigabit ethernet. I'd definitely recommend an N network for the transfer of these files if it's completely wireless though.


I personally wouldn't recommend this method, I tried it and it was a PIA. Every time the stationary Mac went to sleep or was restarted it would disconnect the other machine, requiring the user of the portable to _manually_ reconnect. If they failed to reconnect then no more TM backups! On the other hand if you connect the external HD to the Airport Extreme this doesn't happen, even if power is interrupted to the AirPort Extreme, it will reconnect automatically, and wireless backups will resume without any actions being required.

The OP has stated that he has a stationary Mac, so his best bet is to plug his external HD directly into it for TM backups. If he also has a portable it would be best to connect an external HD into an AirPort Extreme, or get a Time Capsule. Just my .02


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## mc3251 (Sep 28, 2007)

First, hats off to Vexel!! Very nice configuration.

Now a question: I'm just running a Linksys 254 G at the moment for my macbook pro and my 2.4 ghz iMac. I have an older windows notebook that only does G. 
I've been looking at security options for my router and am considering filtering users based on MAC address. This would make it so that nothing can connect to my network but my devices. This seems like a no brainer solution, but can anyone tell me if I"m missing something?

Also, Vexel, you are praising AirPort Extreme, but I have read a lot of complaints about it on some of the support forums-including Apple's. Is this old news now...


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## digitddog (Jul 5, 2006)

If you're going to secure your wireless network, do it right and use WPA2 security. 

Here's where some of the more common security measures fail:

WEP security, the old standard, is easily cracked in minutes.
MAC filtering can be defeated by spoofing in seconds.
Disabling SID ("hiding" the name of your network) just doesn't work.

The other option is to leave your access point open (but with a firewall in place) and share with the neighbours.


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## KC13 (Apr 13, 2008)

LOL, We bought a D-Link DIR-625 wireless router because it was a few dollars cheaper than a linksys. It works just fine, but I can connect to a Linksys N router down the street and get much better speeds, lolol. All we have connected are 2 N machines.


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## Bogi094 (Sep 6, 2008)

*Airport Extreme*

At the moment I am not filled with cash since I got this Macbook Pro and some accessories for my iPhone, so I am just going to wait until Christmas time to get it.

So I guess its a month of suffering for me  Cant wait to get that extreme, i live close to SIG, and my dad got a $450 GPS there for $320, they have great deals!

I might bring my dad with me since he knows how to haggle, LOL

Btw, how are they able to get these things so cheap!! stolen? do they buy in bulk from apple, does anyone know this?


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## FlaminWiz (Feb 18, 2008)

Z06jerry said:


> Allthough more than $80, I believe the AirPort Extreme is the _only_ wireless router that supports Time Machine (unofficially). Sig sells it at a discount.
> 
> SIG Electronic, Apple Hardware, Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station with Gigabit Ethernet MB053LL/A


It is one of the best routers out there (in my opinion and maybe in yours as well). It's definitely worth it from what I've heard.


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## G-Mo (Sep 26, 2007)

FlaminWiz said:


> It is one of the best routers out there (in my opinion and maybe in yours as well). It's definitely worth it from what I've heard.


It is very worth it... I think it's excellent!


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## FlaminWiz (Feb 18, 2008)

You have it? It's pretty sweet if you do. I don't really need one since I got my iMac connected directly so I got the maximum speed possible.


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## Vexel (Jan 30, 2005)

mc3251 said:


> Also, Vexel, you are praising AirPort Extreme, but I have read a lot of complaints about it on some of the support forums-including Apple's. Is this old news now...


There hasn't been an issue for a long while with the Airport Extreme on my end. I remember at first it was cutting out constantly when trying to use N speeds.. but, that's been fixed with an update for a while now.


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## Vexel (Jan 30, 2005)

Z06jerry said:


> I personally wouldn't recommend this method, I tried it and it was a PIA. Every time the stationary Mac went to sleep or was restarted it would disconnect the other machine, requiring the user of the portable to _manually_ reconnect. If they failed to reconnect then no more TM backups! On the other hand if you connect the external HD to the Airport Extreme this doesn't happen, even if power is interrupted to the AirPort Extreme, it will reconnect automatically, and wireless backups will resume without any actions being required.
> 
> The OP has stated that he has a stationary Mac, so his best bet is to plug his external HD directly into it for TM backups. If he also has a portable it would be best to connect an external HD into an AirPort Extreme, or get a Time Capsule. Just my .02


My iMac is online 24/7, which I'm sure helps in my case. It runs a web server, so it only sleeps its display. Either way, as you mentioned, you could use the Airport Extreme to solve this issue, if it was one for you.

My plan is to extend the range of my N network with another Airport Express, which will also be serving AirTunes to another section of my home. 

My only hope is that someday, Apple will release an update that will allow for transmission of movie audio to the Airport Express. This would solve every issue that I've ever come across with my setup.


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## Bogi094 (Sep 6, 2008)

Vexel said:


> First off.. Do you have stationary Macs in your home? If so, you can connect your external to one of them and share the drive over the network. Works great with Time Machine, especially hooked up to gigabit ethernet. I'd definitely recommend an N network for the transfer of these files if it's completely wireless though.
> 
> There's a few things you can do to not lose N speeds. You say you have an Airport Express. So, this is exactly how I set up my network.
> 
> ...


I dont have an Airport express. I dont know if I understood correctly, but are you saying that the wireless N router cannot connect my iPhone on G, and macbook pro on N, and PSP on B, simultaneously??


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## Vexel (Jan 30, 2005)

It can.. albeit at the cost of a slower N network.. it's still faster than B/G for N clients, but it will run at 130Mbit as apposed to 270Mbit.

You would run the extreme or N router with Wireless N (B/G Compatible mode)

Alternatively, you could pick up a really cheap $30 wireless router that could provide your b/g network if you were so inclined, it doesn't have to be an Airport Express because it is hardwired through ethernet either way.


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## Bogi094 (Sep 6, 2008)

Vexel said:


> It can.. albeit at the cost of a slower N network.. it's still faster than B/G for N clients, but it will run at 130Mbit as apposed to 270Mbit.
> 
> You would run the extreme or N router with Wireless N (B/G Compatible mode)
> 
> Alternatively, you could pick up a really cheap $30 wireless router that could provide your b/g network if you were so inclined, it doesn't have to be an Airport Express because it is hardwired through ethernet either way.


I already have a B/G router but its giving me problems with MSN and watching youtube/ flash videos. Once I get the N router- The extreme or the D-link, i will try to do the B/G network seperate so that I can have really fast N speeds. But if it still gives me trouble than I guess I will have to run all B/G/N on one router.

Thanks for the quick reply!!


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## Vexel (Jan 30, 2005)

Here's a photo, to show how fast the network is at 270Mbit. This is a copy of an iTMS version of Kung Fu Panda, purchased from iTunes and copying to the iMac from the MacBook over wireless N.

That's a sustained average of about 6MB/second. Not too shabby for wireless.


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## Bogi094 (Sep 6, 2008)

*Wow*



Vexel said:


> Here's a photo, to show how fast the network is at 270Mbit. This is a copy of an iTMS version of Kung Fu Panda, purchased from iTunes and copying to the iMac from the MacBook over wireless N.


What program do you need to transfer files. I have a PC, and a macbook and would love to transfer some photos, movies etc without a USB stick


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## FlaminWiz (Feb 18, 2008)

Weird, I just finished watching Kung Fu Panda. Good movie BTW.


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## Vexel (Jan 30, 2005)

Bogi094 said:


> What program do you need to transfer files. I have a PC, and a macbook and would love to transfer some photos, movies etc without a USB stick


My transfer is Mac to Mac. But, all you really have to do is set up shares on your Windows computer and turn on File Sharing on your Mac. Set up the SMB preferences in System Preferences/Sharing and you're good to go. Your PC should see the Mac and your Mac the PC.


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

Just wanted to add a +1 for the Airport. When it comes to "N" routers, Apple cannot be touched. It's more expensive, but worth every penny compared to the rest.

Some time back, David Pogue did a video about this. The information is out of date, but the results today are basically the same ... Apple FTW.


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## mc3251 (Sep 28, 2007)

So bear with me here. I am running an MBP and an iMac as well as a 3 year old Acer Ferrari notebook. Since the Acer only does G, this is the limiting factor on my wireless network? If I run an N router as "mixed" all speeds are throttled down to G? 
That sucks. What can I do-and no throwing away the Acer isn't an option because my wife loves it and uses it extensively basic mail and surfing all over the house.


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## 850 (Apr 24, 2008)

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen! Good grief its been a while! It feels good to be back  Haha Anyways in response to your inquiry with regards to what is the best wireless N router... Well it depends how you define "best"

I personally think the Apple Airport Extreme is the best wireless N router on the market. Heres why...

1) I can share my hard drive and printer over the network

2) It supports the latest in industry standard encryption technologies. 

3) I love how the airport is able to "seek" the quietest channel to minimize interference.

4) It has an effective NAT firewall that is unobtrusive, and doesn't interfere with applications such as Skype.

5) Its just so darn easy to setup! Thank you airport utility  

6) Apple Quality

So this list basically sums up some of the reasons why I think the Airport Extreme is the best wireless N router. Its easy to use, it has features that really fit my lifestyle, and its beneficial to my needs. 

Hope this helps!


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## Z06jerry (Mar 16, 2005)

Vexel said:


> I have a Macbook, iMac, AppleTV, iPhone and Windows Laptop.
> 
> Both the Macbook and AppleTV can run Wireless N, so I've configured them to connect to my router wirelessly on a network called "Vexel's Wireless N." They're the only clients allowed to access this network wirelessly.
> 
> ...



FWIW, if your iPhone is on a different network than your ATV & MacBook, you won't be able to use the excellent _"Remote"_ app on your iPhone to control iTunes on your ATV or MacBook.


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## phuviano (Sep 14, 2005)

I going to agree with everyone else here. I have 2 AEBS here. I've owned belkin, linksys, and d-link routers. They all sooner or later disconnect from my MBP. I would say the longest I would have solid connection from any other router, would be probably 1 day at most. With AEBS, I never ever get disconnected unless I'm out of range, or if the actual connection is lost from the modem. I've been download torrents for 8 days straight, without losing my connection, or turning my MBP off. With any other router, I would have been disconnected by now.

The only thing that does suck, its not dual band. AEBS#1 runs B/g Wireless, and AEBS #2 runs 5 ghz N only. Setup works great, and its so easy to setup. 

I know the AEBS is a little more than you want to spend, but imo is worth it.

Oh, and SIG actually at one point sold the AEBS for $119.99, because that's how much I paid for my second AEBS. I got sucked at first, and bought my first AEBS from Apple for $199.99  . 

Anyways, best of luck with whatever you choose.


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## FlaminWiz (Feb 18, 2008)

Vexel said:


> My transfer is Mac to Mac. But, all you really have to do is set up shares on your Windows computer and turn on File Sharing on your Mac. Set up the SMB preferences in System Preferences/Sharing and you're good to go. Your PC should see the Mac and your Mac the PC.


For some reason, I have a network (iMac + XP on Dell) and I can access the files on XP with my iMac (of course Dell computer has to be connected to the internet). But my XP does not see my Mac. Although Vista was far worse, no connection could be made, wired or wireless. Just pathetic.


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## FlaminWiz (Feb 18, 2008)

850 said:


> Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen! Good grief its been a while! It feels good to be back  Haha Anyways in response to your inquiry with regards to what is the best wireless N router... Well it depends how you define "best"
> 
> I personally think the Apple Airport Extreme is the best wireless N router on the market. Heres why...
> 
> ...


The good part of the USB port is that the router supports USB hubs so you can connect as many USBs as you'd like. I don't think it matters if the hub can be powered through the router or with its own power supply. 

Yeah. Apple Quality is another good reason. Like I'm sure most people have decent brand routers (D-Link, Belkin, etc) but when you say .... Apple, those other brands are blown away. Just look at Apple's MP3, The iPod. You don't go around calling it an MP3 (or MP4) because that's disrespecting Apple. Majority of music-listeners have an iPod, not MP3s. Look at Zune, sure it may be popular, but it does not compare up to Apple's iPod.

Edit: Sorry I double-posted but I had two quotes and I didn't know how to fit them on one message easily. Sure, I could have copy-pasted but that's slow...


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## Vexel (Jan 30, 2005)

Z06jerry said:


> FWIW, if your iPhone is on a different network than your ATV & MacBook, you won't be able to use the excellent _"Remote"_ app on your iPhone to control iTunes on your ATV or MacBook.


It's still the same network, just 2 different wireless protocols. 

It's known as a "Hybrid Network." Works very well actually.. I use Remote all the time. I also have Remote Buddy for quite a few other applications.


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## mc3251 (Sep 28, 2007)

mc3251 said:


> So bear with me here. I am running an MBP and an iMac as well as a 3 year old Acer Ferrari notebook. Since the Acer only does G, this is the limiting factor on my wireless network? If I run an N router as "mixed" all speeds are throttled down to G?
> That sucks. What can I do-and no throwing away the Acer isn't an option because my wife loves it and uses it extensively basic mail and surfing all over the house.


Can anyone answer this question for me?


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## Vexel (Jan 30, 2005)

I already have in a previous post.

It doesn't take your network down to G speeds, they're about half of what N would be.

To solve the issue, pick up a cheap wireless router and use it to broadcast the G network. Connect the G router to the N router via ethernet in bridge mode.


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## mc3251 (Sep 28, 2007)

My bad...I guess I missed that. Thank you very much for your response...big help.
michael


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