What's a good 802.11g AP/Router right now?

I am seeing DLINK 802.11g AP/Routers for $69 at Best Buy. While I haven't
checked, I am guessing that similar bargains exist for NetGear and Linksys.

Which make/model is recommended for best range and not dropping connections
to the Internet?

NOTE: It will be mixed 802.11b and 802.11g clients but they will not have to
exchange information, just share the AP and a printer.

Linksys WRT54G is available for $89 from Amazon right now. There is also a
$10 rebate through 1/4/04.

Walter

"Pat" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:QhpFb.3564$(E-Mail Removed)...
> I am seeing DLINK 802.11g AP/Routers for $69 at Best Buy. While I haven't
> checked, I am guessing that similar bargains exist for NetGear and
Linksys.
>
> Which make/model is recommended for best range and not dropping
connections
> to the Internet?
>
> NOTE: It will be mixed 802.11b and 802.11g clients but they will not have
to
> exchange information, just share the AP and a printer.
>
>

I am pretty new to wireless networking. I just have a simple question,
probably some of you can shed some light. If you have a mix of 802.11b and
802.11g, is it not possible to make them communicate to each other?

Thanks in advance,

Dilash.
"Walter Cohen" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:j9rFb.358617$(E-Mail Removed) .net...
> Linksys WRT54G is available for $89 from Amazon right now. There is also
a
> $10 rebate through 1/4/04.
>
> Walter
>
> "Pat" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:QhpFb.3564$(E-Mail Removed)...
> > I am seeing DLINK 802.11g AP/Routers for $69 at Best Buy. While I
haven't
> > checked, I am guessing that similar bargains exist for NetGear and
> Linksys.
> >
> > Which make/model is recommended for best range and not dropping
> connections
> > to the Internet?
> >
> > NOTE: It will be mixed 802.11b and 802.11g clients but they will not
have
> to
> > exchange information, just share the AP and a printer.
> >
> >
>
>

Yes and no. 802.11b and 802.11g are completely different encoding methods
using the same frequency. 802.11b-only equipment cannot create or decode
802.11g signals. But standards-compliant 802.11g equipment also supports
802.11b. An 802.11g AP will talk to 802.11b and g clients, and allow them to
talk to one another. This means that the bitrate for all clients may degrade
to about the max bitrate of 802..11b.


"Dilash" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:C5wFb.2662$d%(E-Mail Removed).. .
> I am pretty new to wireless networking. I just have a simple question,
> probably some of you can shed some light. If you have a mix of 802.11b and
> 802.11g, is it not possible to make them communicate to each other?
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Dilash.
> "Walter Cohen" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:j9rFb.358617$(E-Mail Removed) .net...
> > Linksys WRT54G is available for $89 from Amazon right now. There is
also
> a
> > $10 rebate through 1/4/04.
> >
> > Walter
> >
> > "Pat" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:QhpFb.3564$(E-Mail Removed)...
> > > I am seeing DLINK 802.11g AP/Routers for $69 at Best Buy. While I
> haven't
> > > checked, I am guessing that similar bargains exist for NetGear and
> > Linksys.
> > >
> > > Which make/model is recommended for best range and not dropping
> > connections
> > > to the Internet?
> > >
> > > NOTE: It will be mixed 802.11b and 802.11g clients but they will not
> have
> > to
> > > exchange information, just share the AP and a printer.
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

Not with the Linksys WRT54G. Even with B clients, the G clients run
flawlessly at 54mbps.

Tom
"gary" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:7wwFb.1813$(E-Mail Removed) m...
> Yes and no. 802.11b and 802.11g are completely different encoding methods
> using the same frequency. 802.11b-only equipment cannot create or decode
> 802.11g signals. But standards-compliant 802.11g equipment also supports
> 802.11b. An 802.11g AP will talk to 802.11b and g clients, and allow them
to
> talk to one another. This means that the bitrate for all clients may
degrade
> to about the max bitrate of 802..11b.
>
>
> "Dilash" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:C5wFb.2662$d%(E-Mail Removed).. .
> > I am pretty new to wireless networking. I just have a simple question,
> > probably some of you can shed some light. If you have a mix of 802.11b
and
> > 802.11g, is it not possible to make them communicate to each other?
> >
> > Thanks in advance,
> >
> > Dilash.
> > "Walter Cohen" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:j9rFb.358617$(E-Mail Removed) .net...
> > > Linksys WRT54G is available for $89 from Amazon right now. There is
> also
> > a
> > > $10 rebate through 1/4/04.
> > >
> > > Walter
> > >
> > > "Pat" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > > news:QhpFb.3564$(E-Mail Removed)...
> > > > I am seeing DLINK 802.11g AP/Routers for $69 at Best Buy. While I
> > haven't
> > > > checked, I am guessing that similar bargains exist for NetGear and
> > > Linksys.
> > > >
> > > > Which make/model is recommended for best range and not dropping
> > > connections
> > > > to the Internet?
> > > >
> > > > NOTE: It will be mixed 802.11b and 802.11g clients but they will not
> > have
> > > to
> > > > exchange information, just share the AP and a printer.
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

Well, the problem is not vendor-dependent. The issue is with the design of
802.11b and 802.11g. 802.11b has no knowledge of 802.11g and wasn't designed
to co-operate with it. It transmits whenever it wants to, and does not
listen for 802.11g signals for collision avoidance. 802.11g does specify a
way for G clients to warn B clients that a transmit is about to happen,
which slows things down a bit. If you have enough B hosts transmitting lots
of data 5 times slower, any hybrid network will degrade to about 11 or 12
mbps for each client. If you have only a small number of clients, and not a
lot of traffic from the B clients, then the G hosts will stay at 54 mbps.

"Tom Scales" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Not with the Linksys WRT54G. Even with B clients, the G clients run
> flawlessly at 54mbps.
>
> Tom
> "gary" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:7wwFb.1813$(E-Mail Removed) m...
> > Yes and no. 802.11b and 802.11g are completely different encoding
methods
> > using the same frequency. 802.11b-only equipment cannot create or decode
> > 802.11g signals. But standards-compliant 802.11g equipment also supports
> > 802.11b. An 802.11g AP will talk to 802.11b and g clients, and allow
them
> to
> > talk to one another. This means that the bitrate for all clients may
> degrade
> > to about the max bitrate of 802..11b.
> >
> >
> > "Dilash" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:C5wFb.2662$d%(E-Mail Removed).. .
> > > I am pretty new to wireless networking. I just have a simple
question,
> > > probably some of you can shed some light. If you have a mix of 802.11b
> and
> > > 802.11g, is it not possible to make them communicate to each other?
> > >
> > > Thanks in advance,
> > >
> > > Dilash.
> > > "Walter Cohen" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > > news:j9rFb.358617$(E-Mail Removed) .net...
> > > > Linksys WRT54G is available for $89 from Amazon right now. There
is
> > also
> > > a
> > > > $10 rebate through 1/4/04.
> > > >
> > > > Walter
> > > >
> > > > "Pat" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > > > news:QhpFb.3564$(E-Mail Removed)...
> > > > > I am seeing DLINK 802.11g AP/Routers for $69 at Best Buy. While I
> > > haven't
> > > > > checked, I am guessing that similar bargains exist for NetGear and
> > > > Linksys.
> > > > >
> > > > > Which make/model is recommended for best range and not dropping
> > > > connections
> > > > > to the Internet?
> > > > >
> > > > > NOTE: It will be mixed 802.11b and 802.11g clients but they will
not
> > > have
> > > > to
> > > > > exchange information, just share the AP and a printer.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>

OK, that makes sense. I have a limited number of clients and only a single B
client.

Tom
"gary" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:0QLHb.754$(E-Mail Removed) .com...
> Well, the problem is not vendor-dependent. The issue is with the design of
> 802.11b and 802.11g. 802.11b has no knowledge of 802.11g and wasn't
designed
> to co-operate with it. It transmits whenever it wants to, and does not
> listen for 802.11g signals for collision avoidance. 802.11g does specify a
> way for G clients to warn B clients that a transmit is about to happen,
> which slows things down a bit. If you have enough B hosts transmitting
lots
> of data 5 times slower, any hybrid network will degrade to about 11 or 12
> mbps for each client. If you have only a small number of clients, and not
a
> lot of traffic from the B clients, then the G hosts will stay at 54 mbps.
>
> "Tom Scales" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> > Not with the Linksys WRT54G. Even with B clients, the G clients run
> > flawlessly at 54mbps.
> >
> > Tom
> > "gary" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > news:7wwFb.1813$(E-Mail Removed) m...
> > > Yes and no. 802.11b and 802.11g are completely different encoding
> methods
> > > using the same frequency. 802.11b-only equipment cannot create or
decode
> > > 802.11g signals. But standards-compliant 802.11g equipment also
supports
> > > 802.11b. An 802.11g AP will talk to 802.11b and g clients, and allow
> them
> > to
> > > talk to one another. This means that the bitrate for all clients may
> > degrade
> > > to about the max bitrate of 802..11b.
> > >
> > >
> > > "Dilash" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > > news:C5wFb.2662$d%(E-Mail Removed).. .
> > > > I am pretty new to wireless networking. I just have a simple
> question,
> > > > probably some of you can shed some light. If you have a mix of
802.11b
> > and
> > > > 802.11g, is it not possible to make them communicate to each other?
> > > >
> > > > Thanks in advance,
> > > >
> > > > Dilash.
> > > > "Walter Cohen" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > > > news:j9rFb.358617$(E-Mail Removed) .net...
> > > > > Linksys WRT54G is available for $89 from Amazon right now. There
> is
> > > also
> > > > a
> > > > > $10 rebate through 1/4/04.
> > > > >
> > > > > Walter
> > > > >
> > > > > "Pat" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> > > > > news:QhpFb.3564$(E-Mail Removed)...
> > > > > > I am seeing DLINK 802.11g AP/Routers for $69 at Best Buy. While
I
> > > > haven't
> > > > > > checked, I am guessing that similar bargains exist for NetGear
and
> > > > > Linksys.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Which make/model is recommended for best range and not dropping
> > > > > connections
> > > > > > to the Internet?
> > > > > >
> > > > > > NOTE: It will be mixed 802.11b and 802.11g clients but they will
> not
> > > > have
> > > > > to
> > > > > > exchange information, just share the AP and a printer.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
>
>