Belkin Offering Pre-802.11N Products

redshield3 writes "Belkin is offering what it is calling "pre-802.11n" products for mass consumers now. CompUSA is reportedly carrying these items in stores. They claim 800% range improvement over 802.11g as well as full backwards compatibility and the ability to continue pushing out n-speeds when a 802.11g or 802.11b device is introduced to the network."

Comments

Real-world speed, though

[invisik]

So what is the real-world speed of these rated-108mbps devices? Half? Third? Anyone tested one yet?

-m

Re:Real-world speed, though

[Jozer99]

I would hope it is faster than the US Robotics 108 and 125 Mbs stuff. They actually add about 500 Kps to your bandwidth. :(

Bad luck in past

[andywebz]

I've had bad luck in the past with pre-standard equipment, but this one sounds pretty good. It seems to only be missing one of the features of the n standard. I thought N had essentially "wireless switching", in that the wireless bandwidth was not divided when multiple connections were established. If everything else lives up to their hype, this could be a good stop gap solution until the standard equipment comes out 3rd quater this year.

Re:Bad luck in past

[LWATCDR]

If the 802.11n does make these no compliant you could pick them up cheap for say a point to point connection. If fact if the real 802.11n does not work with them it could even be a plus.

Linux

[maeka]

But can they run Linux? http://www.linksys.com/products/product.asp?grid=3 3&scid=35&prid=601

Re:Fry's Electronics

[Araxen]

They are not guaranteeing that they will be firmwire upgradeable. There are 2 standards at the moment and if the wrong standard is chosen and ratified the pre-N stuff will non-firware upgradeable.

It's all bul-honky

[BlackErtai]

I worked for Staples over the break, and let me tell you, this stuff is just as bad of quality as Belkin's b/g wireless equiptment. Don't fall for their "Join the Pre-N Revolution" crap, just wait for Linksys or Netgear to release some certified 802.11n equiptment. Belkin's wireless products are definitely the bottom of the barell when it comes to consumer networking equiptment.

Remember Belkin's popups?

[havaloc]

Remember, this is the same Belkin which randomly tried to sell you Censorware.

Re:Fry's Electronics

[Jeff DeMaagd]

I think the firmware should be upgradeable, the question is whether Belkin should be trusted. I've avoided buying any of their products after they've made a firewall that deliberately served up adware.

Re:My Clients don't complain about speed

[StarWreck]

I had been drooling over the Omni-directional 7dbi High Gain Antenna's from Linksys to replace my standard Linksys antenna's and at the same time contemplating making a "Cantenna" to connect to a friend's network about a mile away... until I saw yesterday evening that CompUSA is now offering an Omni-directional 9dbi High Gain Antenna set. They are truely massive, the biggest I've ever seen thats not available only on the internet.

If Belkin's pre-802.11n technology can really increase range by 800% using the same standard antenna's and I replace those antenna's with the Omni-directional 9dbi High Gain Antenna's, I may not need to make a "cantenna" anymore.

Re:My Clients don't complain about speed

[John Courtland]

Don't bother with an omni if you're going to just link up with a friend. Get some used Primestar dishes and build a nice bi-quad antenna on the end where the focal point is. You'll bleed off a lot of power going the wrong direction, you may interfere with neighbors (if you don't care, then that's great), and lastly, you aren't exposing your wireless link to common passers-by with malicious intent.

Consumers?

[DroopyStonx]

Anyone else disturbed by the fact that people are referred to as "consumers"?

Don't buy from Belkin

[cabalamat2]

Remember, these are the guys who tried to sell you deliberately non-working kit.

I don't buy from Belkin. I hope you choose not to, too.

I own one of these...

[uvsc_wolverine]

I got one of their Pre-N routers last week, and I like it quite a bit. The range is awesome, the web-based intergace is great, and the WAN port has a programmable MAC address. I'm enjoying my new router quite a bit.

Wi-Fi.org: early g products didn't meet standard.

[MojoStan]

Well, it seems to work for 802.11g now, which will continue to work once 802.11n is ratified.

The Wi-Fi Alliance issued a press release last October ("Wi-Fi Alliance Will Not Certify Pre-Standard 802.11n Features") that says some pre-standard 802.11g products did not meet the final standard. I guess the earliest adapters got burned.

Other highlights from the press release:

• The Wi-Fi Alliance will not certify 802.11n products until the standard is ratified.
• The 802.11n standard will be completed in approximately November 2006.
• "Pre-standard products always present an inherent risk for technology adopters"
• "Vendors took advantage of unsuspecting buyers when they touted pre-standard technology for 802.11g that later did not meet the standard. Left unchecked, the industry is unfortunately poised to repeat itself with 802.11n."

Does the Wi-Fi Alliance's opinion mean shiit anyhoo?

Re:Wi-Fi.org: early g products didn't meet standar

[GeorgeMcBay]

The 802.11n standard will be completed in approximately November 2006.


If the standard won't be completed until November 2006, standards-compliance doesn't even become a factor for me.

I'm already pretty happy with my 802.11g gear, but if I were to go buy new stuff, I'd buy pre-N gear known to work together for my current systems. I can't really be bothered to worry about if the gear will be compatible with the "real stuff" almost 2 freakin' years from now... If the standard were right around the corner.. maybe.

Of course, YMMV, obviously I'm looking at this as a consumer and it doesn't apply for big 100+ computer enterprise networks, where you do have to worry about long term compatibility.