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Resolved Win VISTA wireless N

Discussion in 'Networking (Hardware & Software)' started by AceH, 2011/01/12.

  1. 2011/01/12
    AceH

    AceH Inactive Thread Starter

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    I just upgraded my Home Network to a wireless N router. How do I know if my Win VISTA machine is operating at the wireless N level?

    P.S. Before the upgrade, I had a G Router so I was operating at that level.
     
    AceH,
    #1
  2. 2011/01/12
    AceH

    AceH Inactive Thread Starter

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    I discovered how to find out. Place the mouse pointer over the wireless connection in the system tray and right click. Then place the mouse pointer over your connection and it will show the information.
     
    AceH,
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  4. 2011/01/13
    PeteC

    PeteC SuperGeek Staff

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    Thanks for the update .....

    Please mark this thread as 'Resolved', see .....
     
    PeteC,
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  5. 2011/01/13
    AceH

    AceH Inactive Thread Starter

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    I may have spoken too soon...

    I may have been a bit eager in thinking I solved my question. My neighbor's router is listed as one of the networks within range (I set his router up for him). I know he doesn't have a wireless N laptop but when I put the mouse pointer over his SSID it list wireless N. It appears this only lists the router's capability because I set him up with a wireless N router but it's being used in wireless G mode.

    So my original question stands, how do I know if my new laptop is actually running in wireless N mode. (See original post for complete quesiton)
     
    AceH,
    #4
  6. 2011/01/15
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

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    The mode your access point operates in is set in the router control panel, usually accessed via a Web browser. There will be a setting for mode, e.g. auto, n only, g only, etc. Best to set as auto.

    However, the mode in which the AP operates is not constant, even if set it to x only. The actual mode is determined by the clients connected to the access point.

    For example, if the AP is n capable, and your computer has a n wifi adapter, the mode will be n mode. But if your computer has a g adapter with no n capability, the AP will drop down to g mode.

    And if your comp has a n adapter and a second computer has a g adapter, the AP will drop down to g and stay there until the g computer disconnects. The AP can only ever operate in one mode. Thus, n mode access points will not provide n mode rates unless all client computers have n mode wifi adapters.

    To determine the mode in which you are connected, view the wifi properties via the connection icon. The status will show a g or n mode connection rate. g will never be above 54Mbit/s & anything above that will be n.
     
    TonyT,
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  7. 2011/01/15
    AceH

    AceH Inactive Thread Starter

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    Thanks a lot TonyT. And thanks from breaking it down for me as I did not know that even is mixed mode that you would only get either N or G. I thought if you had the router set to mixed mode and you have an N and G computer (which is my case), I thought the N computer would operate in N mode the G computer would operate in G mode. This info was very helpful to me.
     
    AceH,
    #6
  8. 2011/01/15
    AceH

    AceH Inactive Thread Starter

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    TonyT,

    My 2 laptops, one a wireless G (Win XP SP3) and the other a wireless N (Win 7 Home Premium) do in fact run at G and N speeds in mixed mode. I had both up and running and browsing the Internet at the same time. The G computer was running at 54 Mbps while the N computer was topping out at 144 Mbps. I have a Linksys E2000 Router.

    P.S. Not that this should be of any difference but I also had my Desktop PC, Win VISTA Home Premium (connected to the router) up and running also.
     
    AceH,
    #7
  9. 2011/01/16
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

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    Yes, it may shows as "connected at that rate" but in actuality, the 80211n streams are embedded in a multiple 80211g streams in mixed mode.

    The connection rate you see is only effective between the access point and the n computer. Network transfers between computers will operate only at g rates and the Internet rate is set by your ISP.

    The real advantages of 80211n are
    - faster local network transfer rates if all computers use 80211n adapters
    - broader range of connectivity due to 3 antennas and channel sharing
     
    TonyT,
    #8
  10. 2011/01/18
    AceH

    AceH Inactive Thread Starter

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    TonyT,

    I'm going to shut down my wireless G laptop, use the wireless N laptop to change the router's mode to N ONLY and see if I can ge more than the 144Mbps it was topping out at with the wireless G running.
     
    AceH,
    #9
  11. 2011/01/19
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

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    Doing that really won't make any noticable difference. Your ISP doesn't give anywhere near 144 mbs download. That connection rate you see is only between the laptop & the access point.

    Remember, those rates are theoretical "on paper" rates. In other words, they're the rates that 80211n can potentially achieve in that frequency band. Real world rates are modified by the access point adapter, access point software, comp adapter, comp software, interference from other wifi signals such as microwaves, radios, cordless phones, etc.

    One can expect to see an average of about 60% of the specified rate. Even if the network icon states "connected at X ", where X = max spec'd rate, that info you see is not likely correct. That displayed rate is calculated using the formulas built into the adapter driver. In truth, the rate is not static, it varies & fluctuates constantly.
     
    TonyT,
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  12. 2011/01/19
    AceH

    AceH Inactive Thread Starter

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    As you stated TonyT, I did NOT see any difference at all. The rate still toped out at 144Mbps. It goes from what appears to be a "constant" low of 72 Mbps to 144Mbps. (It shows 72Mbps even when idle)

    Is it worth getting a wireless N adapter for my wireless G laptop? I have a Desktop, a New Wireless N laptop an older Wireless G laptop.
     
    AceH,
    #11
  13. 2011/01/19
    wildfire

    wildfire Getting Old

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    As Tony has also said you'll only see an improvement when transferring data on your local network. Internet speeds won't be affected unless you have a very fast (>40Mb/s) connection.

    As to is it worth it, only you can decide that. My answer would be no but my situation is likely to be different from yours (20Mb/s internet connection and I rarely transfer large amounts of data between computers on my network)
     
    wildfire,
    #12
  14. 2011/01/20
    AceH

    AceH Inactive Thread Starter

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    Thanks Wildfire and TonyT for answering my questions.

    AceH
     
    AceH,
    #13

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