Has anyone got some first hand experience with the Belkin pre-N router. It's getting big reviews lots of places with massive wireless coverage, even though the N wireless standard has not been finalised. I have an Airport Express as my primary router right now but I want to re-enlist it to stream music to my stereo. That means I'm in the market for a new primary router - perhaps the Belkin.
I'd get another AE but it just does not seem to cut it. My Mac mini is 20' away from the AE/modem in the garage ( only two walls, a deck and open ground to get through) but my transfer speeds are awful. 1800kbps download using Shaw cable. I have the AE propped up on a table near a window and my Mini shows between 4 and five bars but the transfer speeds are still ssssslllloooowwwww. (=slow). I am effectively getting dial-up speeds for a cable price. I am hoping something like the Belkin preN router can boost things. Any thoughts? Anyone mixed and matched an Apple router with a Belkin. Do they play nicely together?

Regarding connection speeds. I have a Linksys WRT54GC my range and speed were good close the router but dropped off (especially using my PowerBooks weak wireless) towards the far side of my apartment. I bought a high gain SMA Linksys antenna (my router has an antenna port), this made a HUGE difference. I now have full strength wireless in the farthest corner of my backyard using the PowerBook.

Edited to removed misinformation.

There has been lots of talk on networking sites that the Pre-N stuff out know is known to be too aggresive and takes out existing G networking gear. The standard is far from being ratified, don't expect your Pre-N stuff to work with ratified gear anytime in the future. If you want speed and dont care what the long term potential is , go and buy the Pre-N gear.

If I were you (and obviously I'm not, but still similar in the being human department) I would invest in an Airport Extreme.

I have a HUGE apartment, with mostly concrete walls reinforced by metal beams. I have two airport expresses, and an Airport Extreme connected to the intertnet.

I have set them up in this way:

The main Extreme is in the bedroom and distributes the internet to all computers, and also controls the Expresses. The first express is also in the bedroom, and is set-up to just print and play music. The second express is across the aprtment in the livingroom on the far wall, and is set-up to play music and also share the internet connection, accepting clients.

This way the WDS covers the whole apartment with a super strong signal, and also allows me to play music in the bedroom or in the LR and also connect to the internet wirelessly from my iBook (my g/f also has an iBook).

The ease of confirguing the Airport Extreme with the Expresses is invaluable.

You could poke about on eBay and get yourself a used Extreme for about $125, or a new one for $150-175.

That's my recommendation.

Don't you need to use a form of WDS (wireless bridging) to stream music to the AE while maintaining your network connection to the primary router.



No.

I have a WRT54G for Internet and a AE that's only for music. The AE is a client of the WRT54G just like my powerbook is.

No.

I have a WRT54G for Internet and a AE that's only for music. The AE is a client of the WRT54G just like my powerbook is.

I've edited my earlier post to remove the misinfo regarding WDS and AE. Thanks for the response.

If I'm not mystaken, your ISP doesn't offer a speed (even theoratical) of 11Mbps?

The B frequency as opposed to the G goes further because it's shorter. So connecting to the outside world with 54 Mbps or 11 Mbps...doesn't make any difference. It only does when you're doing things locally.

Your network is only as fast as its slowest component...here the modem being the bottleneck.

If you can get another AE, hook them up both and you'll have a reliable connection.




You might wanna check this link as well
http://www.tomsnetworking.com/2006/05/09/buy_draft_11n/

If I were you (and obviously I'm not, but still similar in the being human department) I would invest in an Airport Extreme.

I have a HUGE apartment, with mostly concrete walls reinforced by metal beams. I have two airport expresses, and an Airport Extreme connected to the intertnet.

I have set them up in this way:

The main Extreme is in the bedroom and distributes the internet to all computers, and also controls the Expresses. The first express is also in the bedroom, and is set-up to just print and play music. The second express is across the aprtment in the livingroom on the far wall, and is set-up to play music and also share the internet connection, accepting clients.

This way the WDS covers the whole apartment with a super strong signal, and also allows me to play music in the bedroom or in the LR and also connect to the internet wirelessly from my iBook (my g/f also has an iBook).

The ease of confirguing the Airport Extreme with the Expresses is invaluable.

You could poke about on eBay and get yourself a used Extreme for about $125, or a new one for $150-175.

That's my recommendation.
Agreed!

If I'm not mystaken, your ISP doesn't offer a speed (even theoratical) of 11Mbps?

The B frequency as opposed to the G goes further because it's shorter. So connecting to the outside world with 54 Mbps or 11 Mbps...doesn't make any difference. It only does when you're doing things locally.

Your network is only as fast as its slowest component...here the modem being the bottleneck.

If you can get another AE, hook them up both and you'll have a reliable connection.




You might wanna check this link as well
http://www.tomsnetworking.com/2006/05/09/buy_draft_11n/

A slow wireless link even if it's faster than the internet connection can cause a slow down because of high overhead and excessive re-transmissions under poor conditions. To consistently achieve maximum performance it is good to have some head room. You're right about the 11mbps being more than any residential connection, but an 11mbps B can step down to only 1mbps or less under fringe conditions. I've avoided the speed booster trend in routers. My high gain antenna is all the speed boost I need.

I'm much more concerned about range than about max speed. Except for when I'm transferring big files between computers.

If I were you (and obviously I'm not, but still similar in the being human department) I would invest in an Airport Extreme.

I have a HUGE apartment, with mostly concrete walls reinforced by metal beams. I have two airport expresses, and an Airport Extreme connected to the intertnet.

I have set them up in this way:

The main Extreme is in the bedroom and distributes the internet to all computers, and also controls the Expresses. The first express is also in the bedroom, and is set-up to just print and play music. The second express is across the aprtment in the livingroom on the far wall, and is set-up to play music and also share the internet connection, accepting clients.

This way the WDS covers the whole apartment with a super strong signal, and also allows me to play music in the bedroom or in the LR and also connect to the internet wirelessly from my iBook (my g/f also has an iBook).

The ease of confirguing the Airport Extreme with the Expresses is invaluable.

You could poke about on eBay and get yourself a used Extreme for about $125, or a new one for $150-175.

That's my recommendation.

Does this approach work with PCs also?

Okay, so I'm now rethinking the pre n stuff. If I get another airport express though I'll be in the same boat of EVERYTHING being wireless, even though the computer that sits right next to the modem, because the AE only has one ethernet port and it connects to the modem. Surely this enforced wireless link is degrading the signal for my primary computer, which does not need to be wireless. It is, after all, sitting right next to the modem.

I like Old Soul's thoughts, but I blanch at the idea of paying that much for an Airport Extreme. It seems an Airport Extreme, Router with antenna, or second Airport Express are my most viable options. I'd love to stay with Apple products but they are always so damn expensive. And at this stage, seeing as one AE is not pumping out much signal I wonder if two are any better.

I've personally got my network set up like this:

Modem -> Netgear Wired Router -> Airport Express

The Netgear router was around $30. I have the Airport Express broadcasting the IP addresses in bridge mode wirelessly.. but my iMac is hard wired into the Netgear. I can still connect to the express with the iMac to play tunes down in the livingroom as well as share every printer in the house wirelessly with other machines.

Yes, there is a PC on the network too (wireless) about 50 Feet away. :) So, this works cross platform as well.

If I could afford another express right now, I would get one in a flash.. But, for now this set-up works wonderful.

edit: One thing that I forgot to mention.. if you're receiving weak signals on your Airport Express.. it's a good idea try changing the channel that it's broadcasting on. As well, make sure the transmitter power is up high, which will make sure you have a better signal at a distance. This setup has worked VERY well for me for almost 2 years.. I'm sure it would be fine for you as well.

Cool. Nice reply vexel, very helpful. I've got the transmission level at high but I haven't played with the channels yet. I'm trawling Ebay for an affordable Airport Express or Extreme.

Does this approach work with PCs also?
I have this set-up in our home and we run the following machines:

iBook, MacBook Pro, HP Laptop, and 2 IBM Thinkpads.

I run all my music wirelessly from my MacBook Pro, to my home stereo.