WiFi G vs. N inquiry

[heavyd]

I have a Cisco wireless N router attached to my desktop (with a fast Cox cable connection). I have an Atheros N adapter in my Asus netbook. When I connect to the net on my netbook, my connection shows as a "Wireless G Network" @65 Mbps.

I'm not a complete computer idiot, but I'm new to WiFi. Can anyone shed some light as to why my connection is not N rather than G?

Thanks

 

[kockroach]

Are you positive that they are both true N? If the router is pre-N, then it most likely will not work with your N adapter, thus making it only G.

 

[iCraig]

This sounds like a good option. Could also be that your router is only set for use with G and you need to turn on N in the router settings.

 

[heavyd]

The router is a brand new Cisco/Linksys E4200. It cost me $150 bucks at Costco. The marketing on the package claims that it is not only N, but the greatest router in human history .

I'll re-check the settings though. Thanks men.

 

[heavyd]

Are you positive that they are both true N? If the router is pre-N, then it most likely will not work with your N adapter, thus making it only G.

Could the reverse scenario also make the system revert to G? By that I mean, if the adapter in the netbook is pre-N, it would become a G connection?

The netbook adapter indicates B,G,N and I don't see any way in the netbook adapter settings to select anything other than whatever the default is..

 

[kockroach]

Could the reverse scenario also make the system revert to G? By that I mean, if the adapter in the netbook is pre-N, it would become a G connection?

The netbook adapter indicates B,G,N and I don't see any way in the netbook adapter settings to select anything other than whatever the default is..

Of course the reverse could apply, but normally i have seen pre-N routers.

 

[ChazHollywood]

Get the latest firmware and driver onto your notebook's adapter, and check to see whether your router is set for N. Usually the router lets you select between G-only, N-only, and G/N mixed mode. If it's set for mixed you might want to bump it over to N-only and see what happens. Just make sure you have a wire handy in case you can't connect back in.

-Charles

 

[NCost]

The newest firmware is 1.0.03, it'll be listed in the Cisco banner to the right on the top of the web UI.

This router is:

Performance Dual-Band N Router (E4200)

• Simultaneous Dual-Band N (2.4 & 5 GHz)
• Gigabit Ethernet 4-port switch
• Maximum speed up to 450 Mbps
• USB port for shared storage
• Built-In UPnP AV media server

There is no setting to lower the bandwidth (G, N or G/N) it is always in N mode. I have this same router.

Here is a link that might help: -------FAQ's-------

 

[heavyd]

Thanks a lot, guys. It sounds like I need to concentrate on the adapter. Here is my router info...

Model name: Linksys E4200
Model number: E4200
Firmware version: 1.0.03 build 14
Operating system: Windows 7 SP 1
Software version: 1.4.11266.0
Connection type (WAN): DHCP

 

[DrinkSmokeGolf]

G connects at 54mbps max so if you are connecting at 65 you have nothing to worry about. But it wouldn't hurt to update firmware on both router and adapter.

 

[VillageIdiot]

Check the channel width your adapter is using. It sounds like it is using 20MHz. See if it has a setting for 40MHz. If you are connecting to an N network and reaching a max of 65, that's probably your issue.

 

[heavyd]

Check the channel width your adapter is using. It sounds like it is using 20MHz. See if it has a setting for 40MHz. If you are connecting to an N network and reaching a max of 65, that's probably your issue.

Thanks bro. I will definitely investigate that..

 

[Mutombo]

I think you might be connecting to the G band, not the N band. My router simultaneously broadcasts a G band signal and an N band signal. For example, out of the box, the two network SSID's that I could join were "ASUS" and "ASUS_5G", the 5G version being the N band signal.

Maybe that's the case on yours. Do you see a "Cisco_N" or Cisco_5G" signal when you look for available networks?

 

[heavyd]

I think you might be connecting to the G band, not the N band. My router simultaneously broadcasts a G band signal and an N band signal. For example, out of the box, the two network SSID's that I could join were "ASUS" and "ASUS_5G", the 5G version being the N band signal.

Maybe that's the case on yours. Do you see a "Cisco_N" or Cisco_5G" signal when you look for available networks?

The only option is "Cisco 07883" which is what I named it when I created the account. The only other networks that show up are my neighbors connections.

The router is dual band and according to NCost's post above, who has the same router, it only broadcasts on N..

 

[cartisdm]

G connects at 54mbps max so if you are connecting at 65 you have nothing to worry about. But it wouldn't hurt to update firmware on both router and adapter.

Check the channel width your adapter is using. It sounds like it is using 20MHz. See if it has a setting for 40MHz. If you are connecting to an N network and reaching a max of 65, that's probably your issue.

That's correct, if you connecting at a speed over 54Mbps then you've tapped into the N network correctly. Adjust the difference channels to see if that improves you connection speed. Is your network card a dual-band card? They means it can send and receive signals at the same time without throttling your connection. If you have an older, single band card you may not be getting the top speed. I'm talking off the top of my head though because I've never actually connected a single band card myself to see how it performs.

 

[heavyd]

Is your network card a dual-band card?

I'll check. But now that you mention it...probably not. The netbook is less than a year old, but it was inexpensive, so it's quite possible the adapter is not dual. I know the router is...

Thanks a ton you guys. I'll get this thing right. This is WiFi college for me