Time to upgrade Wi-Fi router? Analysts say it pays to wait

Q: I see there is a lot of new Wi-Fi gear in stores that promisesfaster speeds for my home wireless network. Is it time to upgrade?

A: Probably not. Experts agree that it's best to pass on thelatest generation of Wi-Fi routers, sold under names like "Wireless-N," and wait at least a few months for the next one.

The latest routers promise speeds up to six times faster thanthose using the older industry standard for Wi-Fi, known as 802.11g,but don't adhere to a finished standard of their own. That meansthey may not work well with equipment from other manufacturers, orwith future hardware. They also require compatible equipment on thereceiving end, like a new laptop card, to take advantage of thehigher speeds.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers is workingon baking the latest technology into a new standard, 802.11n. Thisis where the "N" in Wireless-N comes from. But manufacturers haven'tbeen waiting for the standard to be nailed down, and started puttingout "Draft-N" routers and laptop cards last spring.

There is no guarantee that this equipment will be fullycompatible with the finished standard, which isn't expected toratified until 2008.

"To buy products right now that are not going to be compatiblewith the final standard is, you know, looking for trouble," saidStan Schatt, an analyst at ABI Research.

That doesn't mean you have to wait until 2008 to upgrade if youwant faster speeds. Glenn Fleishman, editor of the Wi-Fi NetworkingNews site, expects a new generation of draft-N products in stores inMarch, to be based on "Draft 2.0" of the IEEE's 802.11nspecification. These will have new chips that will most likely becompatible with the final standard or can be modified via softwareto comply, Fleishman said.

The Wi-Fi Alliance, another industry group, plans to starttesting hardware from different manufacturers to make sure theycommunicate properly, certifying the ones that do. It expects thefirst certified products to be on the market by the middle of thisyear, according to Karen Hanley, the association's senior directorof marketing.

"What it boils down to for me is that I can't see why anyonewould buy Draft-N when there are going to be certified Draft-Ndevices within a matter of months," Fleishman said.

For those who need faster speeds now, Fleishman recommends802.11g routers that have been enhanced with so-called MIMOtechnology -- which use an array of antennas for Multiple-Input,Multiple-Output transmissions, extending range and speed. These aresold under brand names like "Enhanced-G Plus Mimo," "RangeBooster G"and "Speedbooster."

Lastly, you might question if you need faster Wi-Fi. If all youdo is surf the Web and don't wander too far from the router, thespeed of the Internet connection coming in to your cable or DSLmodem is likely the limiting factor, not the connection between yourrouter and laptop. But if you have more than one computer, and liketo move files between them wirelessly, the router's speed will beimportant.