If you can’t afford to upgrade your network to 802.11n Draft N 2.0, you might consider purchasing Trendnet’s Easy-N-Upgrader TEW-637AP. Instead of throwing your existing router in the trash, plug it into the Easy-N-Upgrader access point to gain many of the benefits of a Draft N router for about half the price.

True dual-band routers operate one radio on the 2.4GHz band and the other on the 5GHz band, the ones we’ve tested have built-in gigabit switches. Trendnet’s device, however, uses only the 2.4GHz band, the same one your older Wi-Fi router most likely uses and since it’s just an access point, it doesn’t have a switch at all.

And while you could operate both access points at the same time, in fact, at no point does Trendnet’s installation wizard advise you to turn off the radio inside your router—that leaves both devices competing for the same bandwidth.

You should ignore the installation wizard altogether in favor of the device’s web-based user interface. Trendnet’s default confi guration leaves the router operating in mixed 802.11b/g/n mode with channel bonding turned off. In that scenario, with the radio on our Asus WL700gE 802.11g also on, the Trendnet delivered TCP throughput of just 29.3Mb/s at close range. When we turned off the Asus’s access point and tweaked the Easy-N to run in 802.11n-only mode with channel bonding activated, throughput jumped to 81.7Mb/s.

The Trendnet’s throughput was significantly faster than our 802.11g access point’s inside the house. Its outdoor range, though, was less impressive: Our notebook couldn’t maintain a connection to it in either of exterior locations

Click for details Trendnet Easy-N-Upgrader TEW-637AP

The Linksys WRT600N is the first 802.11n draft 2.0 router that can operate on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequency bands simultaneously. It’s also the most expensive Wi-Fi router so far.

The router at its default settings: The 5GHz radio operating in 802.11n-only mode and the 2.4GHz radio operating in mixed 802.11b/g/n mode. Both radios have access to the same integrated four-port gigabit switch. The latter was used for data and the former for streaming media to Linksys’s DMA2200. The router delivered impressive results, especially while simultaneously transferring data and streaming HD video.

In fact, the Linksys WRT600N is the best. The chasm widened to a staggering 170 percent when the client was placed at its furthest point from the router inside the home, but the gap narrowed to just 5 percent when we compared performance inside the well-insulated media room.

The dual-band feature really came to the fore when streamed 1080p video clips over the wireless network: The DIR-655’s data throughput dropped by nearly half in some situations; the WRT600N was unaffected.

Not everyone needs a router that can handle conventional traffic, VoIP, and high-definition media all at the same time. If you do or if your neighborhood is simply jam-packed with competing access points, Linksys WRT600N should be at the top of your router shopping list.

Click for more: Linksys WRT600N

Tags: Wireless

Along with Belkin�s N1 Wireless Router, the Ndx from US Robotics is one of the few wireless routers to provide decent support for Mac users.

The manual includes instructions specifically for Mac users, and the Easy Configurator software included on the CD runs on Macs too. You have to start by connecting your Mac to the router with an ordinary Ethernet cable, some people might find this inconvenient if the router and Mac are in different rooms, but it�s a common feature with several of these routers.

You then run the Easy Configurator program and enter the account details provided by your ISP before moving on to activate the wireless networking options. We had the router up and running in less than 10 minutes, so US Robotics gets big brownie points for providing decent Mac support for a change.

Several of these wireless routers actually require you to use a wired Ethernet connection when you initially set them up, which is annoying as the whole point of a wireless network is to avoid trailing wires from room to room. So we were pleasantly surprised when, upon plugging in the D-Link RangeBooster for the first time, the computer immediately detected the wireless network and allowed us to join it straight away.

Unfortunately, things went downhill from that point onwards. In order to set up a password to protect your new wireless network you have to configure the router through its built-in web page.However, that web page didn�t work properly with the Safari browser so we had to use Firefox instead. Ten minutes of testing with a Mac would have allowed D-Link to avoid this problem, and it�s hard to recommend the RangeBooster to Mac users if it doesn�t work properly with the standard Mac web browser.

Click on the image to view details

Like the Netgear RangeMax router, the Wireless-N router from LinkSys has a handy slimline design that lets you stand it on its side so that it doesn�t take up too much space. The plus point is that it showed up on your computer�s menu the moment the cable is plugged it in, so there was no need to much about with Ethernet cables in order to set the router up.

However, like so many of these routers, the Wireless-N was marred by its lack of decent software or manual for Mac users, but perfect for PC users. The installation software on the CD only works on PCs, so Mac users are left to wing it on their own. You can connect to the router�s built-in web page easily enough, but this is full of technical jargon and settings that will confuse anyone who isn�t fairly knowledgeable about networks. So, poor Mac support scuppers another router�s chances.

Click on the image to view product details.

Buffalo�s Nfiniti router has all the features you need to set up a wireless network, including a built-in ADSL router and four Ethernet ports so that you can also make wireless connections if you need to. Unfortunately, the router is let down by its poor Mac support.

The set-up software provided with the Nfiniti is for PCs only, and the �Quick Setup� manual doesn�t mention Macs at all. It does tell you the IP address that should allow you to connect your Mac to the router�s set-up web page, but we couldn�t get this to work on our Mac. Eventually we had to ring Buffalo�s technical support hotline before we were able to get the Nfi niti running properly.

That�s obviously not ideal, so we can�t recommend the Nfi niti to Mac users who aren�t already knowledgeable about network technology.

The Nfiniti router is primarily aimed at PC users.

You can always rely on Belkin to get its support and ease of use right, and the company will not disappoint you with the N1 router.

When you open the box there�s a very clear Quick Start brochure that leads you through the basic process of plugging the router in and getting it working properly. Even the glowing symbols on the front of the router are bigger than normal and clearly labeled so that you can see exactly what information they�re trying to convey.

It was a little careless of Belkin to slap a label on their CD that merely said �Windows 2000 and XP�, with no mention of the Mac. However, the installer does run on the Mac, and it quickly guides you through the process of setting up your wireless network. Belkin�s Mac-friendly approach makes this the obvious choice for Mac users who want an alternative to Apple�s own Airport products.

Belkin�s N1 router is the easiest to set up and install, click to view the details: