Recently, I decided to upgrade to Dual-Band Wireless-N. So, I bought
- Linksys WMP600N PCI adapter -- "300 + 300"
- TP-LINK TL-WDR4300 router -- "300 + 450"
Here are my feedbacks:
1. Linksys WMP600N PCI adapter:
- specs says antennas are 2dBi at both 2.4GHz and 5GHz. But, 5GHz
is 20dB lower than 2.4GHz. This is both at 1m distance and across
my house diagonally (from basement corner to opposite corner
upstairs). However, my laptop with built-in 11a/b/g (Intel
Centrino) shows almost same power at 1m distance and about 5dB
lower for 5GHz when going across my house.
Alternative:
- I should've gone with Asus PCE-N53 whose 2 antennas look
different, hopefully with proper 5GHz antennas inside.
2. TP-LINK TL-WDR4300 router:
- I originally bought this for "Wireless Bridge" mode, because
PCI/PCI-E adapter and external antennas were adding up in cost.
I just want it to connect to already existing wireless network,
and bridge its 4 LAN ports to the main router. Then, I would be
on the same network and get IP from the main router.
- "WDS Bridge" mode didn't work. Surprise! I sent email to
TP-LINK, but no reply yet.
- Right now, I'm on 5GHz. It's very weak signal, but it hasn't
dropped connections yet. Others are using 2.4GHz as before, and
haven't notice the change over.
- TL-WDR4300 configuration doesn't have QoS section. The only
relevant thing I could find is WMM on/off. So, I don't know how
it will handle my VoIP (Linksys ATA box, connected by LAN port)
under heavy load.
Alternative:
- I should've gone with Asus RT-N66U which is almost the double
price, but hopefully better hardware.
Conclusion:
As soon as I figure out how to drill hole from my room to outside, I'm
going to run wire outside my house. Wireless is fine for "temporary"
connections, ie. online shopping, checking mail, etc. But, for stable
and fast connection, it has long way to go.
--
William
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