802.11 g Wireless Router

The 802.11 g wireless router, like the Belkin F5D7231-4 pictured above, has been the standard since 2003 for a wi fi wireless network. This version operates at 54 megabits per second (written as 54Mbit/s). The previous version, introduced in 1999, is 802.11 b, which runs at 11Mbit/s. If you have a device with a wireless access point that uses the 'b' standard, it will also work with a 'g' router, but you will be limited to the slower 11Mbit/s speed. You will sometimes see 'b/g' mentioned. This means it can use either standard. If you have an 802.11 wireless g router, it will use the faster 54Mbit/s speed. It's important to remember that communication between two devices will only be as fast as the slowest device.

There is also the 802.11 a standard (introduced in 1999 like the 'b' standard), that operates at 54Mbit/s (same as the 'g' standard). However, this uses a different frequency band (5GHz instead of 2.4GHz for 802.11 b/g). This means any device using the 'a' standard is not compatible with 'b' or 'g'. Also the typical signal range is somewhat less than the other two versions. For these reasons, it's recommended you stick with the wireless g standard.

The next expected version will be 802.11 n, using 100Mbit/s, but at the present time, the final standards have not been agreed upon. You will see routers and other devices that are 'pre n'. Bear in mind that if the details are changed later, anything labeled 'pre n' may have compatibility issues.

If all the above seems overly complicated, all you really need to remember is that the 802.11 wireless g is the best choice in a router for making sure all the parts of your network can communicate with each other.

In the next section, we will look in greater detail about what's involved when you set up a router: Configure Wireless Router.