19216811.liveNETGEAR RangeMax™ Dual Band Wireless-N Router WNDR3300 Reference Manual
Fine-Tuning Your Network
5-23
v1.0, February 2008
Overview of Home and Small Office Networking
Technologies
Common connection types and their speed and security considerations are:
•
Broadband Internet
. Your Internet connection speed is determined by your modem type,
such as ADSL or cable modem, as well as the connection speed of the sites to which you
connect, and general Internet traffic. ADSL and cable modem connections are asymmetrical,
meaning they have a lower data rate
to
the Internet (upstream) than
from
the Internet
(downstream). Keep in mind that when you connect to another site that also has an
asymmetrical connection, the data rate between your sites is limited by each side’s upstream
data rate. A typical residential ADSL or cable modem connection provides a downstream
throughput of about 1 to 3 megabits per second (Mbps). Newer technologies such as ADSL2+
and Fiber to the Home (FTTH) will increase the connection speed to tens of Mbps.
•
Wireless
. Your RangeMax Dual Band Wireless-N Router WNDR3300 provides a wireless
data throughput of up to 300 Mbps using technology called multiple input, multiple output
(MIMO), in which multiple antennas transmit multiple streams of data. The use of multiple
antennas also provides excellent range and coverage. With the introduction of the newer WPA
and WPA2 encryption and authentication protocols, wireless security is extremely strong.
To get the best performance, use RangeMax NEXT adapters such as the WN511B for your
computers. Although the RangeMax NEXT router is compatible with older 802.11b and
802.11g adapters, the use of these older wireless technologies in your network can result in
lower throughput overall (typically less than 10 Mbps for 802.11b and less than 40 Mbps for
802.11g). In addition, many older wireless products do not support the latest security
protocols, WPA and WPA2.
•
Powerline
. For connecting rooms or floors that are blocked by obstructions or are distant
vertically, consider networking over your building’s AC wiring. NETGEAR’s Powerline HD
family of products delivers up to 200 Mbps to any outlet, while the older-generation XE
family of products delivers 14 Mbps or 85 Mbps. Data transmissions are encrypted for
security, and you can configure an individual network password to prevent neighbors from
connecting.
The Powerline HD family of products can coexist on the same network with older-generation
XE family products or HomePlug 1.0 products, but they are not interoperable with these older
products.