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802.11n routers compared
Router manufacturers haven't let the fact that 802.11n is still not an officially approved wireless standard stop them from making products. You shouldn't let it slow you down either. The truth is that 802.11n wireless routers are indeed faster and have a longer reach than older wireless products, and they're for the most part backwards-compatible. Prices have also dropped to around the $100 mark. Even if you don't need to transmit an HD video stream from one end of your house to the other, 802.11n is hard to pass up.
Of the routers on this list we found the SMC Barricade the most well-rounded due to its simple set-up, smart design, decent speed, and at an affordable price. The D-Link DGL-4500 offers some impressive configurability, and the Asus WL-500W boasts a very strong signal. On the Apple side of the house (which is also Windows-compatible) the Airport Extreme Base Station remains a great little router in its recently updated 802.11n incarnation, especially if you want to stream iTunes across your network. And while we were a bit underwhelmed by the overall performance of Apple's Time Capsure, its built-in hard drive links up neatly with the Time Machine automated back up software in Apple's Leopard operating system.
Of the routers on this list we found the SMC Barricade the most well-rounded due to its simple set-up, smart design, decent speed, and at an affordable price. The D-Link DGL-4500 offers some impressive configurability, and the Asus WL-500W boasts a very strong signal. On the Apple side of the house (which is also Windows-compatible) the Airport Extreme Base Station remains a great little router in its recently updated 802.11n incarnation, especially if you want to stream iTunes across your network. And while we were a bit underwhelmed by the overall performance of Apple's Time Capsure, its built-in hard drive links up neatly with the Time Machine automated back up software in Apple's Leopard operating system.
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SMC SMCWGBR14-N Barricade N router 
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D-Link DGL-4500 GamerLounge Xtreme N Gaming Router |
Apple AirPort Express Base Station (802.11n) |
Asus WL-500W 802.11n Multi-Functional Wireless Router |
Apple Time Capsule (500GB) |
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| Review date | March 13, 2008 | February 26, 2008 | March 19, 2008 | March 18, 2008 | March 03, 2008 |
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7.6 Very good (
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7.8 Very good (
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6.0 Good (
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| Review summary | With a fair price, decent performance, and dead-simple setup, the SMC SMCWGBR14-N Barricade N router is about as well-rounded a Draft N router as you'll find. It also boasts impressive range and a smart design. We strongly recommend it for general home use. | The D-Link DGL-4500 GamerLounge Xtreme N Gaming Router almost succeeds for home networking and hardcore gamers. It bears a few flaws, among which is a random reset during heavy load that might be the deal breaker. | Don't pick up a new, 802.11n-enabled AirPort Express if you're looking for superfast wireless networking performance. You should consider it, however, if you're in the market for a new Wi-Fi router that offers portability, ease of use, and the unique ability to stream iTunes over your network. | We like the Asus WL-500W for its wealth of unique features and its strong signal at long range, but its short-range throughput is substandard and there's no Gigabit Ethernet support. This is a good choice only for advanced users who will take advantage of some of router's USB features and aren't afraid to wade into those waters without help. | Apple's hybrid 802.11n wireless router/networked hard drive offers some powerful data backup features for Mac owners, as well as Apple's typical pleasing design. Windows users and anyone who demands speed from their 802.11n network will be disappointed. |
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| Product Description | SMC Barricade N Draft 11n Wireless 4-port Gigabit Broadband Router SMCWGBR14-N - Wireless router | D-Link GamerLounge Xtreme N Gaming Router DGL-4500 - Wireless router | Apple AirPort Express Base Station with 802.11n and AirTunes - Wireless access point | ASUS WL-500W - Wireless router | Info unavailable |
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| Device Type | Wireless router + 4-port switch (integrated) | Wireless router + 4-port switch (integrated) | Wireless access point | Wireless router + 4-port switch (integrated) | Info unavailable |
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| Form Factor | External | External | Info unavailable | External | Info unavailable |
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| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 6.5 in x 5.9 in x 1 in | 4.6 in x 7.6 in x 1.2 in | 1.1 in x 3 in x 3.7 in | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
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| Weight | 12.3 oz | 11.2 oz | 6.6 oz | Info unavailable | 3.5 lbs |
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| Data Transfer Rate | 300 Mbps | 300 Mbps | Info unavailable | 300 Mbps | Info unavailable |
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| Frequency Band | 2.4 GHz | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | 2.4 GHz | Info unavailable |
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| Data Link Protocol | Ethernet , IEEE 802.11b , IEEE 802.11g , Fast Ethernet , Gigabit Ethernet , IEEE 802.11n (draft) | Ethernet , IEEE 802.11a , IEEE 802.11b , IEEE 802.11g , Fast Ethernet , Gigabit Ethernet , IEEE 802.11n (draft 2.0) | IEEE 802.11a , IEEE 802.11b , IEEE 802.11g , IEEE 802.11n (draft 2.0) | Ethernet , IEEE 802.11b , IEEE 802.11g , Fast Ethernet , IEEE 802.11n (draft) | Info unavailable |
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| Network / Transport Protocol | L2TP , PPTP , IPSec | L2TP , PPTP , IPSec | L2TP , PPTP , IPSec , PPPoE | L2TP , PPTP , PPPoE , TCP/IP | Info unavailable |
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| Remote Management Protocol | HTTP | HTTP | SNMP | HTTP | Info unavailable |
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| Included Accessories | Vertical stand | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
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| Features | DMZ port , NAT support , Print server , Syslog support , VPN passthrough , Auto-negotiation , Firewall protection , DoS attack prevention , MAC address filtering , Auto-sensing per device , Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) , Auto-uplink (auto MDI/MDI-X) , Intrusion Detection System (IDS) , Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) , Wireless Distribution System (WDS) support | NAT support , VPN passthrough , Firewall protection , Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) | DNS proxy , NAT support , DHCP support , IPv6 support , Print server , VPN passthrough , Firewall protection , MAC address filtering | NAT support , DHCP support , Print server , URL filtering , Syslog support , MIMO technology , Packet filtering , Firewall protection , IP address filtering , MAC address filtering , Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) | Info unavailable |
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| Compliant Standards | IEEE 802.3 , IEEE 802.3u , IEEE 802.11b , IEEE 802.11g , IEEE 802.11n (draft) | IEEE 802.3 , IEEE 802.3u , IEEE 802.11a , IEEE 802.11b , IEEE 802.11g , Wi-Fi CERTIFIED , IEEE 802.11n (draft 2.0) | Info unavailable | IEEE 802.1x , IEEE 802.11b , IEEE 802.11g , IEEE 802.11n (draft) | Info unavailable |
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| Manufacturer Warranty | Limited lifetime warranty | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
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| CNET Labs long-range tests (in Mbps) | 24.3 | 49.7 | 11.65 | 29.66 | Info unavailable |
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| Form factor | External | External | Info unavailable | External | Info unavailable |
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| System Requirements | Info unavailable | Apple MacOS X 10.4 , Microsoft Windows Vista , Microsoft Windows XP SP2 | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
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| Enclosure Type | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | External | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
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| Optical Storage | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | None | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
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| Storage Removable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | None | Info unavailable | Info unavailable |
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| Voltage Required | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | Info unavailable | AC 120/230 V | Info unavailable |
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| Product name |
SMC SMCWGBR14-N Barricade N router
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D-Link DGL-4500 GamerLounge Xtreme N Gaming Router | Apple AirPort Express Base Station (802.11n) | Asus WL-500W 802.11n Multi-Functional Wireless Router | Apple Time Capsule (500GB) |
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| Full specifications | Full Specifications | Full Specifications | Full Specifications | Full Specifications | Full Specifications |
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| Price range |
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