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Which Draft N router is right for you?

Felisa Yang Felisa Yang, Associate Editor March 1, 2007

With the release of the first draft of the 802.11n specification by the IEEE came a flurry of product releases from the major networking vendors. Each company put its own spin on the new routers, from hidden antennas to paddle antennas to user-friendly network-display panels. With so many choices, how can you tell which is right for you? That's a tough question to answer. All of these products' throughput numbers looked stellar when compared to the throughput of standard 802.11g routers, but they all fell short of the promised speed improvement of 802.11n (according to the spec, the max throughput is 270Mbps). And there is a slight chance (unlikely, but not impossible) that some major change in the final 802.11n spec could render these product nonupgradable. Our advice dovetails with that of industry analysts: if you already have a wireless home network, keep using it until the spec has been finalized (expected to be around mid-2007) to see how the final performances stack up.

If you absolutely can't wait and need to have one of these routers now, we liked the D-Link N 650 for its fast performance and wealth of features and the Belkin N1 router for its unparalleled user-friendliness.

Also, don't forget to check these routers' companion wireless notebook adapters.

Product name
Price $84.99 to $135.00 Check Prices Check Prices $59.88 to $69.99 $67.00 to $119.99 $79.99 to $89.99
CNET editors' rating
Average user rating
Review date June 19, 2006 July 20, 2006 July 28, 2006 April 24, 2006 May 03, 2006 October 13, 2006
The Bottom Line With its easy-to-grasp status icons, up-to-date security options, and stellar support, the Belkin N1 router is on the path to 802.11n wireless networking stardom, but like other Draft N devices, its performance fails to impress. Though inconsistent, the D-Link N 650 router performed admirably overall compared to its Draft N competition. Still, we are unimpressed with how it measures up to the promise of 802.11n. Pass on this for now; in fact, pass on all Draft N routers until the spec is finalized. Although the Buffalo Nfiniti router performed admirably in its somewhat limited mixed-mode operation, like every other Draft N router we've tested, it fails to deliver on the promise of 802.11n. Though it offers good maximum throughput, the Linksys WRT300N ultimately fails to do the new Draft N standard proud in both mixed-mode and long-range tests. Wait to see how the rest of the Draft N products fare. Though its maximum throughput is solid and its speed at long range is respectable, the Netgear WNR834B's mixed-mode speed is not. Save your cash until more Draft N routers make it through CNET Labs. The Trendnet TEW-631BRP's throughput scores led the pack of Draft N routers, but hold your horses and wait to see how the 802.11n spec pans out.
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Features
Product DescriptionBelkin N1 Wireless Router - Wireless router
D-Link RangeBooster N 650 Router DIR-635 - Wireless router
Buffalo AirStation Nfiniti WZR-G300N Wireless-N Router & Access Point - Wireless router
Linksys Wireless-N Broadband Router WRT300N - Wireless router
NETGEAR RangeMax Next Wireless Router WNR834B - Wireless router
TRENDnet TEW 631BRP - Wireless router
System RequirementsLinux
Apple MacOS 8.x
Apple MacOS 9.x
Apple MacOS X 10.x
Microsoft Windows 98/ME/NT/2000/XP
Info unavailableMicrosoft Windows XP
Microsoft Windows 2000
Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition
Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
Microsoft Windows 2000 / XP
UNIX
Linux
Apple MacOS
Novell NetWare
Microsoft Windows 98/ME/2000/XP
Linux
Apple MacOS
Microsoft Windows 95
Microsoft Windows 98
Microsoft Windows NT
Microsoft Windows XP
Microsoft Windows 2000
Microsoft Windows Server 2003
Form FactorExternal
External
External
External
External
External
Device TypeWireless router + 4-port switch (integrated)
Wireless router + 4-port switch (integrated)
Wireless router + 4-port switch (integrated)
Wireless router + 4-port switch (integrated)
Wireless router + 4-port switch (integrated)
Wireless router + 4-port switch (integrated)
Remote Management ProtocolHTTP
HTTP
HTTP
HTTP
HTTPS
Info unavailableHTTP
WeightInfo unavailable10.6 oz
14.1 oz
1.1 lbs
1.3 lbs
0.9 lbs
Compliant StandardsIEEE 802.11b
IEEE 802.11g
IEEE 802.11n (draft)
IEEE 802.3
IEEE 802.1x
IEEE 802.3u
IEEE 802.11b
IEEE 802.11g
IEEE 802.11n (draft)
IEEE 802.3u
IEEE 802.11b
IEEE 802.11g
IEEE 802.3
IEEE 802.3u
IEEE 802.11b
IEEE 802.11g
IEEE 802.11n (draft)
IEEE 802.11b
IEEE 802.11g
IEEE 802.11n (draft)
Info unavailable
FeaturesNAT support
DHCP support
MIMO technology
VPN passthrough
Dynamic DNS server
Firewall protection
Firmware upgradable
MAC address filtering
Access Point operational mode
Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI)
NAT support
DHCP support
URL filtering
Syslog support
VPN passthrough
Auto-negotiation
Content filtering
Dynamic DNS server
Firewall protection
Auto-sensing per device
Quality of Service (QoS)
Auto-uplink (auto MDI/MDI-X)
Dynamic IP address assignment
Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI)
NAT support
Firewall protection
Auto-uplink (auto MDI/MDI-X)
Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI)
DMZ port
NAT support
DHCP support
MIMO technology
VPN passthrough
MDI/MDI-X switch
256-bit encryption
Firewall protection
Firmware upgradable
MAC address filtering
Full duplex capability
Access Point operational mode
Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI)
NAT support
URL filtering
MIMO technology
Firewall protection
DoS attack prevention
Intrusion Detection System (IDS)
Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI)
DMZ port
NAT support
NAPT support
URL filtering
VPN passthrough
Dynamic DNS server
Firewall protection
Firmware upgradable
DoS attack prevention
MAC address filtering
Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI)
Dimensions (WxDxH)Info unavailable7.6 in x 4.6 in x 1.2 in
1.4 in x 6.7 in x 7.2 in
7.4 in x 1.6 in x 6.9 in
6.8 in x 1.5 in x 8.8 in
4.8 in x 7.1 in x 1.2 in
Data Link ProtocolEthernet
IEEE 802.11b
IEEE 802.11g
Fast Ethernet
IEEE 802.11n (draft)
Ethernet
IEEE 802.11b
IEEE 802.11g
Fast Ethernet
IEEE 802.11n (draft)
Ethernet
IEEE 802.11b
IEEE 802.11g
Fast Ethernet
IEEE 802.11n (draft)
Ethernet
IEEE 802.11b
IEEE 802.11g
Fast Ethernet
IEEE 802.11n (draft)
Ethernet
IEEE 802.11b
IEEE 802.11g
Fast Ethernet
IEEE 802.11n (draft)
Ethernet
IEEE 802.11b
IEEE 802.11g
Fast Ethernet
IEEE 802.11n (draft)
Frequency Band2.4 GHz
2.4 GHz
2.4 GHz
2.4 GHz
2.4 GHz
2.4 GHz
Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications Full specifications
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