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Belkin High-Speed Mode Wireless G RouterPerformanceThink the words fast and friendly don't go together? Think again. The new Belkin router is both the most user-friendly gateway we've reviewed, and one of the fastest. |
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Product Summary
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JiWire's Review
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Specifications
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Setup & Usability
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Performance
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Photo Gallery
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Cool Tips
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| By Becky Waring (JiWire) (Updated 10/3/08) |
JiWire Lab Test Results
Despite their grandiose claims of 108 to 125 Mbps, no "enhanced" Wi-Fi G routers really come anywhere close to that number. However, JiWire's Lab tests found that they do perform significantly faster than regular G routers when used with matching adapter cards, and even offer a small speed boost to regular G clients. So if you are in the market for a new Wi-Fi router, by all means get an enhanced one, they only cost a few dollars more, and are backwardly compatible with plain 802.11b/g equipment.
The Belkin High-Speed Mode Router was typical of the speed-boosted models we've tested, yielding maximum throughput of around 22Mbps using 128-bit WEP encryption. It also had very good range, with a usable signal up to 50 ft. away from the base station, through walls and floors of our wood frame house. Only a couple of routers have done better in our tests.
Throughput vs. Distance
| 3 ft. | 22Mbps |
| 15 ft. | 14.6Mbps |
| 25 ft. | 14.2Mbps |
| 35 ft. | 7.6Mbps |
| 50 ft. | 5.4Mbps |
How We Tested
Our real-world performance tests measure actual throughput in a typical wood-frame house, through walls and floors, at five distances from the base station: 3 feet (same room), 15 feet (same floor), 25 feet (same floor), 35 feet (upstairs), and 50 feet (upstairs). All tests were conducted with 128-bit WEP encryption on, and in 802.11g-only mode, if available.
