My laptop, which has a 802.11g network card, NOT 802.11n, is working well with Netgear wgr614 802.11g 54 mpbs router. I would like to know if my router is compatible and/or works well with a G MIMO router. If so,what are some good G MIMO routers I could buy for cheap and best?
Thanks!
Anonymous
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mimo stands for multiple in, multiple out.
If you don't have mimo on your computer, you can still network with a router that has mimo (mimo is backwards compatible), but it will be at STANDARD speed.
It does not make sense to pay for a mimo router if you don't have a mimo network card in the computer. MANY desktops use mimo. I only know of a few, very expensive military class laptops that use mimo. If you have multiple computers in the home, at least one of which is mimo, by all means, go out and buy a mimo router. If you all the wifi cards in your computers are standandard G or N cards, save your money, you will NOT see any advantage.
Likewise, if you have a "N" router but a "G" computer or a "G" router and an "N" computer, you will only get standard "G" speed and distance. BOTH sides, the router AND the computer have to have the same technology in order to see any benefit.
Linksys is probably the best, netgear second, maybe buffalo third.
If you want to upgrade the performance of your "G" router at minimal cost, giving much better distance, and slightly better speed, try a router that is compatible with "ddwrt" or "tomato". These are router firmware hacks that are AWESOME. ALMOST N speed and distance for a third the cost.
The most famous "hackers delight" is the famous linksys WRT54GL but many models by all three brands I mentioned will work. Me, and all the techs I work with use this model. All the computers in our home have "N" cards built in, and we get free hardware all the time, but we still use "G" technology because we don't need to go to "N". We usually just sell the routers we get on craigslist. The wrt54gl is THAT good