11-26-2013, 04:14 PM
>> I don't think I've seen a consumer, 802.11n, single band router that only offers 5 GHz.
Technically, a single band 5 GHz router is 802.11a.
Apple products are a good choice for people that have only used AirPort. The fast speeds reported in tests ONLY apply to examples with the most recent hardware on both sides of the connection. If you don't have a version of a MacBook that was released in the last 5 months, you are NOT going to get anywhere close to 500 Mbps.
MAVIC, I specifically mentioned dual-MIMO to indicate that the standard is still evolving. MIMO can help performance with beamforming, but it works best when the hardware and software on both sides support it. If you already have a parabolic reflector, I would say going with a newer "n" Tomato/DDWRT compatible router with two or three external antennas would give you the best chance of seeing an improvement in speeds/quality.
There was one university that said they were able to almost double the number of useable connections by upgrading to ac, but that is an extreme case (>200 routers on a network).
Technically, a single band 5 GHz router is 802.11a.
Apple products are a good choice for people that have only used AirPort. The fast speeds reported in tests ONLY apply to examples with the most recent hardware on both sides of the connection. If you don't have a version of a MacBook that was released in the last 5 months, you are NOT going to get anywhere close to 500 Mbps.
MAVIC, I specifically mentioned dual-MIMO to indicate that the standard is still evolving. MIMO can help performance with beamforming, but it works best when the hardware and software on both sides support it. If you already have a parabolic reflector, I would say going with a newer "n" Tomato/DDWRT compatible router with two or three external antennas would give you the best chance of seeing an improvement in speeds/quality.
There was one university that said they were able to almost double the number of useable connections by upgrading to ac, but that is an extreme case (>200 routers on a network).