I have an old Belkin router that was called pre-N.
My network consists of a Mac Pro on ethernet and an Xbox on ethernet, plus 3 Macbook Pros on wi-fi and an old Windows XP pc upstairs using a Belkin N usb adapter. The Macbook Pros also run Windows 7 via Bootcamp as well as Mac OSX 10.6
I am on Virgin broadband, and everything works pretty well, although sometimes I have to restart the router (once a couple of weeks or so).
I installed a small program called wifi scanner and it reports that the network is running at 54mbs G which surprised me, since I thought that it would be running faster since it was a pre-N model router and Virgin is supposed to be a good broadband.
I am considering getting a new router, either a Belkin Play with dual band N or a Netgear, maybe a 3700, or an Apple airport extreme.
The Belkin is about £90 while the other two are about £130-140.
Someone told me that I should not worry about the G 54mbs speed of my current setup because most broadbands don't even max out that wireless speed, so the only benefit I will see is if I am transferring files between computers on my network rather than what I get from the internet.
If that's the case then it seems pointless to get a new router since moving files among the computers is not something we do.
What I was hoping for is a faster internet and greater signal distance in case we are outdoors in the yard or upstairs.
Can anyone please offer some advice on whether my setup would benefit from a router upgrade and perhaps which router they might recommend?
My network consists of a Mac Pro on ethernet and an Xbox on ethernet, plus 3 Macbook Pros on wi-fi and an old Windows XP pc upstairs using a Belkin N usb adapter. The Macbook Pros also run Windows 7 via Bootcamp as well as Mac OSX 10.6
I am on Virgin broadband, and everything works pretty well, although sometimes I have to restart the router (once a couple of weeks or so).
I installed a small program called wifi scanner and it reports that the network is running at 54mbs G which surprised me, since I thought that it would be running faster since it was a pre-N model router and Virgin is supposed to be a good broadband.
I am considering getting a new router, either a Belkin Play with dual band N or a Netgear, maybe a 3700, or an Apple airport extreme.
The Belkin is about £90 while the other two are about £130-140.
Someone told me that I should not worry about the G 54mbs speed of my current setup because most broadbands don't even max out that wireless speed, so the only benefit I will see is if I am transferring files between computers on my network rather than what I get from the internet.
If that's the case then it seems pointless to get a new router since moving files among the computers is not something we do.
What I was hoping for is a faster internet and greater signal distance in case we are outdoors in the yard or upstairs.
Can anyone please offer some advice on whether my setup would benefit from a router upgrade and perhaps which router they might recommend?