Networking – Page 3 – Overclockers HQ

Today we’re going to look at the latest doodad that Trendnet has sent us; the Dual Band Wireless N Gigabit Router. For anyone who doesn’t know, the capabilities of wireless N far outshine wireless G. Dual Band Wireless N has about 6 times the range and 14 times the speed of wireless G. So I think it’s safe to say that we all want one now. But what if you’re lucky enough to have two wireless N routers? Then you’d be me and you’d also be faced with quite the choice. Which router gets retired and which gets some serious overtime? Let’s see what happens when we pit the Trendnet against my current router, a big beefy Belkin. Click read more for the full review. Provided By: Trendnet Closer Look: The packaging for the Trendnet Dual Band Wireless N Gigabit Router is bright and inviting. Having had the chance to review several different Trendnet products, I must say that their packaging is consistently professional and appealing to look at. The front of the package sports a picture of the router itself as well as some specifications , such as its range and speed compared to wireless G. The back of the package has 3 different views of the router; as well as a diagram showing several different applications for the router. Along the bottom of the package there are pictures of related products, which is no doubt helpful to the network neophyte. The contents of the box are as follows. There is the router, a quick installation manual, utility CD, network cable, and the AC Adapter. Everything you need to get yourself up and running in a matter of minutes. No exaggeration on that point. Trendnet lays everything out nice and easy in the manual. The router has a piano black finish with the Trendnet brand name etched into the surface. The Trendnet Logo and model number of the router are tastefully printed on the top of the router, respectfully on the right and left. The front of the router has a standard array of LED indicator lights, letting you know the status of your network at a glance. The rear of the router is the business end. Your standard layout of 1 WAN and 4 LAN is complimented by a switch for turning the wireless option of the router on and off. Three antennae’s broadcast are responsible for broadcasting your wireless signal. Let’s look at the Specifications and Features. Specifications: HardwareStandardsWired: IEEE 802.3 (10Base-T), IEEE 802.3u (100Base-TX) and IEEE 802.3ab (1000BaseT) Wireless: IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n (draft 2.0)WAN1 x 10/100/1000Mbps Auto-MDIX port (Internet)LAN4 x 10/100/1000Mbps Auto-MDIX portWireless On/Off SwitchTurn on/off wireless LANWPS ButtonWi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) with other WPS compliant devicesConnection TypeDynamic IP, Static (fixed) IP, PPPoE, PPTP, L2TPNAT Firewall 3K configurable NAT entries; restricted NAPT IP ranges, port ranges and schedulePre-defined game hosting configurationsPort triggering for 24 special applicationsALG support (enable/disable support) –RTP/RTSP, AOL, FTP, ICMP, WMP/MMS, NetMeeting, SIP SPI Firewall Up to 24 rules; cyber attack protection – verified against over 2000 attacks WDSEnable/disable Wireless Distribution System supportUPnPUPnP IGD 1.0 compliantDMZDMZ host, 24 configurable Virtual Servers and Game ServersDNSStatic or WAN assigned DNS servers; 10 verified services for DDNSInternet Access ControlPolicy based parental control; time based Internet access; port range/service filtering; Dynamic URL filtering; Internet domain restriction; 32 user defined schedules, 24 MAC address filter entriesLogging3 types and 3 severities event logging; up to 1,000 entriesEmail notificationsLED IndicatorPower, LAN1~LAN4, WAN, and WLANPower Adapter12V DC, 1A external power adapterPower Consumption779mADimension (L x W x H)180 x 122 x 30 mm (6.8 x 4.6 x 1.1 inches)Weight350g (0.8 lb)TemperatureOperation: 0°~ 40°C (32°F~ 104°F); Storage: -20°~ 60°C (-4°F~140 °F)HumidityMax. 90% (non-condensing)CertificationsCE, FCCWireless Frequency 2.412 ~ 2.462 GHz (FCC); 2.412 ~ 2.472 GHz (ETSI)5.150~5.250GHz; 5.725~5.825GHz (FCC)5.150~5.250MHz (ETSI) Antenna 3 x 2dBi fixed dipole antenna Media Access Protocol CSMA/CA with ACK Module Technique 802.11n: BPSK, QPSK, 16QAM, with OFDM 802.11b:CCK (11 and 5.5Mbps) DQPSK (2Mbps) DBSPK (1Mbps)802.11g: OFDM with BPSK, QPSK and 16/64-QAM sub-carrier modulations Data Rate 802.11a: 54Mbps, 48Mbps, 36Mbps, 24Mbps, 18Mbps, 12Mbps, 9Mbps and 6Mbps802.11b: 11Mbps, 5.5Mbps, 2Mbps, and 1Mbps802.11g: 54Mbps, 48Mbps, 36Mbps, 24Mbps, 18Mbps, 12Mbps, 9Mbps and 6Mbps802.11n: up to 300Mbps SecurityEncryption: hardware AES/TKIP, 64/128-bit WEP (HEX/ passphrase, 11a/b/g/n)802.1X/EAP: EAP-TLE, EAP-TTLE/MSCHAPv2, PEAPv0/EAP-MSCHAPv2, PEAPv1/EAP-GTCWPA: WPA/WPA2, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK (AES-11b/g/n, TKIP-11b/g)WPS: support PIN and PBCSSID broadcast controlOutput Power802.11a: 14dBm (typical)802.11b: 18dBm (typical) 802.11g: 15dBm (typical)802.11n: 11dBm (typical) with HT20 or HT40 Receiving Sensitivity 802.11a: -72dBm (typical) @ 54Mbps802.11b: -84dBm (typical) @ 11Mpbs802.11g: -73dBm (typical) @ 54Mbps802.11n: -69dBm (typical) with HT20 or HT40 Channels 2.4GHz 1~ 11 (US), 1~13 (EU) 5GHz 36, 40, 44, 48, 149, 153, 157, 161, and 165 Let’s move onto testing. Testing Setup: Trendnet Dual Band Wireless N Gigabit Router Belkin N1 Wireless N Router Testing: A person’s wireless network can be like their fingerprints; unique to them alone. At OverclockersHQ we favor a real world testing environment, as this is usually closer to the results that others will independently arrive at. So in this test I will PING Google with large packets for exactly sixty seconds. After this my PC will report to me how many packets were sent, lost, how long they took, etc. Let’s see how things went. Belkin N1 Trendnet Dual Band Packets Sent 5059Packets Recieved 4859 Minimum Time (Ms)4654Maximum Time (Ms)19641929 Average Time (Ms)316227 Bandwidth (Mbps)270117 Bars2/34 The difference is clear to me at least. The Trendnet beat the Belkin. Looking at the numbers you might wonder why I say this. The Belkin posted the fastest Minimum Time and had higher bandwidth numbers. But what I see is that the Trendnet dropped less packets, none to be exact. It also had higher put through, meaning that it was at 4 bars steady, while the Belkin fluctuated between 2 and 3. All this added up to a quicker average speed for the Trendnet. Let`s Look at the conclusion. Conclusion: I really should mention that in my case, the testing of wireless networks is done at their extreme ranges. I shoot my wireless signal roughly 80 feet, through several walls, metal siding, and the occasional car. Yes I still get reception and the fact that I can get 4 bars is incredible. That is really what impressed me most about the Trendnet router. It chewed through the obstacles much more consistently then my Belkin. I was not sure what to expect at first when I started this test. I knew that the Belkin had a relatively good bandwidth, with fluctuating bars. But I didn`t think that the higher bars on the Trendnet would offset the fact that it had a lower bandwidth. Boy was I wrong. I am impressed by the numbers that the Trendnet put out, and as they say, the numbers don`t lie. This is an excellent product that I definitely endorse and recommend to anyone who needs that little extra oomph to get through barriers to their network. Let`s say cars for example, or maybe even a Winnebago. I know I`ve done it and so can you with Trendnets Dual Band Wireless N Gigabit Router. Pros: Reasonably PricedPiano Black FinishEasy SetupHigher Bars then Belkin N1 Cons: Lower Actual Bandwidth (For me Personally. Remember the Winnebago)