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The Broadband Router
Features Guide
LAN Connectivity
 The next decision you need to make is for LAN
connectivity. How will the computers on your LAN connect to your router?
If all the computers are in the same room, 10/100 Ethernet is fine. If
your computers are spread out over the house, the choice becomes more
difficult. If you purchase a router that
only has wired Ethernet and want to add wireless or HPNA connectivity
later, devices are available that allow the 'bridging' of networks
together. See the example
here
A new bread of broadband routers from a couple
manufacturers feature empty PCCard slots that allow you to add wireless or
HPNA networking later. There may also be bluetooth cards available in the
future.
Ethernet
NEARLY all routers have one or more Ethernet ports
for your LAN. 10/100 Ethernet is the most standard networking type. If the
router does not have enough ports, you can always connect an Ethernet hub
or switch to your router for more ports. Some routers only come with one
port (no switch built in) and expect you to add a hub/switch or connect
your existing one.
HPNA 2.0
HPNA, or Phoneline
networking , runs at 10Mbps. It
uses your existing telephone line infrastructure in your home for computer
networking. The networking in no way interferes with your voice telephone
or DSL service. Many home networking 'gadgets' like stereo component MP3
players have phoneline networking built in.
Wireless Ethernet - 11Mbps
The most popular wireless
standard is 11Mbps 802.11b. Every router
manufacturer has 802.11b equipment available. A router that supports
802.11b is referred to as an ‘access point’. 802.11b does not penetrate
more than a few building walls and can interfere with some cordless phones
that operate in the same 2.4ghz range. Security has also been called into
question these days. ( more 802.11b
info
) There are more specifics
about shopping for 802.11b later in this article
HomeRF 2.0
A newcomer to the home network
scene, HomeRF 2.0
operates at 10Mbps, features better security than 802.11b and is much
easier to set up. The down side is that it is more expensive and only a
couple companies are currently supporting it. Time will tell if this
technology is here to stay. 54Mbps and 72Mbps
Wireless Ethernet
A new standard of wireless Ethernet is
emerging called 802.11a. This standard is similar to 802.11b but is much
faster. The industry may soon offer 54Mbps upgrades for your 11Mbps
wireless routers but don't be fooled - the processors in your 11Mbps router will
probably never keep up with the 54Mbps speeds. This of course is
speculation so far.
Printer Port / Print Server
Router based print servers are NOT bi-directional.
Most printers sold these days – especially ink jet printers – do not
function well without a bi-directional printer port. Some to not function
at all. Check the latest version of your printer driver for non
bi-directional printing support before you count on using a print server.
Is the router fast enough?
Broadband routers that are aimed at the home market
all handle a minimum of 1.5Mbps of data through the WAN (Internet) port
when using NAT (I know of no exceptions). Cable modems are almost always
capped at 1.5Mbps (or less) and most other broadband technologies are
significantly slower. The only technologies that are faster than 1.5Mbps
are multi-cast two way satellites, some specific very high-end DSL
services, and a few communities that have fiber.
For the most part any broadband router that you
purchase will be fast enough to handle your broadband connection. LAN to
WAN speed does not need to be part of most peoples purchasing decision.
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