Top Wireless Routers
Older gear based on Airgo Networks technology outpaced draft-n lines in our tests. However, draft-n equipment may be upgradable to the final 802.11n spec, whereas products using proprietary chips will never be.
Edited by Yardena Ayar
Bottom Line: The Buffalo matched the mediocre test performance of other draft-n routers we tested. It also lacks some key features, and has a confusing interface.
PC World Rating: 65 (Fair)
- Wireless chip set:Broadcom Intensi-fi (draft-n)
- Encryption: 128-bit WEP and WPA Personal
- Auto channel selection: No
- Mounting options: Vertical
- Price When Reviewed: $149
- Rated on: August 25, 2006
Bottom Line: This draft-n router has the best features of the group we tested, plus excellent documentation and setup. But its test performance did not live up to its billing.
PC World Rating: 71 (Good)
- Wireless chip set:Broadcom Intensi-fi (draft-n)
- Encryption: 128-bit WEP, WPA/WPA2 Personal Enterprise, Radius support
- Auto channel selection: Yes
- Mounting options: Horizontal, vertical
- Price When Reviewed: $150
- Rated on: August 25, 2006
Bottom Line: This router is far and away the best of our test group in design and ease of use, and it has excellent features. But it stumbled badly in long- and midrange performance tests.
PC World Rating: 73 (Good)
- Wireless chip set: Atheros XSPAN (draft-n)
- Encryption: 128-bit WEP, WPA/WPA2 Personal and Enterprise, Radius support
- Auto channel selection: No
- Mounting options: Horizontal, vertical, wall
- Price When Reviewed: $150
- Rated on: August 25, 2006
Bottom Line: If you want to buy a draft-n router now, the RangeMax Next is your best choice, with very good features, setup, and ease of use, and reasonable performance.
PC World Rating: 77 (Good)
- Wireless chip set: Broadcom Intensi-fi (draft-n)
- Encryption: 128-bit WEP, WPA/WPA2 Personal
- Auto channel selection: Yes
- Mounting options: Horizontal (causes poor antenna placement), vertical
- Price When Reviewed: $129
- Rated on: August 25, 2006
Bottom Line: The Asus offers top-rated performance and nice design at a great price, but is hampered by setup and encryption problems and subpar documentation.
PC World Rating: 88 (Very Good)
- Wireless chip set: Airgo True MIMO Gen3
- Encryption: 128-bit WEP, WPA/WPA2 Personal, Radius support
- Auto channel selection: Yes
- Mounting options: Horizontal, vertical, wall
- Price When Reviewed: $120
- Rated on: August 25, 2006
Bottom Line: The RangeMax 240 is a great router, with excellent performance and very good features, usability, and design. But its Airgo technology will never be upgradable to the 802.11n standard.
PC World Rating: 89 (Very Good)
- Wireless chip set: Airgo True MIMO Gen3
- Encryption: 128-bit WEP, WPA/WPA2 Personal
- Auto channel selection: Yes
- Mounting options: Horizontal, vertical
- Price When Reviewed: $119
- Rated on: August 25, 2006
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