MaximumPC 2005 06

G

enerally speaking, high-speed

wireless has always been a con-

tradiction in terms. And while

the chipset muckety-mucks have

long touted the promise of truly fast

wireless networks, the results we’ve

seen to date have been disappoint-

ing at best—and infuriating at worst.

So-called 108Mb/s 802.11g routers

almost never reach speeds above

30Mb/s in real-world use, and many

don’t even meet the speed claims of

old-school 802.11b, at range.

That’s why MIMO (multiple

input, multiple output) routers are

such a breath of fresh air.

—ROBERT STROHMEYER

Linksys WRT54GX

The WRT54GX is the second MIMO

router we’ve tested at Maximum

PC. It also represents a second-gen

application of Airgo’s MIMO wireless

chipset, which has vastly improved

since the technology’s debut

in Belkin’s Pre-N router

late last year.

MIMO routers get better

range and speeds than

conventional Wi-Fi by

sending at least twice as

much data—often three times

as much—at once, using an uncon-

ventional multi-path technique.

Rather than fighting line-of-sight

interference through sheer power

output alone, these routers use dif-

ficult terrain to their advantage,

bouncing signals off of walls and

other interfering objects in a way

ordinary routers can’t, without sacri-

ficing throughput.

Unlike Belkin’s Pre-N, Linksys’

MIMO really delivers. It not only

extends range beyond all the clutter

and chaos of our signal-rich office

environment, it does so at speeds

approaching conventional wired net-

works. In our battery of file-transfer

tests, the WRT54GX produced real-

world speeds of up to 43.2Mb/s

at point-blank range, dropping to

34.1Mb/s at 100 feet. Of course,

to get numbers like these you’ll

have to use Linksys’ accompanying

PC Card adapter rather than your

notebook’s built-in Wi-Fi. But if per-

formance is critical—and you know

it is—it’s worth the expense.

In addition to making the

WRT54GX wicked-fast at longer

ranges, MIMO easily overcomes

the hassle of speed-throttling when

slower devices join your network.

Because MIMO uses multiple trans-

ceivers, it can handle two different

standards at the same time without

slowing down the whole network.

The upshot is that your grandma’s

ancient 802.11b PowerBook won’t

drag your high-speed network down

to b-speeds every time she logs on to

check her e-mail.

Our only real beef is that when the

IEEE ratifies the final 802.11n spec

next year, this router will be as obso-

lete as the 802.11g and b routers.

US Robotics USR 5461

Arriving late to the turbo-G party,

the US Robotics USR5461 Wireless

MAXg Router is a case study in

mediocrity. Sure, it’s pretty fast

with point-blank speeds of up to

27.9Mb/s. But so what, really?

Linksys, Netgear, and D-Link each

offer a turbo router that does at

least that, for about the same price.

A year ago, we’d have wet our-

selves over the MAXg’s perfor-

mance. Its Broadcom BroadRange

chipset even holds onto signal

strength admirably at maximum

range, dol-

ing out data at up to

22.6Mb/s from 100 feet away in

our tests. But what this router

really does best is illustrate the

impending doom of turbo 802.11g.

Incremental speed enhancements

like these just don’t cut it as we

stand perched at the edge of a

major wireless standards overhaul,

and the MAXg presents no compel-

ling case for an upgrade from your

existing Wi-Fi hardware.

Don’t get us wrong. If you’re

looking for a cheap, dependable

workhorse router, the MAXg can

do the job without sapping your

wallet. But you deserve better, and

we know it.

Wi-Fi Router Rhumba^

We would so hate to be a mere turbo G router now

Faster than some wired networks, even at

long range.

Its MIMO mode isn’t 802.11n compliant.

$160, http://www.linksys.com

9

MIMO

FUGU

MA XIMUMPCVERDICT

Like a pose-able

action figure,

the Linksys

WRT54GX MIMO

router bends to

your will.

Conventional wireless

never looked so... well...

conventional as it does in

the US Robotics MAXg.

JUNE 2005 MA XIMUMPC 

Reviews

Holds onto its performance, even at range.

If you’re gonna upgrade your Wi-Fi, why not go

MIMO?

$60, http://www.usr.com

7

NEMO THE FISH

NEMO THE CAPTAIN

MA XIMUMPCVERDICT

US Robotics USR 5461

Linksys WRT54GX

DARE to COMPARE: Wi-Fi Routers
0 FEET 100 FEET
Linksys 43.2Mb/s 34.1Mb/s
US Robotics 27.9Mb/s 22.6Mb/s
Best scores are bolded. Our wireless test is run by
transferring a 707MB MPEG-4 video file from a PC
hardwired to the router to a wireless machine.