Belkin Wireless Pre-N Router

The 'Pre-N' of this router refers to the next-generation of wireless products which will be based on a technology known as 802.11n.

802.11 is the radio standard behind Wi-Fi, and the figure that follow it ('n' in this case) denotes its speed and features. The official 802.11n standard is still being finalised, but Belkin is one of several companies releasing products with some features from the proposed standard.

The main 'Pre-N' feature that Belkin has included is known as MIMO (multiple input/multiple output). This simply means that the router has multiple aerials that allow it to provide a wider area of coverage than ordinary wireless routers. It's also better at beaming wireless signals past obstructions such as partition walls.

We've had trouble setting up a wireless network in the past, but using a Pre-N router gave us a more stable signal so our PC didn't keep losing its wireless internet connection.

Belkin's Pre-N Wireless Router also offers better data transfer speeds - up to six times faster than 802.11g wireless products. Few home users have internet connections that run that fast, though, so the increased speed won't be noticed until broadband connections get faster. Even so, the improved signal coverage alone is enough to keep us happy.

Ideally, each computer on your network will also be equipped with a matching 'Pre-N' wireless adapter. However, this isn't absolutely necessary and we found that the Wireless Pre-N Router still provided a stronger signal even though our PC was using an older 802.11b wireless adapter.

Of course, if you do want a Pre-N wireless adapter for your PC, Belkin has one of those too, costing about £58.

Pre-N routers are more expensive than existing wireless products but, if you want to set up a wireless network where existing wireless products don't provide adequate coverage, it's well worth it.

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Ozenda 11g Wireless ADSL Router