NETGEAR Wireless-N Router User Manual

Powerline. For connecting rooms or floors that are blocked by obstructions or are distant vertically, consider networking over your building’s AC wiring. NETGEAR’s Powerline HD family of products delivers up to 200 Mbps to any outlet, while the older-generation XE family of products delivers 14 Mbps or 85 Mbps. Data transmissions are encrypted for security, and you can configure an individual network password to prevent neighbors from connecting.

The Powerline HD family of products can coexist on the same network with older-generation XE family products or HomePlug 1.0 products, but they are not interoperable with these older products.

Wired Ethernet. As gigabit-speed Ethernet ports (10/100/1000 Mbps) become common on newer computers, wired Ethernet remains a good choice for speed, economy, and security. Gigabit Ethernet can extend up to 100 meters with twisted-pair wiring of Cat 5e or better. A wired connection is not susceptible to interference, and eavesdropping would require a physical connection to your network.

Note: Actual data throughput will vary. Network conditions and environmental factors, including volume of network traffic, building materials and construction, and network overhead, can lower actual data throughput rate.

Assessing Your Speed Requirements

Because your Internet connection is likely to operate at a much lower speed than your local network, faster local networking technologies might not improve your Internet experience. However, many emerging home applications require high data rates. For example:

Streaming HD video requires 10 to 30 Mbps per stream. Because latency and packet loss can disrupt your video, plan to provide at least twice the capacity you need.

Streaming MP3 audio requires less than 1 Mbps per stream and does not strain most modern networks. Like video, however, streaming audio is also sensitive to latency and packet loss, so a congested network or a noisy link can cause problems.

Fine-Tuning Your Network

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v1.2, January 2009

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NETGEAR WNR2000 user manual Assessing Your Speed Requirements