Replace my 802.11g AirPort Extreme?

[starbuck65]

Hi. I've got a first-generation AirPort Extreme (802.11b/g) and I'm wondering if I would benefit from replacing it. Any advice would be appreciated.

Here's my current setup:


Cable modem with 10/100 jack, plugged into the AirPort Extreme (APE).

HP laser printer plugged into the LAN jack on the APE.

Canon photo printer plugged into the USB jack on the APE.

AirPort Express (same generation: 802.11b/g) access point in the room next door where laptops are often in use.

MacBook (2008) with built-in AirPort Extreme wireless card (Broadcom BCM43xx 1.0 (5.10.38.35)). Capable of draft n.

ThinkPad T60 (2002?) with Intel PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network Connection in PCI slot. Not capable of draft n.

Performance varies a lot. Currently I'm getting 9.65 Mbps downloads but often it's around 6.5 Mbps. I'm in a very busy wireless neighborhood: a New York City apartment with about about three dozen networks detectable at the moment, to say nothing of anything else that could be out there on the 2.4GHz band.

So the question is: Given the mixed capabilities of the two computers, would a draft-n router be likely to improve performance on either of them? If so, any particular router you'd recommend? Thanks in advance!

[thiggins]

A draft 11n router will provide higher throughput only when used with a draft 11n client and when no 11b/g client on the WLAN is active.

You low throughput is probably caused by all the other networks competing for air time.

Your clients that are capable of 5 GHz operation could benefit from a simultaneous dual-band router (I'm guessing your apartment isn't big and there are not a lot of walls.)

Look at the Linksys WRT400N (http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/content/view/30775/96/) and D-Link DIR-825 (http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/content/view/30588/96/).

[starbuck65]

Thanks for the help!

[jpw94]

is there a setting on the airport extreme card to put it into 5mhz mode?