Recipe 14.8. Mixing 802.11b and 802.11g Devices

Problem

You want to use 802.11b and 802.11g devices on the same network.

Solution

If you have an 802.11b router, you can connect 802.11g devices to it, and if you have an 802.11g router, you can connect 802.11b devices to it. But 802.11g devices can only connect to an 802.11b router at 802.11b speeds of a maximum of 11 Mbps, not at 802.11g speeds of 54 Mbps.

On a network with an 802.11g router, if you include any 802.11b devices, then all the devices on the network, including 802.11g devices, will slow down to 802.11b speeds. However, some products include a g-only mode that won't allow 802.11b clients to access the network, and so the network can operate at 802.11g speeds. You can turn the mode on when you want to get higher speeds from 802.11g devices, and off when you need 802.11b devices to access the network.

How you enable g-only mode varies from device to device, but here's how to do it on a Linksys router:

1. Log into the screen by opening your browser and going to http://192.168.1.1. When the login screen appears, leave the user name blank, and in the password section, type admin, and press Enter.

   

   If you've changed the default username and password, use that instead of admin.

   
   

2. Click the Wireless tab.

3. From the Wireless Network Mode drop-down box, select G-Only.

4. Click Save Settings.

With this setting in place, only 802.11g devices will be able to connect to the network, and so you'll get 802.11g speeds. When you want 802.11b devices to be able to connect to the network, choose Mixed from the Wireless Network Mode drop-down box, and click Save Settings.

Discussion

If you have an 802.11g router and only connect 802.11g devices to it, there's no need to go through the steps of forcing the router into g-only mode the network will work at the higher speeds if only 802.11g devices are present.

There is also some controversy about how useful g-only mode is. PC Magazine ran tests and found that g-only mode works well and produces 802.11g network speeds. However, the Tom's Networking site also ran tests and found that g-only mode does not boost network speed if there are 802.11b devices nearby.

It's most likely that results vary according to both specific makes and models of routers, and specific network configurations, so it's worth trying g-only mode for yourself.

See Also

For the results of Tom's Networking testing of g-only mode, head to http://www.tomsnetworking.com/Sections-article43-page8.php. To see the PC Magazine tests, go to http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1245923,00.asp.