A WLAN is a wireless local area network that can combine wired and wireless connections. Factors affecting WLAN speed include the wireless standard used, router location, and interference from other devices. Upgrading to 802.11n and using appropriate antennas can increase speed. Avoiding devices that interfere with 2.4 GHz transmissions can also help.
A WLAN is a wireless local area network, a network of one or more computers and related peripherals that is or may be wireless. A WLAN can combine both wired and wireless connections. Wireless networks are not as fast as some users would like, and several factors are known to affect WLAN speed.
One factor that affects the speed of the WLAN is the wireless standard used by the network devices. The standard is called 802.11, but there are several versions available: 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g, and 802.11n. 802.11n, the newest standard, operates in the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz range, has speeds from 108 Mbps (Megabits per second) to 600 Mbps, and is backward compatible with 802.11a, b, and g. 802.11g also operates in 2.4 GHz and has a speed of 54 Mbps. 802.11b operates in the 2.4 GHz band at 11 Mbps, while 802.11a operates in the 5 GHz range with a maximum data rate of 54 Mbps.
A WLAN is built around a wireless access point (AP), often a wireless router. The location of the router is another factor that affects the speed of the WLAN. The best place for a router is in the center of the network area and away from corners and exterior walls. It’s also important to keep your router’s firmware up to date.
If all devices connected to the router support the same 802.11 standard, the router should be set up for that standard, rather than mixed mode. This is because allowing older standards slows down the data. If all devices work with the 802.11n standard, the speed of the WLAN will increase.
Routers come with one or more built-in antennas, but they’re often cheap and not as good as they could be. They may or may not be made to be removed and updated. If they are removable, replacing them with an appropriate antenna for your network can increase the speed of your WLAN.
If you are using a 2.4 GHz network for your WLAN, you can speed it up by avoiding devices that typically interfere with 2.4 GHz wireless transmissions. These include 2.4 GHz cordless phones, Bluetooth® adapters, bamonitors, and microwave devices. Cordless phones that do not interfere include those that operate at 900 MHz, 1.9 GHz and 5.8 GHz.
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