WiFi

[DonJuane]

Another thing - realize that the FCC regulates the maximum transmit power of any router sold in the USA and no matter how much you pay for one you are still getting one that transmits at or about the maximum allowed (500mW). If it does broadcast at a lower power level, it gets a bad wrap online and won't sell. If it goes over it can get pulled during certification. So many times buying the $40 or the $400 router you are getting the same electronics and maybe all that you get with the $400 is it looks like a Star Trek movie prop while the cheap one looks like a cheap one. The only way to really extend the performance of a router is with a directional antenna which sort of conflicts with supplying signal "everywhere". As a rule of thumb if shopping for a router and the router is missing the external antenna, it should be automatically rejected. This hidden antenna design is another example of not being able to "buy-away" the rules of physics while trading the lack of an antenna for appearance and hoping for the results to be the same. Of course you are lucky that a 1/4 wave length antenna is around 33mm and thus "fits inside the box" but that size is from my foggy memory. So while internal antennas etched on circuit boards are not as good as an external antenna they still provide a basic level of performance. Still the typical "saucer shape" of the propagation pattern from a conventional omni directional "rubber ducky" antenna beats hands down those that are stamped on PC boards along with the router electronics.

Also don't bother with the expensive multi antenna units, as the single antenna will do fine and the maximum output is the same no matter the cost.