Overview

• 1/19/2012: wait until 802.11ac networking equipment comes out and then get a new laptop and high-end router with lots of antennas, preferably 8. certain numbers
• get a linksys E4200 or E4200V2 dual-band-n router and connect your laptop using an ethernet cable. no problems with ethernet - full speed.

MIMO

802.11n&ac uses MIMO technology which breaks up the entire wireless signal up into multiple bands/streams.

802.11ac has larger bands which means more speed, 500Mbps-1.somethingGbps.

because the wifi signal is broken up into bands, this means that one download (TCP/IP connection) will use one band. If you have 2 simultaneous downloads it will use 2 bands, etc. until it fills up the bands, then it uses other methods.

ethernet

ethernet cable connections do not have the characteristics of MIMO. they run at the lowest speed of the lowest speed connected.

take the lower speed of the LAN speeds you use or are provided.

If you are making internet connections rather than LAN connections, slowest sleed will be your WAN connection.

About Routers

routers typically have very slow processors and do not provide the full advertised speed listed. for instance, if it says "10/100", it will probably do the 10, but it may or may not be able to push 100. same goes for 10/100/1000: they will do maybe 150-200Mbps.

number of simultaneous users: routers cannot do more than about 10 users at once.