D-Link claims fastest 802.11n gear

Stephen Withers
Monday, 13 August 2007 09:25

Your IT - Home IT

D-Link's DIR-655 was the fastest Draft 802.n device in a recent round of competitive testing.

Wireless consulting firm octoScope tested eight wireless routers and corresponding adaptors from Belkin, D-Link, Linksys and Netgear, concluding "Among the products tested, the D-link DIR-655 with Atheros chipset came in first in its class of 3x3 MIMO and first in overall throughput, range and video performance." 

Among other tests, octoScope examined video prioritisation and found that D-Link's proprietary Wireless Internet Stream Handling algorithm was particularly effective. At 110 feet (approx 33m), the DIR-55 was able to deliver the 20Mbps needed for 1080p30 MPEG-2 video, while the other high-end devices tested could not.

Prioritisation means a smaller proportion of the total bandwidth is available for other purposes, but any interruption to video traffic is especially noticeable. As Wi-Fi is increasingly used to deliver video in the home (eg, to stream content from a PC to a media player), these considerations will become more important to buyers that are currently more concerned with using the web, email and instant messaging.

"D-Link is committed to providing the optimal Draft 802.11n experience," said Maurice Famularo, Marketing Director, D-Link Australia & New Zealand. "octoScope's findings validate the hard work of the engineering and product design teams behind our Draft 11n solutions and are a welcome endorsement of our commitment to wireless networking leadership."

octoScope did not declare any outside funding of its testing.

In related news, D-Link says half a million units of its Draft 802.11n products have been shipped, though officials did not disclose how that figure breaks down across the various categories (adaptors, routers, etc).

"Reaching this milestone for Draft 11n product sales is an overwhelming indicator that the market is adopting this next evolution of wireless networking and recognising the benefits it provides," said Famularo.