# Wireless G works - wireless N doesn't **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 26, 2008, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-g-works-wireless-n-doesnt/446973 "2008-04-26T16:49:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-g-works-wireless-n-doesnt/446973/1 "2008-04-26T16:49:34Z")
I have a wireless networking problem. I’m not asking anyone to actually solve my specific problem because I know this isn’t a technical support forum. All I’m asking is if anyone knows of a known situation relating to my problem. I cannot connect wirelessly with wireless N equipment. I have tried three wireless G adapters and routers and three wireless N adapters and routers. Wireless G equipment connects with no problems. Wireless N equipment will work when wired, but not wirelessly. I’ve tried this on three laptops, two of which are running Windows XP, and one running Windows Vesta Ultimate 32-bit edition. I am happy to give more details if required. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-g-works-wireless-n-doesnt/446973/2 "2008-04-26T16:58:15Z")
Unless all your N equipment is by the same manufacturer that’ll be your problem. N still hasn’t been fully standardised so there are lots of incompatibilities between equipment from different sources. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-g-works-wireless-n-doesnt/446973/3 "2008-04-26T17:06:24Z")
[QUOTE=Szlater] Unless all your N equipment is by the same manufacturer that’ll be your problem. N still hasn’t been fully standardised so there are lots of incompatibilities between equipment from different sources. [/QUOTE] Yes, I’ve used a Linksys WAG325N with a Linksys W300N, and a Buffalo N Nfiniti with a Buffalo N card. ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-g-works-wireless-n-doesnt/446973/4 "2008-04-26T17:10:49Z")
[QUOTE=Szlater] Unless all your N equipment is by the same manufacturer that’ll be your problem. N still hasn’t been fully standardised so there are lots of incompatibilities between equipment from different sources. [/QUOTE] I agree with this. However, you could try to see if your N equipment has new firmware so they can all be brought up to draft 2.0 of the standard. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-g-works-wireless-n-doesnt/446973/5 "2008-04-26T17:13:55Z")
[QUOTE=gazpacho] I agree with this. However, you could try to see if your N equipment has new firmware so they can all be brought up to draft 2.0 of the standard. [/QUOTE] I have the latest firmware. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2008, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-g-works-wireless-n-doesnt/446973/6 "2008-04-26T23:34:04Z")
Are you saying the N routers won’t work (wirelessly) _at all_, or that they won’t allow full N connections? If the answer is “at all” for all 3 setups I would suspect some sort of RF interference from other wireless gear, or firewall (or similar software) incompatibility. N gear should fall back to G or B mode unless you’ve locked it to N only mode. Is there some common gateway or firewall software running on all the PCs? ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-g-works-wireless-n-doesnt/446973/7 "2008-04-27T11:11:38Z")
[QUOTE=astro] Are you saying the N routers won’t work (wirelessly) _at all_, or that they won’t allow full N connections? If the answer is “at all” for all 3 setups I would suspect some sort of RF interference from other wireless gear, or firewall (or similar software) incompatibility. N gear should fall back to G or B mode unless you’ve locked it to N only mode. Is there some common gateway or firewall software running on all the PCs? [/QUOTE] Yes, I’m saying that N routers won’t work at all wirelessly. I have tried running them on different channels. I have disabled all firewalls. I’ve set it up to run in all modes. This is why I’m so puzzled by this: I think I’ve covered all the bases. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-g-works-wireless-n-doesnt/446973/8 "2008-04-27T17:00:28Z")
Even with no security enabled and fully visbile SSID keys? The only substantive difference between your G and N setups (I can see) is that the notebooks would all need PCCARD or USB N adapters. Did you specifically turn OFF all the notebooks built in wireless G cards (via external switch or BIOS) before you inserted the N cards/adapters and loaded the N adapter drivers & software? ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-g-works-wireless-n-doesnt/446973/9 "2008-04-27T17:29:25Z")
[QUOTE=astro] Even with no security enabled and fully visbile SSID keys? The only substantive difference between your G and N setups (I can see) is that the notebooks would all need PCCARD or USB N adapters. Did you specifically turn OFF all the notebooks built in wireless G cards (via external switch or BIOS) before you inserted the N cards/adapters and loaded the N adapter drivers & software? [/QUOTE] I have tried it with no security, WEP and WPA. SSID is visible. I have set it on G only, on N only and mixed. I have used the 20mhz and 40mhz channels. I have tried channels 1, 6 and 11. I really have tried. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2008, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-g-works-wireless-n-doesnt/446973/10 "2008-04-27T17:40:09Z")
[QUOTE=NineToTheSky] I have tried it with no security, WEP and WPA. SSID is visible. I have set it on G only, on N only and mixed. I have used the 20mhz and 40mhz channels. I have tried channels 1, 6 and 11. I really have tried. :mad: [/QUOTE] I’m sorry, I’m not being clear. I don’t mean switches on the router or changes via the router setup page. I mean did you physically turn off the notebook’s internal G/B wireless cards (switch is typically on the notebook chassis or via notebook BIOS setup) before inserting the N cards? ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-g-works-wireless-n-doesnt/446973/11 "2008-04-28T08:01:35Z")
[QUOTE=astro] I’m sorry, I’m not being clear. I don’t mean switches on the router or changes via the router setup page. I mean did you physically turn off the notebook’s internal G/B wireless cards (switch is typically on the notebook chassis or via notebook BIOS setup) before inserting the N cards? [/QUOTE] Yes, I do understand what you mean. I did manually switch off the internal adapters. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-g-works-wireless-n-doesnt/446973/12 "2008-04-28T14:54:33Z")
[QUOTE=NineToTheSky] Yes, I do understand what you mean. I did manually switch off the internal adapters. [/QUOTE] Well… I’m out of ideas. Modern wireless routers are pretty much plug and play and the N wireless spec is a supersets of B/G and can drop down to that mode if required. If both N routers + cards are refusing to work period I’d wait till the spec gets settled out later this year. My best setup to date has been using a Linksys MIMO router with the notebooks built in G mode. I tried the MIMO PCCARD adapter, but it gave virtually no real world speed, connection quality or performance boost over the notebook’s native G mode so i returned the adapter. The MIMO router, however, gave MUCH getter coverage (under G mode) than the Linksys G wireless router I was using. If I were you I’d just get a decent N wireless and use it in G mode. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2008, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wireless-g-works-wireless-n-doesnt/446973/13 "2008-04-28T15:04:50Z")
Thanks for your help. This has beaten everyone so far. I’m thinking exorcism next. 🙂