NETGEAR RangeMax Next Wireless USB 2.0 Adapter WN111 User Manual
3-5
v1.0, December 2007
The Powerline HD family of products can coexist on the same network with older generation
XE family products or HomePlug 1.0 products, but they are not interoperable with these
older products.
• Wired Ethernet
As Gigabit Ethernet ports become common on newer computers, wired Ethernet remains a
good choice for speed, economy, and security. Gigabit Ethernet can extend up to 100 meters
with twisted-pair wiring of CAT-5e or better. A wired connection is not susceptible to
interference, and eavesdropping would require a physical connection to your network.
Assessing Your Speed Requirements
Because your Internet connection is likely to operate at a much lower speed than your local
network, faster local networking technologies might not improve your Internet experience.
However, many emerging home applications require high data rates. For example:
• Streaming HD video requires 10 to 30 Mbps per stream. Because latency and packet loss can
disrupt your video, plan to provide at least twice the capacity you need.
• Streaming MP3 audio requires less than 1 Mbps per stream and does not strain most modern
networks. Like video, however, streaming audio is also sensitive to latency and packet loss, so
a congested network or a noisy link can cause problems.
• Backing up computers over the network has become popular due to the availability of
inexpensive mass storage. Table 3-1 shows the time to transfer one gigabyte (1 GB) of data
using various networking technologies.
Note: Actual data throughput will vary. Network conditions and environmental factors,
including volume of network traffic, building materials and construction, and
network overhead, can lower actual data throughput rate.
Table 3-1. Theoretical Transfer Time for 1 Gigabyte
Network Connection Theoretical Raw Transfer Time
Gigabit Wired Ethernet 8 seconds
RangeMax NEXT Wireless-N 26 seconds
Powerline HD 40 seconds
100 Mbps Wired Ethernet 80 seconds
802.11g wireless 150 seconds
802.11b wireless 700 seconds
10 Mbps Wired Ethernet 800 seconds