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Originally Posted by punky
Any A, B, or G wireless wi-fi adaptor will work (obvisouly only get a B or G as they are the fastest).
I have that router, and it works fine with my Apple powerbook airport wireless adaptor, and the belkin 7050 USB adaptor.
Basically the protocols they use (the language the devices use to talk to one another) are the same, so any devices within the same group, A, B, or G, will work with one another... That router can talk to any of those 3, but only buy a B or G adaptor though.
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Getting a B/G device is sound advice, however your information is a little inaccurate (I only comment for peoples knowledge!)
802.11b operates in the 2.4ghz frequency band. It has datarate of 1, 2, 5.5 and 11mbps. With wireless, datarate and throughput are very different things. 11mbps datarate with give you typically 4.7mbps throughput, but in some cases as much at 5.2mbps (fine if you are only using it for internet access of course - with current broadband speeds!!!)
802.11a operates in the 5.2ghz frequency band. It is quite different from 802.11b, using OFDM and providing data rates from 6mbps up to 54mbps. As with 11b, datarates and throughputs are different, with a typical maximum throughput of 22mbps.
802.11g is the most recently ratified standard. Think of it as a cross between a and b. It operates in the same frequency space as 802.11b - 2.4ghz, but uses OFDM and the same modulation techniques as 802.11a. This again provides data rates from 6-54mbps.
802.11g was designed with backwards compatibility to 11b in mind. Typically there are multiple modes in which you can run a g device:
b only - this allows only modulation types of 802.11b
g only - this allows only modulation types of 802.11g
and b/g or mixed mode - this allows use of both sets of modulation types. Providing essentially 11g modulation with basic rates of 11b. This is the default mode for every 11g AP I have configured to date.
One thing to be aware of, is that if you operate a network in b/g mode, and you connect a mix of clients to the AP, your g throughput will drop to around half of its theoretical maximum. This is due to a protection mode that is implemented by 11g to allow co-existence of the two protocols.
So....
11a and 11g are the faster technologies
11g is backward compatible with 11b
11b has been around the longest and there are a lot of legacy devices out there using 11b only (doesn't stop you using a g AP)
The linksys wrt54g is a very good home router. take a look at the custom sveasoft firmware for it. But please be aware that it does NOT operate at 802.11a, just 11g - and therefore b.
Sorry if I ran on a little.
If anyone has any questions on wireless at all, please feel free to send me a private message.
Paul.