Between February and June 2003, we tested six different two-node networks, each consisting of a Wi-Fi access point and a single notebook adapter. All completed tests were done with 802.11g access points based on an 802.11g draft standard.
We used HONEST to measure the file transfer speed over two minutes. We took at least one sample at each location; when we took multiple samples, we averaged them. Each access point was at the same location—labelled AP on the diagram—in approximately the center of the main floor of our house. See the test locations page for the location of each test.
Here's our summary of these test results:
Both 802.11g and 802.11b worked at all nineteen locations we tested, most of them obstructed by walls, floors and ducts, and one (location 19) quite far from the access point and through a wall. This is substantially improved from our first-generation 802.11b equipment, which did not work at all at half of the locations.
We tested 802.11b with two test combinations. The measured file transfer speed averaged 4.34 Mbps across all nineteen locations. It varied from an average maximum of about 5 Mbps at many locations down to about 3 Mbps at a few, with a low of about 0.6 Mbps with one combination at location 4 (Dave's conference table).
We tested 802.11g with four test combinations. The measured file transfer speed averaged 9.07 Mbps across all nineteen locations. It varied from an average maximum of about 17 Mbps (with the notebook adapter in the same room as the access point) down to about 5 Mbps at three locations, with a low of about 2 Mbps with one combination at location 16 (Dave's desk).
802.11g speeds varied considerably more than those with 802.11b. The average 802.11b speed (4.34 Mbps) was about 85% of the maximum of 5.14, while the average 802.11g speed (9.07 Mbps) was only about 50% of the maximum (18.09).
The 802.11g measurements were quite inconsistent. Since the Buffalo and Linksys equipment is all based on the same Broadcom "54g" chip set, we expected similar results from each combination. Instead, we saw significant speed variations at many locations, with some varying by more than 2:1.
Test Combinations
We tested six different two-node networks, each consisting of a Wi-Fi access point and a single notebook adapter. The following table shows the equipment used for each test combination:
Test
Standard
Access Point
Notebook Adapter
1
802.11g
Buffalo WBR-G54 Wireless Router Base Station
Buffalo WLI-CB-G54 Wireless Notebook Adapter
2
802.11g
Buffalo WBR-G54 Wireless Router Base Station
Linksys WPC54G Wireless-G Notebook Adapter
3
802.11g
Linksys WAP54G Wireless-G Access Point
Linksys WPC54G Wireless-G Notebook Adapter
4
802.11g
Linksys WAP54G Wireless-G Access Point
Buffalo WLI-CB-G54 Wireless Notebook Adapter
5
802.11b
Buffalo WBR-G54 Wireless Router Base Station
Linksys WPC11 ver 3 Wireless Notebook Adapter
6
802.11b
Linksys WAP54G Wireless-G Access Point
Linksys WPC11 ver 3 Wireless Notebook Adapter
Test Results
The following tables show the results of each test, expressed in Mbps, with averages for each location and each set of equipment we tested.
802.11g Access Points with 802.11g Notebook Adapters
The first group of tests was with two 802.11g Access Points and two 802.11g Notebook Adapters. The following table shows the equipment used for each test:
Test
Access Point
Notebook Adapter
1
Buffalo WBR-G54
Buffalo WLI-CB-G54
2
Buffalo WBR-G54
Linksys WPC54G
3
Linksys WAP54G
Linksys WPC54G
4
Linksys WAP54G
Buffalo WLI-CB-G54
Location
Test 1
Test 2
Test 3
Test 4
Average
1
9.23
6.81
12.36
9.01
9.35
2
9.65
10.14
10.00
7.27
9.27
3
8.84
14.46
17.17
7.69
12.04
4
5.16
8.16
2.34
3.98
4.91
5
6.33
7.95
6.45
5.33
6.52
6
4.01
6.81
3.74
5.40
4.99
7
10.39
14.36
16.40
8.49
12.41
8
9.10
9.11
15.25
15.95
12.35
9
9.72
9.76
11.87
7.61
9.74
10
15.30
17.61
17.91
7.02
14.46
11
14.75
17.48
18.09
17.86
17.05
12
8.31
7.90
6.78
8.97
7.99
13
9.81
10.17
9.65
10.12
9.94
14
6.86
1.45
8.44
7.49
6.06
15
16.04
10.58
7.44
9.26
10.83
16
6.01
4.55
7.85
2.09
5.13
17
10.16
8.83
7.30
5.72
8.00
18
3.93
6.11
7.21
5.33
5.65
19
4.58
8.43
3.77
5.61
5.60
Average
8.85
9.51
10.00
7.91
9.07
802.11g Access Points with an 802.11b Notebook Adapter
The next group of tests was with two 802.11g Access Points and a single 802.11b Notebook Adapter. The following table shows the equipment used for each test:
We used HONEST to measure the file transfer speed over two minutes. We took at least one sample at each location; when we took multiple samples, we averaged them. Each access point was at the same location—labelled AP on the diagram—in approximately the center of the main floor of our house. See the test locations page for the location of each test.
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