Is Wireless N Router backward Compatible with Wireless G AP

Today I received an email from one of my blog reader asking if Wireless G Router is backward compatible with wireless N Access Point. He is planning to purchase a new wireless N Access Point to expand his home network. Current wireless G router is unable to transmit signals to his new computers which are situated in a different floor. So he needs AP to extend the wireless network. But he doubts whether investing money on wireless n AP is worth.





Wireless N is backward compatible with wireless G

Wireless G and Wireless N are backward compatible as in the case of wireless b and wireless g. It is because both IEEE standards work in the same frequency. Both wireless n and wireless g work in 2.4GHz. One of the notable point is when your wireless n and wireless g devices connect, the maximum speed of data transfer between them is 54Mbps (because wireless g supports maximum data transfer speed 54Mbps). If you neglect the speed difference, both wireless n and wireless g are backward compatible. However, IEEE802.11n standard operates in both 2.4GHz and 5 GHz bands. If the wireless n device operates in 5GHz band both wireless g and b devices cannot work with it.

Practical difficulties between Wireless N and G

Though IEEE 802.11n and 802.11g are backward compatible, some practical difficulties are there.

1. Wireless n supports MIMO but g and b don't.
2. Wireless n can operates in 2.4GHz and 5 GHz but wireless g and b supports 2.4GHz only.
3. Wireless n data transfer rate is between 54Mbps to 600Mbps but the data transfer rate of wireless g devices is maximum 54Mbps.

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