Wireless-N or 802.11n is the wireless technology for 2008 and beyond. This new wireless standard surpasses 802.11g. It is the next generation IEEE standard for wireless LANs.

Great, so do you need it? You may if your home or business has wireless “dead zones”, as 802.11n has a greater range than the previous 802.11g, up to twice the range (although some router manufacturers are no longer making these claims), and with better coverage and resistance to interference. Wireless-N routers feature a smart-antenna technology called MIMO, which stands for Multiple Input Multiple Output. It allows wireless devices to more efficiently transmit data in indoor environments.

MIMO has been around for a while on Wireless-G Plus Routers, which are also known as Pre-N Routers. This confusing terminology was caused by vendors implementing their own proprietary implementations of the MIMO technology before 802.11n draft specification was approved. So while a Pre-N or Wireless-G Plus Router would be faster than a Wireless-G router, it may not be compatible with future Wireless-N devices. This is something to be aware of, as a Pre-N router may be cheaper that a Wireless-N router, but could result in problems later on as more 802.11n devices become available.

That of course brings me to the downside – cost – generally 802.11n routers cost twice as much as 802.11g routers. However, if you are replacing wireless router, or putting in a new one, and your wireless clients are support 802.11g, then a 802.11n router makes sense.

My wireless router at home only has four Ethernet ports, which just aren’t enough. For whatever reason I have four desktop computers in my study. I also have an Xbox 360 which needs an internet connection. So that is one too many wired devices to connect to the router.

To solve my problem I could get a wireless router with more than four ports, like the Linksys Cable Router with 8-Port Switch.

This problem could be solved a any number of ways. I could buy a wireless adapter for the Xbox 360. Another option would be to buy a wireless card like the Linksys WMP54G Wireless Network Adapter or to save the hassle of opening up a desktop a Linksys WUSB54GC USB Wireless Network Adapter for one or more of the Desktop PCs.
Of course I could get rid of one or more of the desktop computers. That is not an option for various reasons, involving software and upgraded hardware and my “don’t throw it out if it is working” mindset.

At the moment it actually isn’t too much of a problem though. I simply unplug cables when a PC is not in use as it would be rare that all four PCs would be running at the same time. Also, when the Xbox 360 is running, only one PC will be running at the same time, as I tend to crash my racing car or get shot by aliens if I look away at my PC screen for too long while playing on the Xbox 360!

Next on the list of winning products from Popular Science is the meraki mini. (What is it with lower case letter for proper names? First, midomi.com, now this… Didn’t any of these start-up people make it through the capitalization lesson in their 3rd grade English classes?)

meraki, which in Greek means “doing something with soul, creativity or love,” has a nifty idea. Take an ordinary wired connection to the Internet and expand it with wireless routers. The first router creates a wi-fi network in the immediate area of the Internet connection. The second one, if added within 150 feet of the first, amplifies the signal. Keep adding minis and the network grows.

Want proof? meraki has been building up a wi-fi community in San Francisco. In fact, it’s making routers available for free to people who can place their mini in a location that expands the network. (In other words, they can see the “Free the Net” signal when they check available wireless access points in their operating system.) When I checked today, 26,286 users were connected in neighborhoods all over the city. There’s no charge for people who use the San Francisco network, and the company said it plans to keep it that way.

Right now, the only place to buy the mini is directly from meraki, but no doubt that’ll change with time. A standard mini costs $49, and the outdoor standard is $99. Pro editions that offer advanced user management and support for paid networks are slightly more.