Wireless Performance
Frankly, I wasn't that impressed with the OfficeConnect 11g's wireless performance.
NOTES:
• WinXP Zero Config utilty was used so "Signal Quality" readings were not available
• Testing was done with a 3Com OfficeConnect Wireless 11g Cardbus client card in a WinXP Home Dell Inspiron 4100 laptop
Figure 10: Four location throughput wireless performance
(click on the image for a full-sized view)
Figure 10 shows an average top throughput just over 19Mbps, which is about par for PRISM-based 11g products, but 15 - 20% below the average top speed of 22 - 24Mbps that I've seen from Broadcom or Atheros-based products.
My Location 1 test runs with 128 bit WEP and WPA-PSK enabled averaged 18.5 and 18.2Mbps respectively compared to 19.3Mbps with no encryption. Since these results are within 5% of each other, worst case, you have little to lose and a lot to gain by running WPA, or at least WEP.
Signal strength seemed to fall off pretty quickly, with my same-floor, two wall Location 2 test showing a drop from 5 to 2-3 bars (using XP Zero Config) and connection speed from 54 to 24-48Mbps. I was curious to see whether this was due to the router, 3Com 11g client card or both, so I ran a second Location 3 test using an Atheros-based NETGEAR WAG511 card [reviewed here].
Figure 11: Location 3 throughput - 3Com 3CRWE154G72 vs. NETGEAR WAG511
(click on the image for a full-sized view)
Figure 11 shows that the WAG511 improved performance by about 50%, but with similar throughput variation, which I'd have to say is due to the router's radio.
My bottom line is that I wouldn't recommend the combination of router and 3Com 11g card if you need to go through a lot of walls or long(er) distances - especially since you can't upgrade the OfficeConnect's antennas!
802.11g Wireless Performance Test Results
| Test Conditions
| Firmware/Driver Versions AP f/w: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test Description | Signal Quality (%) | Transfer Rate (Mbps) | Response Time (msec) | UDP stream | |
| Throughput (kbps) | Lost data (%) | ||||
| Client to AP - Condition 1 | 0 | 19.3 [No WEP] 18.5 [w/ WEP] | 1 (avg) 2 (max) | 500 | 0 |
| Client to AP - Condition 2 | 0 | 9.8 | 1 (avg) 2 (max) | 500 | 0 |
| Client to AP - Condition 3 | 0 | 8.6 | 2 (avg) 25 (max) | 500 | 0 |
| Client to AP - Condition 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 (avg) 14.2 (max) | 500 | 0 |