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Review: 802.11n Wi-Fi Routers: Page 5 of 11

Range performance was equal to that of the other routers in this round-up -- it extended to 100 feet past the back corner of my home.

The Belkin N1 Vision is a sleek router with an LCD that makes it easy to get information about the workings of the router. Unfortunately, that also means it comes with a steep price of $199. Performance on the router could have been better, and except for range improvements, you probably won't notice a difference between your current G router and this device if you're running in a mixed environment.

Buffalo Wireless-N Nfiniti Router
(click image to see larger view)
Buffalo Technology (USA), Inc.

Price: $79-$93
The Buffalo Wireless-N Nfiniti has a a healthy set of features, a simple design. and performance that can't be rivaled.

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The Buffalo Wireless-N Nfiniti (WZR2-G300N) is simply one of the best N routers you will ever come across. With a simple, useful design and performance that can't be rivaled, the Nfiniti easily takes the top spot for best all-around N-router.

The Nfiniti is an 802.11n Draft 2.0 device that's ready for use in no time. Much like the Apple Airport Extreme, the Nfiniti comes with a handy Client Manager that lets you customize the router's settings on any Windows PC. Another nice feature of this router is Buffalo's decision to include its AirStation One-Touch Secure System (AOSS). AOSS, which can be activated by pressing the corresponding button on the top of the router, is a one-step setup that allows you to toggle security settings for any kind of wireless traffic, including Web surfing, streaming media, or using your Nintendo DS.

Similar to Apple's Airport Utility, the Nfiniti's Client Manager features an intuitive interface and a menu system suitable for novices and advanced users alike. One especially useful feature is the router's inclusion of an NAT/SPI firewall and intrusion detector, which constantly searches for unwanted attempts at accessing the network and once found, alerts you to those attempts.

Besides a healthy set of features, the Nfiniti really shines when you start using it. When measuring throughput from 10 feet away, the router actually offered 148Mbps -- well above any other router in my testing. Next, I moved it back to 50 feet and then 200 feet, and found the throughput dropped slightly to 137Mbps and 78Mbps, respectively. On a mixed network, the router still performed admirably with speeds measuring 65Mbps at distances of 10 feet.