Wi-Fi Gear Goes Long Range
There's no other major item most of us own that is as confusing, unpredictable and unreliable as our personal computers. Everybody has questions about them, and we aim to help.
Here are a few questions about computers I've received recently from people like you, and my answers. I have edited and restated the questions a bit, for readability. This week my mailbox contained questions about the range of Wi-Fi gear, browser alternatives and upgrading Windows.
If you have a question, send it to me at
mossberg@wsj.com, and I may select it to be answered here in Mossberg's Mailbox.
Because of the volume of e-mail I receive, I can't routinely answer individual questions by e-mail, or consult on individual problems or purchasing decisions. I read all questions I receive and select three each week to answer in the column.
Q: In choosing Wi-Fi wireless equipment, does the newer 802.11g type have better range than the older 802.11b type? The salesman at Staples said that it does and would solve my spotty reception problems at the corners of my house.
A: In my testing over the years, I have found that the "g" flavor of Wi-Fi gear, while faster, offers no appreciable advantage in range over the "b" flavor. Some manufacturers have issued proprietary versions of "g" equipment that claim enhanced range, but only if you use that brand and model of equipment on all your wireless PCs.
The only type of Wi-Fi equipment I have tested that delivers significantly better range, even with mixed equipment, is the very newest type, sometimes called "pre-N," for a future standard, called 802.11n, that's now under development. This gear, which has just appeared in the past few months, uses an all-new technology called MIMO, a term that should appear on the box.
I have tested only one brand of this new MIMO-based equipment, Belkin's Wireless Pre-N Router. It delivered dramatic range improvement over either "b" or "g" equipment in my house, without any extra booster equipment. It covered every dead spot in the house.
Q: Today when I went to the Mozilla Web site, I found out that the new browser you recommend won't be developed any further. Do you have any other suggestions as to a replacement for Microsoft's Internet Explorer?
A: You're confusing two different free software products, both of which come from the Mozilla organization. The only one I recommend is called Firefox, not Mozilla. It is indeed alive and well and continuing to be developed. I have never reviewed nor recommended the product you have in mind, which is called Mozilla, and is an entire suite of Internet applications.
Q: Can I upgrade from Windows 98 SE to Windows XP without deleting or messing up any of my current applications (Office 2000, Acrobat, etc.)?
A: Upgrading from an older to a newer version of Windows shouldn't require deleting or in any way disabling your application programs. However, some of your applications may not be compatible with Windows XP. The installation program can tell you which programs may not work.
? You can find Mossberg's Mailbox, and my other columns, online at the free Personal Technology Web site,
http://ptech.wsj.com.* * *
Because of the volume of e-mail I receive, I can't routinely answer individual questions by e-mail, or consult on individual problems or purchasing decisions. I read all questions I receive and select three each week to answer in the column.
Wi-Fi设备新标准
在我们大多数人拥有的大件电器中，再没有什么比个人电脑更令人费解、更变幻莫测的了。每个人或许都有些关于电脑的问题，而《莫博士信箱》将为您提供帮助。
本周我将回答读者有关Wi-Fi设备最新标准、Mozilla浏览器和Windows操作系统升级的问题。
问：在选择无线保真(Wi-Fi)设备时，新的802.11g标准是不是比旧的802.11b标准覆盖范围更广？Staples的售货员说802.11g能够解决我的房间里一些角落的信号接收不稳定的问题。
答：在我多年的测试中，我发现“g”系列标准的Wi-Fi设备与“b”系列标准相比，虽然速度更快，但在覆盖范围方面并没有明显的优势。一些生产商已经推出了“g”标准设备，并声称提高了信号覆盖性能，不过你必须在你所有的无线电脑中都使用这种品牌和这种型号的设备。
我测试过的唯一一种覆盖性能得到改善的Wi-Fi设备采用的是一种最新的标准，有人称它为“pre-N”，它是未来802.11n新标准的前身，这种新标准目前还处于开发阶段。这种“pre-N”无线设备推出才几个月的时间，使用的是一种全新的名为“MIMO”的技术。
我只测试过一个品牌的这种MIMO设备，即Belkin的无线Pre-N路由器。与“b”或“g”标准设备相比，它在没有增加任何信号放大设备的情况下，极大改善了我房间内网络的覆盖范围，覆盖了屋内的每个死角。
问：今天当我登录Mozilla网站时，我发现他们将不再开发你推荐的那种新浏览器了。你能向我推荐另外一种能替代微软(Microsoft) Internet Explorer的浏览器吗？
答：你把两种免费的浏览器弄混了，他们都来自Mozilla。我推荐的是Firefox，而不是Mozilla。Firefox目前还在被用户使用，发展势头也不错，它将继续被开发运用。我从来没有测试或推荐过你所说的Mozilla，它是一种网络应用程序套装软件。
问：我能将Windows 98 SE升级到Windows XP、同时不删除或弄乱目前的应用程序（Office 2000、Acrobat等）吗？
答：升级Windows操作系统不必删除或是中断你目前的应用程序。不过，Windows XP可能会不兼容你的某些程序。安装程序届时会提示你那些程序不能再用了。
