utilize 802.11n router

I have a netgear router that uses 802.11n and is backward compatible with both b and g.

but my speeds on my Macbook Pro are only about 10 or 11 MB/s, which i would assume implies that my Macbook is only utilizing 802.11b.

how can i get it to use 802.11n instead, because 300MB/s sounds like an amazing download speed.

if Macbooks dont yet support 802.11n, which i find hard to believe, how can i atleast use 802.11g

Which MBP do you have? What yr, etc?
A MBP from the last 2 or 3 yrs would be "n" compatible, but unless you are getting internet from a university or state/govt. office you're probably not going to see better than 10-20 mb/s.
Another thing that can slow it down is if you have more than one device using the router at the same time as your MBP. The router will recognize the slower "b" or "g" device and speeds will be limited to that.

its a 13" 2010 macbook pro. the 7,1 model.

so even using 802.11n im only going to get 10 MB/s? i realize 300 MB/s is theoretical, but i just assumed i would get more than 10 MB/s when it lists 300 MB/s as the theoretical output

A lot also depends on distance from exchange if you are using DSL, state of the cables etc. In rural Australia with old fashioned copper cables, my 'N' Netgear DGN2000 router churns out 6-8MB maximum.

Hold on, let's clarify something. Are your network speeds 10/11 megaBYTES per second, or megaBITS per second? This is the speed for when you transfer files between computers over your wireless network. More importantly, how exactly are you measuring this speed? Are you doing a file transfer or are you using one of those online speed tests? If it's the latter, then you're testing your Internet connection and not your wireless network's speed.

I will tell you right now that you will never be able to get 300 megaBYTES per second, the speed is simply not commercially available. Even 300 megaBITS per second isn't available in any US market (fastest I've seen available is 100Mbps), perhaps somewhere abroad (I think some Asian countries are experimenting with gigabit speeds) or on a university campus. Your connection speed is limited to the speed of your Internet connection, no amount of hardware is going to significantly increase it to the tune of 300Mbps or 300MBps. So if you're paying for a 10-15Mbps connection, then that's the most you'll be able to get from ANY router.

MYmacROX said:

A MBP from the last 2 or 3 yrs would be "n" compatible

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Not really true... My Macbook (early 2008) is very much N compatable. Apple was an early adopter of this technology.

im using speedtest.net, so it would be megabits per second.

i believe i have a gigabit connection to my modem. i could be adding a zero to this number because that seems ridiculously high. so its probably 100 megabits / second

anyways. if im getting 100 megabits/s to the modem and my router supports up to 300 mbps theoretical speed shouldnt i get more than 11 mbps with an online speed test?

And are you measuring your Internet speed? If so, what's your Internet speed package?

Are there other devices on your WiFi network? Are they all N?

i have a desktop computer on the same router, but its connected to the router via ethernet.

would that still force the router to use b or g instead of n?

DaFlake said:

Not really true... My Macbook (early 2008) is very much N compatable. Apple was an early adopter of this technology.

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Sorry, I don't understand your point. I was saying it is compatible if it's a few yrs old. I used "MBP" because that's what he has. But yes, it would apply to MacBooks too. I agree.

MYmacROX said:

Sorry, I don't understand your point. I was saying it is compatible if it's a few yrs old. I used "MBP" because that's what he has. But yes, it would apply to MacBooks too. I agree.

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LOL, ignore me I'm old and can't read.

Sorry I misread that.

cobirch2 said:

im using speedtest.net, so it would be megabits per second.

i believe i have a gigabit connection to my modem. i could be adding a zero to this number because that seems ridiculously high. so its probably 100 megabits / second

anyways. if im getting 100 megabits/s to the modem and my router supports up to 300 mbps theoretical speed shouldnt i get more than 11 mbps with an online speed test?

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Looks like you're still not understanding us. That 11Mbps speed you're getting is your INTERNET speed. It's the connection speed you get from your ISP. It has absolutely nothing to do with your NETWORK speed, which is the local connection speed, as in the speed your computers connect to the router and to one another.

Your router's network speed has nothing to do with your Internet speed. You could get a router that offered a million megabits per second, but if your Internet connection is limited to 11Mbps, then that's the speed you'll get when accessing the Internet. The only way to increase your Internet speed is to upgrade to a faster package through your ISP.

The only time a faster router speed is necessary is when streaming or transferring files from one computer to the next. Having a computer connect to a router faster won't increase your Internet speed.