Do I need the dual band extreme base station?

I am about to replace my netgear G router, and I am trying to figure out if I really need a dual band extreme base, or if I should save myself some money and buy an older extreme base without the dual band abilities. I have the following computers

(1) 2010 MacBook Pro
(2) 2008 Unibody MacBook
(3) 2008 Aluminum 24" Imac
(4) 2006 Mac mini
(5) An old G4 imac

The first 3 will be connected wirelessly. The last 2 will be wired.

Since the only computers I want connected wirelessly are N-enabled, do I really need dual band? Or could I save myself a hundred bucks and buy an older, non-dual, but N-capable extreme base??

Unless you're streaming video and intend to use the dedicated 5GHz band for that purpose, then no - dual-band probably isn't worth it.

Might I recommend one of these instead:

D-Link Xtreme N Gigabit Router

Great range, four gigabit ports, stateful packet inspection (SPI) firewall, and all of the options you could ask for. Also, very reliable. You can't beat it for the money.

I do stream video to the 24" iMac. But I have been streaming 1080p over 2.4ghz G and it seems to work well. Shouldn't 2.4 N handle it even better? And thanks for the router suggestion, but I am going to stick with Apple. It is just a matter of dual-band or not.

brairden said:

I do stream video to the 24" iMac. But I have been streaming 1080p over 2.4ghz G and it seems to work well. Shouldn't 2.4 N handle it even better?

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Each device on a single band will split the available bandwidth. So, there could be times that you have high bandwidth utilization by several devices, which could interrupt streaming. Do note however, that the higher up you go in the spectrum, the shorter the range. So, 5GHz devices will not have as good of range as a 2.4GHz device will. That's fine if the router is close to the the machines you're using the 5GHz band with, but could be a problem if you intend to use the 5GHz band for devices that are far away from the router.

And thanks for the router suggestion, but I am going to stick with Apple. It is just a matter of dual-band or not.

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Apple makes a decent router, no doubt. But it's pricey and lacking in features compared to offerings from companies that make dedicated network gear. It's particularly egregious that for $180, you don't even get a real hardware firewall, only 3 ethernet ports and internal antennas that limit range. It also lacks a configuration webpage (you have to use Apple's software package to configure or modify the settings). But if you're hung up on Apple for whatever reason, so be it. The DIR-655 is a solid router that even after 4 years on the market, still holds up quite well to the competition - and is a steal at about $80. I have been recommending it for several years now and all of those who have bought one have been very pleased.