The wireless N router provides many benefits of the previous G technology. I am pleased with some of the features that the manufacturers are adding to their offerings. In this article, I will highlight the following features: USB 2.0 ports, file-and-print server capability, and the 5-Ghz spectrum.

A great addition for the wireless-N router is the USB 2.0 port. This port allows you to do some creative things with your router and network that you have not previously been able to do. For one, you can now simply plug your printer into the router and give it wireless capability. The benefit gets stronger when you go out and try to find a color inkjet printer less than a hundred bucks that has built-in wireless or even a network port. Additionally, most network-capable printers today are wireless b/g printers only.

The file-and-print server is a welcomed addition to wireless-N router. As discussed above, you can now plug a color inkjet printer that costs under $200 into the USB 2.0 port and give it wireless capability. The file-and-print server functionality goes farther than that though. Now you can also attach a USB hard drive to the router to create a file server as well. As the term file-and-print server denotes.

Lastly, the 5-Ghz spectrum puts you in a relatively un-crowded space so that you can get better performance out of your wireless connections. The more devices in your home or office on the same wireless frequency, the more likely you are to have a degradation in performance or flat out dropped connections due to interference.

In conclusion, the wireless N routers are bringing to the wireless technology landscape some nice new enhancements that make our networked lifestyle more flexible.