220-802 · Question #202
A customer purchases a new 802.11n router for their home. They connect it to their current 801.11g devices, as well as their new laptop. Even though the laptop has a built-in 802.11n antenna, they…
The correct answer is C. The router is broadcasting in Mixed Mode. When an 802.11n router operates in Mixed Mode alongside older 802.11g devices, the network must accommodate the slower standard, preventing 802.11n devices from reaching their full speed.
Question
A customer purchases a new 802.11n router for their home. They connect it to their current 801.11g devices, as well as their new laptop. Even though the laptop has a built-in 802.11n antenna, they are not noticing any speed increase. Which of the following is the MOST likely cause?
Options
- AThe laptop is not close enough to the router.
- BThe router should be set to "G-Only".
- CThe router is broadcasting in Mixed Mode.
- DThe laptop needs a dedicated access point.
How the community answered
(62 responses)- A8% (5)
- B15% (9)
- C74% (46)
- D3% (2)
Why each option
When an 802.11n router operates in Mixed Mode alongside older 802.11g devices, the network must accommodate the slower standard, preventing 802.11n devices from reaching their full speed.
Distance affects signal strength, but the question specifies no speed increase at all, not intermittent connectivity, making proximity not the most likely cause.
Setting the router to G-Only would actively prevent the 802.11n laptop from connecting at 802.11n speeds, making the problem worse rather than explaining the current situation.
Mixed Mode forces the router to support both 802.11g and 802.11n clients simultaneously. To maintain backward compatibility with the 802.11g devices, the router uses protection mechanisms and lower modulation rates that cap throughput for all clients, including the 802.11n laptop. The 802.11n performance gains are only fully realized when all clients on the network support that standard.
A dedicated access point is unnecessary here; the router already functions as an access point and the laptop already has a built-in 802.11n antenna.
Concept tested: 802.11 Mixed Mode backward compatibility impact
Source: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/802-11-wireless-standards
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