User's Manual

6-1
v1.0, April 2011
Chapter 6
Fine-Tuning Your Network
This chapter describes how to modify the configuration of the N300 Wireless Gigabit Router
WNR3500Lv2 to allow specific applications to access the Internet or to be accessed from the
Internet, and how to make adjustments to enhance your network’s performance.
This chapter includes the following sections:
• “Assessing Your Speed Requirements” on page 6-2
• “Optimizing Your Network Bandwidth” on page 6-3
• “Optimizing Wireless Performance” on page 6-5
• “Changing the MTU Size” on page 6-6
• “Quality of Service” on page 6-7
• “Using Universal Plug and Play” on page 6-13
Common connection types and their speed and security considerations are:
• Broadband Internet. Your Internet connection speed is determined by your modem type,
such as ADSL or cable modem, as well as the connection speed of the sites to which you
connect, and general Internet traffic. ADSL and cable modem connections are asymmetrical,
meaning they have a lower data rate to the Internet (upstream) than from the Internet
(downstream). Keep in mind that when you connect to another site that also has an
asymmetrical connection, the data rate between your sites is limited by each side’s upstream
and downstream data rate. A typical residential ADSL or cable modem connection provides a
downstream throughput of about 1 to 3 megabits per second (Mbps). Newer technologies such
as ADSL2+ and Fiber to the Home (FTTH) will increase the connection speed to tens of
Mbps.
• Wireless. Your N300 Wireless Gigabit Router WNR3500Lv2 provides a wireless link rate of
up to 300 Mbps using technology called multiple input, multiple output (MIMO), in which
multiple antennas transmit multiple streams of data. The use of multiple antennas also
provides excellent range and coverage. With the introduction of the newer WPA and WPA2
encryption and authentication protocols, wireless security is extremely strong.