If I have a router that can transmit with b or g, Which should I set it to?

It really doesn’t matter. If all your computer have 802.11 G cards then set it to G, if some of your computers have G cards but others have B only cards then set it to B, because it will allow for all of the G and B clients to connect to the access point. If you have absolutely no idea what kind of cards all of your computers have, then just set it to B, because it will permit great web surfing with minimal client hassle. The only point you will see lag is when transferring big file across the internal network.

Here’s my experience on this subject: It depends on what kind of connected devices you’re running; keep in mind that in the case of most b/g routers, if you have 4 devices using the g bandwidth, and 1 device using the b bandwidth, the network (even if set to b/g dual mode) will have to operate on the frequency of that “b” device; the lower frequency lessens bandwidth, trading off speed for connectivity with slower devices.

If all your devices use the G standard, set it to that; you’ll notice the difference in speed using an all-G network versus a mixed b/g network.

Such is the case in N networks too; I have devices that are still on G, and I have to use the ‘blended’ N/G/B standard, which broadcasts on a lower frequency (my iPhones still use G, while my computers are on N; my kids eMac is on B). So even though the computers receive N, they don’t get the total bandwidth of an “N-only” network that uses the higher frequency exclusively.

That’s my understanding of it-any IT pros feel free to correct me if I’m mistaken.

@sndfreQ: You are completely correct in everything you said

It only matters if you have multiple devices connected and want to be able to transmit files between them over the network, or if you have a faster than normal net connection. B offers 11Mbits/s, which is faster than most broadband companies provide for net access. There’s no point in having a connection to your router faster than your net connection unless you’re making use of network resources. It’s like speeding to get stuck in traffic.

If you don’t have a specific need for G speeds, just leave it at B for easiest compatibility.

Screw it.: G.