If your network speeds are lower on devices connected wirelessly than devices running on wired Ethernet, then upgrading from g to n will help. It will increase download speeds if it is the wireless signal that is slowing you down. If you have a DSL line, or just a slow internet plan, then it is your ISP that is slowing you down, and probably not your router.

Say you have a direct Ethernet connection with your router that will go 100Mbps, and Comcast is selling your a 15Mbps connection. If the server you were talking to on the internet only has a 8Mbps connection, then your network speeds will go no higher than 8Mbps, even though you have a 100Mbps connection to your router and a 15Mbps internet plan. This is because your network speeds will go only as fast as the slowest point on the network connection.

If you bought high speed internet, and your computer plugged into the router running Ethernet has fast download speeds, but your laptop is connected using 802.11g and has slow network speeds, then go for the n router!

homerman55 wrote I have currently 802.11g/b if i upgraded to 802.11N will that boost my download speeds?

only if the devices you are connecting have N cards other wise you will still be going at 54mbs.

vokal wrote

homerman55 wrote I have currently 802.11g/b if i upgraded to 802.11N will that boost my download speeds?

only if the devices you are connecting have N cards other wise you will still be going at 54mbs.

Second this, check and make sure your wireless NIC (Network Interface Card) is 802.11n compatible.
In Windows, Network and Sharing Center > Change adapter settings. Look at your wireless card that says its connected, the 802.11 amendments it can use will be listed there.

If you upgrade to an n router, and your laptop can only use g then your n router will have to use g to talk to you. Thus, a new n router would not help if your laptop can only run g.