Good Wireless Router?

[Manigeitora]

Hey all you nerds out there. my parents/family need to get a new wireless router.

I know it. They know it. But they want a really good one this time (current one is a netgear something or another) since our first two were horrible. But at the same time, they don;t want anything outrageously expensive/

So I'm looking for a link or deals on a good router that isn't too expensive.

Ready? Go!

 

[chevre]

I'd recommend something in the Linksys wrt54g family. Linksys.com - Products/Wireless/Basic Networking/Broadband Routers/Wireless-G/WRT54G

 

[BluTack]

A funky Netgear with N wireless technology one and stuff...

Note: I know nothing about routers unless I have to. But I do know how to use them.

 

[chevre]

N is the the new technology, and while it's faster than G, it's significantly more expensive. Also, if most of your traffic will be over your internet link, that will almost certainly be the bottleneck anyway, and so you'll be able to get your full bandwidth with G (probably even with B, but you won't find many B-only routers these days). Not to mention that I don't believe 802.11n is actually standardized yet, so any N devices you buy now aren't guaranteed to conform (i.e. work with other N devices) in the future.

 

[ShippoFox]

I'd recommend something in the Linksys wrt54g family. Linksys.com - Products/Wireless/Basic Networking/Broadband Routers/Wireless-G/WRT54G

I've heard rumors that those routers aren't as good as they used to be. Haven't actually used one myself though.

I need a new router because mine sucks. It sometimes screws up a few times a day and limits some of the settings I can change (can't set MTU past 1454). It was cheap though, so I shouldn't have expected any better. But anyway, I want to get a new one sometime relatively soon. What's better.... the pre-N routers or some G router with MIMO? Or something else?

 

[Ren]

I have a lynksys myself. From what a very smart computer guy friend of mine told me, the lynksys series are definitely one of the best.

One of the best or not still, the router always gets some sort of error eventually however, thats the hassle of havin' a wireless router.

 

[Lone_Wolf]

I would prefer a linksys WRT54G or WRT54g with booster, i have owned one for two yrs and it has not failed me yet.

 

[Spirit]

I'd recommend Netgear for anything. I would NOT recommend Cisco/Linksys. Why? There was the counterfeiting scandal, and you need a university degree to set the damn things up.

Why Netgear? I have a DG834G and it's brilliant, I also have a GS105 Gigabit switch and it's equally brilliant, as is their tech support and product quality.

If you were more specific about what "good" means, I could recommend a model number.
HOWEVER! If your parents want top shelf, it will be best if they wait, as all "N wireless" routers are faux 802.11n, it's usually just Super G with Range Extension technology.

IEEE 802.11n is still in development, but it should be finished later this year.

If it absolutely urgent and they somehow can't wait for a few months until the 802.11n standard is finished, this should be more than sufficient.

I have had a fantastic experience with Netgear, so your parents can be assured that this router will be nothing but quality. This router is so easy to set up a toddler could do it, so you won't need any degrees from Cisco, it has plenty in the way of security, the wireless range is excellent, but I've found a bit of a dead spot directly behind the router.
The sync speeds are very important, luckily this router doesn't fault that. Also, if you really want to know more, it runs on BusyBox Linux.

As for what you can actually throw at this router - does a school block full of students sound good?

Hope this helps.

 

[Manigeitora]

Really all we need is something that can provide a strong signal at a long range. My bedroom is geographically as far away from the router as I can get while remaining in the house and I have almost constant connection problems, and it has a fun habit of cutting out for anywhere up to an hour once every few days.

So a model number suggestion would be nice, again, I'm not sure what ours is.

There's usually only 2 computers running off of the router, my parents' computer is connected to the modem directly (I think) and my bro uses the wireless but he's right next to the computer room.

 

[ShippoFox]

I have a lynksys myself. From what a very smart computer guy friend of mine told me, the lynksys series are definitely one of the best.

That's what I heard. I heard the older models are excellent, but the new ones... not so much. Maybe I just heard from some people that had unlucky experiences though.

 

[chevre]

I just got my family set up with a Linksys wrt54g just a few months back, and it has worked fine. It was a snap to set up, too.

Shippo, unless you have a pretty hardcore internet connection or do a lot of data transfer within your LAN it's probably not worth going for N right now (plus you need to have a wireless card that supports N anyway).

 

[ShippoFox]

Are G MIMO routers worth the money? Do they really offer better range? They're a little bit cheaper than N routers.

 

[mm3]

Linksys are the only routers I will ever buy. I own a WRT54GS and a WRT54G. With the excellent DD-WRT firmware, the possibilities are endless, and they seem to be the best routers on the market. Best reviews, best price for what you get. ... they just seem to be a lot of people's first choice.

worst ones? Belkin. Those things are horrendous. Stay away!!

And, I gave my 75 year old grandmother a WRT54G for her birthday, and she set it up without a hitch, I just had to tell her what ethernet ports went where. She got Wifi working with her choice of SSID, and she also got WPA2 up and running, all on her own. So if you're having trouble with it... I'd get a little frightened!

So many have a WRT54* these days, it seems... They really are the best ones... not just IMHO, but a lot of major big-high-up peoples as well!

If you want something good, reliable, easy, and something that will make you pat yourself on the back when you get 'er done, the WRT54* is for you.

(no, I'm not a salesperson haha)

Take it from a hardware expert .

with a little determination for a good router, the WRT54G + DD-WRT firmware will make you happah. . A lot of other people whom I've helped out in this situation would agree.

 

[ShippoFox]

Belkin is what I have... and I kinda agree. They're cheap though, so that's why I got it when I did (it was a replacement for another router I had that broke).

I've heard the new WRT54s won't let you use DD-WRT.... or something like that.

 

[Aki]

You can never, ever go wrong with Cisco Linksys.

 

[mm3]

The new micro firmware is out, DD-WRT will work on all new models with it .

 

[Darkfinn]

Dude... order one of these from my company.

EnGenius SOHO Router

The price is right... the product is good. We also sell PC and notebook cards... and a wide variety of higher end stuff too.

 

[InconJenOnWheels]

What I would recommend is calling your cable company and seeing if they provide that service(Wireless). That's what I did. It cost me a one-time fee of $150 for the guy to come out and hook it up. The good thing is that if it breaks or whatever, they fix it and it doesn't cost me anything.

 

[ShippoFox]

What can you do with DD-WRT anyway?

The EnGenius router looks nice. It even has a removable antenna. That would involve also buying an antenna though. Is it just a standard G router?

I may have found a gem here though....
D-Link - Wireless-N Router - DIR-615
N router for... probably the lowest price anyone will find anywhere right now.

 

[mm3]

I wouldn't bother with N routers right now, at least until it is finalized. If you get a Draft N now, and then N is finalized... you're stuck with it.

Here's a screenshot of my WRT54GS and WRT54G with DD-WRT firmware. There's just endless customization and tweaks and settings... So user friendly too.

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/9262/untitled1sz6.png
http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/9069/untitled2vk2.png