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Which wireless router is the best?

L

leeming

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Hi,

I want to get a wireless network in my house but have no idea what wireless router to get. Could anyone give me some suggestions on what i should get.

Thanks
 
My favorite router is the Linksys WRT54GL with 3rd party firmware. But to be honest, any name-brand router will work.
 
The Linksys WRT54G series. Course, everyone has their own fav, which by pure coincidence also happens to be the one they went for 😛

Just pick one, they're probably all much of a muchness.
 
ok thanks, but do you think it is worth paying more for the apple base station?

thanks
 
leeming said:
ok thanks, but do you think it is worth paying more for the apple base station?
Click to expand...

In my opinion, No. There are plenty of other routers and do that same things for much cheaper. Many of them are even better than the Airport.
 
leeming said:
ok thanks, but do you think it is worth paying more for the apple base station?

thanks
Click to expand...
Nope. I have an AirPort Extreme as well as the WRT54GS. The Linksys has a much better signal, and many many more features, especially when running a 3rd party firmware such ast HyperWRT (no where near as complicated as it might sound 😉).
 
Both airport models are pretty lame (I've returned both). Linksys and net gear have both failed me too many times in the past. So I really can't recommend both those brands. I hear good things about berlin and D-link.
 
Netgear

I've got 1 Mac wired, 1 Windows PC wired, and 2 Windows laptops connected wirelessly to a Netgear router (MR814) and have had no problems during the past 3 years. The set up is for a home network.

Mike
 
sk1985 said:
Both airport models are pretty lame (I've returned both). Linksys and net gear have both failed me too many times in the past. So I really can't recommend both those brands. I hear good things about berlin and D-link.
Click to expand...

I have a Netgear setup at my parents' home which seems to work okay, although it doesn't handle the erratic nature of their DSL modem very well (urgh...#$#!@$ Bellsouth). I have an AEBS here. I love the AEBS for the print server.

However, I don't personally think I'd buy another one. I think if I were getting a new router... I would probably get an Airport Extreme + a wired router (actually, I have one somewhere) so that I'd have audio streaming and a print server, plus wired ports.

But I would only get an Airport if you plan on using one or more of the wireless printing, the streaming audio, and the portability of the AirEx. I wouldn't get one if none of those things were valuable to me....

(EDIT: In response to dmcelroy's post...let me also add that I really like my AEBS. I wouldn't pay the $170 I paid for it again... 😱 but I love it. 🙂 It's also much cuter than any other option! 😱 😉 )
 
Airport

I use an Airport base station along with an Airport Express to extend the network range. I originally bought the Airport because I could get it with both the modem and Ethernet for later when I went to DSL. In both cases the Airport has worked flawlessly, is easy to administer, and has offered no problems. When I added the Express it was simple to set it up to extend the network and I plugged my printer into it making that available on the network. I have a 2400 square foot home and I have a full power signal throughout the house.

The other routers may work just fine too, but I thought someone who has been very happy with the Apple product should speak up.
 
edesignuk said:
Course, everyone has their own fav, which by pure coincidence also happens to be the one they went for 😛
Click to expand...

I think you've nailed it - that's pretty much the bottom line for wireless routers. You hear good stuff and bad stuff about them all.
Personally, I'm buying an Airport Express in the months or so - I'd try something lesser if there was a good sale on - but I figure apple's been good to me in the past, why not give them another shot.
 
Here are the setups I have used.

Mk 1: Modem -> Netgear RP614 wired router -> Netgear HE102 802.11a
This worked pretty well until we needed wireless on a Mac.

Mk 2: Modem -> Netgear RP614 wired router -> Apple Airport Extreme
The RP614 eventually crapped out, leading to...

Mk 3: Modem -> Linksys BEFVP41 wired router -> Apple Airport Extreme
This worked really well until the Linksys router crapped out too.

Mk 4 Modem -> Apple Airport Extreme -> Netgear Ethernet switch
I finally just replaced having a router with putting a good $30 switch on the LAN port of the Airport. This is my current configuration and is working better than anything before it. The Airport outlasted the shoddy Linksys product -- which perhaps lasted a year, compared to the Airport, which I've had for about two and a quarter years with no signs of decay yet.
 
edesignuk said:
Nope. I have an AirPort Extreme as well as the WRT54GS. The Linksys has a much better signal, and many many more features, especially when running a 3rd party firmware such ast HyperWRT (no where near as complicated as it might sound 😉).
Click to expand...

But be careful with different versions of Linksys routers, some of them can't run 3rd party firmware. Btw, I use DD-WRT, it's great.
 
JeffTL said:
The Airport outlasted the shoddy Linksys product -- which perhaps lasted a year, compared to the Airport, which I've had for about two and a quarter years with no signs of decay yet.
Click to expand...

How common are wireless router failures? My AEBS has been in almost continuous operation since December 2003. The Netgear has been in operation since, I guess... about July 2004. I also have a Linksys wired router but it gets used on and off, and is in a box somewhere.

What do you think it is that makes them fail? Is this a power spike thing, or....hmmm....

Well, as long as my hardware keeps working, I'm happy! 😀
 
tonyl said:
But be careful with different versions of Linksys routers, some of them can't run 3rd party firmware.
Click to expand...

The current ones that can are the WRT54GL and WRT54GS. Some older versions of the WRT54G also can.
 
aswitcher said:
Pre-N's are appearing. Might be a good buy for the future.
Click to expand...

What's the likelihood at this point that a pre-N device will be soft upgradeable to the final standard?
 
mkrishnan said:
What's the likelihood at this point that a pre-N device will be soft upgradeable to the final standard?
Click to expand...

Yeah... and how expensive are the pre-N's? Might it be better to just wait?
 
mkrishnan said:
What's the likelihood at this point that a pre-N device will be soft upgradeable to the final standard?
Click to expand...
There were a couple of different solutions proposed to be the 802.11n standard. The different proposals were not totally compatible with each other. In January, the IEEE took the first step in accepting a draft of one of the proposals to become the standard. Right now all major companies are working on creating routers that will comply to the standard. The problem is that the routers currently on the market may still follow a proposal that wasn't accepted. So it is still undetermined if a pre-n router (even with a firmware upgrade) will fully comply with the official N standard. My advice, stay away for now. Pre-N routers are too expensive for something that may not even be compatible with tomorrow's technology.
 
sk1985 said:
Both airport models are pretty lame (I've returned both). Linksys and net gear have both failed me too many times in the past. So I really can't recommend both those brands. I hear good things about berlin and D-link.
Click to expand...

I actually own an Airport Express and it works great. Also, just to note, D-Link isn't exactly the nicest company on the planet (not that any are REALLY nice but...). Check out this link http://people.freebsd.org/~phk/dlink/
Apmonia
 
dmcelroy said:
I use an Airport base station along with an Airport Express to extend the network range. I originally bought the Airport because I could get it with both the modem and Ethernet for later when I went to DSL. In both cases the Airport has worked flawlessly, is easy to administer, and has offered no problems. When I added the Express it was simple to set it up to extend the network and I plugged my printer into it making that available on the network. I have a 2400 square foot home and I have a full power signal throughout the house.

The other routers may work just fine too, but I thought someone who has been very happy with the Apple product should speak up.
Click to expand...

I also have an Airport Base station, I'm not really that technical on computers, I first had a Linksys wireless B, and decided I wanted to upgrade to G, so I got a Belkin Wireless G, it worked nicely, BUT, when I attempted to video/voice chat on iChat, it didn't let me, I called Belkin, they said I need to forward some port numbers or something like that, they said I had to call Apple then call them back, I did, and then called Belkin back, I finally input all the port numbers, but oh no, I didn't know which were UDP and which were TCP, I called Apple, the guy who took my call seemed confused, I just gave up and returned it...

got the Airport Extreme base station, I plugged it in, put a wep key, and I was set, iChat video works flawlessly, uploads over ichat work, no problems, all my Macs and Windows machines work smoothly, and I now have a wireless printer, and it was so easy to do, just plug it in 🙂
 
Linksys ???

😕 I have a hard time with Linksys - I kinda have a love hate relationship:

1) Hate it - I had a pain of a time setting it up (Model WRTP54G)
2) Love it - Great price after rebates - included a VOIP adapter
3) Hate it - Waited 5 months before rebate checks showed up after phone calls.
4) Love it - Worked flawlessly after initial setup - both wired, wirelessly, and VOIP all at once.
5) Hate it - Inexplicably dies one day for no good reason (after 7 months of usage) AND takes 4 hours of phone calls to get it replaced.
6) (kinda) Love it - that said they are replacing it for free


--so there you go my love/hate with linksys. As with the apple routers - the express is pretty sweet with the Airtunes - if you put it near some speakers it def. has some value add. That and it you use the printer server its nice (as a wireless print server will run you upwards of $100 at best buy).

--and setup of APEB and APEXP is pretty painless and management it nice and easy (no typing in IP addresses into web browsers to manage devices)
 
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