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Internet Connection Issues - Buying new router - Suggestions?

J

JonathanWarrick

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 7, 2008
18
0
So after numerous posts, hours of research, upgrading my current Linksys router to DD-WRT, spending literally hours on the line with both Apple and Linksys, I've given up on getting my new MacBook to hold a connection with the internet in the apartment.

Just a little background: I got my MacBook about a month ago and have not been able to hold a connection to the internet during the last month. I either have to click on the airport icon, reconnect to my network, and then reload the page to get it to work, or wait an insane amount of time. On the other hand, all of the PCs, my 360, etc. work with no problem at all. We're using a Linksys WTR54G (which I upgraded the firmware on to DD-WRT as a last attempt to get it to work) and I've just become so frustrated with spending over a grand to get my MacBook just to have it not work in my own apartment that I'm ready to buy a new router.

So, given that information, please recommend me a router that will (hopefully) work with both my Mac and the PCs in my house consistently. I don't want to spend hundreds of dollars, but would just like to swing by an electronics store after work today and pick something up that will work and I won't have to worry about this anymore.

Thanks!
 
Get the Apple Airport Express. I use it and I have not had to reset the router once since I got it several months ago. My sister has a pc and the internet works fine on it as well. I've used 5 different routers in the past several years and the Airport Express is by far the best one that I've used.
 
iBookG4user said:
Get the Apple Airport Express. I use it and I have not had to reset the router once since I got it several months ago. My sister has a pc and the internet works fine on it as well. I've used 5 different routers in the past several years and the Airport Express is by far the best one that I've used.
Click to expand...

I would really like to get that, except 170 seems to be quite pricey. If that's what it takes to get it working, then I'll do it, but I'm looking for other less-expensive options first.
 
JonathanWarrick said:
I would really like to get that, except 170 seems to be quite pricey. If that's what it takes to get it working, then I'll do it, but I'm looking for other less-expensive options first.
Click to expand...

You're thinking of the Airport Extreme, I'm talking about the Airport Express which is $100. It really is money well spent, since I have had no headaches whatsoever with it.
 
Apple Router works great.

Express is $100 or $80 refurb.

It's a solid N router with other features.
 
You can also pick up an Airport Extreme off eBay for $100. I bought one a few months ago and it has worked flawlessly since.
 
I got the Airport Express today, set it up no problem, but still, my internet doesn't work. Tried to download something, and after starting at a good speed, it dwindled down to under a kb/sec after about 30 seconds. This is not a good first experience with Macs and I'm about to throw it out my window. I've been on the phone with Apple Support for 5+ hours this week, spent $100 on a router that still doesn't, and there is no solution in sight. What's the return policy on refurbs?
 
JonathanWarrick said:
I got the Airport Express today, set it up no problem, but still, my internet doesn't work. Tried to download something, and after starting at a good speed, it dwindled down to under a kb/sec after about 30 seconds. This is not a good first experience with Macs and I'm about to throw it out my window. I've been on the phone with Apple Support for 5+ hours this week, spent $100 on a router that still doesn't, and there is no solution in sight. What's the return policy on refurbs?
Click to expand...

That is quite odd, I've never experienced that with the Airport Express. Have you tried contacting your ISP to see if it is an issue on their end? Does your Mac work if it is connected to the modem itself and not through a router?
 
iBookG4user said:
That is quite odd, I've never experienced that with the Airport Express. Have you tried contacting your ISP to see if it is an issue on their end? Does your Mac work if it is connected to the modem itself and not through a router?
Click to expand...



It doesn't work straight from the modem via ethernet cable either. It's so strange. Sometimes it will work, sometimes I have to manually reconnect and hit enter again in the address bar to get it to work, other times it doesn't work at all. When I'm on AIM/downloading, it will randomly disconnect and reconnect. I'm going to go to Starbucks right now to see if I can get it to work there. If not, I'm setting up an appointment with Apple. If it is, then I don't know what is going on. Like I said, all our PCs, 360, Wii work fine with the occasional disconnect if we're using too much bandwith (which is fixed by a quick reset). Once I did some research and I figured my router was just old, I figured the Airport Express would do it. I'll report back either way after I go to Starbucks (hopefully from Starbucks).
 
I've been having problems with my mac not being able to hold the internet connection for more than 10 minutes at a time. I bought the Linksys RangePlus N router and hadnt had a connection problem since.
 
I'm posting this from Starbucks. Paid 3.00 to get a drink so I could sit and another 4.00 to connect to the internet for 2 hours. The internet works better here, but is still nowhere what I expect or want. I find myself having to "manually" reconnect less often and hit enter again on the address bar, but even when pages do load themselves without me coercing them into doing so, they load at a ridiculously slow rate. My 5-year-old HP piece of crap that I paid $400 for then still loads pages at a very noticeable, much faster speed.

I don't even know what to do at this point. I figured getting the Airport Express would be the best option since it IS an Apple product, and I'm still having problems that render the computer useless in my own home while being somewhere else is so slow that I feel like I'm on dial-up again...maybe that's a little extreme, but definitely not cable/wi-fi speeds. I guess I'll set up an appointment with the Genius Bar, but at this point, I really want to return this and just go with a nice PC. It has been over a month and I still can't use a computer I paid over $1,000 for. Frustrating doesn't even begin to cover it.
 
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