SMC 802.11g High Power Wireless Router w/Print Server

[drewel]

Does this work OK with Macs? I was set on buying a Linksys router but then I found this. I like the idea of wireless printing & this is cheaper than Airport Extreme & Airport Express.

Can someone advise which might be best- Linksys, SMC, or any other?

 

[emw]

Does this work OK with Macs? I was set on buying a Linksys router but then I found this. I like the idea of wireless printing & this is cheaper than Airport Extreme & Airport Express.

Can someone advise which might be best- Linksys, SMC, or any other?

I hate to keep repeating myself, but I like the Linksys WRT54G wireless router. The print server thing may be cool (don't know if it works on a Mac), but you can always share printers from Mac to Mac with built-in printer sharing (works like a charm for me).

 

[drewel]

I hate to keep repeating myself, but I like the Linksys WRT54G wireless router.

That's the one I was looking at first. I even had a chance to use it at a friends home & it worked like a charm. I saw this Linksys model with Speedbooster. Do you know, if Speedbooster is worth the extra money or if it even makes a noticeable difference?

The only reason I looked at the SMC model was for the wireless printing. My desktop is a Windows & my laptop is a Mac.

 

[emw]

I don't have specific experience with the Speedbooster, but if you're doing a lot of file sharing between Mac and PC, then it might be worth it. If the wireless connection is simply to get to your internet service, then you may not notice a difference.

Generally speaking, wireless speed drops off relative to distance from the wireless router. Speedbooster may give you better speeds further from the base than their standard product. I haven't noticed any real-world problems using the regular version with my broadband connection.

The print server thing may be nice, though, since I don't know if the print sharing works Mac to PC (edit: OS X built-in sharing, that is, not the SMC print server). Linksys makes a wireless print server that you attach directly to the printer, but then you have two devices. Of course, if your printer isn't naturally located near your router, it may work out better.

 

[jsw]

I was looking at the Speedbooster model before I bought the WRT54G. As far as I can tell, unless you buy other Speedbooster products, there's no speedup. And, likely, there's no hope for a Mac-friendly Speedbooster product, so you probably won't see any difference. Of course, it's only $20 more at Circuit City (or, put a different way, 33% more...).

 

[jsw]

The only reason I looked at the SMC model was for the wireless printing. My desktop is a Windows & my laptop is a Mac.

You should be able to share that printer - when plugged into your desktop - with your Mac, effectively giving you the same setup.