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Which router for upcoming MBA ??

M

marrzie

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 9, 2011
138
0
http://www.amazon.com/Airport-Extre...VXJA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312452400&sr=8-1 V.5
$233.00 in sweden

http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Linksys...1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1312452469&sr=1-1
$155.75 in sweden

http://www.amazon.com/Processor-Har...1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1312452511&sr=1-1
$155.75 in sweden

Ya they are super expensive in sweden.
I currently have an 8mbit dsl connect with the option to go up to 100mbit fiber optic dsl. First priority is great range and signal strength. I use remote desktop sharing often along with all the normal skype, facetime, light gaming, movies, music etc etc.
I dont want to have to buy another router for at least a few years. I live in an apartment with about 10 other wifi signals in close proximity to me all but one are g routers, the other is an n router.
My current Thompson G router provided by dsl company suck so bad I cannot even get signal in the kitchen or balcony of a small apartment. I choose apple for same price - performance but am happy to go another way if they offer some signifigant % improvement in speed or range.
Any recommendations please?
 
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The advantage of the Apple router is that you can connect an external HD to it and add on some nice features. Otherwise you could easily buy a much less expensive router and be fine. I personally use a d-link 655 which was $99 USD about 2 years ago and its terrific, even in my very congested area.
 
How is the range on the d link? Will it easily allow you to surf outside your house etc?
 
I just added the Linksys 4200 to my system and I can tell you that this is the fastest router I have owned. I had the Linksys E2000 and it was ok, but I bricked it trying to install WWDRT, so I purchased the 4200. I've seen about a 30% increase in speed over the E2000, both wired and wireless.

HTH
 
Due to high cost for the extreme and some reports of heat issues and lack of 450mbps support on the asus I was leaning towards the linksys.

I must be able to justify the added cost before strongly considering the extreme.

I had really almost decided to go asus based on the fact it is the editors choice on cnet. But I do not like a bunch of flashing lights and it seems like the asus might not fit the bill.

Do you like the range on the 4200? How is the range and bandwidth between the 2.4ghz and 5ghz bands? Can you connect your ipod or ipad to both bands?

Also what was the reason for choosing the 4200 in the first place?
 
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I've easily gone through 15 routers (linksys, belkin, netgear) in the past 6 years or so and finally settled on the Airport Extreme. While it's certainly not perfect, it's the best router I've ever owned. I'll have to reset it about once every two weeks but it's better than the constant drop outs of the old routers.
 
I bought an Airport Extreme 28 months ago to replace the Actiontec router provided by my ISP. Switching from G to N was very important because of congestion in the frequencies used by B/G. I was also having various problems with making WiFi connections. The Airport Extreme solved all my problems and has been running flawlessly without ever having to reset it.

It's a shame your prices are so high. I even got mine with a discount by buying a refurbished unit. Could that be an option for you?
 
miles01110 said:
Routers are all about the same. They use the same chipsets and the same antennas. Nitpicking over this router vs. that is pointless.
Click to expand...

That's equivalent to saying cars are the same because they all have tires. While many routers share the same hardware manufactures, there are *many* different levels of quality and performance. There's a commercial grade router I had my eye on, but I didn't want to drop $2,000 on a router.
 
sloan47 said:
That's equivalent to saying cars are the same because they all have tires. While many routers share the same hardware manufactures, there are *many* different levels of quality and performance. There's a commercial grade router I had my eye on, but I didn't want to drop $2,000 on a router.
Click to expand...

This is a typical response from someone who bought an AEBS. Sometimes just because something has a nicer picture in an advertisement does not mean it's better. Sorry to break the news to you.
 
For whatever reason the Apple store in Sweden doesnt offer refurb. "????????
LOL. I do love the idea of plug and play hassle free setup and am planning on external hd solution at some point so maybe I Can bite the bullet and just buy the Apple and be done with it. Just thinking out loud.
 
sloan47 said:
I've easily gone through 15 routers (linksys, belkin, netgear) in the past 6 years or so and finally settled on the Airport Extreme. While it's certainly not perfect, it's the best router I've ever owned. I'll have to reset it about once every two weeks but it's better than the constant drop outs of the old routers.
Click to expand...

Once every two weeks is a lot. That would easily qualify as the worst router I've ever owned if I had one and needed to reset it every two weeks.

Chalk up another vote for the e4200, I have one and love it. I get a peak throughput of 55mbps at speedtest.net which is about 10-15mbps higher than my old router which was a Linksys RV042. The 2.4GHz range on it is decent, 5GHz antenna with a 40mhz channel width has pretty short range but very high throughput.

I've had it for a couple months now, and it's never needed to be power cycled. It's handling about 10 computers, 2 iPhones, vonage, network printer and a sling box.
 
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marrzie said:
How is the range on the d link? Will it easily allow you to surf outside your house etc?
Click to expand...

what is your house made of?
what rating insulation is in the walls?
Does your house have tyvex or similiar on the outside?
What type of siding does your house have?
Are there large windows in the line of sight to the router where you will be?
Is the router in a cellar, front of the house, back of thouse, second floor and so on?

Perhaps I dragged on a bit. The only way to determine whether or not you will get reception outside is to install a router and see. There are too many factors involved to say you will get reception outside simply based on a particular router.
You can always instal access point devices.
 
bruinsrme said:
Perhaps I dragged on a bit. The only way to determine whether or not you will get reception outside is to install a router and see. There are too many factors involved to say you will get reception outside simply based on a particular router.
You can always instal access point devices.
Click to expand...

Agreed, I also have a separate high power wireless G access point and location is key. When I initially set it up I had to set the transmit power to 26dbm to get the coverage I wanted. After analyzing my situation a bit, I moved it to another location and swapped one of the two antennas with a directional pointing towards the location with the weakest signal. It's now set to 19dbm transmit and covering all the areas I need and not wasting all that RF.
 
I strongly......STRONGLY recommend the Apple Airport Extreme. IF you can afford it, get the one with the hard drive built in. I have had no problems what so ever with the new one. I had one of the first one's with the hard drive. Had it a year and a half and had a problem with it, brought it to my local apple store and they replaced it with a new one with the bigger hard drive! They said they did have problems with the earlier ones. Apple really stands behind it's products. Yes, I've drank the koolaid, but I am loving every sip! By the way, if 80 percent of responses here tell you to buy the Apple one, it's a no brainer. Good luck!
 
I think the AEBS has some nice features. However those features are common in other brands in units over $90
I have had good luck with linksys and netgear, belkin not so much.
Buffalo has a few good router as well.
The AEBS is the prettiest of them all.
Can't say it's the best or worst as there isn't too much performance differences between my routers but I can definitely say it's the most expensive router I bought.
FWIW: The AEBS was replaced by a new time capsule a month ago.
The AEBS configuration file was exported and imported to the TC. In under 4 minutes the TC was up and running with all the security, network configs, and access limits installed.
It comes down to Preference and how much you want to spend.
I have been to friends houses that have $20 routers that are happy.
I have seen others with $300 routers that brag about range hat perform horribly because the walls are horse hair plaster.
Your mile will vary.
 
marrzie said:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4577/...-and-time-capsule-4th-gen-review-faster-wifi-

Well I guess it is à bit silly to nitpick so hard but I just get tired of Making poor decisions. I guess I will keep Checking the search engines and hopefully figure it out by monday.
Ordered 2011 MBA 13" base with delivery scheduled for friday the 12 th so its fine.
Thanks for all the great advices.
Click to expand...

The Anandtech review kind of says it all. Brian Klug says the 4200 is a comparable router so it really comes down to the premium you'd be paying for the Apple product.

I've had an Extreme and a Time Capsule and both were a joy to use.
 
After further reviewing the anandtech article I now see what you are saying. I was unsure if the newest base station could keep pace with the 4200.
I was going to order from the USA but I still need to find out the total cost of the base station and the cable for sweden. Have not been able to find a apple branded cable yet so if the cost is too high I will just have to save a while longer and get the base station locally for about a 75$ price premium, which sucks. I mean at some point its just too expensive for a router. Hopefully I can find a reasonably priced cable.
 
marrzie said:
How is the range on the d link? Will it easily allow you to surf outside your house etc?
Click to expand...
Yup, the 755 has performed well. I have no problems getting a few hundred feet in range from it. If I were buying today I'd probably think hard about an Airport Extreme. Especially since the Airport Express can be used in such interesting and useful ways with the Airport Extreme.

Honestly, I don't think it matters that much. The router is something of a commodity product, even if some flavors taste better. If I were in your shoes, I'd probably buy the cheapest one that has the basic features you need and see how it performs. If its holding you back, then upgrade to a more expensive model until you find the one you need.
 
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