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Wireless Router

C

Cricketman

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Nov 30, 2008
267
92
Hi,

Our wireless router has conked off and we are looking for a replacement. Needs to be fast and reliable. Which ones would you recommend?

We have MANY devices using the wireless network. 3 iPhones, up to 4 Macs, Xbox 360, 1 PC, iPad... and probably more haha.

Apple's Airport Extreme worth the money?
 
I Would

Go for a Draytek, Google the site and you are bound to find a model that suits your needs, I run one, I know they are not cheap, but they are 100% rock solid and I have never had a problem with mine.

Try to avoid buying anything with an internal aerial, they just don't have the range. Blinking lights and fancy logos (Like the Netgear VM supply) are all very well but they don't equal performance.

From the devices you want to connect (and depending on your BB connection) ADSL and Cable versions are available.. Hope this helps :)
 
If you use Comcast as your service provider they offer a free router for only $10 (they charge for shipping). They will also tell you that if you buy your own and there is a problem and they need to come out to check it out that you will be charged if the problem is 'your router'.

I have one and it has never failed me and works with two walls between me and the router.
 
Cricketman said:
Hi,

Our wireless router has conked off and we are looking for a replacement. Needs to be fast and reliable. Which ones would you recommend?

We have MANY devices using the wireless network. 3 iPhones, up to 4 Macs, Xbox 360, 1 PC, iPad... and probably more haha.

Apple's Airport Extreme worth the money?
Click to expand...

The extreme is the first router I've had that has been completely reliable. I highly recommend it. Previous routers either had connectivity problems, or in one case, bricked itself. Also, if you have other Apple products, you know they'll work well with the extreme, which is a bonus. If you have a problem with connectivity, you don't have to decide between calling Apple or Netgear, and Apple customer support is top notch, as always.

Also, be wary of some 802.11n routers that don't support simultaneous dual-band like the airport extreme does. The iPhone operates on the slower 2.4ghz band, while your macs most likely operate on the 5 ghz band assuming they're 802.11n products. The issue is that routers that don't support both simultaneously will chose the slower of the two since all 5ghz band devices support 2.4ghz, while the reverse is not true. Also, 802.11b/g devices will cause the router to switch to the 2.4ghz band as well, since that's the only band those standards support. The result is that the 5ghz band is almost never used in most circumstances, making most other routers a bit of a waste of money.

TL;DR The airport extreme is a pretty good buy in my opinion.
 
Last edited:
Went ahead and bought the Airport Extreme. Massive improvement! Went from 1mbps over wifi to well over 20. :D Setup was a breeze and now I have internet all over my house (and fast too!)

ahh. Apple never fails to deliver.
 
Cricketman said:
Hi,

Our wireless router has conked off and we are looking for a replacement. Needs to be fast and reliable. Which ones would you recommend?

We have MANY devices using the wireless network. 3 iPhones, up to 4 Macs, Xbox 360, 1 PC, iPad... and probably more haha.

Apple's Airport Extreme worth the money?
Click to expand...

The Airport Extreme is a great wireless router. Extremely easy setup and very fast. Works like it should.
 
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