[Recommend on!] New Wireless Router

Synthesis

So, my old (well not that old) Linksys E1000 crapped out abruptly and unceremoniously.

I'd like a recommendation for a new Wireless router. I'm generally familiar with the technology, or at least I was, but I don't follow new tech that often anymore.

Aside from the included software, I have no reason to buy another Cisco router (I could be convinced to). It would handle two computers, two consoles, a tablet and a smart phone, so not very high system requirements (one PC is wired to it). I'd like to have:

- Status lights. Some cheap models don't do this anymore, which pisses me off.
- An easily accessible research switch. I'm really tire of plugging/unplugging a router to reset it.
- Decent support software (and the ability to give it a long name, as weird as it may sound.
- Good broadcast capability to go through multiple walls. Kind of a must, though I live in a small apartment.

A lot of people dislike Cisco Linksys, and I can kind of see why, though I'm not a huge fan of Netgear personally. Which manufacturers are "higher quality" is largely unknown to me. I'd like to not spend more than $50-$60 if it can be helped.

EDIT: On a side note, on my E1000 I would sometimes get really bad interference from my wireless mouse (part of the Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000), so that's worth considering too. I think that's along Wireless-N.

GnomeTank

That price point is pretty much going to get you a cheap, crappy router, unfortunately. Even my very expensive D-Link DGL-4500 wasn't cutting it anymore, so I had to go with this:

http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Wireless-Router-Gigabit-WNDR4500/dp/B005KG44V0/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1349459912&sr=8-3&keywords=netgear

Dual band is going to be very useful if you live in an apartment with cross chatter, or an older building where walls are going to greatly effect the signal strength. I was completely unable to get a decent wireless signal in my room until I picked up the N900. It supports your list of things (the web based software is good, it supports pretty long names...my two networks are Dickson Buttes, Esq. and Dickson Buttes II: Bigaloo, and it supports both those SSID's fine)

As you can see though, it's almost triple your price range. Unfortunately, that's what a decent dual band router with good signal strength costs these days. You may find something in the 100 dollar range, but I would be flabbergasted if you got something in the 50-60 dollar range new.

(Netgear makes decent stuff these days, by the by...it's a company I don't feel bad about recommending if you go with their higher tier stuff)

GnomeTank

This actually might be more to your liking, price wise:

http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Wireless-Router-Gigabit-WNDR3700/dp/B002HWRJY4/ref=pd_cp_e_2

It's the "little brother" to my N900, and is reviews well. It is also dual band.

GnomeTank

Here are some cheaper options I see listed as dual band with good reviews:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_st?keywords=dual+band+wireless+router&qid=1349460484&rh=n:172282,k:dual+band+wireless+router&sort=reviewrank_authority

http://www.amazon.com/Uspeed-Simultaneous-Dual-Band-Wireless-N-Compatible/dp/B008AE2WV8/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1349460489&sr=1-6&keywords=dual+band+wireless+router

I know nothing about either of these companies, or their products...just an example of what you're digging through at the 50 dollar price point for a modern dual band router.

Synthesis

I could be wrong, but I don't think I need a router that costs $100 or so, for example. My E1000 supplied my needs flawlessly until it started crapping out (and with technology progression, I'm not worried about buying a router that lasts 5 years). I'm not entirely certain I need dual band either. For example, I'm using an N300 from Linksys temporarily (I'm pissed off it has no status lights), which is a small step up from my E1000 (it's a cheapo E1200). The N600 costs $30 more at BB and has dual band, but what would I even use it for?

GnomeTank

You said you wanted signal strength through walls, the 5.8ghz band is one of the best ways to get this. It also cuts down on cross chatter from other routers.

If you don't need the 5.8ghz band, then no, you don't need dual band. Regularly non-N wireless will be fine for you.

Routers are 100% a "get what you pay for" venture. Yes, you can get by with a cheapo 50 dollar piece, but as a general rule, going up in price is going to get you more features, better signal strength, dual band, better management software, etc. It's not always true of course, there are a couple of high priced lemons...but it's a pretty good bet in routers that cheap options are going to lack something. The question is do you need that something.

Synthesis

I don't think I do. Clearly, cheapo routers are capable of penetrating two or three walls (my old, bigger apartment used to only be one wall, ironically). My concern with dual band, as you said, is that if I get a reasonably priced dual band is that I'll pay for it in some other guard (like the $80 N600 that has dual band). I'd rather than a good 2.4 GHz wireless router that can stream HD Netflix or Amazon Video (as my old one could) than a dual band that can do 5.8 GHz at the cost of something else.

As you said, you get what you paid for.

GnomeTank

Depends on the walls. In my apartment, 2.4ghz wasn't cutting it. I had to get a dual band router and kick my iPad over to N to finally get stutter free video streaming anywhere in my house.

Though, as I said, I have some issues you may not: Old building, tons of router cross talk from the apartments around me (I think every apartment in my building has a broadcasting router).

Synthesis

I have the same--I'm moving out come December 31st (I wasn't even supposed to be living here in the first place), though I have cement between me and all my neighbors, and pretty thin walls within the apartment.

I already used my E1000 to great effect until it just died abruptly, so I'm pretty confident 2.4 GHZ is all I needed. Of course, a lot of that probably has to do with me not being stuck on DSL and having a Cable provided that does 48.00 mb/s down and 4.26 mb/s up. If I had harsher bandwidth constraints, I'd probably have to worry about it more. I've also heard/read that the 5.8 ghz on 802.11n routers can have more problems with walls depending on certain things, but that's mostly over my head.

GnomeTank

Yeah, all the walls in my apartment complex are the same thickness...too thin, so cross talk is a serious issue for me.

I'm curious, if the e100 worked, why not just buy another?

Synthesis

GnomeTank wrote: »

Yeah, all the walls in my apartment complex are the same thickness...too thin, so cross talk is a serious issue for me.

I'm curious, if the e100 worked, why not just buy another?

Most obviously, Cisco has updated that line and no longer makes new E1000s (the E1200 is now the N300, the "cheapo" that I have for now). A lot of people don't like the E1000 (or they didn't), so I was looking at other options.

Spotted a well-received model on sale, might go with that. It'd be cheaper than what I'm using now, which would be nice.

GnomeTank

You could probably find a working e1000 used, but yeah, if yours died on you, I can see how buying a used one that may die again in two days is probably not a welcoming concept.

e: And LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE, you didn't find that, I linked that to you in my third post. HRMPH.

e2: Or...meant to link it to you, and instead linked you to the search results with that router as the first option. GO ME.

Synthesis

You linked twenty-four different routers in that post. Not very direct, Gnomy. I'm an Amazon whore, and it's the first thing that comes up if you enter wireless router into search.

GnomeTank

See my second edit.

Synthesis

The Uspeed is nice, though antennas seem kind of anachronistic or unnecessary in this day and age in a small apartment. Does wireless work okay without them?

GnomeTank

My N900 has internal antennas, so I am going to with: yes.

Synthesis

I meant the Uspeed. Unless that's its model number and I just couldn't see it.

GnomeTank

Oh, can you take the Uspeeds antennas off? I doubt it, as it's unlikely to have internal antennas if it has external ones. You need some kind of antenna, as WiFi is a radio technology. If a router has displayed external antennas, it's unlikely to have the internal coiled wire versions to allow the externals to be removed.

Synthesis

Good to know.

Synthesis

Additional note: I use a Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 in my living room, which used to occasionally get really bad interference from my E1000--if I can discern that that's a problem with other 2.4 GHZ routers, I may try something in the 5.8 range and see if that helps.

GnomeTank

That's almost certainly cross talk, as a lot of wireless keyboards and mice are on the 2.4ghz band. Usually knocking your router up/down a channel should fix it in the moment, but no telling when your wireless devices could decide to change their own channel.

Same thing happens with older cordless phones that aren't 5.8ghz band. I used to lose wireless signal every time my land line rang, and I never knew why...finally someone pointed out my 2.4ghz cordless phone sitting right next to my router.

Synthesis

Switching my router off seemed to help in the past, so I'll have to consider it.

Quantux

I just got fed up resetting my stupid netgear POS and got a cisco-linksys e2500. I wanted dual band for all the reasons others gave above, but I don't think it's necessary. For example only my macbook will see the 5Ghz band, my 360/ps3/roku/phone are all stuck on 2.4Ghz. But moving from a 65Mbps router (I had it set for 150, but it decided to be nice to the neighbors and stay at 65, and no, you can't override that.) to the 300 has made a huge difference. Streaming .mkv's to the ps3 now works flawlessly, even while pegging the wan connection.

Synthesis

Yeah, that's the N600 to my current N300 ($30 more at BB). I'm annoyed that both lack useful status indicator light on the front.

I think that switching to 5.8 from 2.4 might fix the interference my wireless mouse gets, but at the cost of breaking WP7 wireless syncing and maybe my consoles unless I left it flexible.

Quantux

Yeah, this is the first router I've ever had that had no indicators. Except the link indicator on the wan port seems to be some sort of high powered xenon bulb... It's really bright and flashy. My only quibble has been the lack of gigabit ethernet on sub ~$200 routers, but the wall jack only provides 20up/20down and I use wifi for all my devices, so it's not really an issue.

Synthesis

Quantux wrote: »

Yeah, this is the first router I've ever had that had no indicators. Except the link indicator on the wan port seems to be some sort of high powered xenon bulb... It's really bright and flashy. My only quibble has been the lack of gigabit ethernet on sub ~$200 routers, but the wall jack only provides 20up/20down and I use wifi for all my devices, so it's not really an issue.

20 mb/s up? Damn. Granted, I wouldn't trade my 40/4, but that's still very impressive. To the topic, not having status lights does suck, even if my actual modem is even closer to me than the modem will be (stupid tiny desk). I think, ultimately, the lack of status lights will be a deal breaker.

EDIT: Also, the Xbox 360 Slim doesn't support dual band. And it's my primary wireless device. So...dual band =/= not useful (in my case). That does save me some money though.

Jebus314

So, just to be clear, dual band means that the router supports both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, simultaneously. There are lots of wireless N routers that support only one, or both but only one at a time. These tend to be cheaper. No device will operate on both simultaneously, so the only advantage of having dual band would be that you could allow newer devices to use the clearer/more powerful 5GHz band, while still supporting older devices on the 2.4GHz band. As a side note, wireless g only operates on the 2.4GHz band, so any devices that use wireless g will need that band.

Also, for cross talk you don't have to switch all the way from 2.4GHz to 5GHz band. You can switch the channel (usually numbered 0-12 or something like that), which specifies the exact frequency that is somewhere close to 2.4 or 5GHz.

Triple B

*ahem*

Gentlemen.

My current old-ass router is on the cusp of giving up the ghost. We've had a good run; she's given me many years of faithful service, but she's not long for this world, I fear. Thus I need a new one. Problem is I don't really know dick about networking. I need it to have better speed, better range, and built-in security (like a password you have to enter to connect, I guess). Ideally I'd like to spend between $100 - $200. Please give me recommendations.

Tef

Triple B wrote: »

*ahem*

Gentlemen.

My current old-ass router is on the cusp of giving up the ghost. We've had a good run; she's given me many years of faithful service, but she's not long for this world, I fear. Thus I need a new one. Problem is I don't really know dick about networking. I need it to have better speed, better range, and built-in security (like a password you have to enter to connect, I guess). Ideally I'd like to spend between $100 - $200. Please give me recommendations.

The Asus RT-N66U sounds like it's right up your alley. Fast, good range, reliable, supported by DD-WRT and Tomato (the stock UI is good enough if you don't care about that kind of thing) and it handles multiple devices really well.

Alecthar

Tef wrote: »

Triple B wrote: »

*ahem*

Gentlemen.

My current old-ass router is on the cusp of giving up the ghost. We've had a good run; she's given me many years of faithful service, but she's not long for this world, I fear. Thus I need a new one. Problem is I don't really know dick about networking. I need it to have better speed, better range, and built-in security (like a password you have to enter to connect, I guess). Ideally I'd like to spend between $100 - $200. Please give me recommendations.

The Asus RT-N66U sounds like it's right up your alley. Fast, good range, reliable, supported by DD-WRT and Tomato (the stock UI is good enough if you don't care about that kind of thing) and it handles multiple devices really well.

And, of course, the RT-N56U is still nearly as capable and significantly cheaper at the moment. Both are great buys.

Triple B

Oh neat, so Asus is the go-to brand? Back when I last paid attention, I didn't even know Asus made routers. I admit when I was shopping around Amazon/NewEgg, I wasn't even considering Asus. Looking at the RT-N66U, it seems like one that does everything I want it to, and is well within my comfort range in terms of price. Think I'm going to snag one from Newegg, as I have a $15 credit from my last order, which will knock it down to $145 + shipping. Thanks, dudes.

Edit: Is grabbing one of these a good idea as well? I'm currently using a cheapass Belkin usb thumbstick of an adapter, and I'm not convinced it's my best option. The Asus will put me over my desired budget, but if it's going to yield significant speed increase, the $25 it'll put me over isn't going to make or break me.

Alecthar

It really depends on what you're talking about. If speeds over the LAN itself are an issue, and the adapter facilitates a better connection to your router, then it may be desirable to have a nicer adapter. I don't know what the Belkin one you have is, but generally speaking I wouldn't be willing to spend $80 on a wireless adapter. I have a $30 Rosewill one that worked just fine (back when I was using wireless).

If you're more concerned about connection speed to the internet itself, I wouldn't bother spending much more than the minimum on an adapter. Most internet connections have less than 1/3 of the maximum throughput of a single-stream wireless-N connection, so unless you have really fast internet, or you really need absolutely every bit of throughput you can get over the LAN, I wouldn't bother with anything but a basic adapter.

I wouldn't necessarily call ASUS the go-to brand, there's still a lot of choice out there, especially for people who would like to spend less than $100. Cisco/Linksys do some solid routers, though their cloud-based config software is stupid, in my opinion. Netgear's out there, D-Link, and of course Belkin. ASUS mainly has two really great higher-end consumer models (56U and 66U) along with another good mid-range model (RT-N16) all of which have strong support for open-source firmware like Tomato and DD-WRT. This has made them quite popular with enthusiasts. I'm not sure how well they're liked among normal consumers, Netgear, Linksys and company usually have more polished, accessible firmware, even if it's not as powerful as what you get (or can put on) an ASUS router.

Silas Adams

I recently upgraded a 10 year old dlink router with this one: http://www.amazon.com/D-Link-Wireless-N300-Gigabit-Router-DIR-636L/dp/B0081TXIXI/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1352059974&sr=1-1&keywords=dlink

Loving it so far, and it looks really cool.

Synthesis

It certainly looks memorable. And you could probably put it on some narrow shelves too.

Stormwatcher

I have to say that I bought a pair of TPLink powerline adapters (500MBps), to connect the whole entertainment system at the living room with the router/wifi/modem at the home office... Jesus Christ the PS3 became 10x faster on downloads, streaming from the main PC became flawless (with TVersity) and now I have a second AP at the living room. Best money I spent on networking, with ZERO time spent on instalation.

Just plug one thingy on each power outlet, plug in the ethernet cables, voilá: Safe, fast, stable, out-of-the-way networking.

Synthesis

TVersity just conjured up some deep feelings of nostalgia--alongside Orb and PS3Mediaserver. Wow, that was a long time ago for me. 3, 4 years now.

AtomBomb

So my Asus RT-N12 with DD-WRT on it tried to commit seppuku last night. I was able to revive it, but I think it's time I found something else. Right now I have a gigabit switch plugged in to the router, but I'd like the new one to support gigabit on it's own. I've got most of my more demanding equipment wired (5 devices, but I could switch one of those to wifi and drop the switch), so wireless isn't the focus. My house is pretty conducive to wifi. There aren't that many nearby networks and the house itself is pretty small.

I'm looking at the D-Link DIR-655 right now. I like the price (even though my current router was only $30, I don't think that's possible with gigabit), but I'm concerned that it was released in 2007.

Halp?

Alecthar

At around that price you could pick up an ASUS RT-N16, which is what I have running at the moment. Gigabit, USB ports, and it's easy as hell to put Tomato on.

Is the ability to flash DD-WRT and/or Tomato a necessity?

AtomBomb

I'm not doing anything exotic with this router, so DDWRT/tomato isn't required . If a router has good hardware but the software sucks I don't mind if I have to flash it .

AtomBomb

Anyone else have experience with the RT-N16 or the DIR-655? I'll probably end up going with the Asus since Alecthar likes his, but it would be nice to hear from someone who has the D-Link.

BlazeFire

I have an RT-N16 at home. I really like it. I upgraded to it from a WRT-54G. Night and day. I don't know if I have ever reset the RT-N16 whereas with my linksys I had to do it every couple of weeks. I'd definitely recommend it.