Router story/ router recommendations?

darkenedwing

For 3 years I have had a Linksys WRT54GS (I believe that is the model), Wireless B/G router with "speedbooster". Lately it has been losing its wireless signal randomly and we have to reset the router before it will work again.
I decided to buy a new router, and after looking around I decided on:

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/D-Link-Xtreme-N-Gigabit-Router-DIR655/sem/rpsm/oid/165020/catOid/-12980/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

I get it home, get it set up, everything connected correctly.
I put in my PPPoE details, and save them. I open up a web page... it doesnt load.
I make sure I typed in everything correctly, and it still doesnt load.

To make sure its a problem with the router I plug the ethernet cable straight into my computer, and I can connect to the internet just fine with a PPPoE connection, and everything works.

I plug it back into the old router, and I can connect to it and I can browse the internet.

I plug it back into the new D-Link router, and it doesnt work.

In the configuration settings for this router, there must be 500 different "security" settings that are all turned on by default to make sure you never browse the web with the router.

I will probably be returning it today to try a different brand, which will hopefully make a working router.

I am thinking about trying linksys again, since except for the random dropped connections lately, has worked wonderfully.

Does anyone have any input about:

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Linksys-Ultra-RangePlus-Wireless-N-Broadband-Router-WRT160N/sem/rpsm/oid/201008/catOid/-12980/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

or any other recommendations for routers? (has to have wireless N)

GrimReaper

Did you update the router firmware with the old one? Chances are that may have fixed your problem.

Why does it have to be wireless N? You're only going to see an advantage to that if a. the internet connection you have is faster than 802.11g (doubtful) or b. you've got more than one pc on the wireless network and transfer big files across it back and forth between them.

At home i've got an 802.11g router (Draytek Vigor 2800) which suits me fine, at work i've got set-up an 802.11n wireless network for some machines with a Cisco 1252 access point.

Do you actually need 802.11n?

Sceptre

How fast does your internet have to be to require wireless 802.11n?

darkenedwing

yes, I have updated the firmware.

And although my internet is not that fast, because of how our house is set up the wireless router is on one end of the house, and where my computer is at is on the direct opposite side of the house, and at most my PS3, PC, and laptop get a 20%-25% signal strength connection, and at some spots in the house you cant get a connection. (It is a big house. Business/office/house all in one.)

And yes, alot of the time big files are being transferred back and forth across our network.

GrimReaper

darkenedwing wrote: »

yes, I have updated the firmware.

And although my internet is not that fast, because of how our house is set up the wireless router is on one end of the house, and where my computer is at is on the direct opposite side of the house, and at most my PS3, PC, and laptop get a 20%-25% signal strength connection, and at some spots in the house you cant get a connection. (It is a big house. Business/office/house all in one.)

And yes, alot of the time big files are being transferred back and forth across our network.

If it's a big house you could have a repeater. The PS3 is not 802.11n capable, so you'd still have to use 802.11g.

darkenedwing

still, 5 of the 6 computers on the network are N capable, and the one that isn't is connected through a wired connection.

The PS3 is the least of my concerns for its connection strength.

But, I didnt post to argue over whether or not I want a router that supports N, I posted to see if anyone has any complaints/praises of any N capable routers, or if there were any downsides to the Linksys router I was thinking about buying (other than it being N), since I trust the feedback of people here more than the feedback of people from most other places.

Satan.

darkenedwing, go with a N router. You won't regret it.

Unfortunately for me the only N router I have experience with is the AirPort Extreme which I'm betting is not exactly your target system.

corcorigan

n is supposed to have a stronger signal strength or something, so might pay off...

darkenedwing

Satan. wrote: »

darkenedwing, go with a N router. You won't regret it.

Unfortunately for me the only N router I have experience with is the AirPort Extreme which I'm betting is not exactly your target system.

I wish that Mac was my target system.
I keep telling myself "one day. one day soon I will have a mac".
I am still waiting for that day

GrimReaper

corcorigan wrote: »

n is supposed to have a stronger signal strength or something, so might pay off...

802.11n uses the same frequency range 802.11g, what gives it greater distance is data redundancy.. for example, by transmitting the same data on different frequencies simultaneously or near simultaneously. Thereby if one signal doesn't make it then there is a chance the other may be received.

Some info available here.



As to Linksys stuff, as a general rule I say don't. I've found Linksys wireless equipment to be unreliable, which is strange since Cisco owns them. You'd expect some of that Cisco reliability to rub off on them.

Draytek make extremely solid and reliable hardware, however it's more suited to the technically minded.

Netgear are probably ok too, in terms of networking equipment I only really trust Draytek and Cisco myself though.

Satan.

Cisco hasn't owned Linksys forever. A lot of the Linksys stuff is rooted in the pre-Cisco times and suffers from that unreliability we all know and loathe.