The way I choose to test the routers was different than I
have seen. First I used NetCPS, a nifty little program that only sends
packets, and does not rely on hard drive speed, to test LAN Speed. I also
grabbed some Sisoft Sandra’s scores for networks, but these were extremely
inaccurate, and none are included in this test.
For WAN performance, I used a closed circuit test. This
way no variables are introduced into the test. I would hook one compuiter
to the router, and then the WAN port to another 10/100 switch. The switch
would be connected to a WWW server. From the WWW server, I would download
a 37.3MB file. Using a stop watch, I timed the amount of time it took to download
al the way up till it recopied it to the place chosen for the download.
With this download time, I figured out the KBps.
All of these tests were preformed 3 times, with the exception
of the SMC router, which ended up being tested 5 times. All of the
router’s firmware was upgraded prior to testing.
| Computer A | Computer B/Server |
| Pentium II 400 3Com 905C | Pentium II 450 3Com 905B |
The Results
LAN Performance – All of the routers were close. The Netgear, and Linksys
routers were both above the 10MBps mark, which a closed 10/100 switched network
should perform. The SMC fell to 9.6MBps though, which is sub-Par for a
10/100 switch. The is no reason why the SMC could not perform with the
other two. To reassure that no mistakes had been made, the SMC was test
another two times, and still the performance did not change.
WAN Performance – I was very surprised with these numbers.
Since the WAN ports were limited to 10Mbps, then they would have reached these
speeds. None of the routers even came close, but there is no excuse for
the SMC Router’s performance. It should be able to hang with the pack, but sub
400KBps is not acceptable. Again this was tested another two times, but
the numbers never changed. The Linksys took the lead again, and Netgear close behind.
Conclusion
If this comparison had only been based on features
alone, the SMC 7008BR would have won hands down. With its Print server,
COM port, and front ports, and rich browser capabilities, nothing could touch
it. But with such poor performance, I can not even recommend it. My
cable modem does not touch 800KBps, but it does touch the SMC’s limit, and that
is not acceptable. The SMC only receives a 5/10 because of its sub-par
performance.
The Linksys, with its high performance, small design, and
browser configuration wins the Editor’s Choice. It has every feature a Novice
needs, and a highly technical Administrator will not run out of options.
The Linksys receives a 9.5/10, only missing that last .5 due to the fact that it
could be improved on by reaching 10Mb performance on the WAN, and a built-in
Print server would be nice, but not necessary.
The Netgear is a great value, but with it lacking a easy
browser configuration, excluding primary setup, any person trying to set it up
will get lost in the Menus of its TELNET configuration. It was able to keep up
with the Linksys in all performance tests, so this receives a
7/10.
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