Best and worst wireless routers.

[Karnevil9]

I am sure thiis has been asked before, but who knows, sometimes companies improve or get worse.
I am looking to buy a 802.11G wireless router. In your experience, or opinon, who makes the best routers and who makes the worse?
Also what is the new speddbooster suppose to do, and do they work or are they a waste of money?
Things change so fast it is hard to keep up. I have also seen an "N" on some routers that are suppose to be a 1000 times faster.

[WhatsThisBoxFor?]

I do not currently have a wireless router, but I am considering getting the Linksys WRT54G, since I have heard some very good things about it.

I prefere to use Linksys equipment, since it is owned by Cisco I find some advanced features are making there way onto the linksys equipment. I have also used, without problems, D-Link.

I have had problems with some Netgear equipment, but I find they work most of the time (just not all of the time, with all products which is annoying), but I generally avoid eBuyer (generic), Dynamode, Belkin and others.

[netnamakan]

I have always used D-link and linksys, couldnt say a bad thing about either of them.

I just got a new laptop, and got it set up with a linksys WRT54G. Its a great router, very easy to setup, and plenty of options as well.


namakan

[Redfallon]

Linksys WRT54G by far my choice for the best. Speedbooster will give you higher data transfer speeds, not "double" or whatever they claim, maybe 30~40%, but this only comes in handy for large file transfers inside the network, as the g speed (as well as b for that matter) are already faster than any broadband internet connection. I'd say if you do large file transfers over your network go with the WRT54G with speedboost and matching linksys cards. We use exclusively Linksys products at home and work.

D-link are also good, from what I've heard here, although I've personally never used one.

Anything else, in my book, isn't worth the couple bucks you'll save.

[Hi Ho]

I have a D-Link DI-604 wired router and I'm very happy with it. The DI-524 has been recommended around here and you can't beat the rebate price. If you want it faster there's the DI-624 and the DWL-923. Both have rebates as well.

[glc]

I generally stick with D-Link and Linksys. I'm preferring Linksys more and more now that they are filtering down more and more of the big Cisco features into them.

By the way, I'm setting up one of the new Linksys WRT54GX "SRX" routers Friday. Expensive little bugger - $170 - but we will see what all the hooplah is about. It's supposed to have a greatly extended range, and a huge speed boost when used with SRX capable client cards. I think this is Linksys's first phase of the pre-802.11n devices.

I've used other router brands - SMC works okay, I can't stand Belkin, and I've had too many glitches with Netgear. I haven't even considered looking at the offbrands.

[Karnevil9]

Interesting. I never used Linksys other than a USB router that I have not got set up yet due to problems with a USRobotics 54g router. That's whats prompting this question. I am thinking of chucking the USrobotics for soemthing else.
I always heard good things about linksys, but when I read some reviews on the net, it seemed they weren't held in high regard, but everyone here seems to like them.
I have never had any real problems with netgear and the big computer stores have a couple of good sales and rebates going with Netgear. But at this point I would forgo a sale for just a good router.
There is a good sale in one for D-link, but I have had problems with a PCI adapter Air-utility so I am cautious about them also.
PCWorld gave Belkins new Pre-N system great praise, but no one seems to like them much here.
Anyone else want to chime in? I may be buying this weekend.
GLC, What is the SRX system?

[sataraid0]

Well, for what it is worth, I was told by the owner of a computer fixing business that Netgear made a router that did not make you jump thru hoops to hookup and get going. He has been using them for many years and said he never had any problems with them and they were very simple to hookup.

So, I took his advise and got one 4 months ago and have not looked back since. Everything he told me was true. Easy to set up and no problems ever since.

So there you have it..........my experience and would recommend.....Sterling

[glc]

Go to www.linksys.com, right there on the front page is SRX hype, read all about it.

[lpc300]

I have never used Linseys or D-Link, but I hear positives about them. All the wireless networking I have done at home, work, and for friends has been with Netgear equipment and not only has it given me no trouble but it was easy to set up. I tried some Belkin stuff about 18 months ago and it was HORRIBLE.

[Redfallon]

Originally Posted by glc Go to www.linksys.com, right there on the front page is SRX hype, read all about it.

Nice readin G, haven't checked their website in a while! I look forward to hearing what that can do, looks like a heck of a router!

[SpookJP]

I have a netgear "g" router at home, has been great for me always a good signal on the desktop and laptop. Although the laptop is sometimes slow to connect, but think that is issues with the built-in card.

James

[Byte 2.0]

I have been using a WRT54G for about a year or more, recently got a super firmware update. Mine is Cisco branded, I got it right after Cisco brought them.

I plan on sticking with Linksys for the forseeable future.

[Karnevil9]

I went out and got a Netgear WGT624 router 108 Mbps. After eading some reviews on the net and listening to what folks here had to say, plus my own experience since my last router and a USB adapter were Netgears. I decided on them. I was going to get the WGT416 which was identified in most reviews, but this router was only 20 dollars more with a good rebate and some of the reviews were probably before the 424 came out. Plus this router had an extended area of connection distance, which living in an apartment I think contributed to my problems. My computer picks up 4 other wireless signals besides my own. I even resorted to using one of them to get on the net one day when I wasn't able to get my own router working. The new router has solved most of my conection problems I am happy to say. The problems I am having now are with the Linksys WUSB54GS USB adapter. I always get a signal strength very low balloon on my XP pro. I am not concerned about that because the low connection warning comes up even with signals as high as 24 Mbps. Maybe low for a 54 Mpbs adapter but still twice as fast as wireless B.

The big problem with the Linksys WUSB54GS now is that when I shut down the computer for any reason, I get the big blue windows screen telling me that there was a big error at one of the files. When the computer comes back on I get "this computer just recovered from a critical error" message. It seems that the offending file is from the Linksys. When I uninstall the linksys and go back to my old 11 Mbps netgear USB, all is well again. I will have to go to the linksys support knowledge base and see if there is a fix for this.

As for the old USRobotics 8054 G router with 100 Mbps AC elerator technology...in it's defense, one of the reviews rated it number one for connection speeds with only the netgear 416 as a close second. According to the review the US robotics biggest problems seems to be that they are not user friendly and all it's support is more for techies than the average user.
I will probably sell it on E-bay unless someone here wants to buy it. PM me if you do.
Thanks for all the help and replies.

[glc]

USB adapters of ANY brand can be a pain in the neck. I recommend PCI adapters for desktops and PCMCIA adapters for laptops without internal wireless.

[WhatsThisBoxFor?]

I just installed a Belkin router (and USB wireless adapter, from Belkin as well). It was not my choice of brand, I would definitly not recomend them to anyone. Well, I got it working without problems, and both computers could connect and everything worked. When I got to setting up security it had everything I expected, MAC filtering, WEP/WPA etc. But that is where the features stopped, it had nothing but what was basically required for it to function. Considering it cost the same as some other routers, which I know to have a lot more features (VPN etc) I will be avoiding Belkin like the plague. Plus there software which came with the USB adapter was absolute rubbish, it seemed to think there was no connection to the internet although firefox thought very differently. I uninstalled that very quickly as well.

[HellFish]

Im a Netgear fan; never had a problem with them.

I hate USB adapters too. I had a Linksys one that wasnt worth the plastic it was made with. The only USB transceiver I have had any luck with was a Buffalo.

[1cem4n]

Well, I'm using a linksys wireless g w/ speedbooster and its actually not that bad. You can't really tell the difference between regular and speedbooster unless you're moving gigantic files back and forth. Personally, I like D-Link and Linksys because they seem to have really good routers. I would have gotten a D-Link but my mom got the Linksys at discount. D-Link would be your best bet if you're a gamer since they just came out with a whole slew of products dubbed the name "Gamerlounge". My friend bought one and he says that it has terrific performance and takes very little time for massive files to move back and forth.

-1cem4n

[glc]

I installed the WRT54GX tonight - and I'm going to be writing a formal review in the next few days. In the meantime, in a nutshell, it's the best wireless router I've ever seen. I'm extremely impressed - but am I $170 impressed? Not really. There's only one "gotcha" - you will probably have to get rid of your 2.4 GHz phones, this sucker puts out so much power it knocks them out instead of the other way around. You will also have to run some tight security or you will be sharing with your whole neighborhood. LAN performance is wired quality.

[Karnevil9]

Funny thing about the USB vs PCI wireless adapters. On the computer I have the Linksys USB adapter on right now, the reason I am using USB is I didn't have much luck with the PCI adapter. That was a D-Link DWL-520 rev E PCI with the air utility (ugh). It would work but would always register a low connection. It didn't matter if I used the D-link controls or let windows wireless zero control it. I even bought a seperate omni directional antenna for it to see if it would help or if I could get better response by moving the antenna, still no change. Out of D-Link or windows it seemed that the windows control got a bit better connectivity and was not as prone to losing all cionnection so I left it that way though it was still a low to very low signal. Then I decided to hook up the Netgear MA101 USB adapter and it worked at full connection strength all the time, so that's the way it stayed. When I upgraded to a wireless G system, I was still gun shy about putting a PCI card back on this computer. Especially since we bought a new computer desk which keeps the PC in a smaller cinfined area. Not completely closed, but a tighet space. I do have a Microsoft (oh no) MN730 PCI adapter that I might install just to see, but I didn't even know microsoft made LAN equipment so I have no idea what to expect.
Anyone ever try Microsofts wireless hook up's.

Maybe I should get with my neighbors and we'll all kick in and buy the Linksys WRT54GX and we can power up the whole apartment building. I don't know if I want to replace all my phones though.

[jeffr]

Not to keen on Linksys...had a port go bad and I've only had it a year...but I do like D-Link..just my 2 cents

[yourmom420]

im using the d-link di-624 extreme 108 wireless router, it got a 4-port router+wireless, and the xtreme 108mbps card for my laptop, runs sweet, havent figured out how to setup the firewall or encryption yet, but whatever

[Mac Medic]

I have a Linki WRT54G and an Apple Airport Extreme and 2 Airport Express units. The Linksys has third party firmware so it can support the features of the Airport units on my network (ie WPA over WDS that linksys doesn't support just yet). The airport express is probably the best IMHO, it has a dial up modem so if my DSL goes out I can still connect wirelessly, it also has a USB print server, but so do the AX units so I share my printers from them instead. And setting up an Airport WDS/WPA network was easy enough for my grandmother to do.

Edit:

I thought this was kind of cool, a free management utility Apple provides for Airport Networks. It allows me to configure all my units in one place together and upload Firmware/Config changes all at once. I just thought it was nice.

[MichaelS]

A friend got me a D-Link DI-524 (REV A) wireless router (802.11b/g).. When I got it, I updated the firmware, and tried to hack it from my computer. I have a few beefs... Its impossible to make port 113 stealth on these routers, and for some reason, the Remote Management option doesn't work. Right now I locked myself out of it by turning the Beacon timing to 1ms...I haven't tried going in from the LAN ports (i'm sure it will work since its not remote, nor wireless).

I had a very bitter experience with various Linksys wired routers, and as such, haven't considered them for a Wireless setup. I have to admit though, I was surprised that the older Linksys WRT54G routers unofficially support a Linux firmware, so i'm tempted to get one of these routers to play with.

Mike

[redbaron_snoopy]

I've a DI-624+ running. Was great out of the box but once encryption, filtering sets in, the wireless stability and connection strength becomes kinda flaky. Strong feeling that it works better and more stable running defaults or running wired.

The signal range is also seemingly overated. Just 2 simple walls over a distance of 25ft and the strength goes downhill.