Which router is best to use?

Andy Pandy · 6 Jun 2009 at 20:04

Hi. Currently I am using a Belkin wireless 54 g router that is connected to the wall, and then sends signal to the other computers in house. The connection is terrible these days. It was set up in 2006. My ping is 535!

Aol sent us a router a while ago that is still in its box. Is the router AOL supply any good? Will it be better to set up a network with a new router than continue using this old network? Thanks

tolien · 6 Jun 2009 at 20:10

Without even having a clue what the AOL router is, it's hard to say...

Andy Pandy · 6 Jun 2009 at 20:16

Its a Netgear wireless ADSL router. The product code is DG834G-3ALUKS. Sorry I didnt include that information

J.B · 6 Jun 2009 at 20:16

Anything will be better than the Belkin router!

Andy Pandy · 6 Jun 2009 at 20:18

This router AOL has sent us is quite expensive! Just saw it for £75. It has got to be better than our Belkin one

. Anyone have one of these?

TheVoice · 6 Jun 2009 at 20:25

J.B said:
Anything will be better than the Belkin router!

Truth.

NightmareXX · 6 Jun 2009 at 22:59

I've got a DG834G and it works great

Certainly not a 500ms ping time!

-=Vect0r=- · 7 Jun 2009 at 00:42

WRT54GL flashed with Tomato Firmware

tolien · 7 Jun 2009 at 00:48

-=Vect0r=- said:
WRT54GL flashed with Tomato Firmware

and useless on ADSL...

Andy Pandy · 7 Jun 2009 at 12:13

I have just set up the Negear router and all is well so far. I went on speedtest and Maidenhead gave me a ping of 535 again, but when I clicked London it went down to 75. I can live with 75

tolien · 7 Jun 2009 at 12:15

Speedtest's a particularly poor measure of ping though, the same as it's a useless speedtest.

NightmareXX · 7 Jun 2009 at 15:21

Best thing to do would be to ping the router itself. That'll tell you the latency between you and the router. Anything else is your 'net connection.

smids · 7 Jun 2009 at 15:42

-=Vect0r=- said:
WRT54GL flashed with Tomato Firmware

tolien said:
and useless on ADSL...

Well not when coupled with an ADSL modem. Which, even if the AOL router is poor, can be used/configured to provide the routing and wireless functions. I think we want to be as accurate as possible.

Now, I know the DG834G series and they are pretty decent routers, which would negate the need for the linksys but that is not to say the linksys setup is useless...

tolien · 7 Jun 2009 at 15:59

Maybe so, but it's hardly the best suggestion when the OP's not asking for a new router (and compared to DG834G, there'd have to be some need to turn a perfectly good router into a modem and buy another router) and already has two.

Duke · 7 Jun 2009 at 17:11

Are you connected via wireless? If so, what signal strength are you getting on that PC?

Might be worth changing the wireless channel if still getting problems. The Netgear should be more stable overall, but probably won't increase the wireless performance or coverage much over the Belkin.

If your PC isn't too far from the router, it is best to just run a cable to it.

Andy Pandy · 7 Jun 2009 at 17:18

Duke said:
Are you connected via wireless? If so, what signal strength are you getting on that PC?

Might be worth changing the wireless channel if still getting problems. The Netgear should be more stable overall, but probably won't increase the wireless performance or coverage much over the Belkin.

If your PC isn't too far from the router, it is best to just run a cable to it.

I'm using the Netgear router now. My computer is the 'master' computer and then the router sends signals to the other computers in the house. So far the Netgear router has been a lot better than the Belkin!

Duke · 7 Jun 2009 at 17:24

There is no 'master' computer. It doesn't matter whether they are plugged in with a cable (up to 4 can) or wireless, they are all the same

They should all be able to share data, printers and the web equally.

Andy Pandy · 7 Jun 2009 at 18:11

Hmm I think there may be a problem somewhere. On Left 4 Dead my ping is above 1200 in every server. Earlier on today it was in the 50s. How can I find out what's wrong?

Duke · 7 Jun 2009 at 18:19

Are you connected to the Netgear with a cable or going via wireless?

Andy Pandy · 7 Jun 2009 at 18:21

Wired. Theres an ethernet cable going from the router to the back of my computer. The network icon says I am connected to my network Local and Internet.