Gigabit N Router?

Westyfield2 · 14 Nov 2007 at 18:49

Simple question really, what's a good Gigabit N-Router?

The current set-up is a Netgear DG834GT ADSL Router (with a Hi-Gain Arial), with desktop PC connected to it, and a Netgear gigabit switch plugged in aswell upstairs (with desktop PC's on that.)
Connected wirelessly are my MacBook Pro and dad's Dell, both of which have 802.11N (but are currently using 802.11g). Occasionally connected are other 802.11g laptops/PSP's etc..and there is also a desktop PC with a Netgear WG311T (but that hasn't been turned on for over a year!)

The desktop PC's have gigabit ethernet, but are being limited to 100mbps by the router, and the laptops have 802.11n but are being limited to 54mbps by the router too..

I've found the Netgear WNR854T, but that doesnt have a built in ADSL modem. There's the Netgear DM111P modem, but I've read loads of bad reviews on it!
Would it be possible to use the existing DG834GT as just a modem? (connect it via ethernet to the WNR854T router)?
Is there a more trustworthy modem then the DM111P out there? Or are the reviews I've read lies/relevant to old firmware?
Or is there a Gigabit N ADSL Router I've missed?

TY All......

absent · 14 Nov 2007 at 20:47

The DrayTek Vigor 100 is an excellent modem in my opinion.

http://www.draytek.co.uk/products/vigor100.html

As for a gigabit router, I'm currently trying to decide between the Buffalo WZR-AG300NH, Linksys WRVS4400N or waiting for the release of either D-Link DIR-855 or Linksys WRT600N.

Westyfield2 · 15 Nov 2007 at 18:29

absent said:
The DrayTek Vigor 100 is an excellent modem in my opinion.

http://www.draytek.co.uk/products/vigor100.html

As for a gigabit router, I'm currently trying to decide between the Buffalo WZR-AG300NH, Linksys WRVS4400N or waiting for the release of either D-Link DIR-855 or Linksys WRT600N.

Thanks for a reply

Hmm, that Linksys WRT600N looks really nice. Seen that it's out in USA, any ideas of a UK release date? Though I might get Dad to get one when he's in the US later this month....

Re the modem, is it really worth £50/60 compared with a £30 Linksys AM200? (If it makes any difference regarding PPPoE & PPPoA the current ISP is PlusNet

)

absent · 17 Nov 2007 at 14:26

Re the modem, is it really worth £50/60 compared with a £30 Linksys AM200? (If it makes any difference regarding PPPoE & PPPoA the current ISP is PlusNet )

Depends upon what you want to do with your setup. The Draytek is a pure modem and will bridge a PPPoE to the PPPoA needed for the connection. Done like this your router fully handles the "routing". The Linksys is actually a one port router/modem and handles the connection configuration itself. Whilst that sounds good, if you're doing a lot of configuring on your router for port forwarding/VPN/NAT etc, having what in effect is a router going through a router can be problematic with double NATs, DHCPs etc.
I dunno what the AM200 configuration is like but I had a Linksys ADSL2MUE modem and it was absolutely awful. Basically a full Linksys router with the firmware hatcheted to work as a modem, all the router settings hidden and non configurable. All but standard ports blocked, no way to forward ports or upnp from my actual router (Linksys also) to it, wouldn't work in bridged mode (even though it had a bridge mode). Basically a dumb one port router made to work like a basic modem. To get it to work properly I had to flash it with open source router firmware to turn it back into a router, then turn off all the non configurable "features" Linksys had built into it. What the Linksys basically did was grab your IP address itself and then allocate another internal IP address to the router rather than passing on your real IP address. This creates all sorts of problems if your configuring your router beyond the normal stuff. The Daytek will let your router do the actual routing with the modem not trying to handle any of it.
I know, it sounds like your paying more for less, but if my last Linksys modem was anything to go by, Linksys don't make "real" modems. I replaced it with an X-Modem 3 by ADSLNation, which was really good but unfortunately that died after a year due to faulty capacitor.
One major advantage of something like the Draytek is that you can use practically any router/VPN firewall/whatever, anything that handles PPPoE rather than being limited to PPPoA devices. This includes the routers that a lot of sites sell as suitable for Cable broadband only.

absent · 17 Nov 2007 at 14:29

Hmm, that Linksys WRT600N looks really nice. Seen that it's out in USA, any ideas of a UK release date?

Not sure, I've been trying to find out myself.

Westyfield2 · 4 Dec 2007 at 19:33

absent said:
Not sure, I've been trying to find out myself.

Hmm, well Dad's in the US this week so I'll probs get him to get one then

and get the DrayTek Vigor 100 back here.

One question about the router, I see it has a USB port designed for plugging external hard drives into, can it be used for a USB printer instead?

Massive Attack · 6 Dec 2007 at 15:11

bump - i am in the same situation as the OP and im getting annoyed at having a 100mb/s LAN

Curiosityx · 6 Dec 2007 at 15:41

You guys do realise that the N standard has now been pushed back by approximately a year by the IEEE board, hence should they make any revisions to the standard all the kit you buy now will effectively be defunct although it should still work.

Massive Attack · 6 Dec 2007 at 19:19

Curiosityx said:
You guys do realise that the N standard has now been pushed back by approximately a year by the IEEE board, hence should they make any revisions to the standard all the kit you buy now will effectively be defunct although it should still work.

well wireless isnt really important for me

Westyfield2 · 6 Dec 2007 at 19:46

Curiosityx said:
You guys do realise that the N standard has now been pushed back by approximately a year by the IEEE board, hence should they make any revisions to the standard all the kit you buy now will effectively be defunct although it should still work.

Call me a wireless n00b, but surely my current hardware with integrated N (MacBook Pro, Dad's Dell laptop) would all also be defunct? But would work fine with the current N kit?

Massive Attack · 6 Dec 2007 at 20:21

Westyfield2 said:
Call me a wireless n00b, but surely my current hardware with integrated N (MacBook Pro, Dad's Dell laptop) would all also be defunct? But would work fine with the current N kit?

you can always upgrade the cards in the laptops imo i dont see N going out tbh

Westyfield2 · 10 Dec 2007 at 16:16

absent said:
Westyfield2 said:

Hmm, that Linksys WRT600N looks really nice. Seen that it's out in USA, any ideas of a UK release date?

Click to expand...

Not sure, I've been trying to find out myself.

, Dads bought one in the US, now to wait for him to bring it home & get that DrayTek Vigor modem...

One note, given that the router's $280 out there, I reckon its gonna be £££ when its released here!

Snapshot · 10 Dec 2007 at 16:30

I've stuck a small gigabit switch to my router so at least the PCs are communicating at a decent speed. Here there's mention of a gigabit version of the DG834N but I can't find anything else about it on Netgear's UK site.

Westyfield2 · 23 Dec 2007 at 14:38

Now got a Linksys WRT600N Router & a DrayTek Vigor 100 modem

its all in and has been working fine for the week :cool:

TY absent for the advice

Adam_D200 · 23 Dec 2007 at 15:31

Im using the Dlink DIR 655 and been very happy with it so far, improvement over my Linksis 54GL