Linksys WRT300N or other Wireless Router?

[AP0ll0UK]

My last two Wireless routers have been Netgear's and have ended in disaster. The first was the DI-614+ and the second which has just died is the WGT624v2.

Both routers ended up at the end of their life which intermittant issues with the internet or lan interfaces droppping reguarly.

As a result of this I'm looking to switch and as I use Cisco kit reguarly at work I think I'll go for a Linksys. The 54G's were supposed to be quite good but the new WRT300N's look excellent with the support for 802.11n.

Is anyone out there using one or have any feedback regarding the Linksys or any other decent Wireless kit?

My requirement's are that the router will be hard wired to my main machine and cable modem. On the wireless end of it will be two PCs (soon to be three), a wirelessbridge with an Xbox running Xbox Media Center hanging off of it, and also my PSP.

Thanks.

AP0ll0UK

 

[tolien]

As a result of this I'm looking to switch and as I use Cisco kit reguarly at work I think I'll go for a Linksys.

I wouldn't put quite so much weight on Linksys kit necessarily being decent just because Cisco (mostly) is.

In the absence of a ratified 802.11n standard, no one has any idea whether any kit will support it. If you're going to bother with it, I'd strongly recommend buying kit that's all the same chipset.

 

[Seft]

I just got the new ZyXel (P334u). No N support, though.

 

[AP0ll0UK]

I wouldn't put quite so much weight on Linksys kit necessarily being decent just because Cisco (mostly) is.

With Linksys being Cisco's home user or small business kit, I would have thought that is a big plus over a lot of the other wireless kit out there, Cisco kit is very reliable in my experiance and is the used throughout IT infrastructure because it is so reliable both in terms of the hardware and the software.

In the absence of a ratified 802.11n standard, no one has any idea whether any kit will support it. If you're going to bother with it, I'd strongly recommend buying kit that's all the same chipset.

I've been running my 108mb/s router, 54mb/s bridge and 2 PCs with 11mb/s cards in them and I've never had any trouble tbh. The only problem are the routers I've been using. Netgear kit if quite good but I think the home user wireless routers are not reliable at all as apparently they are notorious for rebooting and loosing connectivity on various interfaces.

Whilst all of the above has been by Netgear, I don't really foresee any issues with attaching devices from other manufacturers providing they all follow the same standards which they do nowadays but with variable speed and reliablity.

The WRT300N seems like the next logical step for me rather than putting money into something which is on the bring of being obsolete. Plus it supports mutiple radio frequencies and is a lot faster so my other devices should be able to obtain a faster and more reliable connection.

I might just bite the bullet and get one but would be interested in hearing from anyone who has the WRT300N or who has used the 54G and can pass comment on how reliable it has been. Even though it is ultimately done by Cisco I'm trying to not take it for granted that it will be of the same quality which is why some feedback will help.

 

[tolien]

With Linksys being Cisco's home user or small business kit

No it isn't. Linksys is a Cisco subsidiary - their kit is nothing like Cisco's, and they certainly don't run IOS. Cisco's home/SOHO routers are the 800s/SOHOs.

Linksys have had their fair share of lemons.

I've been running my 108mb/s router, 54mb/s bridge and 2 PCs with 11mb/s cards in them and I've never had any trouble tbh.

Miss the bit where I said 802.11n?

I don't really foresee any issues with attaching devices from other manufacturers providing they all follow the same standards which they do nowadays

The problem with "802.11n" kit is that there is no standard - some hardware won't work at all with other chipsets...

would be interested in hearing from anyone...who has used the 54G and can pass comment on how reliable it has been.

You mean the WRT54G?
Got an old WRT54GS here (near enough identical) and it was fine, but the WRT54G/GS you buy now isn't the WRT54G/GS you used to be able to buy - the new versions use VXWorks in place of *nix (and have less RAM), and are generally crappy. WRT54GL (a v4 WRT54G basically) is a much better option.

 

[AP0ll0UK]

No it isn't. Linksys is a Cisco subsidiary - their kit is nothing like Cisco's, and they certainly don't run IOS. Cisco's home/SOHO routers are the 800s/SOHOs.

Linksys have had their fair share of lemons.

I understand that but because Cisco have the reputation that they have, I would have thought they would have an above average idea of what works and what doesn't and use this as a basis for their home user kit.

Miss the bit where I said 802.11n?

Sorry, the point I was trying to make was that I've used 802.11 b/g kit together and that's working fine, this particular router is supposed to support all three and because it is also Linksys and they seem to have a pretty good name as far as the home user stuff is concerned. I wouldn't expect Linksys to say it would work when in actual fact it works but it's crap because they've concentrated less on the older standards and more on the new ones. I'm hoping that will be the case anyway.



The problem with "802.11n" kit is that there is no standard - some hardware won't work at all with other chipsets...

You mean the WRT54G?
Got an old WRT54GS here (near enough identical) and it was fine, but the WRT54G/GS you buy now isn't the WRT54G/GS you used to be able to buy - the new versions use VXWorks in place of *nix (and have less RAM), and are generally crappy. WRT54GL (a v4 WRT54G basically) is a much better option.

Yes that's the one. I've heard lots of good things about them but have not done enough digging regarding the different versions so thanks for the heads up One question from what you mentioned about it, how do you think it would cope with my requirements above? The majority of data being passed over wireless is going to be streaming media to one PC and to the bridge and Xbox, the other PC will be used for the same plus web browsing and maybe some online gaming. Either way they are going to have to be throttled so that they don't affect my online gaming on the main machine which is mine and mine only

I'm torn at the moment between the WRT54GL and the new WRT300N unless you can suggest any other wireless routers that may be worth a look as Linksys, Netgear and D-Link are the decent ones that I'm aware of and I'm not planning on spending a couple of hundred quid on one of the actual Cisco offerings as I wasn't planning on having to replace my current router for a while yet.

 

[tolien]

I understand that but because Cisco have the reputation that they have, I would have thought they would have an above average idea of what works and what doesn't and use this as a basis for their home user kit.

Nothing from Cisco applies. Other than the label on the side, there's no relationship with Cisco. The iffy routers Linksys have squeezed out put paid to any possibly "idea of what works and what doesn't".

wouldn't expect Linksys to say it would work when in actual fact it works but it's crap because they've concentrated less on the older standards and more on the new ones. I'm hoping that will be the case anyway.

It isn't a Linksys chipset though, and that isn't quite what I was getting at...

One question from what you mentioned about it, how do you think it would cope with my requirements above?

Can't say I ever had a problem, though as I said the WRT54GL would be a much better idea. www.linksysinfo.org is your friend.

Personally I wouldn't touch 802.11n till there's a ratified standard, but if I did, I'd buy all the same chipset (as I've already suggested).