What (cable) wireless N router to get?

Caporegime
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Sorry guys, no doubt this has been asked a fair few times - didnt find anything on the first few pages though.

Ive got a requirement to pick up 2 Wifi N routers so just after what to get:

1) Need a replacement for my old WRT54GS - its served me well and still works but doesnt seem to have the same range as it used to. With us now with Wifi N devices, I thought it might be a chance to move to something newer. Not sure how much to spend, should I stick with Linksys as Ive always loved their networking products? Im on VM 20Mbit...

Need it to do the normal things like port forwarding etc and I still connect my PS3 and desktop via Cat5. Ive got it setup to have a small DHCP window, but prefer to have my PCs on static IPs to help with port forwarding. Not sure what bells and whistles new routers can do (any have usenet clients etc?) but could be interested in spending more if they do clever things...

2) My mates got his first laptop so needs a wireless router - the laptop also supports Wifi N and it will probably be the only device connected apart from his smartphone. Any recommendations? Hes not net savvy so I doubt he wants to spend much (<£50), but does want to make sure he can connect to the network when hes in the garden, so why Im thinking Wifi N.

Be good to have the same manufacturer as no doubt Ill be admining it so saves me hassle :)

TIA

ps3ud0 :cool:
 
I have just gone from "G" to "N"

What a crock of poo

I have sort of gone between a Linksys WAG200 and a Netgear DG834PN as my main Modem/Router in the living room, with a Linksys WRT54 in the LAN room with the WRT-DD Firmware to make it a 5-port switch and WAP. ( Effectively giving me 2 wireless networks really )

( I think those are the Linksys devices - Im not going to have a look, its not important )

Now, my daughter being an awkwad bugger wants her PC and her Laptop to both be Wireless and so thats fine.

Now, the daughters PC is getting 54 but sometimes only 36 connection and its dire... and I do mean dire.

I keep tellign her to let me route a cable in, just like I have done on the LAN computers, but oh no... She dont want that!

So...

I recently bought a Netgear DGN1000, and for it, I also bought an N adapter.

Bit of fiddling about on my PC ( Right next to the router for twiddling about ) and I get 150 with all 5 bars... Sweet.

I put the adapter onto my daughters PC and I get only 3 bars with 120 speed? - Ok, well at least its more than double what it has been...WRONG!

On my PC, I opened up her Directories and I went to move some Pictures from her Documents folder to her Pictures folder, and I highlighted them and went to move them but they didnt budge... Instead I got a NOT RESPONDING message on the title bar.

Anyway stuff that I have not got time to mess about now, so I left it and went out.

Just now, I have tried to make a new folder on her PC from mine, I right clicked and selected new folder... The green bar went up along the top and I am still waiting... Its been over 5 minutes and its still not done a thing.

Its the most unrsponsive pile of junk ever.

I truly feel that the "G" setups, while slower for the actual transfer such as movies etc from my PC or the Server , to her PC, the smaller things like moving files about and basic browsing etc are vastly quicker.

So far, I am not at all impressed with "N"

And I have tried 4 different adapters too... 3 are PCI and one USB... There is no difference, and they all connect on her PC at 120

And also the range is no better by the way... 5 Bars on "G" and 2 or 3 on "N" means its worse!
 
So youre saying to avoid the DGN1000 - luckily dont have any adapters to get - whats wired already will stay wired and everything else wireless is N compliant already.

Any recommendations from people or are you like me and just happy with your G setups until they die? Or do you just use the router supplied by VM? Was hoping N would give more/as good as range as G...

ps3ud0 :cool:
 
Yes, I think I am.

My setup is this :-

Main PC in the living room wired to the Modem/Router.
Cable of about 48 feet going to a switch in the LAN Room.
All the LAN PCs connected to that.
My daughters PC is wireless, as is her Laptop.

In all honesty, the "G" wasnt too good either... Thats why I went to go with "N"

However the signal on the "G" was much better, as is teh responce of it for smaller things and running around the various directories, however since going with the "N" its has become near to useless, but yet, once its going, its fine.

So, selecting a video to copy up to her PC can take me easily 10 minutes for it to register that I have dragged a thing, but once its copying its good.

Its as it it takes it 10 minutes to handshake all the time.

Im actually seriously considering flogging off the router since its brand new and I still have not taken the cling film stuff off it nor has any dust actuallly had time to collect and I should be able to get a few quid back for it, and I wil go back to my Netgear 834
 
Hi Guys,

Still looking for a wireless N cable router - whats the Linksys E1000 like? Also are the Asus routers any good?

One final question I keep seeing draft N routers, are these worth getting now that N has been finalised for a year or so? Assume there could be some incompatibilites.

Ta for any advice - I need it!

ps3ud0 :cool:
 
I have just gone from "G" to "N"

What a crock of poo

I have sort of gone between a Linksys WAG200 and a Netgear DG834PN as my main Modem/Router in the living room, with a Linksys WRT54 in the LAN room with the WRT-DD Firmware to make it a 5-port switch and WAP. ( Effectively giving me 2 wireless networks really )

( I think those are the Linksys devices - Im not going to have a look, its not important )

Now, my daughter being an awkwad bugger wants her PC and her Laptop to both be Wireless and so thats fine.

Now, the daughters PC is getting 54 but sometimes only 36 connection and its dire... and I do mean dire.

I keep tellign her to let me route a cable in, just like I have done on the LAN computers, but oh no... She dont want that!

So...

I recently bought a Netgear DGN1000, and for it, I also bought an N adapter.

Bit of fiddling about on my PC ( Right next to the router for twiddling about ) and I get 150 with all 5 bars... Sweet.

I put the adapter onto my daughters PC and I get only 3 bars with 120 speed? - Ok, well at least its more than double what it has been...WRONG!

On my PC, I opened up her Directories and I went to move some Pictures from her Documents folder to her Pictures folder, and I highlighted them and went to move them but they didnt budge... Instead I got a NOT RESPONDING message on the title bar.

Anyway stuff that I have not got time to mess about now, so I left it and went out.

Just now, I have tried to make a new folder on her PC from mine, I right clicked and selected new folder... The green bar went up along the top and I am still waiting... Its been over 5 minutes and its still not done a thing.

Its the most unrsponsive pile of junk ever.

I truly feel that the "G" setups, while slower for the actual transfer such as movies etc from my PC or the Server , to her PC, the smaller things like moving files about and basic browsing etc are vastly quicker.

So far, I am not at all impressed with "N"

And I have tried 4 different adapters too... 3 are PCI and one USB... There is no difference, and they all connect on her PC at 120

And also the range is no better by the way... 5 Bars on "G" and 2 or 3 on "N" means its worse!

Sneak a cable in and put an ap hidden in her wardrobe, she will never know.
 
Hi Guys,

Still looking for a wireless N cable router - whats the Linksys E1000 like? Also are the Asus routers any good?

One final question I keep seeing draft N routers, are these worth getting now that N has been finalised for a year or so? Assume there could be some incompatibilites.

Ta for any advice - I need it!

ps3ud0 :cool:

A lot of people seem to like the asus rt-n56u, haven't tried it myself though. If you into third party firmware then the linksys e4200 is good for DD-wrt, not so much for tomato as 5ghz radio doesn't work currently. The E3000 has good support for both DD-WRT and Tomato USB for both 2.4 and 5 ghz radios.

I'm currently using the Asus RT-N16 with tomato USB due to its excellent Quality of Service options. Its been rock solid both wired and wireless with good wifi range, also has double the RAM of the linksys routers (128 mb vs 64 mb), and 2 USB ports. You can also replace the antenna's which you can't on the exx0 series linksys routers. Only downside is lack of 5 ghz band.
 
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What about the Netgear N300? Think its called W**2200 cant remember the rest as I saw it in a shop - any good? Was just over £50 which isnt too bad?

What else around £50 is good - your one sound expensive!

ps3ud0 :cool:
 
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