The Router Recommendations Thread (Consumer)

im running a wrt54g v4 it is around 10 years old running dd-wrt modded to hell with heat sinks on the main processor vents cut in the top and high gain antenna.

i have a wrt54gv2 with dd-wrt loaded onto it sitting in a corner and it is only about a years old.
 
I need help fellow [H]. Comcast is charging me an arm and a leg just for their crappy Broadband Internet. Wanting to make a switch to a local provided (Sonic.net) but the problem is that it's ADSL. I am thinking of going the ADSL Modem and Wireless Router in one to reduce clutter and would like some recommendations. I've never run on ADSL before but with 20MBPS that they are offering for $40 dollars it's pretty tough to beat.
 
I have been using some old dlink router for years, watchin netflix over the wireless connection and such. It seems to be dieing on me now. I live in a remote area and I am not too worried about security. Why should I spend $150 on a router when a $50 one has been meeting my needs? I am on DLS with a 3 meg cap right now.
 
Disarray said:
I have been using some old dlink router for years, watchin netflix over the wireless connection and such. It seems to be dieing on me now. I live in a remote area and I am not too worried about security. Why should I spend $150 on a router when a $50 one has been meeting my needs? I am on DLS with a 3 meg cap right now.
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I also had a similar router (D-Link, 6 years old) die on me last night. I went right back to D-Link with their DIR-825 because I figure if you give me 6 years of reliable service with your product, I am coming back. Anyway, I bought it despite some negative reviews on various websites. After about an hour, I have my desktop and WHS wired, one desktop, two laptops, and one PS3 all wireless. I too watch Netflix all the time on the PS3. Seems to be working fairly well for what I need but it seems like most of the reports of failure were after a couple of weeks of use.

Disarray, from my research if you are willing to go D-Link again, I was very close to buying the DIR-815 but the switch is 10/100 and not gigabit but is simultaneous dual band which may be good depending on how you watch Netflix. If you are really just looking to replace your router and don't see a need for high speed transfers or heavy duty simultaneous wireless usage, you probably don't need much more than the $50 special. As for security, most name brand routers will still give you some good security just to make sure. It seems like Netgear is making some good stuff these days too.

*UPDATE* So the gigabit lan is slow. I am trying to figure out why but with the new router I am getting around 2MB/s transfer between my desktop and WHS that are wired straight to the router. They are literally 2 feet apart. The WHS only has a 10/100 card so I should be getting 10-12MB/s but so far I haven't found out why.
 
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I am getting ready to move back to Germany and taking my dir-655, but have had it for years. Is the dir-825 the sensible upgrade or is there a better one out there?
I am looking wireless N/G for a WHS, xbox 360, 2 laptops, 3 desktops and n900/itouch
I stream movies, xbl, download lots of content and random internet. The 655 works good, but it is sometimes hard to get things overseas so I wanted to take it with me. I just got a dgl-4500 50% off ($90), but thinking of taking it back....thoughts?
 
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sh0rty said:
I am getting ready to move back to Germany and taking my dir-655, but have had it for years. Is the dir-825 the sensible upgrade or is there a better one out there?
I am looking wireless N/G for about 10 a WHS, xbox 360, 2 laptops, 3 desktops and n900/itouch
I stream movies, xbl, download lots of content and random internet. The 655 works good, but it is sometimes hard to get things overseas so I wanted to take it with me. I just got a dgl-4500 50% off ($90), but thinking of taking it back....thoughts?
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This is sort of a follow up on my last post so instead of editing my last one, I will just continue this one.

I had the DIR-825 for about 36 hours. In that time it would drop the connection and I would have to restart it to even get the signal back. Now, I need to preface this with the fact that I bought it from Fry's as an open box as it was the only one on the shelf. I figure when people return stuff they tell Fry's what happened and then Fry's may or may not test it. If they tested it, they would see it worked but they can't extensively test it which is where my troubles came in. Back to the point, it ran great when it ran and I know every company makes bad apples. I was so gunshy on it though that I didn't get another 825, I went with a Netgear WNDR 3700 based on the research I had done.

The Netgear is just solid. It is just thriving where the D-Link started to falter. The problem is that I read a lot about many routers within the same spec range and the DIR-825 came in with some firmware bugs. This is a shame because I had the same D-Link router for 5 years previous to this one and if it had a gigabit lan in it, I would have kept it around.

As for the DGL-4500, if it works, stick with it. The only reason I didn't put that one in the running is due to it lacking simultaneous dual wireless signals. I don't need it but I would rather have it for later applications. And as for your WHS situation, what is the 10 for again? I run a WHS box on the Netgear as well as the other D-Links with no problems on the lan or remotely accessing.
 
If you go with the DGL 4500 make sure to stick with firmware 1.15. Anything over that makes the router very unstable.
 
Kenworth said:
This is sort of a follow up on my last post so instead of editing my last one, I will just continue this one.

I had the DIR-825 for about 36 hours. In that time it would drop the connection and I would have to restart it to even get the signal back. Now, I need to preface this with the fact that I bought it from Fry's as an open box as it was the only one on the shelf. I figure when people return stuff they tell Fry's what happened and then Fry's may or may not test it. If they tested it, they would see it worked but they can't extensively test it which is where my troubles came in. Back to the point, it ran great when it ran and I know every company makes bad apples. I was so gunshy on it though that I didn't get another 825, I went with a Netgear WNDR 3700 based on the research I had done.

The Netgear is just solid. It is just thriving where the D-Link started to falter. The problem is that I read a lot about many routers within the same spec range and the DIR-825 came in with some firmware bugs. This is a shame because I had the same D-Link router for 5 years previous to this one and if it had a gigabit lan in it, I would have kept it around.

As for the DGL-4500, if it works, stick with it. The only reason I didn't put that one in the running is due to it lacking simultaneous dual wireless signals. I don't need it but I would rather have it for later applications. And as for your WHS situation, what is the 10 for again? I run a WHS box on the Netgear as well as the other D-Links with no problems on the lan or remotely accessing.
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I returned the router as I am still running pretty solid on the 655, but wanted to step up and after reading more didnt think I was moving that far up. As for the "10" it was drunk posting and I was thinking 10 machines and then kind of typed them out...sorry. Thanks for the feedback!

Makaveli@BETA said:
If you go with the DGL 4500 make sure to stick with firmware 1.15. Anything over that makes the router very unstable.
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That is what I read, but bailed on the idea altogether. Thanks for the feedback as well!
 
I need to buy a 12+ port 1000mbps ethernet network switch for my business, it just has to be compatible with Debian. Any recommendations?
 
RaidHarpersFerry said:
I need to buy a 12+ port 1000mbps ethernet network switch for my business, it just has to be compatible with Debian. Any recommendations?
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A network switch? I think you have the wrong thread, this is the "router" thread ;)
I'd love to help out but I don't want to take this thread off track. open a new thread and ask, you're sure to get more help that way.
 
I picked up the Netgear WNDR3700, but I got v2. The new firmware for v1 and v2 is junk. Unfortunately v2 doesn't have an older firmware to rollback to. I'm constantly having to reload webpages, videos will freeze, and IM clients can not stay connected.

Any thoughts on the Cisco e4200? I have the option of getting one for the same price tomorrow when I return this Netgear, but I'm thinking of waiting til the WNDR3800 and WNDR 4000 are out and seeing how they compare to the e4200 (it needs firmware work too).
 
Have you tried install alternative firmware on WNDR3700 ? AFAIK on WNDR3700 works openwrt and dd-wrt and depends what knowlege of linux you have can be installed on your router. I've got tp-link wr-1043nd with openwrt and it's perfect setup ;) Router get a new life with new firmware.New possibilities. Better qos for example.
 
sybreeder said:
Have you tried install alternative firmware on WNDR3700 ? AFAIK on WNDR3700 works openwrt and dd-wrt and depends what knowlege of linux you have can be installed on your router. I've got tp-link wr-1043nd with openwrt and it's perfect setup ;) Router get a new life with new firmware.New possibilities. Better qos for example.
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Considering the v2 WNDR3700 just came out like... 2 weeks ago, or less, chances are it's not supported yet. At least not officially. I wouldn't be in a hurry to brick mine if I had one, either.

Patience, grasshopper. I'm sure they'll sort it quick if the firmware is really that bad.

That said, are you absolutely sure it isn't your connection acting up and not the router?

Even if you decide to return it, I wouldn't go from one firmware headache to another. There have to be better options out there. Maybe look for a v1 3700?
 
It's definitely the router. I checked on Netgear's forums and it's just a common problem from this horrendous firmware. They pulled it from the v1 automatic updated, but v2 has nothing to roll back to.

silent-circuit is correct that there is no dd-wrt support yet for v2.

I returned it. This version has been out for 1.5 months and still doesn't have a fix. Seems sloppy to me, I'll reevaluate routers again soon.
 
Just bought the E4200 a day or two ago.

I miss the front lights like the WRT54GS had. This way I could tell what the level of activity is on my network.

The software (CD) kind of sucks. Pain in the ass to configure if you use both the software and through the website. I wish DD-WRT would support this faster. Range is very similar to my WRT54GS v1.

Guest access is very nice.

Bought mine at Best Buy for $149.99 + tax.
 
DraGun said:
Just bought the E4200 a day or two ago.

I miss the front lights like the WRT54GS had. This way I could tell what the level of activity is on my network.

The software (CD) kind of sucks. Pain in the ass to configure if you use both the software and through the website. I wish DD-WRT would support this faster. Range is very similar to my WRT54GS v1.

Guest access is very nice.

Bought mine at Best Buy for $149.99 + tax.
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Would you say it's worth replacing a functioning WRT54GSv2 for this? I've been using my WRT54GSv2 (running Tomato) for about 5 years now with very few issues and am kind of reluctant to replace it. Then again, been waiting for a nice piece of SOHO hardware with plenty of RAM and fast(er) CPU. Was going to grab the WNDR3700, then read about the WNDR3800 and now the E4200 is available. Anyway, would you say it's worth the price and hassle?
 
If your WRT54GSv2 is working fine, it's not worth the $150 price tag.
Only reasons I replaced mine was because the WiFi kept dying and I had to reset the modem each time and the transfer speeds over the network were horrid.
Guest access was a plus due to frequent guests over. I definitely want to try the USB storage option as well.

I almost bought the WNDR3700 for about $20 cheaper but decided to pay the extra money for the top performer.
 
I just saw that OpenWRT has added support to WNDR3700 v2 so for those who wants test latest OpenWRT Backfire 10.03.1 RC4 there is a link to many openwrt distributions including WNR3700v2
http://ecco.selfip.net/backfire/
In compare to original version from openwrt page those are precompiled with usb support, wifi support, working keys, and many fixes has been ported from trunk. Keep in mind that this are versions without gui.
I use backfire with compiled gargoyle however it has polish version of gui on board. that's why those who want use openwrt should install clean version without gui and install luci afterwards.
Keep in mind that i am not responsible for damaging your router. This isn't my page and i didn't compile those firmwares.
 
So far it's been a week or so and i'm not too impressed with the E4200

I'm thinking about returning it. WiFi has issues connecting to computers. Well it's only one laptop but I'm willing to let that one slide. Might even be that laptop itself.

WiFi signal is the same as my WRT54GS v1. Might even be worse. My Wifi analyzer on my HTC Droid Incredible says my signal is around -70 dBm this morning. I had to turn off my Wifi on my phone and turn it back on to get it to -40 or higher. And my phone was right next to the router!

I hope DD-WRT comes out with a firmware for the E4200 soon.
 
How is it possible that the Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH is not listed on the front page as one of the highly recommended routers? I'll throw my recommendation behind it. II've thrown a lot at mine and I can't break it. I had a D-link DGL-4300, and it was definitely possible to bring it to its knees...no such luck with the Buffalo.

It has almost all the features of any of the others, comes with dd-wrt stock, and is cheaper.

It's not dual band. But it does put out 800mw of power for very nice coverage range.
 
It is probably not listed because there is a confirmed problem with wireless connections dropping randomly.
 
Sesheron said:
It is probably not listed because there is a confirmed problem with wireless connections dropping randomly.
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I didn't realize that, do you have a link? I'd like to read more.


I haven't seen it on mine, I run 2 android phones, 1 windows mobile phone, 2 xp laptops, 2 win7 laptops, and 2 ebook (pocketbook) readers on my wifi and I haven't ever had a dropout. (that I have noticed, of course)
 
Hey guys/gals I'm looking for a new wireless router for my home. I'm looking for a router that has 802.11N and would be good for streaming HD content and media from a server wirelessly throughout my home. I have a fair large home, so the further the range the better. I'd also like one that can run tomato firmware if possible.

I also plan on putting the router in my basement. I've tested the range with my WHR-HP-G54 in the basement and went up to the second floor and the signal was actually pretty good.

Don't really have a budget, but the cheaper the better.
 
Picked up a Netgear WNDR3700 v2. Am I in trouble? Firmware on it is 1.0.0.6
 
got a asus rt-16 for myself, best router imo if used with tomato/ddwrt.

got it for 40 bucks at the egg, so well worth it. never went down till now for the last 6 months.

the standard firmware which comes with it is junk.
 
AMD_RULES said:
Hey guys/gals I'm looking for a new wireless router for my home. I'm looking for a router that has 802.11N and would be good for streaming HD content and media from a server wirelessly throughout my home. I have a fair large home, so the further the range the better. I'd also like one that can run tomato firmware if possible.

I also plan on putting the router in my basement. I've tested the range with my WHR-HP-G54 in the basement and went up to the second floor and the signal was actually pretty good.

Don't really have a budget, but the cheaper the better.
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If you really plan on streaming HD I would try to get a cable connection to your entertainment center. You will have pixelation and dropouts with wireless when streaming HD. If you have no choice then you need to find the wireless router you like plus the matching adapter/AP to go into your HTPC or entertainment center. Even then there is no guarantee that you did not waste your money on wireless equipment. I tried streaming HD and it failed miserably from 1st story to 2nd story right above each other. However, I found out that my home's phone lines were ran using CAT5e so I opened the plates and cut off the phone ports and re-wired for ethernet. Then I put a coupler in the attic to connect the living room line with my study line upstairs. Bingo we have gigabit speeds. You should check your phone lines even CAT5 would work.
 
Why is no one on this thread using Buffalo wireless routers? They seem to be up to par and they come pre-loaded with DD-WRT. The Linksys E4200 is locked down; no repeater function, no bridge, no radio off switch, etc. The Linksys E4200 is for stay at home mom's that dont like to tinker with their gear. I admit I looked at the E4200 it is sexy looking but, If your on this forum you should be taking a serious look at Buffalo. They are about to release two new models with DD-WRT preloaded.


http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/other/ces-2011/31374-ces-2011-buffalo-technology-announcements

"Finally, Buffalo has finally broken down and added a dual-band wireless N router. The WZR-HP-AG300H AirStation Nfiniti Wireless-N High Power Dual Band Router & Access Point is simultaneous dual band and runs DD-WRT firmware. Features include one Gigabit WAN and four switched Gigabit LAN ports, VPN (PPTP, OpenVPN) support, VLAN tagging, multiple SSIDs, RADIUS server, hot spot support, radio and access scheduling and iPv6 support. The router can also be configured as an access point or bridge / repeater."

http://www.dd-wrt.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=86839

"Hello.

I have been in contact recently with Buffalo about when a newer buffalo pro dd-wrt build is slated to come out for the wzr-hp-g300nh, they informed me that it would be soon but right now the dd-wrt devs are busy with a new Buffalo unit that will soon be arriving in US stores by mid Feb to early March.

http://www.buffalotech.com/products...high-power-router-access-point-wzr-hp-ag300h/

This unit seems to be a real BEAST. Its pretty much a beefed up wzr-hp-g300nh. They doubled the RAM from 64 with the g300nh to 128MB, and added a 5Ghz radio as well. It should also be fully dd-wrt supported as well and ship with dd-wrt as the later (after aug 2010) buffalos did. I really like my wzr-hp-g300nh and hope this newer unit provides great performance as the g300nh does.

Thought you buff heads might enjoy this.

Best Regards"
_________________
 
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Blk02 said:
If you really plan on streaming HD I would try to get a cable connection to your entertainment center. You will have pixelation and dropouts with wireless when streaming HD. If you have no choice then you need to find the wireless router you like plus the matching adapter/AP to go into your HTPC or entertainment center. Even then there is no guarantee that you did not waste your money on wireless equipment. I tried streaming HD and it failed miserably from 1st story to 2nd story right above each other. However, I found out that my home's phone lines were ran using CAT5e so I opened the plates and cut off the phone ports and re-wired for ethernet. Then I put a coupler in the attic to connect the living room line with my study line upstairs. Bingo we have gigabit speeds. You should check your phone lines even CAT5 would work.
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I'll be streaming to my notebook computer. I do not have a HTPC.
 
Max simultaneous connections = 200 on the router Buffalo released in 2009 (WZR-HP-G300NH). Lets wait and see what smallnetbuilder says about the 2011 (WZR-HP-AG300H). It has not been reviewed yet.
 
Blk02 said:
Max simultaneous connections = 200 on the router Buffalo released in 2009 (WZR-HP-G300NH). Lets wait and see what smallnetbuilder says about the 2011 (WZR-HP-AG300H). It has not been reviewed yet.
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ugh. part numbers too similar.
 
Yes, I agree on the part numbers. It confused me several times going between different websites. You think they would make a drastic model number change considering the time span between releases.

From just looking at smallnetbuilder it looks like routers did not start breaking the 200 simultaneous connection barrier until May 2010, so I assume Buffalo's 2011 release should match the other 2011 releases above the 20,000 mark.
 
AMD_RULES said:
I'll be streaming to my notebook computer. I do not have a HTPC.
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In that case I would just get the best wireless dual band router around currently and a PCI notebook adapter to match from the same company. D-Link DIR-665, Linksys E4200, TRENDnet TEW-691GR (3 Stream), or NETGEAR WNDR3700v2. I would also wait for a smallnetbuilder review on the new Buffalo WZR-HP-AG300H, NETGEAR WNDR4000 (3 Stream) & WNDR3800. Just remember if you want to see anything close to 450mbps (3 Stream) you either need a laptop that's equipped with Intel's Centrino N-5300 and Centrino N-6300 Wi-Fi adapters or you need to buy the same companies USB or PCI adapter. Three stream is the only type that supports 450mbps (150mbps on each stream). You need an adapter than can handle this otherwise you are spinning your wheels.
 
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Blk02 said:
Yes, I agree on the part numbers. It confused me several times going between different websites. You think they would make a drastic model number change considering the time span between releases.

From just looking at smallnetbuilder it looks like routers did not start breaking the 200 simultaneous connection barrier until May 2010, so I assume Buffalo's 2011 release should match the other 2011 releases above the 20,000 mark.
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Time will tell.
 
I need a router that can handle a lot of connections, but not simultaneous/active.

My family will have two blu ray players, one HDTV, one Wii, two wireless G and two wireless G/N draft computers and two Android/iPhone devices probably having a DHCP license renewal every day.

At most, we'd have about three people using the internet/router for browsing (or gaming for me) at a time. My parents do not stream nor do any multimedia pc to pc sort of sharing (yet).

Our house spans three floors, two computers which are on the top most floor, one on the first floor, and the TVs/blu rays are in the basement (the floor with the router).
 
My E4200 has been dropping WiFi signal since I got this thing. Users would complain that signals get dropped constantly. This one laptop constantly needs to be reconnected. I used WPS one-touch button setup last and the user has not bothered me to fix the connection. So far so good. I am hardwired (ethernet cat6 cable) so I do not notice any drops. So is my Xbox360.

Considering returning this router before the 30 days are up. Going to have to go back to my WRT54GS v1. Unless DD-WRT comes out for the E4200.
 
DraGun said:
My E4200 has been dropping WiFi signal since I got this thing. Users would complain that signals get dropped constantly. This one laptop constantly needs to be reconnected. I used WPS one-touch button setup last and the user has not bothered me to fix the connection. So far so good. I am hardwired (ethernet cat6 cable) so I do not notice any drops. So is my Xbox360.

Considering returning this router before the 30 days are up. Going to have to go back to my WRT54GS v1. Unless DD-WRT comes out for the E4200.
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Thanks for the updates, hardly a glowing recommendation of this new model. I had been considering it to replace my wrt54gsv2...think i'll wait for the WNDR3800 now.
 
The E4200 router is just a pain in the ass. Not even going to wait for DD-WRT. Going back to the WRT54GS v1 tomorrow. Returning it this weekend. I've had enough.

EDIT: I haven't returned it yet. Decided to wait out until its closer to the end of my 30 day return period.
EDIT2: I returned it to Best Buy. I no longer have this router.
EDIT3: 3/28/11 - Just noticed that Linksys released a firmware update to fix the unstable issues. Version 1.0.01 Release notes I wonder if it does anything.

Red = WRT54GS v1 on DD-WRT latest build (mega) (Channel 4)
the other colors are E4200 on stock firmware. One is guest the other is my own. (Channel 2)

WRT54GS is much more stable.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us
 
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I have the E3000 and it's f*cking crap. Downloaded dd-wrt, fixed some problems but my port forwarding is messy and internet still drops randomly. Going back to the exact same router (WRT54GS). Don't buy the E serie!!
 
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