Getting a N router, need some advice

[thyshallsmite]

looking at:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833127215
and
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833127243

One of them is a gaming router, but really wondering if its worth the extra dough, they seem to be exactly the same, but figured i'd consult you guys before going with a purchase. Can anyone with some experience tell me if the gaming router is worth the extra 58$?

 

[jeremyshaw]

Get the 655. It's the oldest one, but the most high end D-Link model. IIRC, just the QoS profiles were changed to allow more gaming/less skype.

I have a 655 and a 615...(and a few other old ones), the 655 is by far the most powerful AP I have.

 

[keenan]

The advantage is not that it's a 'gaming' router, which is essentially meaningless, but that the 4500 has dual-band radios. If you're in an urban core with tons of congestion in the 2.4GHz band, that can get you some real gains in throughput and signal quality.

As far as the firmware, I've heard the DIR-655 and DGL-4500 are essentially identical aside from the extra radio in the 4500.

 

[rekd0514]

I would get a Netgear WNR3700. I have the DIR-655 and with the new firmware 1.32NA issues I wouldn't buy one from them right now.

There is another netgear that is out or coming out that supports open source firmware such as DD-WRT. I would get that if it were me.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Get the 655. but the most high end D-Link model.
.

Errr...true a few years ago. But it's been eclipsed by a couple of newer generations. DLink has had the 800 series out for a while now, which have claimed the highest end "home grade model".

Even the DIR-685 is over twice as fast as the DIR-655 in throughput (659 megs versus 257 megs)

The statement "most high end DLink model" would logically have to include all of their classes...such as home market, as well as SMB and Large Business...models such as some of their Air Premier and other managed APs would claim the "most high end D-Link model" title.

 

[rekd0514]

There is supposedly a completely new revision of the DIR-655 with a new chipset out or coming out soon that is supposed to have quite a bit more performance as well. I still would go netgear at this time.

 

[jeremyshaw]

whoops...my bad.

Frys != place to learn about current wifi AP technologies.

 

[Enlefo]

I've heard good things about the 655, haven't used it. I'm really liking my wrt610N... haven't loaded ddwrt into it as I think it's still in beta (haven't checked in a bit) but it's stable, dual band, good throughput.