Router advice

daphatgrant

daphatgrant

Fi-yah!
Joined
Jun 15, 2003
Messages
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I looked at the "Router Recommendation Thread" and like the looks of the D-Link DGL-4500 Xtreme Draft-N "Gaming" Router because it offers 10/100/1000 and wireless.

I am looking at hooking up my desktop, file server, HTPC, and a laptop for devices that will regularly be on. I will from time to time have an additional desktop or laptop on as well if I am doing a repair/test. I am wondering if the above router is still a good bet? My budget is $350 and under so if it's a better idea to get a beefier router or get a better switch and then a simple wireless router I am fine with that.

Thanks for any info :).
 
In general, I wouldn't worry about Gigabit speeds unless you're transferring a lot of files locally. Internet-wise, your ISP will limit that so you won't reach anywhere near Gigabit or probably even 100Mbps speeds. (I have a basic Optimum Online internet subscription: 15Mbps down/2Mbps up)

If you do decide to go Gigabit, remember you're going to need CAT6 instead of CAT5e.
 
The devices you mentioned are really nothing... That router is more then enough.
 
Alright :), just wanted to make sure that there wasn't some new "it" router out there that blew this one away.

Thanks :).
 
Some people are really confused. Gigabit DOES work over CAT5 and CAT5e. I and millions of others have done it, if you don't agree prove me wrong. You do NOT need CAT6. A little Googling could have solved this question. Depending on the length of the run and possible interference it may be wise to choose one over the other.

OTOH, standard CAT5 hasn't been readily available for years.... CAT5e and CAT6 are what you will find.
 
CAT6 is the recommended cable for Gig, but most use CAT5e, myself including, Gig is a theoritical limit that 99.99% of PCs and Servers will never reach. I run Gig on home LAN and I max at 180-200mb and thats on a 8 drive hardware RAID 5 and my gaming PC running 10k RPM drives.

Most home users rarely use 100mb on their wired LAN.
 
I just got my new file server going :D, started transferring files from my desktop and... :(. I am in dire need of some hardware/cable upgrades :p. I timed it and I transferred 32.8GB's in 1 hr with my current setup (D-Link DI-624 and god knows what for cables).

This is what I am looking at
D-Link-DGL-4500 - $160.00
(4) 50' cat 6 - $7.18 ea. (cheap so I might as well buy cat6)

Like I said above I will normally be hooking up my file server, desktop, HTPC, and 1 laptop. Max computers on will be the above plus 1 desktop and an additional laptop.

My main purpose of this is just to stream video from the file server to my HTPC. Everything else on the "network" will take second priority to this. The file server uses an Abit IC7-G board w/ Intel PRO/1000 Gigabit LAN, the HTPC has an Asus A8N SLI-Premium w/ Dual Gigabit LAN, the desktop has an Abit IP35-Pro w/ Dual Gigabit LAN, and my laptop supports N wireless so I think I should be good to go.

Does it matter what type of cat goes from my cable model to the router?

Any other thoughts or input before I click buy?
 
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If your current router does wireless, I would buy a gigibit switch. Find a p3-ish pc and install PFsense.

Configure the wireless router as an AP and put on gigabit switch. Run gigabit switch from pfsense box and profit.
 
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