• Some users have recently had their accounts hijacked. It seems that the now defunct EVGA forums might have compromised your password there and seems many are using the same PW here. We would suggest you UPDATE YOUR PASSWORD and TURN ON 2FA for your account here to further secure it. None of the compromised accounts had 2FA turned on.
    Once you have enabled 2FA, your account will be updated soon to show a badge, letting other members know that you use 2FA to protect your account. This should be beneficial for everyone that uses FSFT.

The Router Recommendations Thread (Consumer)

I just wanted to note that you may consider adding the Linksys WRT600N to the list. It doesn't perform as well as the Dlink DIR-655/DGL-4500 (when it comes to transfer rates), but does have the distinction of being able to support 2.4ghz and 5ghz bands simultaneously.

I was running a WRT54G and was completely fed up with it. It would lose the WAN connection daily and the only way to get it back was to unplug the router and plug it back in.

I bought the WRT600N for $159 and feel that it is a steal. I have had zero issues with stability since I purchased it. I have not had it extremely long, but there was a firmware update released last week which shows that Linksys is supporting this.

I have the WRT600n WAN port connected to a Motorola SB5120 cable model. I am using a Linksys WGA600N (gaming adapter) as a wireless bridge. It is hooked up to a Dlink DGS-2208 along with several other wired devices.

I have the WRT600n using its 5ghz band to connect to the WGA600N. The 2.4ghz band is set up to use by older G-only devices (Wii, PS3, PDA, etc.). I also have an older Microsoft MN-500 (b-only router) set up as an access point, hooked up to one of the LAN ports on the WRT600N. I use this solely for Nintendo DS connection.
 
jamesrb said:
I just wanted to note that you may consider adding the Linksys WRT600N to the list. It doesn't perform as well as the Dlink DIR-655/DGL-4500 (when it comes to transfer rates), but does have the distinction of being able to support 2.4ghz and 5ghz bands simultaneously.

I was running a WRT54G and was completely fed up with it. It would lose the WAN connection daily and the only way to get it back was to unplug the router and plug it back in.

I bought the WRT600N for $159 and feel that it is a steal. I have had zero issues with stability since I purchased it. I have not had it extremely long, but there was a firmware update released last week which shows that Linksys is supporting this.

I have the WRT600n WAN port connected to a Motorola SB5120 cable model. I am using a Linksys WGA600N (gaming adapter) as a wireless bridge. It is hooked up to a Dlink DGS-2208 along with several other wired devices.

I have the WRT600n using its 5ghz band to connect to the WGA600N. The 2.4ghz band is set up to use by older G-only devices (Wii, PS3, PDA, etc.). I also have an older Microsoft MN-500 (b-only router) set up as an access point, hooked up to one of the LAN ports on the WRT600N. I use this solely for Nintendo DS connection.
Click to expand...
Added the WRT600N as requested.
 
Take a look at a month or two's PDF's of MaximumPC and you will see that in a real world testing enviroment (with the punisher being a triple insulated media room...the 600n outperforms the 655....

Just a heads up, considering that in a real home environment, the routers tested perform worse than in an office enviroment

Just my .002
 
I was looking for a new router, the main use would be torrenting and video games, possibly a windows home server and eventually a windows server 2008 or windows server 2003 testbox for school 9going for networking, only taken general education classes currently)

I was looking at the dlink 4500 and a netgear switch to go along with that, any suggestions?
 
Bill Money said:
I was looking for a new router, the main use would be torrenting and video games, possibly a windows home server and eventually a windows server 2008 or windows server 2003 testbox for school 9going for networking, only taken general education classes currently)

I was looking at the dlink 4500 and a netgear switch to go along with that, any suggestions?
Click to expand...
The 4500 should serve you well. How many ports do you need? There are a few switch recommendations in there. The GS108 (no management) or GS108T (web management), depending on your needs, will work well if you want Netgear. Unless you want it or have a specific need for it, most home networks do not need a managed switch.

If you are going with the idea of using your core home network switch for school - don't. If you're going for networking then you'll probably be learning Cisco and will need to buy some old cisco gear off of ebay specifically for that. Just buy something good for the home network that you can be happy with and keep the two separate.
 
I'm in the market for a new router seeing as my current router's signal barely reaches the living room, about 40 feet or so away where my HTPC and gaming PC resides.

None of my PCs or laptops support Wireless N yet (they're all still on G) so that's not really a requirement. I'd like to keep it as low-cost as possible but have a stronger signal.

It will be used for gaming and video streaming from my server to the HTPC and various Laptops around the house. Suggestions? Thanks!
 
decided on the dlink, actually a buddy of mine has some used but working cisco 1900's selin em to me for $25 each I'm gettin 2 of em even if I only use one for that price
 
hey guys, like daedal above, i have no N devices and have no need or even want draft N wireless, but it seems every router on the list is draft N.....i would like a recommendation on a good performing B/G router
 
Is there such a thing as a high performance wires only router with Gigabit LAN & QoS? It seems the manufacturers are obsessed with wireless features for all latest models & disregarding those of us who can be bothered to install ethernet cables.

The D-Link DGL-4500, DIR-655 & DIR-855 all look great for p2p & gaming (which is what I'm looking for) but the prices are sky high over here in the UK :mad: I'd love to see a lower cost version without all the redundant wireless connectivity.

N.B. Seems the DGL-4100 is much older model, possibly discontinued, and D-Link GamerLounge products aren't officially available in the UK
 
Question for anyone who owns a Linksys WRT600N.
1. How good is the range compared to standard Wireless G routers? Doubled? Tripled?
2. Have you had good experience with the router?
3. Is this router capable of running third party firmware?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124262&Tpk=wrt600n

Thanks a lot guys!!!
0.png
 
nobody_here said:
hey guys, like daedal above, i have no N devices and have no need or even want draft N wireless, but it seems every router on the list is draft N.....i would like a recommendation on a good performing B/G router
Click to expand...
Wireless-N is backwards compatible with B/G and most models can run in B/G modes exclusively. Due to this fact the vast majority of consumer manufacturers have moved away from B/G, as should we, and that has left the marketplace pretty barren. Even if B/G is all you want there is no reason to avoid a Wireless-N router.

If you are looking for lower cost - look at models like the DIR-625 that have a good balance of price/performance.

Furthermore, for those looking for a "wired only" router - the majority of wireless routers present you with the option of disabling the wireless features. If you don't want wireless or think it too much of a security risk for your environment, that's fine, but you can still buy a higher performance wireless router and simply disable the wireless component. Just make sure that the model supports disabling the wireless - most do but I have seen a couple that don't.

The DGL-4100 is still a great performance router if you want wired-only but at the $90 USD/Newegg price point, you're almost at the price of other newer models that you can disable the wireless on.

Hope that helps.
 
Orinthical said:
Wireless-N is backwards compatible with B/G and most models can run in B/G modes exclusively. Due to this fact the vast majority of consumer manufacturers have moved away from B/G, as should we, and that has left the marketplace pretty barren. Even if B/G is all you want there is no reason to avoid a Wireless-N router.

If you are looking for lower cost - look at models like the DIR-625 that have a good balance of price/performance.

Furthermore, for those looking for a "wired only" router - the majority of wireless routers present you with the option of disabling the wireless features. If you don't want wireless or think it too much of a security risk for your environment, that's fine, but you can still buy a higher performance wireless router and simply disable the wireless component. Just make sure that the model supports disabling the wireless - most do but I have seen a couple that don't.

The DGL-4100 is still a great performance router if you want wired-only but at the $90 USD/Newegg price point, you're almost at the price of other newer models that you can disable the wireless on.

Hope that helps.
Click to expand...

well, i find it unfortunate that the push to N wireless has driven up the price to the point those of us with no interest in wireless or no interest in the N feature have to spend extra money for nothing, for something we will disable, so avoiding N wireless so i am not spending more money on something i wont use is a good reason to avoid N to me

i know in the past you could get a BG wireless router for $30 that worked just fine, but with the N feature being forced upon us now the entry price for a wireless router is at least $50-$60...

that being said i know progress is good and stifling progress is bad, but i feel like draft N wireless has been around long enough for the price of entry to be lower than it is

after reading the replies here and doing some hardware testing in my own home, i have decided to go wired exclusively, it offers more stability, better throughput and more security and i dont have to spend a fortune on features i have no desire for and will only disable;)
 
Orinthical said:
Furthermore, for those looking for a "wired only" router - the majority of wireless routers present you with the option of disabling the wireless features. If you don't want wireless or think it too much of a security risk for your environment, that's fine, but you can still buy a higher performance wireless router and simply disable the wireless component. Just make sure that the model supports disabling the wireless - most do but I have seen a couple that don't.
Click to expand...

My post was a bit of a grumble prompted by D-link suggesting I buy the DIR-855 in order to get the Gigabit ethernet, QoS & p2p/games performance of the US only GamerLounge model. Great idea, apart from the $380 pricetag :eek:

Anyway I did a little more investigating, seems Draytek sell a wires only Gigabit ethernet router with QoS, the Vigor 2820:
http://www.draytek.com/product/Adsl2plus_Firewall/Vigor2820.php
selling for around $230 in the US, £150 UK

The few comments I can find about Draytek split opinion, some people swear they are brilliant, others say they are junk :rolleyes: but comments about other models say they support 1000's of connections for p2p.

Given that the Vigor 2820 is in the same price territory as the higher end D-links, if I was in the US I'd probably choose the DGL-4500 anyway. Unless a proper review such as those at http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/ show the routing performance is worth the premium.
 
nobody_here said:
i know in the past you could get a BG wireless router for $30 that worked just fine, but with the N feature being forced upon us now the entry price for a wireless router is at least $50-$60...
Click to expand...
You aren't just paying for the "N feature" you are paying for better processors and underlying hardware as well. A good router today, even at the $50-60 "entry" price-point, can run circles around a good router of yester-year, especially one you could get for $30. You can still find routers out there for $30 but it's a very get-what-you-pay-for market, just like the vast majority of hardware; if you only want to pay $30, you should not expect a high level of performance or reliability.

As for going wired-only for performance - of course. I never recommend that you go wireless on your main machines - I recommend using it only when the convenience factor outweighs the other downfalls. It's great for laptops or for basic workstations around the house but I'd never game over it unless I absolutely had to. But some people do not have the luxury of running wire to every room in their home - or even to the most important areas. It's all in what you want.

As for security - nothing is ever secure. Principle numero uno in security. A properly locked down wireless access point is not a target unless someone has it out for you and even then it's often a pain to get into. Trust me, chances are that there are plenty of other unsecured wireless networks around you and the vast majority will go for those first. Sometimes even taking the most basic of precautions buys you a whole lot of security.

Beware of purchasing items that have unknown performance statistics or even half the measured performance of another just because the other has a feature you don't want. Just disable it. It's not about "paying for features I (you) don't want", you typically get better hardware, more memory, better/newer firmware and support along with that one feature you don't want. The consumer market is about mass appeal and a product that has awesome performance is probably going to have a ton of features (that you may not want) to help justify its premium price point.
 
Orinthical said:
You aren't just paying for the "N feature" you are paying for better processors and underlying hardware as well. A good router today, even at the $50-60 "entry" price-point, can run circles around a good router of yester-year, especially one you could get for $30. You can still find routers out there for $30 but it's a very get-what-you-pay-for market, just like the vast majority of hardware; if you only want to pay $30, you should not expect a high level of performance or reliability.
Click to expand...

really? because i havent noticed a difference in any router i have purchased in the last 10 years.....they all are the same aside from fancy features, routers either work or they dont for me.....dunno...
 
nobody_here said:
really? because i havent noticed a difference in any router i have purchased in the last 10 years.....they all are the same aside from fancy features, routers either work or they dont for me.....dunno...
Click to expand...
Yea, really. The truth is in the specs and internal components but don't take my word for it, there's plenty of information out there that's only a Google away. If all you do is browse the web or only have one computer than chances are you're not going to stress even the cheapest router - that said, there's still no good reason to go -that- cheap on a router.

If you need a router in the $30 price range I'd honestly suggest you pack your lunch for a few days and save up the extra $20-30 to get something decent that you probably won't have to worry about.
AMD_RULES said:
Which Wireless Draft N Router has the greatest signal range?
Click to expand...
AMD, there are far too many variables involved in that bud. Some specifics?
 
Orinthical said:
AMD, there are far too many variables involved in that bud. Some specifics?
Click to expand...
Among the Draft N routers available, is one specific model known for having a better range over another or are they all pretty close? This can sometimes not be the case with 802.11G routers.
 
WRT600n and then the new dlink (380?) in that order, is supposedly from what i gather, are the two longest range N routers out there....of course the price premium between the two really is going to ask you if your house/office is big enough and walls are thick enough to really warrent it...
 
Is it true that on the DLink 655 and 4500 I cannot connect with both G and N devices at the same time?
 
Just about any wireless-n solution has the potential to support an increase in range over a wireless-g solution within the same class. That said keep in mind that there are a ton of variables out there that can alter the effective wireless range of any device and therefore it is very hard to say, "the WRT600N is going to out-range your current solution."

Another thing to keep in mind is that 5GHz doesn't seem to penetrate dense or well-insulted walls as well as the 2.4GHz band - so while wireless-n operating in the 5GHz band has the potential to offer more speed and less interference, it may come at a cost in range. If you're having range issues with a router that supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz, try stepping the router between modes to find the best solution for your particular house or project.

Now, after that mouthful, the WRT600N has some of the better in-house performance benchmarks out there (from a survey of google results, including this one) and while it is almost certain the dual simultaneous band operation and faster components will out-perform a wireless-g solution, whether or not it will out-range an existing solution is entirely subjective. But yes, it does have the potential...
 
AMD_RULES said:
Is the Linksys WRT150N any good?
Click to expand...
Depends on your needs but in any case I'd say there are better choices in that price range. It's essentially a wireless-n version of the late-model WRT54G series (post-neuter) and while it may be fine for basic users, I'd look towards the DIR-625 or WRT160N instead of the 150N as both are in the same price range.
 
Are there any home/office type wireless routers that would have more than 4 ethernet ports and be Xbox-Live and general PC gaming compatible? When I say compatible, I mean like me and another computer on the network playing BF1942/BF2/COH/etc... at the same time on the same server.

I need more than 4 ports as well as the wireless capability, and I need to avoid using two different pieces of hardware for the ports.
 
claygast said:
Are there any home/office type wireless routers that would have more than 4 ethernet ports and be Xbox-Live and general PC gaming compatible?

...I need more than 4 ports as well as the wireless capability, and I need to avoid using two different pieces of hardware for the ports.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately I have yet to find a consumer wireless router that offers more than four ports; which is pursuant of the corporate model, which separates the client switching and routing functions to two or more devices. This model has benefits; one of which being that should anything happen to the router, the switch and the clients continue to communicate.

That said, you can get a very reliable 8 or 16 port gigabit switch for relatively cheap these days. Some examples are on the first page of this thread. Is there a specific reason you were hoping for one device?

claygast said:
When I say compatible, I mean like me and another computer on the network playing BF1942/BF2/COH/etc... at the same time on the same server.
Click to expand...
Most consumer routers can handle this just fine - I have yet to find one that cannot.

Hope that helps!
 
I need to be able to connect:

a Macbook via wired connection
2 PC's via wired connection
2 Xbox 360's via wired connection
and a Dell XPS laptop via wireless.
and 2 or so extra wired ports wouldn't hurt (I sometimes have a second macbook and another computer for a lan party or something that could use them)

Networking is not my strength so the less I have to deal with configuring a router for certain games or Xbox live just to be able to play simultaneously the better. I had an old BEFSR41 from like 2002 that was a nightmare in that regard, I'd get kicked off of Xbox Live if me and my bro both tried playing, or I'd get tossed off of some PC games like BF1942 or Desert Combat (a family favorite). Then I was able to borrow a friend's WRT54GS for the first part of this summer and it worked like a charm with the exception that it didn't allow me by itself to connect everything (I ended up having to switch a cord between my Xbox and my PC whenever I wanted to play). So I'd like to have more than 4 ports.

So what is the most cost effective recommendation? What is your best one and two router setup recommendations for a reasonable price?
 
claygast said:
...So what is the most cost effective recommendation? What is your best one and two router setup recommendations for a reasonable price?
Click to expand...
That depends on what a reasonable price is for you. :) I would recommend you take a look at the DIR-655 (~$100) or DGL-4500 (~$179) if your budget allows that. If not, I'd look at the DIR-625 (~$75) as a good middle-of-the-road. The Linksys WRT160N has been performing decently at this price-point as well, though some flaky firmware issues keep it from getting recommended over the 625 in my book.

Couple any one of those routers with the DGS-2208 8-Port Gigabit switch (~$50) and you should be good to go.

claygast said:
Networking is not my strength so the less I have to deal with configuring a router for certain games or Xbox live just to be able to play simultaneously the better.
Click to expand...
No worries - there's nothing special to configuring an unmanaged switch - just treat it like any other device and plug it into one of the LAN ports on the router then plug everything else into the ports on the switch.
 
Putting a switch behind a router wouldn't affect my ability to stay connected to game servers and Xbox Live with more than one device at a time?

Sorry I keep pounding that question I just have had a ton of frustration in the past.
 
claygast said:
Putting a switch behind a router wouldn't affect my ability to stay connected to game servers and Xbox Live with more than one device at a time?
Click to expand...
Nope, so long as both are of good quality - adding a switch is essentially seamless.
 
Sounds good. I'll give it a try.

I'll go to Best Buy and that way I can return them if they don't work. I'm optimistic they will.

Thanks for your help!
 
claygast said:
So you definitely like D-Link over Linksys?
Click to expand...
At the moment I believe that D-Link makes some of the better consumer-grade networking products, yes. That's not to say that Linksys doesn't make good products - just that D-Link seems to have more noteworthy products at the current moment. Netgear kinda lost me a while ago - though I am not above adding them back should they wish to seriously compete in the consumer market again. :)
 
I was doing some research on the WRT600N. Seems to be a nice router, but then i saw the WRT610N.

Other than a different design, Can anyone tell me the difference?
 
dtess17 said:
Other than a different design, Can anyone tell me the difference?
Click to expand...
Different antenna layout - separate antennae for each band, Apple compatibility, enhanced and customizable (via LELA) QoS, built-in UPNP Media Server (according to the data sheet), Linksys Easy-Link Advisor (LELA) easy setup wizard.

To name a few... note that Newegg is selling it at a premium versus Amazon (and just about everyone else right now simply because they seem ti have it in-stock. The MSRP is reported to be in the $149-$199 range, not $280. For instance, Buy.com has it for $169 if you don't mind waiting for it to come back in-stock. :)
 
Orinthical said:
Different antenna layout - separate antennae for each band, Apple compatibility, enhanced and customizable (via LELA) QoS, built-in UPNP Media Server (according to the data sheet), Linksys Easy-Link Advisor (LELA) easy setup wizard.

To name a few... note that Newegg is selling it at a premium versus Amazon (and just about everyone else right now simply because they seem ti have it in-stock. The MSRP is reported to be in the $149-$199 range, not $280. For instance, Buy.com has it for $169 if you don't mind waiting for it to come back in-stock. :)
Click to expand...

Oh i'd get it from work...no reason to pay some crazy amount for the router, I just wonder if it's worth the increased cost over the WRT600n

I am looking at the D Link DGL-4500 still too, i've always just had good luck with Linksys.
 
Best router coming from a Linksys WRT54GS with DD-WRT.

I want the same customizable features that I currently have. The router seems to have died. Building a Linux box, etc is currently not an option although I plan to in the future. Currently familiar with DD-WRT, so would like to reload that, unless new router firmware is vastly superior. I'd like to get the network back as fast possible, so Best Buy is an option, however if there is a large price disparity I will order it online.
 
pc1x1 said:
Best router coming from a Linksys WRT54GS with DD-WRT.

I want the same customizable features that I currently have. The router seems to have died. Building a Linux box, etc is currently not an option although I plan to in the future. Currently familiar with DD-WRT, so would like to reload that, unless new router firmware is vastly superior. I'd like to get the network back as fast possible, so Best Buy is an option, however if there is a large price disparity I will order it online.
Click to expand...
Since you mentioned both Best Buy and DD-WRT capability, look at the WRT160N.
 
I ended up picking up the WRT600N, because seemed to have good ram, proc, etc. However I have one of the versions, that does not flash to DD-WRT, I don't mind using stock firmware for now, but its painfully outdated, any suggestion for now Orinthical?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top