The Router Recommendations Thread (Consumer)

wtburnette, do all your clients connect in 802.11N? What mode is your router using, ie 802.11g, 802.11n, or mixed mode 802.11n/g? What encryption are you using, ie security? What channel is your router on and are there any other routers in that channel? Is it in 20Mhz or 40Mhz mode?

You might want to read the How to Fix Your Wireless Network Series over at SmallNetBuilder.
 
Well, my intent was to have the G stuff in my network on the 2.4Ghz network and the N stuff on the 5Ghz network. Not sure if that was the right way to go, but I was hoping. I was using WPA2/AES for security, which is what I've been using for my current G based network. Channel and everything else was set to auto, but since my wired and wireless connection were both slow, I didn't think the channels and such would have anything to do with the speed. I even tried suggestions from the netgear forums, turning off the SPI firewall, changing the MTU size, etc. Nothing so far has helped, but I'll probably try a couple more options before taking it back. I've decided to wait until Sunday, to give myself time to try a few more things.

I'll check out that link, thank you :)
 
+1 on Netgear WNDR3700 , purchased today , and so far seems to be an outstanding router.
I have used/configured many routers before and this seems to be to date the fastest/easiest I have seen.

...........now to find somwone who wants to buy my Belkin N1 Vision.......
 
Managed to take back the WNDR3700 yesterday and picked up a Dlink DIR-825. Hooked it up and ran the CD setup, which worked on my Vista 64 laptop where the Netgear setup disk didn't. Had everything up and running in about 20 minutes. While connected wired, everything worked as it should. Connections to websites popped right up and loaded very quickly. The same wasn't true of wireless connections though. I left everything at default settings when I tested, but both the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz networks loaded webpages very slowly. I have a post over in the Dlink forums to see if there are some settings I should change to see if it helps. So far my experiment with wireless N has been very disheartening. I'm about ready to take this router back as well, put my old faithful wireless G router back in place and drill a hole in the wall to run a cable to connect my son's system in the room next to my office... :(
 
wtburnette,

I'm assuming that you reset your modem during all of this proccess?
Also N wireless will only work correctly on 5Ghz if you have a 5Ghz wireless receiver card.
 
Yep, did a reset more then once. Tried 5Ghz, 2.4Ghz, neither works with any speed. Not sure what the deal is, but my old G is cranking along fine...
 
So first off Id like to say I read the OP but not the 200 something posts that came after it.

Anyway, Ive signed up for the Comcast DOCSIS 3.0 50mb plan and my 10/100 router isn't going to cut it. I'm not a wireless guy and would probably just disable it if I end up getting a wireless router anyway. Of the the suggested 10/100/1000 routers there's only 1 wired (D-link DGL 4100) and it's 10/100/1000 for the LAN but only 10/100 for the WAN so it's not really what Im looking for. Right now I have my eye on the TRENDnet TWG-BRF114. This one says it's 10/100/1000 for the lan and wan so this should get me the speeds Im looking for from my new DOCSIS 3.0 right?
I'm just wondering if anyone has used this particular router or is familiar with the brand because it only has 2 reviews on newegg. I've narrowed my choice down to this one or the D-Link DGL-4500 but it's a difference of about 60 bucks and I wouldn't use the wireless anyway.

Any thoughts?
 
On those cheapie 10/100 consumer routers, it isn't the speed of the ports not allowing you to get to 50/10, it's their ability to process that much traffic through their baby hardware an cheap chipsets. Just because they have gigabit ports, doesn't mean you will be able to get the full speed from your modem. *IF* you have a gigabit port on that cable modem, I have read that the Trendnet will max out at 100mbit throughput. If you have a 100mbit port on the modem, the Trendnet will max out at 60mbit. I was unable to find any wan-lan throughput ratings on the d-link. I haven't used either, so I can't comment any further.
 
Spiko said:
So first off Id like to say I read the OP but not the 200 something posts that came after it.

Anyway, Ive signed up for the Comcast DOCSIS 3.0 50mb plan and my 10/100 router isn't going to cut it. I'm not a wireless guy and would probably just disable it if I end up getting a wireless router anyway. Of the the suggested 10/100/1000 routers there's only 1 wired (D-link DGL 4100) and it's 10/100/1000 for the LAN but only 10/100 for the WAN so it's not really what Im looking for. Right now I have my eye on the TRENDnet TWG-BRF114. This one says it's 10/100/1000 for the lan and wan so this should get me the speeds Im looking for from my new DOCSIS 3.0 right?
I'm just wondering if anyone has used this particular router or is familiar with the brand because it only has 2 reviews on newegg. I've narrowed my choice down to this one or the D-Link DGL-4500 but it's a difference of about 60 bucks and I wouldn't use the wireless anyway.

Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

Well since you would disable wireless anyways, I'd suggest getting an alix.2d2 (or alix.6e1) board and running pfsense. Or check the charts at smallnetbuilder and find the wan to lan throughput on the routers you're looking at.
 
Hey Guys,
Here's my dilemma. The way my house is set up, I have three DGL-4300s that provide wireless around the entire property. One handles the routing, and the other two are configured to act like wireless APs. However, after about 2.5 years, they have started to fail on me, and are requiring reboots every few days or wireless drops off.

So, I am trying to decide the ebst way to replace my current set up. The route is located in a closet with all of my other data and video equipment, along with 3 8 port GB switches. The longest range I am looking for is about 135 feet, passing through 5 interior walls and 2 exterior walls. I am not sure if I should just buy three midrange routers like I did last time and jsut configure two of them to act like wireless APs, or if I should invest in one high end router and then buy other APs. There are usually about 3-4 wireless clients, along with 6-7 wired devices. The routers/APs need to be able to handle multiple concurrent connections, including VPN and moderate-heavy BT use.

Any recommendations? Thanks.
 
Admiral_Ackbar6 said:
Hey Guys,
Here's my dilemma. The way my house is set up, I have three DGL-4300s that provide wireless around the entire property. One handles the routing, and the other two are configured to act like wireless APs. However, after about 2.5 years, they have started to fail on me, and are requiring reboots every few days or wireless drops off.

So, I am trying to decide the ebst way to replace my current set up. The route is located in a closet with all of my other data and video equipment, along with 3 8 port GB switches. The longest range I am looking for is about 135 feet, passing through 5 interior walls and 2 exterior walls. I am not sure if I should just buy three midrange routers like I did last time and jsut configure two of them to act like wireless APs, or if I should invest in one high end router and then buy other APs. There are usually about 3-4 wireless clients, along with 6-7 wired devices. The routers/APs need to be able to handle multiple concurrent connections, including VPN and moderate-heavy BT use.

Any recommendations? Thanks.
Click to expand...

Are you looking for N-speeds or just internet speed via the wireless?
Either way, beefing up the router with something like pfsense will give a good increase in perceived speed through the use of QOS that actually works, unlike some home routers (my d-link ran better with QOS disabled than enabled)
 
While N isn't the most important factor, I think it would be nice to have if I am investing in a network upgrade rather than having to do it again in a year. I do do media streaming over wireless, but so far, my G speeds ahve been sufficient.

I am thinking I may go with a WNDR-3700, and depending on the range, would have to pick up one or two more wireless APs. Any thoughts, or recommendations on good APs?
 
Spiko said:
I ended up getting the D-Link DGL-4500 I'll report back when my new modem and and router get here.
Click to expand...

Works well
781535700.png

36694502.png

:D:D:D:D:D:D
 
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Charlie Hustle said:
WTF, this is with comcast? You must have the high end high speed internet...
Click to expand...

DOCSIS 3.0 50mb
They don't throttle me either like they did on my 12mb plan. Usenet is soooooo fast. :D

EDIT:
So, I pulled a real noob move. When I got the router I went into settings and had everything all set up correctly. Then I noticed there was a firmware update and installed it. What I didn't realize was when I updated my firmware all my settings reset. I was probably too distracted by my new line running speedtests and shit. For some reason the default setting are for the wireless to be on but totally unencrypted so for the last 24 hours I've been broadcasting an open network. 5 different people have connected and between them downloaded 25gigs and uploaded 15. God damn it. I feel so used.
 
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Oddly enough the DIR-825 is now working flawlessly for me. Not sure how or why. Was about to take it back to Microcenter over the weekend and thought I'd give it one last try. Did a full reset on the device (which I'd done previously), followed the instructions step by step to get it setup and it installed fine. All of my devices have been tested except my son's Xbox 360 so far with everything working perfectly. I put a D-Link DWA-556 PCI-e card in my son's computer and it's connecting great in the room next to our office. He's able to play online FPS games with this connection with no lag or latency. Exactly what I was hoping for... ;)
 
Hi, I am a novice at all this but I am planning to get a wndr-3700 and cannot find a reliable source anywhere of what adapter to match with it.

I did read on Tom's hardware that the matching adapter did not do well on their tests. Please advise.
 
So from the recommendations on this last page, I'm between theD-Link DGL4500 and the Netgear WND3700, we've got 2 computers (the one in my sig and a Macbook Pro) and my PS3 on the network, nothing too intense. What do you guys suggest? Any reason to go one way or the other? I've had good experiences with Netgear and my D-Link (although I heard is POS router) isn't too bad for what it is. The Netgear WND3700 does look nice though lol :)
 
Judging by the user reviews/ratings from your links, isn't the answer pretty obvious?

Edit: On the other hand, I've got a DIR-655 and it's working quite well for me (unlike many other ppl apparently; I had to turn off DNS Relay cuz it was acting up until I did that). I mostly got it cuz I used a Dlink before and... Yeah. :/
 
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My dir -655 router is decent. Havent had any issues since the new firmware and before that i turned off the dns relay feature and there are no problems.
 
I bought the Netgear WnD3700 whether I needed that much router or not.
It works as advertised and I'm happy. I paid 133.00 with a 50.00 off from something else (BestBuy).
Or it would have been more..Duh It does have one feature I have not tried yet.

Using a WPS Button to Add a WPS Client

Any wireless computer or wireless adapter that will connect to the wireless router wirelessly is a client. The client must support a WPS button, and must have a WPS configuration utility, such as
the NETGEAR Smart Wizard or Atheros Jumpstart.
To use the wireless router WPS button to add a WPS client:
1. Log in to the wireless router at its default LAN address of http://www.routerlogin.net with
its default user name of admin and default password of password, or using whatever LAN
address and password you have set up.
2. On the wireless router main menu, select Add a WPS Client, and then click Next. The
following screen displays:
By default, the Push Button (recommended) radio button is selected.
3. Either press the WPS button on the side of the wireless router, or click the onscreen button.
The wireless router tries to communicate with the client for 2 minutes.
4. Go to the client wireless computer, and run a WPS configuration utility. Follow the utility’s
instructions to click a WPS button.
5. Go back to the wireless router screen to check for a message.
Figure 2-5
WPS button
RangeMax™ Dual Band Wireless-N Gigabit Router WNDR3700 User Manual
Safeguarding Your Network 2-15
v1.3, October 2009
The wireless router WPS screen displays a message confirming that the client was added to the
wireless network. The wireless router generates an SSID, and implements WPA/WPA2
wireless security. The wireless router will keep these wireless settings unless you change
them, or you clear the Keep Existing Wireless Settings check box in the WPS Settings
screen.
6. Note the new SSID and WPA/WPA2 password for the wireless network. You can view these
settings in the Wireless Settings screen. See “Manually Configuring Your Wireless Settings”
on page 2-4.

Hurts my head..
 
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Hexus0 said:
So from the recommendations on this last page, I'm between theD-Link DGL4500 and the Netgear WND3700, we've got 2 computers (the one in my sig and a Macbook Pro) and my PS3 on the network, nothing too intense. What do you guys suggest? Any reason to go one way or the other? I've had good experiences with Netgear and my D-Link (although I heard is POS router) isn't too bad for what it is. The Netgear WND3700 does look nice though lol :)
Click to expand...

I personally had a bad experience with the WNDR-3700, but I believe I just happened to get a dud. I returned it and got a DIR-825, which is working fine. I had problems with it at first, but after a full reset it's working perfectly. Good coverage, good speeds, no issues that I've run into after a week or two of use. I paired it with a DWA-556 PCI-e card and it's running great. I have several G and N devices and they are all connecting great. My son's Xbox360 with a G adapter, in the basement, was the only thing that had issues. I replaced the G adapater with an N adapter and now he's connecting better then ever. I think either of your choices would be fine, but the DIR-825 is a solid choice as well, just to confuse you more... :D
 
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Just popped for NetGear Wnd3700. Had a Dlink dir-615. Kept dropping off. Upped it to a dir-655, same problem. This is giving me speeds as fast as my wired connection with no drops. Guess it's worth the $150 I paid for it.
 
Spiko said:
DOCSIS 3.0 50mb
They don't throttle me either like they did on my 12mb plan. Usenet is soooooo fast. :D

EDIT:
So, I pulled a real noob move. When I got the router I went into settings and had everything all set up correctly. Then I noticed there was a firmware update and installed it. What I didn't realize was when I updated my firmware all my settings reset. I was probably too distracted by my new line running speedtests and shit. For some reason the default setting are for the wireless to be on but totally unencrypted so for the last 24 hours I've been broadcasting an open network. 5 different people have connected and between them downloaded 25gigs and uploaded 15. God damn it. I feel so used.
Click to expand...
the 4500 has bandwidth monitoring?
 
Does DIR-655 have some sort of built-in bandwidth/traffic monitor (i.e. how much I've up/downloaded in total)?

I heard you can use some upnp tool to find out the numbers, but I'm not sure if it works or not. :|
 
I picked up a WNDR3700 this past weekend after debating between it an an Engenius 9850 (I got tired of waiting for the 9855). Manual setup was quick and without problems; I went head and turned off the Traffic Monitor and Guest Network features after hearing of the problems with them. This thing is blazing fast; everything just seems snappier than with my old DGL-4300. No hiccups so far.
 
Spiko said:
DOCSIS 3.0 50mb
They don't throttle me either like they did on my 12mb plan. Usenet is soooooo fast. :D

EDIT:
So, I pulled a real noob move. When I got the router I went into settings and had everything all set up correctly. Then I noticed there was a firmware update and installed it. What I didn't realize was when I updated my firmware all my settings reset. I was probably too distracted by my new line running speedtests and shit. For some reason the default setting are for the wireless to be on but totally unencrypted so for the last 24 hours I've been broadcasting an open network. 5 different people have connected and between them downloaded 25gigs and uploaded 15. God damn it. I feel so used.
Click to expand...

You may have made a bigger mistake than you know there.

The best firmware for that router is 1.15. If you update to 1.2x firmware you are gonna have major issues.

I have kept my DGL-4500 at 1.15 for this reason.
 
Well, I just ordered a Netgear WNDR3700 and Intel EXPI9301CTBLK based on this thread, replacing an old WRT54GL & assorted switches. I hope I don't regret the purchase :eek:
 
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dropped the cash on a Netgear WnD3700 last week. My old linksys 150n crapped out and i figured id do it right this time and get a solid dual band. With all the ipods and netbooks and desktops with N/G/B/etc.

Love it so far. All of the options it has that ill never use still make me happy. My wife has an N adapter in the bedroom which is a good 40 feet away through multiple walls, and she is getting much better signal and download rates with this new router over the old 150n.
 
Linksys E3000 Or Airport Extreme? Which is better and why? And any other thoughts? I am a heavy PC gamer. Also I have my PS3 and Wii wireless.
 
Linkz said:
Linksys E3000 Or Airport Extreme? Which is better and why? And any other thoughts? I am a heavy PC gamer. Also I have my PS3 and Wii wireless.
Click to expand...
Neither - get a WNDR3700, keep the stock firmware and be happy. :)
 
Well, Today we were having problems with our internet, so the tech came out, at first he thought it was the modem, he switched it out for a much better one, but same results, but my dad wanted to upgrade to 20mbs, so the tech called it in, and we got upgraded, but the speed was still off, even though it was much faster then previous, so we bypassed the router and we kept getting a constant 30mbs down, with 2mbs up, the router was the problem, its a dir-655, and we have 6 computers connected to it, 2 hardwired and 4 wireless, plus a video phone, and vonage connected to it, plus an iphone, ipod touch, G1, and a palm pre plus, ps3, and a wii.

The current router we have only allows 13mbs down, and 400 kbs up, What router would you guys recommend for such a connected household? One that will allow the full 30mbs down and 2mbs up?
 
I heard having g clients connected effectively kills all benefit of n in terms of speed. Isn't this true for all routers? Perhaps you can avoid it with a dual band router (2.4 ghz + 5 ghz, independent) or something, but I'm not sure.

Or are you having troubles reaching 30 mbps even for the wired computers? That shouldn't be the case. :/
 
shurcooL said:
I heard having g clients connected effectively kills all benefit of n in terms of speed. Isn't this true for all routers? Perhaps you can avoid it with a dual band router (2.4 ghz + 5 ghz, independent) or something, but I'm not sure.

Or are you having troubles reaching 30 mbps even for the wired computers? That shouldn't be the case. :/
Click to expand...

That might be true....but most of everything wireless is G, the only N are mine and my dads laptop :/ But Dual band would be better? Hmm

Well, I turned the router into wireless N only, and just got 24mbs down, and 2mbs up, so i daresay that is the problem haha, but wouldnt a dual band also slow it down too? o_O
 
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