Looking for a new Wireless Router

[Phillip Dyson]

I'm looking to replace my aging Linksys Wireless G router. Any suggestions. I'm looking to stay with G since I don't thnk N is ready for primetime.

thanks

[onlydarksets]

I'm looking to replace my aging Linksys Wireless G router. Any suggestions. I'm looking to stay with G since I don't thnk N is ready for primetime.

thanks
Just curious, but is your Linksys failing? Or just lacking features? Have you considered putting Tomato or something similar on it? Sorry - I know this doesn't answer your question in any way.

[Timothy Huber]

I'd echo onlydarksets - what Linksys router do you have? I replaced my WRT54G with a NetGear RangeMax N router - going for higher speeds to my kitchen computer - only to have horrible issues with dropped connections. Eventually the router just died. I pulled out my old WRT54G to tide me over, and dropped the latest dd-wrt.com firmware on it. Six months later, I haven't looked back. G speeds are sufficient 95% of the time and the wireless connection is rock solid.

I may want to upgrade to get gigabit ethernet, but other than that I see no reason to replace the router.

If you are set on upgrading - in my own experience NetGear didn't work well. I've had excellent experience with LinkSys.

Timothy

[Phillip Dyson]

actually the faulure seems to
increase the more devices
that try to connect.
Plus its old. I could
probably get a speed and
signal boost by buying samething
newer.

What is Tomato?

[onlydarksets]

actually the faulure seems to
increase the more devices
that try to connect.
Plus its old. I could
probably get a speed and
signal boost by buying samething
newer.

What is Tomato?
http://lifehacker.com/344765/turn-your-60-router-into-a-user+friendly-super+router-with-tomato

[Timothy Huber]

actually the faulure seems to
increase the more devices
that try to connect.
Plus its old. I could
probably get a speed and
signal boost by buying samething
newer.

What is Tomato?


Tomato and dd-wrt firmwares are open-source upgrades for routers that add features not available in the manufacturer's firmware.

If you're looking for a reasonably priced replacement and want to stay with G I'd recommend getting a WRT54G. Even without the upgraded firmware it's a solid router.

[onlydarksets]

Tomato and dd-wrt firmwares are open-source upgrades for routers that add features not available in the manufacturer's firmware.

If you're looking for a reasonably priced replacement and want to stay with G I'd recommend getting a WRT54G. Even without the upgraded firmware it's a solid router.

I have the same router, and I'm using the stock firmware (latest rev, of course). It works great 99% of the time.

[Phillip Dyson]

What I'm seeing lately is that some devices on the networks aren't able to connect to the internet.
Currently I have:

2 laptops
2 Desktops
1 Printer
Vonage Router
Xbox 360
Wii

What I'm seeing lately is that if the xbox connects to Live, then later I discover the vonage device can not longer connect.

In the router console I've noticed that there are atleast 2 unnamed entries in the local network table. If I delete them both, then restart router, then Vonage can connect. But later I may discover that the xbox can't connect.
I assumed that the router (which happens to be an almost 3 or 4 year old WRT54G) was somehow getting confused with so many devices connecting. This scenario repeats sporadically with various combinations of the devices listed above.

This of course doesn't include the ever existant need to occassionally unplug my router for 30 seconds. I've had to do this since I bought it.

[Timothy Huber]

What I'm seeing lately is that some devices on the networks aren't able to connect to the internet.

Currently I have:

2 laptops
2 Desktops
1 Printer
Vonage Router
Xbox 360
Wii
What I'm seeing lately is that if the xbox connects to Live, then later I discover the vonage device can not longer connect.

In the router console I've noticed that there are atleast 2 unnamed entries in the local network table. If I delete them both, then restart router, then Vonage can connect. But later I may discover that the xbox can't connect.
I assumed that the router (which happens to be an almost 3 or 4 year old WRT54G) was somehow getting confused with so many devices connecting. This scenario repeats sporadically with various combinations of the devices listed above.

This of course doesn't include the ever existant need to occassionally unplug my router for 30 seconds. I've had to do this since I bought it.


Hmmm... I'm no networking expert but here's what I'm running with:

2 desktops - one wired, one wireless
1 Windows Home Server - wired (new as of this week)
1 Buffalo LinkStation NAS - wired
2 Tivos - one wired, one wireless
1 Vudu - wired
Also connecting sporadically are:

1 laptop - wireless
2 Windows Mobile PocketPCs - wireless
1 Buffalo Linktheater - wired
2 Zunes - wireless
Runing with the dd-wrt I've had no connectivity issues since July and have not needed to reboot the router.

One thing - Are you doing NAT with the Vonage unit as well as with the Linksys router? If so, that may muck up the waters and might be a source of your issues.

A feature included with both the dd-wrt and Tomato firmwares is the option to apply QOS parameters. I had Vonage a few years ago (a VOIP unit, not a router) and while they recommended plugging the Vonage box directly into the cable modem and then plugging the router into the Vonage box, I was able to get excellent performance hanging the Vonage box off the router and using QOS to make sure it had the performance it needed.

Regards,
Timothy

[onlydarksets]

A feature included with both the dd-wrt and Tomato firmwares is the option to apply QOS parameters. I had Vonage a few years ago (a VOIP unit, not a router) and while they recommended plugging the Vonage box directly into the cable modem and then plugging the router into the Vonage box, I was able to get excellent performance hanging the Vonage box off the router and using QOS to make sure it had the performance it needed.

Or, get FiOS, and you pretty much never have to worry about QoS again! :D

Seriously, though - ditto thuber. I put Vonage behind the router and enabled QoS when I had a cable modem. It worked fine after that for all of this:


3 laptops
2 desktops
2 printers
Vonage
Xbox 360
Wii
Sage HD Extender
iPhone
HDHomeRun HD tuner

[Phillip Dyson]

I actually have my Vonage router connected to my Linkysis router. Which subsequently is attached to my cable modem.

Come to think of it I do remember dd-wrt. I have a secondary router upstairs that I flashed about 2 years ago to connect it to my primary wirelessly. That is actually how my printer connects to the network. Though its usually the devices connecting directly to my primary (wired or wireless) that have the problem.

Maybe its time to flash my primary with a contemporary version to see if I get better stability. Plus the QoS may come in handy now that I've introduced FileShare and Mozy into the mix. There is a definite impact to my Vonage call quality since Mozy started its first backup.

[onlydarksets]

A timely post:
http://www.engadget.com/2008/10/23/ask-engadget-whats-the-most-reliable-wireless-router/

[Phillip Dyson]

Just an update.
It turns out that I'm running the Linksys WRT54GS V5.

I've been trying to upgrade it with the DD-WRT micro version, but I can't even get past the first (prep) step. It keeps saying the upgrade failed.

I went out and got a WRT54G2 v1 only to search and discover that DD-WRT doesn't seem to support this router.

Maybe I would be better off ordering a WRT54GL and flash it with DD-WRT. That one seems to have a high success rate.

[Phillip Dyson]

The WRT54GL (http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16833124190)seems to be a good replacement choice if I want to go with a 3rd party Firmware.

Does anyone else have any other suggestions?

thanks for hanging in there with me.

[onlydarksets]

I didn't realize there were so many versions of the WRT54G. Sorry, I'm lost now!