My current wireless router, about 7 or 8 years old, goes kerflooey and has to be rebooted every couple weeks. It was set up by a computer guru and seemed to be rather complicated. Are there routers that can be set up with a minimum of hassle now that you guys can recommend? I would like to keep the same password so that visitors who have it already don’t have to change it (not to mention the three or four computers I use in different places).
I got something similar to a Cisco-Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G Router from Amazon a few years ago that works pretty well for me. It has four ports and wireless. It was pretty straight forward to set up, except for one thing which I don’t remember. It took a small amount of internet searching to figure out what I needed to do. I’m pretty handy with computers though, so your results might be different.
I bought a Belkin N600 router a few months ago for around $80 and have been happy with it. Its in the basement with me and my roommate still gets a strong signal on the 2nd floor.
Wireless networks are pretty simple, troubleshooting a little tougher.
here is a diagram for the hardware setup. The Belkin CD that came with mine did the rest of the work once the hardware was set up.
I did have issues getting my laptop to work with the router. Turns out Vista doesn’t support the latest wireless encryption(WAP?), but XP, my main computer where I set up the network, does. Go figure.
When I couldn’t figure it out, I put the Belkin CD in my laptop. It went through a few processes, couldn’t figure it out, and gave me a number to call. I was pretty impressed with the free tech support, though, this being my first router, I’m not sure what the norm is. I thought I would be on my own. I ended up having to switch web encryption from WAP to WEP(I think), so it took a little bit, but the guy knew what he was doing.
I think router manufacturers(at least Belkin) have the non-experts in mind when they sell them.
It so happens I just purchased a Netgear N600 dual channel. Works extremely well so far, and easy setup either by CD or online. You can check online for consumer reviews: they all have complaints, but some much more than others. Netgear seems to fare pretty well.
Two weeks ago I installed a Linksys 2500 (Amazon) and I’m very satisfied with it. Piece of cake to install and I’ve had no adverse issues with it. Both speed and area of coverage are excellent for my 1400 sq ft home.
Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G has been the gold standard for several years. Especially for the modest price it’s hard to beat.
However, its maximum speeds aren’t up to today’s. I had to replace one since the cable was faster than the router and I couldn’t use all of it.
I don’t know the max, and was unable to get a number from tech support (“Did you reboot?”), but I think it may be around 15Mb/sec.
Your help is appreciated. What I don’t seem to be able to find out (perhaps because it is too basic to mention) is whether they also support wired connections. My wife’s computer (vintage 1999, although it has been upgraded with a new hard drive and Win-XP) does not have a wireless port. I suspect that “4 ports” is the operative phrase, but I am not certain.
Yes, they almost all include 4 ports for Ethernet cable connections.
I know the Belkin N600 Dual band wireless router I referred to has many (4 I think, I’m too lazy to go downstairs and look)wired connections. I think all wireless routers should have a least a few wired ports.
Last year I replaced a failing Linksys WRT54G Wireless-G with a Netgear N600 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router WNDR3700, which worked really well and had good range from an upstairs floor to the floor below. (Shortly afterward I got AT&T U-Verse, which comes with its own wireless gateway, so I’m not using the Netgear any longer, but it worked solidly for a few months.)
Yes, I’ve got one sitting right here. 4 slots for wired connections, also one for the line in (of course) and a USB port. We like ours. I am plugged in and the rest of the household connects wirelessly with their laptops.
The Linksys Wireless-G router does have 4 wired connections. I’m still quite happy with mine speed-wise (but that may change when my shiny new laptop arrives next week).
I don’t think the real world delivered speed of any residential ISP (cable or fiber optic etc.) system approaches the G specification bandwith of 54 MBPS. Downloading and browsing is not typically going to go any faster with G vs an N spec for any consumer broadband service. Where you do pick up benefits for the N spec is better overall coverage and signal integrity, esp at the far end of the signal range, and faster throughput speed from PC to PC on the network in transferring files.
Same one I have. For the OP it has a guest network so you can offer them their own access while restricting access to your network.
I have residential 85Mb/sec down speed from Charter cable, and they plan to offer 120 sometime next year. Unfortunately (for some users), the upload speed is about 1/10 of the download. And they have a (soft) cap of 500GB per month for this rate tier. By “soft” I mean I get a nasty phone call if I exceed it, but so far they haven’t cut me off.
Since I upload and download standard TV-quality video files to/from TV stations, even these speeds cramp my style a bit and the cap is a killer. That’s why a fast router is important.
Wow… that’s amazing.