Any Brand still making Home/SOHO Wired Cable-Routers with Hardware Firewall-SPI

[sparkuss]

I am still running a 3COM Office Connect 3CR858-91 4port 10/100 Cable-DSL Router on my home PC as well as my friends PC.

I would like to find another wired Cable-DSL wired router of the same abilities for my mothers PC.

The only things I see on Newegg are switches and wireless cable routers.

Does anyone still make the kind of Cable-DSL router that this 3COM unit represents?

I really would like a new unit that has more recent firmware, rather than trying a used unit of the same type.

 

[Ratman6161]

I am still running a 3COM Office Connect 3CR858-91 4port 10/100 Cable-DSL Router on my home PC as well as my friends PC.

I would like to find another wired Cable-DSL wired router of the same abilities for my mothers PC.

The only things I see on Newegg are switches and wireless cable routers.

Does anyone still make the kind of Cable-DSL router that this 3COM unit represents?

I really would like a new unit that has more recent firmware, rather than trying a used unit of the same type.

I guess it depends what you want to do with it. Looking at the specs on the unit you have, it looks to me like it's basically the same as the wireless routers available today...just without the wireless. Any decent wireless router you buy could take the place of your 3com and if you don't want wireless for some reason just disable it (they all have 10/100 or 10/100/1000 ports).

 

[sparkuss]

Thanks,

I hadn't thought of just using a wireless in wired mode only.

Yes, all I need is basic hardware firewall for inbound connection security. I use Online Armor software firewall on all machines for outbound and program execution security.

The only other thing the firewall is connected to is my Tivo DVR and occasional firmware upgrades to TV and Bluray players.

I'll go ahead and start researching specs of the major brand wireless to see which ones are most robust and have enough wired ports.

I was hoping there was still a brand in this early market but I guess wired is all but gone except for enterprise.

 

[JackMDS]

Even if you find one, it would not be less expensive than a Wireless Router (actually they are Cable/DSL Routers with Wireless).

There is no big differences in the wire aspect of the Wireless Router and wire only Routers from years ago expect to the Giga capable switch in the more expensive ones.

If you have No use for the Wireless (Cell phones and Tablets can benefit from WIFI too) and Wireless ""Scares"" you, switch it off.

 

[lupi]

I just had to buy a wireless router for someone, and can tell you from the quick shopping for a cheap basic version, you'll be hard pressed to find a wired only version in current offerings unless you get some obscure business level only model. And has been mentioned, all the wireless ones I've seen have ways to disable the wireless if you want it to act as a wired only version.

 

[sparkuss]

I'm not ""scared"" of wireless I just don't have any need for it. I don't use a separate laptop in the living room and I don't game or browse on a phone or tablet.

And I can't travel to the East Coast whenever my 73 year old mother decides to do something on her computer that breaks a wireless install/settings. I have enough trouble trying to keeping her from breaking her Skype setup and her browser(s) from being hijacked.

 

[JackMDS]

Wireless switch off is done in the Router.

If your mom knows how to do so she is probably more of Enthusiasts that you think.

Otherwise, this may be can Help.

http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-R4...8&qid=1420683249&sr=1-1&keywords=wired+router

 

[Carson Dyle]

Don't get too hung up on the number of network Ethernet ports. You can always add an inexpensive gigabit network switch.

If you do buy a wireless router and decide to leave the wireless enabled even though you're not currently using it, don't forget to password protect it to keep people from gaining access to your network.

 

[lupi]

if you want wireless off, it's just selecting/deselecting a check box in the control menu or sometimes pushing an exterior button.

 

[sparkuss]

Thanks all,

Yeah this needs to be as simple as possible so I don't have to worry about talking my mother through any resets or IP settings. Once I set it up and secure it, I can't get back for months to a year to do any more trouble shooting on it.

And if it has any problems with dropping out or losing synch or renewing the IP (although I'll set it fixed before I leave) I'll have to again try to talk her through any fixes.

And as with skype, once it doesn't work and she tries resetting/re-installing on her own without asking me, it isn't coming back. (No Skype this Xmas! even though I checked it well before we needed it.)

 

[Ratman6161]

Thanks all,

Yeah this needs to be as simple as possible so I don't have to worry about talking my mother through any resets or IP settings. Once I set it up and secure it, I can't get back for months to a year to do any more trouble shooting on it.

And if it has any problems with dropping out or losing synch or renewing the IP (although I'll set it fixed before I leave) I'll have to again try to talk her through any fixes.

And as with skype, once it doesn't work and she tries resetting/re-installing on her own without asking me, it isn't coming back. (No Skype this Xmas! even though I checked it well before we needed it.)

Whatever kind of setup you get, something is always going to go wrong. I know with my cable company they are recommending restarting the cable modem every two weeks...which seems stupid...so I never do it. But every once in a while our connection stops working and I get a call at work from my wife wanting to know how to "fix the internet". But in cases like that its just the power supply shuffle i.e. unplug the router, unplug the cable modem. Plug in the cable modem and wait for all the blue lights to be on then plug in the router and wait for the Cisco logo to stop flashing. Unless the cable company changes something or the hardware goes bad that's about the extend of my trouble shooting by phone.

My in laws live about 40 miles from me and I have become their default "tech support". Their service provider installed their service with nothing at all between the internet and the Ethernet port on the back of their machine....told them they didn't need anything else which really bothered me. So I took my old but still functional wireless router up there and connected their incoming connection to that then wired their computer into the router - pretty much the same as you are doing. I actually left the wireless on even though they don't use it but did turn on wpa2 including password. This is so my wife and I can use it on our tablets when we are visiting them.

 

[Compman55]

Ubiquiti Edgerouter lite 3 port.

Update the firmware to 1.6.0 final.
Use the wizard to configure.
Use the command line for any advanced things.

Never worry about power cycles again. Rock solid.