Best four port cable router...

[Insane3D]

I am looking to get a router to share my Adelphia cable modem service with another PC in the house. I have been checking out the SMC, the Linksys, and the NetGear...which one is the best? Also, do they all have firewall's, and is that needed for a home setup? One other thing..if I get one with a built in print server, can I use my printer if it is connected to the computer via USB? Thanks in advance...

 

[Sukhoi]

Wow, we're in similar situations. How do you like Adelphia? I may be signing up for it in a month or two. What kind of speeds are you getting? I can't find any real numbers on their webpage.

I have the same question about the router too.

Is the SMC Barricade still slow? I think I remember reading a while back that it was a fair amount slower than the Linksys/Netgear/D-Link routers?

 

[Sukhoi]

For your printer question, you'd have to share it through Windows on the PC. I think only parallel port printers can be shared directly through the router like that.

 

[Insane3D]

Sukhoi:

I like Adelphia...when it works. I am in a small town in New Hampshire and I can't get DSL because I am over 4 miles from the local telephone switch. They are pretty reasonable up here, $39.99/mo. includes the Motorola SB3100 modem and a Kingston NIC. The one thing I don't like is that if you get your own modem and NIC, they won't charge any less. My service was great for a long time, but they are doing a complete overhaul of the cable backbone in my area that will be completed by mid to late summer. So, I have alot of outages lately, but they are laying a ton of fiber and all the lines will be completely DOCSIS compliant when they are done, so I am sure after the inconveinence, it will be worth it. Before the upgrades started, I would get between 380 - 500 or so on that CNET bandwith tester. My downloads are usually around ~200 kbps.. I have had the linksys suggested, but I am not sure if the SMC is better, and if the linksys includes a firewall.

 

[JackMDS]

No best, they are all good.

You can do product comparison here:

Routers Guide

Printer server need parallel port, no USB.

 

[Sukhoi]

Yeah, I'm in a small town too, and can't get DSL.

Adelphia is just offering cable here in the last month or so, so I think all the lines are DOCSIS compliant.

Do you think Adelphia will give me the NIC if I don't use it right away? I have plenty of PCI NIC's, but I need another ISA NIC incase I get another 486.

What's the modem like? Any problems with the modem resetting a lot or anything like that?

Also, do you know if Adelphia officially allows internet sharing? I read the whole TOS/AUP today, and couldn't find anything banning it.

Right now I have my LAN set up for ICS sharing for dial-up, so if sharing is against their policy, I might have some explaining to do when they come to install the cable (if I do sign up for it).

Oh, I'm not sure if the Linksys has a true firewall, but all common routers use NAT, which is a sort of firewall in itself.