Best wired router available for $150 or less

[cmetz]

Jeep4JB, WRT54GL with third-party firmware has good performance and stability.

You might also consider a spare/refurb PC (you can find PIII systems for under $150) and OpenBSD or some other *IX based firewall software (Monowall, Smoothwall, etc.).

 

[kyoshozx]

I just recently purchased a D-link DG-4300 gaming router, and I had stability problems with the router and had to RMA it. I should be getting a replacement anytime. The problem I had with the router is that it would reboot at least once a day, and after countless emails and one phone conversation with tech support they sugguested I return the router for a new one.

As for stability, I would have to agree with other members that cisco is rock solid. As captante sugguested you might have to spend almost double the amount you stated to get a cisco router. Also if you're not familiar with cisco routers, setup can be a pain, even though they now do come with a somewhat user friendly interface called SDM.

One thing to mention is that cisco updates are not free, you will need to have a support contract to be able to download updates to the cisco IOS.

 

[Jeep4JB]

Anyone have any experience/comments on the RV series from Linksys?

 

[birdog]

Have you looked and the new Wireless N. I havent used one but if you are going wireless why not try the new wireless N

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/prod...tail.aspx?sku=A0642956&cs=19&c=us&l=en

 

[Jeep4JB]

I'm actually looking for a wired router and not wireless.

 

[InlineFive]

Originally posted by: Captante

Originally posted by: Cloud Strife
Do not get a D-Link gaming router. If you do, you're almost as guilty as the person who gets the "killer NIC" card.

I'll tell you what, these routers may not be any faster for online gaming, but as I said they do have a built in gb switch & theres no question that will boost LAN gaming speeds quite a bit over 10/100 like most routers have. I've installed the wired version of the gaming router specifically at least 30 times & had zero problems ... in fairness though, the same can be said of the lowly $29 ($19 after rebate) model DI-604 which I've used much more often!

Games are designed to use Kbps of bandwidth for Internet connections versus Mbps of bandwidth for LAN connections. And since LAN pings are generally under 1 Millisecond I don't see why Gigabit will help you at all.

 

[Fallen Kell]

Stay away from the belkin Pre-N devices. They have some major flaws in them, like throttleing network bandwidth when high demad is requested (even have seen 3-5 seconds with NO packets being sent).

That said, I am currently using a linksys WRT54G running DD-WRT OS. It works for the most part, but I believe it is the bottleneck in my network (I have a 16 port managed gigabit switch which I have all my computers connected to, with 2 truncated connections to the Wrt54g for 200mbps theoritical connection to the router, not that the other end of the router can communicate that fast as it is a 6mbps comcast line...)

 

[cgeorgeisaac]

Dlink's DI-604 is very good for the price and specifications.

cgeorgeisaac
Toronto

 

[nweaver]

for stability under load, I would go either Cisco, or an old 1U/small desktop with Smoothwall.

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Originally posted by: Jeep4JB
I'm actually looking for a wired router and not wireless.

Get a stable wireless one, and shut off the wireless or remove the antennas.

- M4H

 

[marulee]

Suspicious..you should be more specify on what technology you prefer, such as 10/100/1000. Or it does not matter.

Edit: want QoS? or VPN?

Quick comment...

Cisco Systems bought Linksys a few years ago. They did so because of the explosion in home networking and it was a market they didn't target, Enterprise and Service Provider are 99% of their customers.

When i talk inside stuff with Cisco - to them, linksys isn't really integrated with them. It's just a subsiderary.

they also bought Scientific Atlanta, the second set top box player after motorola.

It is Cisco's goal to own the communications infrastructure - from core, to distribution, to edge, to the home. Let's not forget storage, wireless, IP voice/video, etc.

Sort of agree.

 

[bob4432]

what about a older gen (v2 wired/wireless) router running a 3rd party firmware? currently over 280days with no issues and there are 100s of GB of data through this little guy. maybe i got lucky, but it has been the best $50 i have ever spent, plus the 3rd party firmwares give you much better options. this firmware is what they should have come stock with....

 

[Jeep4JB]

I'd be more than willing to run modded firmware on a router in my own home but I just can't see doing that for clients in their offices and homes. With the home theaters and whole house audio systems I'm installing requiring a robust and reliable network, it's essential to have a router that works and isn't the weakest link when so many other things can go wrong!

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: Jeep4JB
I'd be more than willing to run modded firmware on a router in my own home but I just can't see doing that for clients in their offices and homes. With the home theaters and whole house audio systems I'm installing requiring a robust and reliable network, it's essential to have a router that works and isn't the weakest link when so many other things can go wrong!

unless you can find something better, i feel that a modded router is better than anything new. i uderstand the crowd you are talking about because friend of mine use to do high a/v installs ($20K on up, along with whole house automation in homes that may have 5 or 6 a/c units and all the different zones).

unfortunately all of the dlink, linksys, buffalo and consumer stuff out there has severe limitations and then there is enterprise stuff. sadly, even the "extreme" routers from dlink and linksys are not any better than their cheap stuff.

this area you are looking at is sadly very lacking, honestly most of the non-modified consumer routers are lacking in terms of stabilty. you may want to still look at modified firmwares, they are the only thing i can think of that would be able to give you what you are looking for. maybe look at http://www.linksysinfo.org/ and see if there is anything you can use - maybe one of the "better" routers mixed with a 3rd party fimware. there is no way i could be over 293 days straight on a stock linksys firmware without any issues, and i run regular websites, secured websites, regular ftp and ftp-ssl, a couple game servers, a bt client and torrent tracker that is exposed to the outside world - again with no issues, mixed in with it running the wifi portion for the laptop

good luck

 

[Jeep4JB]

Are you running DD-WRT or if not, what 3rd party firmware?

 

[bob4432]

Originally posted by: Jeep4JB
Are you running DD-WRT or if not, what 3rd party firmware?

HyperWRT 2.1b1 +tofu13c

UpTime

 

[Zap]

Wow, this thread's been around for a while.

Originally posted by: RebateMonger
Netgear FVS318 VPN Wired Router, $90, free shipping, metal case, 8 ports, high-speed WAN port, 3-year warranty

I would not recommend that one. I had one, and it was problematic. Searching at DSL Reports forums and others had the same problem. Besides really slow LAN-to-WAN speeds and difficult to configure VPN, it would occasionally... lock up. Just out of the blue. Some people had ones that didn't lock up at all, but too many had one that did lock up.

Originally posted by: Jeep4JB
I've dealt with too many routers that about one a month or so decide they won't hand out an IP address or just lock up for whatever reason. I'm hoping to get something I can simply plug in and let run.

I too have had seen too many routers have issues, both my own and ones owned by others. The best luck I've had is with using a computer. Of course my earlier computer-turned-router died (MSI socket 370 board, developed the dreaded burst capacitors after 3 years of service). I'm now about 1½ years into a mobile P4 on a desktop board.

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire

Originally posted by: Jeep4JB
I'm actually looking for a wired router and not wireless.

Get a stable wireless one, and shut off the wireless or remove the antennas.

That's an idea.

 

[Jeep4JB]

So any thoughts on DGL-4100 vs Linksys RV routers?

 

[yuppiejr]

Originally posted by: Jeep4JB
So any thoughts on DGL-4100 vs Linksys RV routers?

I'd say the DGL-4100 just based on it's maturity, performance and features.

As a a lower cost option, The Zyxel X-550 is a very similar product with the "GamerLounge" QoS feature of the DGL-4100 and MIMO wireless (which could be disabled). It performed similarly to the 4100/4300 on Tom's router benchmarks but is around half the price after rebate at Newegg.

 

[Jeep4JB]

I'm testing the DGL-4100 right now so let's hope it proves to be stable and I don't have to search any further for a reliable router that doesn't break the bank...Thanks for the insights!

 

[Jeep4JB]

Anyone have experience with the Netgear ProSafe line of routers? I'm finding that Netgear is used by the vendor whose gear I'm trying to integrate and they say it works well so I'm looking for any insight on Netgear ProSafe routers and wireless APs.

Thanks!

 

[JackMDS]

Do not see the following in light of Good or Bad it is a description of reality.

I think that if you follow the nature of forums like this and the people that participate you should know that when it come to pro work that has to be good and reliable the hardware involved is like Cisco etc., expensive but very reliable and does the Job.

On the other hand, the main discussions here are about how enthusiasts get the max out of the minimum and enjoy their own good work.

All the rest is kind of Middle of the Road that does not matter whether you get one plastic box or the other.

Vendors take a different approach and other sets of consideration (not necessarily Bad, different). They cannot install every other day some thing else because it was on sale that week. They have to consider margin of profit term of financing etc.

If Vendors consideration would satisfy evrey one there would be no need for most of the online Forums.

In a forum like this the idea is to find a $40 Router that with a little work can do more then a $100.

Finding a Zyxel on sale that can do the same for half of the price does the trick aorund here.

Unless there some specific function that D-Link does and the Netgear Does not (or vice versa), you realy think that there is a difference.

Actually, as an example, due to poor QAthe variation of quality and performance within Brand (i.e between unit of the same model of Netgear) can be larger the between Brands (I.e. between similar device of D-Link and Netgear).