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Gigabit Wireless Router Options?

Gillbot

Gillbot

Lifer
I currently have a WNR3500 and i'm not overly happy with it. It has worked GREAT until recently when it started randomly dropping WI-FI. I've gone through the suggestions of changing channels and what not but it still drops. Sometimes once a day, sometimes 8+ times an hour. A google search concludes that this is a common issue with this and a few other models so I want something more solid. I don't know if something changed recently to cause this issue but i'm tired of it.

Before this, I ran a WRT54G v2 for ~7 years but I prefer the gigabit interface for all my wired devices and like the N wireless speed. Sadly, to combat this disconnect issue, I just tossed my WRT54G back into service for now.

My current thoughts are:
  • Grab a wired gigabit router and a wireless AP. (Or use the WNR3500 in AP mode)
  • Pick up a new Gigabit/N router that can last as long as my WRT54G did.
  • Toss a gigabit switch on my WRT54G.

Suggestions?
 
Gillbot said:
  • Toss a gigabit switch on my WRT54G.
Click to expand...

My thought is that you can never have enough ports, so a gigabit switch is always a good investment.

Then you can upgrade your wireless router as desired and not have to worry about it supporting gigabit speeds (there are specials on dirt cheap 100/N devices all the time), and still have oodles of ports.

Also keeping the router on the wireless device means that there's only one device to manage
 
The only downside to tossing on a switch to my current setup is I lost the "N" speed and I have limited space/power since I wired everything up for a "router". Not a big change, but something I need to consider.

I'm still wondering if I could set up my N router as a plain Access Point plugged into the G router, then if the N failed it could roll over to the G side? That would allow me to keep N speed but I don't think I could retain the use of the gigabit ports on the N router so I'd still have to add a switch. Hmm..
 
Gillbot said:
The only downside to tossing on a switch to my current setup is I lost the "N" speed
Click to expand...

Which is why I was proposing a 2-step upgrade

1. get a gigabit switch
2. get a dirt-cheap 100/N router

you could of course do both at the same time if you want

Gillbot said:
I'm still wondering if I could set up my N router as a plain Access Point plugged into the G router, then if the N failed it could roll over to the G side?
Click to expand...

Assuming that it's just the wireless that's flaking out, you could keep the N as the router, setup the G as an AP and if the wireless dies, switch over to the G network, but that's too much effort, plus once a piece of consumer electronics starts dying, it's usually best to just ditch it.
 
Your connection/sessions would drop when the switch occurs unless you set up some kind of WDS. I just picked up an ASUS RT-N56U. Cant wait. you can also check out smallnetbuilder.com for AP/router/switch reviews.
 
Wired on the WRN3500 works flawlessly and the wireless still works, it just drops clients. It's a common issue. Since my wife and kids primarily use Wifi, it's just a headache saver for me if it works flawlessly like my WRT54G has.

Any suggestions on a N router? I'm not one who blindly needs DD-WRT or any other "features", though I do have Tomato on my WRT54G for the added WOL support.

I guess I need to decide if the "N" speed is needed as the easiest solution seems to be just adding the gigabit switch to my WRT54G router and leaving it. I'm just trying to recall if there was a reason I pulled the WRT54G from service to begin with.
 
Quote: "Pick up a new Gigabit/N router that can last as long as my WRT54G did".

This is sort of an oxymoron. Just like the WNR 3500, everything that works well will deteriorate in time

Anything End-Users Wireless that you will buy these days (with the "crappy" approach of the Brands to hardware) will end up sooner or later in the category of the WNR 3500.

As a first free Route, try to boost a little the WRT 54G Wireless power.

Connect the WNR 3500 as a switch with an access point, give it a different SSID and channel, connect the N capable client to the WNR 3550, and the rest to the WRT54G.

May be it will solve the problem.
--------------------

Otherwise.

If you need a Giga switch this is very good and inexpensive.

5 port - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-259-_-Product

8 ports - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-309-_-Product

If you do want a new Wireless Router, at the moment I will go with this.

If you do not care about Dual Radio.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-309-_-Product

With Dual Radio.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833320062


😎
 
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I don't need snazzy features, I want reliability for the price. It's hard to find something that's as tried and true as the WRT54G but i'm sure over the evolution to "N" that they are out there, I just don't know what the new "WRT54G replacement" happens to be.

I have one main wireless device (my wife's laptop) that needs the N speed since she uses it heavily for streaming and, well everything. The rest are just a few ipod touches, iphone and a Wii so they don't NEED the speed.

As for giga switches, I think I have one in my "pile-o-parts" already so that's going to be the interim solution. Though I may try to add the WNR3500 in and segregate the N and G clients and see if that does indeed help.
 
That's the [FONT=&quot]way the cookie bounces,[/FONT]

There is No way to currently predict durable devices (unless you have a Flux capacitor).

In the last few years we were going through MIMO, pre-N Drat-N Darft-2, and only short time ago 802.11n

The joke is that the N benefits are highly depending on the Antenna system. However, a good Antenna system is expensive and makes the units look visually Bad. Therefor in many units cosmetics takes over technology.

In matter of fact the WRT54G as is, it is a crappy Router too.

Its performance success is limited to v1-4, GL models, and it comes from the Tomato, or the DD-WRT firmwares.



😎
 
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I was going to recommend the WNDR3700 or D-Link DIR-685.... Both of those have very good wireless capabilities as well as excellent router functionality (LAN->WAN and WAN->LAN).

Go see the benchmark charts:

http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/component/option,com_chart/Itemid,189/

http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/component/option,com_wireless/Itemid,200

While there are some other products which might do a little better, most of them lack some features that really make them not too appealing (like lack of guest wireless networks, or no IPV6 compatibility (something that EVERYONE needs to worry about if they don't want to have to upgrade in a year or two)).
 
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I'm going to throw my vote for a WNDR3700 as well.

Currently I'm using a Gigabit switch plugged into the all in one unit my ISP makes me use since it doesn't have Gigabit ethernet. The WNDR3700 even has a Gigabit WAN port on it.
 
I don't see the need for a new router. I recently purchased a trendnet teg-s50g gigabit switch for $20 through Dell and it works great.

You're not going to need a gigabit port on the WAN unless you have some sort of insane internet connection.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there will be a significant difference between an older router and a new one when it comes to internet use on a "normal" connection.
 
SickBeast said:
I don't see the need for a new router. I recently purchased a trendnet teg-s50g gigabit switch for $20 through Dell and it works great.

You're not going to need a gigabit port on the WAN unless you have some sort of insane internet connection.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think there will be a significant difference between an older router and a new one when it comes to internet use on a "normal" connection.
Click to expand...

There isn't, BUT, if you had read through the thread you would have seen that the N wireless is used for networking/streaming and the gigabit portion is heavily used in my home network. The routing portion is basically to keep the computers online, that's all.
 
Well if you really need wireless N, then it would make sense to just get a new router. I've seen the trendnet ones go for $40 through Dell, and I've heard of other ones that cost around $50 and are compatible with DD-WRT.

There may well be a way to use your WRT54G as the main router, with your WNR3500 somehow transmitting the internet signal over wireless N. Perhaps someone here will know if this is possible and how to set it up.
 
There is a noticeable difference in range and speed on my N capable devices using the WNR3500. I think the WNR3500 will do Access Point mode, which I may try while using the WRT54G as a main router and also broadcasting G wireless. This would allow N only and G oly to be separated, not sure if it'll help. To me though, this seems overly complex as my G router handled everything I threw at it for some time. This N router flaked in a short period and has been nothing but headaches recently.
 
There are a lot of routers like that. It's hard to find a good one. I think I'm going to stick with routers that can run Tomato firmware from now on as I find it's very fast and stable on my WRT54G.
 
I used to run HyperWRT but switched to Tomato when they abandoned HyperWRT.

If it weren't for the WOL issues, I would have left it at stock.
 
1. Switch separate from router - trust me on this - my hdhomerun can take out MOST every router with a gigabit port.
2. if you don't need > 100mbit then use what you got if it works.

Spend $15 on a 8 port gigabit switch and throw it in front of the router and you'll see life much better
 
I may just leave the WRT54G in place but I *think* I pulled it out because it was getting flaky at times too. I'll put the switch there though and maybe that'll ease it's burden. I'm also going to try and pop the N router on in access point mode (if it can) and see if the N clients drop off when they are alone.
 
It seems that possibly, even good stable routers can get flaky over time. Whether this is due to voltage fluctuations (they generally don't have high-quality power bricks), or overheating/heat damage, I don't know.
Knock on wood, but my Netgear 834Bv2 routers in WDS have been stable.
 
Newegg shell shocker

Code: 
$50 Linksys WRT320N
http://www.newegg.com/Special/ShellShocker.aspx?cm_sp=ShellShocker-_-33-124-332-_-03182011
 
$48 ZyXEL X550N 802.11n Gigabit Wireless Router

Code: 
http://www.buy.com/prod/zyxel-x550n-802-11n-gigabit-wireless-router/q/loc/101/208079555.html
 
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