Time for a new router? How fancy do I need?

[bull2118]

I cant get my 5 year old Linksys G wireless router to connect so I asked a guy in Staples about it today (who was actually fairly knowledgeable)

He says, what with streaming HD, XBOX etc etc... that I need an "AC" router. They had some on their shelves (which had to be good because the packaging looked awesome) that I think was this one

http://www.staples.com/NETGEAR-AC120...product_953798

for $129.

Do I need this set up?

Also, will I need a new wireless adapter for my desktop (I don't stream anything of note to it, just download the occasional update etc...)

Thanks in advance.

 

[OlafSicky]

No you don't need an AC router for xbox etc. The N standard is good enough and G is probably the one most wide spread.

 

[Exterous]

No you don't need an AC router for xbox etc. The N standard is good enough and G is probably the one most wide spread.

Not to mention the AC part is only going to work if your devices support AC

 

[VirtualLarry]

http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/lanwan/router-charts/view

Take a gander at the Wan to Lan charts. Size your router appropriately for your Wan (internet) speeds.

Also, tell us what kind of internet that you have, what speeds up and down, and what you have or might want to connect to it.

AFAIK, "wireless AC" is still a draft standard. You might not want to invest in pre-standard gear, unless you are comfortable with having to purchase new gear after it is standardized.

Look for a Netgear WNR2000, they are middle-of-the road N300 routers that are fairly decent, cheap ($50), and available at Staples and Walmart, last time I checked.

Or if you are comfortable shopping online, Newegg.com has them refurb for $20-30.

And if you are feeling really adventurous, you could put DD-WRT firmware on it.

Edit: OP, I do suggest you upgrade from G though. That's a really old standard, and is considered slow these days. Plus, the Wan to Lan throughput of a WRT54G is pretty low too (25-30Mbit/sec).

 

[kevnich2]

If you've survived the last 5 years with a plain G linksys router - you don't need an AC wireless router. The staples guy is just trying to sell you the highest price unit they have. Any linksys/cisco/dlink wireless router will serve you just fine. The N wireless standard is much better than the G you used to use. If you don't need it like NOW, your best bet price wise is to hit up amazon or newegg. B&M stores always charge more.

And to add to what virtuallarry mentioned - try and get one that is ddwrt compatible. Stick with the stock firmware for a bit and you have issues, flash it to ddwrt and I can almost guarantee you won't have issues after that. I had one that never needed a reboot for about 15 months....until I moved and had to power it down.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Any linksys/cisco/dlink wireless router will serve you just fine.

I wouldn't say that. The recent revelation of a remote-access backdoor in D-Link firmware, or the WPS flaw in linksys / cisco routers that likely won't be fixed, those are things to be informed about and to watch out for. Likewise, avoid "cloud" routers, or anything linksys / cisco that mentions "cloud connect" - because those routers send everything you browse to the mothership corporation.

I'm not aware of any issues with the WNR2000, which is why I recommended that one.

OP, if you plan on replacing the stock factory firmware with DD-WRT or Tomato, then all that really matters is ensuring compatibility with that firmware.