What Wireless Router should I get?

[alpha88]

I've been using a borrowed WRT54G (with DD-WRT firmware) and it's been working great.

However, it has to go back to it's owner and thus I'm in the market for a new wireless router.

All my wired computers have gigabit ethernet jacks, so I was thinking of upgrading to a router that supported it.

My laptop does not have a draft-N card, so I'm not sure if there is any reason to get a draft-N router.



I'm trying to decide between:

A new WRT54G (or a similar Buffalo model)
A fancy Draft-N, Gigabit router (such as WRT330N)
or anything else you suggest.

 

[Madwand1]

Semi-random suggestions:

1. D-Link DIR-655. Somewhat expensive.
2. Buffalo WHR-G125 (DD-WRT optional) + D-Link DGS-2208. (Cheaper than (1).)
3. Linksys WRT-350N. Even more expensive, but on DD-WRT beta list.
4. Start with (2), and get a mature 802.11n router down the road when you have a 802.11n adapter and the market's stabilized, prices come down, etc..

(1) Has no jumbo frame support on the gigabit, if that might matter to you. FYI. Probably not a huge issue.
(2) Switch has 9K jumbo frame support.
(3) Unsure about jumbo frame support.

 

[JackMDS]

Getting a preN is not a technological issue, if for some reason it would gain you social status having one, then it might be a good buy (Social Status is just as important as Technology ).

Otherwise, the best Bang for the Buck is, http://www.ezlan.net/buffalo.html

Best deal this week here, http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd...ctDetail.do?oid=155054

As for Giga ports. The current situation is the typical to early release of Combos. Combos usually start as a Market gimmick and in most cases their individual components are mediocre and bellow.

Right now all the Giga switches in the combo Routers are Blah!* (as explained in more technical term in Madwand1Madwand1 post above ).

SMC has a very good line of Entry Level Giga Switches.

* I suspect that there is a good reason for putting None Jumbo frame in combo Router's switches. If people will use the 9k setting of the Jumbu frames in thier systems the Internet connection, and Wireless would suffer, and would deem the Router in General as No good among the users.

 

[alpha88]

I like the option two idea.

Having a seperate switch is also nice in and of itself.

 

[KenAF2]

I would second the recommendations by Madwand, except I would opt for the WHR-HP-G125 in place of the WHR-G125, as it has a wireless amp for improved range and a removable / replaceable antenna. The antenna on the non-HP model is not removable / replaceable.

Otherwise, the best Bang for the Buck is, http://www.ezlan.net/buffalo.html

Best deal this week here, http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd...ctDetail.do?oid=155054

The WHR-G125 and WHR-HP-G125 replaced those models and are now the preferred routers for DD-WRT, according to the developer and his site. They're like the old 54 models, but with a 20+% faster CPU and a newer wireless radio for about $10 more.

As for Giga ports. The current situation is the typical to early release of Combos. Combos usually start as a Market gimmick and in most cases their individual components are mediocre and bellow.

Right now all the Giga switches in the combo Routers are Blah!* (as explained in more technical term in Madwand1Madwand1 post above ).

SMC has a very good line of Entry Level Giga Switches.

Perhaps that was true a few years ago, but I don't think it is true now.

The current market leader in the global market for integrated gigabit switch ICs is Vitesse. The D-Link DIR-655 is based on the 5-port version of the Vitesse SparX gigabit switch (available in 5-port, 8-port, 16-port, and 24-port versions). They can be used standalone for unmanaged switches, or with a separate CPU in managed switches.

The Vitesse SparX is the same chip used in the newest revisons of SMC's entry-level and mid-range business class switches. It is the same chip used by D-Link in its DGS-2205 and DGS-2208, and by Linksys in many of its business class switches. D-Link and Linksys also use the 16/24 port variant in many of their managed switches with a separate CPU.

All of the Vitesse parts support jumbo frames. It is up to the vendor to support that feature in firmware.

 

[JackMDS]

I WHR-G125 and WHR-HP-G125 might be a little better, but they are Not really available.

The boxes that are market WHR-G125 are actually a boxed WHR-G54 (I know because I bought one thinking that I am getting WHR-G125).


My comment about switches were related to switches inside Router?s combo and Not stand alone switches.

Regardless, I do think that the SMC is better.

 

[KenAF2]

My comment about switches were related to switches inside Router?s combo and Not stand alone switches.

Regardless, I do think that the SMC is better.

What difference does it make if it is the same switch? A switch is just a chip, regardless of whether it is sold in a product labeled as a switch or a router.

 

[Madwand1]

Originally posted by: KenAF2
The current market leader in the global market for integrated gigabit switch ICs is Vitesse. The D-Link DIR-655 is based on the 5-port version of the Vitesse SparX gigabit switch (available in 5-port, 8-port, 16-port, and 24-port versions). They can be used standalone for unmanaged switches, or with a separate CPU in managed switches.

The Vitesse SparX is the same chip used in the newest revisons of SMC's entry-level and mid-range business class switches. It is the same chip used by D-Link in its DGS-2205 and DGS-2208, and by Linksys in many of its business class switches. D-Link and Linksys also use the 16/24 port variant in many of their managed switches with a separate CPU.

All of the Vitesse parts support jumbo frames. It is up to the vendor to support that feature in firmware.

Great info, KenAF, I'd love to know how you got it.

I've heard from D-Link that the DIR-655 doesn't support jumbo frames. Based on the history of the DGL-4300, which had hardware capability for jumbo frames but was never enabled by D-Link, I suspect that the DIR-655 won't support jumbo frames, for some reason probably related to support issues.

The D-Link DGS-100xD switches have similar Vitesse chips (SparX-G8/G5 -- VSC7388/VSC7385), and support jumbo frames (in later revisions), but have a performance problem when jumbo frames are used -- the performance is capped around 700 Mb/s (at least up to rev. C5) in my tests.

The D-Link DGS-2205 is free of this problem, so this line gets a recommendation from me and looks like a great buy.

But the DGS-2205 has a heatsink bonded to the chip, so I can't directly verify the chip used without getting forceful or having some other inside information.

 

[alpha88]

Thanks - I'll order a DGS-2208 and whichever Buffalo WHR-G125 or WHR-HP-G125 that I can find.