Which Wireless N router?

[Crippler]

Well, I'm only using my router currently to allow access to the net for multiple machines. I'm not throwing around huge files, so don't really need the extra throughput at the moment. I get my full internet bandwidth with my dinosaur router too. So it's all good...for now. When I get a laptop and want full speed over wireless out by the pool.....then a 'N' router will be in order.

[lovekeiiy]

Not really, you need a wireless with range for access. My Belkin Pre N is pretty damn good in that area. I can be in the back yard and I got a good signal. My router is a MIMO G router, so I can get upto 108mb/s.

Even if you don't, you can always install a repeater; I don't have personal experience with them. Throughput is an issue if you're going to share media and fines over your network such as HD movie content.

[Peench]

I have a repeater at my house and it works fairly well. Every once in a while though I find it drops the signal. Very randomly too.

[SHIBUMI]

I knew I should have checked here first - but I had the same 'impulse buy' thing going on this past weekend. I had one of my Linksys G's crap out on me about 4 months ago - and the wife kept losing connection to the back-up Linksys G I put in it's place.

Went out and bought the D-Link Xtreme N Gigabit router (DIR-655) also and their DWA-552 PCI adapter for her machine. Very happy with it so far. She's not getting the dropped connections anymore and her DL speed has gone from 3mb to 10mb! Nice!

I used to like Linksys a lot, but I dunno - not getting as good of a vibe off of them the past couple years.

BTW - as a nice surprise, Best Buy had GREAT prices (comparatively) on the router and the card - $119 and $59. Newegg had the router for $109 and card for $99!

NOW - I need to find a way to get N to my XBox!

[KEEZY]

I have that combo too Bumi (at least I think that's the card I have). I like it so far, and haven't had any drops. I did get a blue screen on Vista, but that's because I went some round-about way to install the different drivers.

[SHIBUMI]

That was the ONE thing that made me nervous about the card. Several people have been have BSOD w/ those drivers and Vista. Seems like the Vista 64 drivers are ok - only the 32.

Well - not a concern because we're not running Vista here - then I install it and my wife was like "oh cool, maybe now that it's all working again I'll go ahead and install Vista!!"

[Justintiime]

Quo,

I went through a cheap D link router, and 2 Linksys WRT54G routers. They worked, but always had access restrictions or NAT restrictions or SOME type of BS that would hassle me. I went out and bought this bad boy:

D-Link Wireless N Gamerlouge. The "DGL-4500"

Newegg.com - D-Link DGL-4500 IEEE 802.3/3u, IEEE 802.11a/b/g, IEEE802.11n Draft Xtreme N Gaming Router - Wireless Routers

$179.99 on newegg.com I got mine for $159 at best buy. In store price was $179.99, website was $159.99. They price matched themselves lol

I have had literally NO NAT errors, no dropped connections, no issues at all. I have a wireless laptop, wireless PS3, and wired 360 on it. I can use all 3 at the same time with no conflicts or anything.

[MadBryan]

I have the Dlink Extreme N PCI Express card that matches the router Keezy, Shibumi and I have, for sale if anyones interested

[WormholeXtreme]

Originally Posted by SHIBUMI

I knew I should have checked here first - but I had the same 'impulse buy' thing going on this past weekend. I had one of my Linksys G's crap out on me about 4 months ago - and the wife kept losing connection to the back-up Linksys G I put in it's place.

Went out and bought the D-Link Xtreme N Gigabit router (DIR-655) also and their DWA-552 PCI adapter for her machine. Very happy with it so far. She's not getting the dropped connections anymore and her DL speed has gone from 3mb to 10mb! Nice!

I used to like Linksys a lot, but I dunno - not getting as good of a vibe off of them the past couple years.

BTW - as a nice surprise, Best Buy had GREAT prices (comparatively) on the router and the card - $119 and $59. Newegg had the router for $109 and card for $99!

NOW - I need to find a way to get N to my XBox!

I just got mine from Newegg. It was $120 then the next day it went up to $125 so I felt pretty good. then the next day it dropped to the $110/$109. I wish Newegg priced matched.
I still haven't set it up yet. I need to go into the setup menu and enter the MAC and IP addresses for the 36 devices on my Network. Hopefully my Dlink Gaming router(DGL4300) will hold off long enough for me to get the 655 in. So far the DGL4300 has crapped out on me 3 times, I think from overheating since I have constant traffic on my network 24/7 now. I just know it was fine until my network traffic went up by over 10X.

[SHIBUMI]

Originally Posted by WormholeXtreme

I need to go into the setup menu and enter the MAC and IP addresses for the 36 devices on my Network.

OK - when are router manufacturers going to include an EASIER way to add MAC addresses to your filters???!!

I mean - on both my old Linksys and on this new D-Link, I can click in a status area that shows the MAC address of every device currently using my router. BUT - when I go to the page / section to actually add in MAC addresses to use, I have to type them all in (or copy / paste I guess).

Isn't it just common sense to have a button on the status page such as "add to my allow list" or "add to my deny list" ??

Does that exist in Netgear or any of the others?

I feel for ya man - 36 to add?? I'm b*tchin and I only have 3 to add

[lovekeiiy]

Well, I believe the reason to type them in is because if someone hacks into your router, they could just easily click the add button. Sure if they hack in, they could just type it in, but it's that much more work. Although, MAC cloning, from what I read, isn't the hardest thing to defeat.

[WormholeXtreme]

Crap! I just found out these new routers took a step backwards. They limit you to only 24 DHCP reservations. I got my DIR-655 the other day from Newegg and it was not working properly so I had to send it back to Newegg. So I went out to Best Buy and got the DGL-4500, thinking it was like the DGL4300 which had no problem reserving my 36 devices. But it has the same limit that the DIR-655 has. And a call to Dlink confirmed it. At least I got the router I should have from the beginning. I like the DGL4500 better since it takes care of most of the stuff for you although I guess the 655 and 4500 both have the same capabilities.
I just wish BestBuy had offered an extended warranty. Since my DGL4300 was dying after 2.5 years and the DIR-655 was intermittent from the beginning, I'm worried I might have problems with the DGL4500.

[lovekeiiy]

36 devices???? What the heck is with that. All the stuff I ever use has it somewhere between 200 and 255 if you maxed it out.

Personally, 36 would be enough for now, but who knows in the future, since I use somewhere in the 10 to 15 devices; my network is split in two, so in theory I could have close to 500 devices total.

[WormholeXtreme]

Originally Posted by lovekeiiy

36 devices???? What the heck is with that. All the stuff I ever use has it somewhere between 200 and 255 if you maxed it out.

Personally, 36 would be enough for now, but who knows in the future, since I use somewhere in the 10 to 15 devices; my network is split in two, so in theory I could have close to 500 devices total.

It's DHCP reservations and they only allow 24. It can still assign many ip addresses, but you can only specify 24 of them, which makes no sense to me.

[lovekeiiy]

Sorry, I meant 24. It was a little late when posted. The point is still the same, WTF???? I make no sense especially with just about every company doing electronics is pushing for that accessing home devices away from home. I saw one show when the oven was setup to start preheating and what not via a internet connection.

Makes one wonder why a limit. Hearing stuff like that makes me think it's a cheapy unit, but I know better.

If you have an old computer and a few NICs around, I suggest using something like Smoothwall/. I use it and been good a firewall. I use some old computer my neighbor gave when the HDD crashed (I had an extra HDD). I use my routers as APs. It's free too. I know there are other open-source programs as well that are very good.

[WormholeXtreme]

Originally Posted by lovekeiiy

Sorry, I meant 24. It was a little late when posted. The point is still the same, WTF???? I make no sense especially with just about every company doing electronics is pushing for that accessing home devices away from home. I saw one show when the oven was setup to start preheating and what not via a internet connection.

Makes one wonder why a limit. Hearing stuff like that makes me think it's a cheapy unit, but I know better.

If you have an old computer and a few NICs around, I suggest using something like Smoothwall/. I use it and been good a firewall. I use some old computer my neighbor gave when the HDD crashed (I had an extra HDD). I use my routers as APs. It's free too. I know there are other open-source programs as well that are very good.

I used a PC as a DHCP server from 1997 to 2002 but then I started using a router. So I don't want to go back to the PC router although I guess my HP Media Smart Server running Windows Server 2003 could do the job if I needed it to. But the Dlink router is more convenient. I like the OLED screen on the DGL4500, not that I will use it much. I just hope it lasts more than the 2.5 years my DGL4300 did. BestBuy doesn't offer any extended warranties on their routers or wireless cards(I went out and got a wireless N card for my LAptop. I figured I might as well use it since the router has 802.11n)