Recommend a wireless router?

[tuolumnejim]

I'll be getting a hardwired 15mbps comcast infinity internet connection in January but I have two other computers in the house that rely on a wireless connection, any ideas?
Anything has to be an improvement over my "Frontier" 1meg connection.

[pyr02k1]

Asus n16 with tomato firmware. I can max the hardwired 1gbit Ports and wireless speeds are decent enough that I can stream 1080 over wireless n, 720 on g depending on distance.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

[Excitable Boy]

I have had good luck with a Linksys E3000. It will simultaneously broadcast at 5ghz and 2.4ghz which allows newer N devices to be setup in the 5ghz band so tha tif a slower B or G device is on the network, it doesn't have to dumb down the whole network to the speed of the slowest device. Wifi coverage has been pretty good as well.

[nick]

I mostly deal with access points, but I've had good luck with these routers:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124082

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124411

The Linksys one uses both a and g bands simultaneously, which increases the throughput, especially with multiple stations connected, and in the noisy environments. The Cisco one has better control set/features and it supports better real throughput. Since this is for a home network with no frills, I'd go with the Linksys one. You're not likely to hit the throughput limits on either one of them.

[tuolumnejim]

I mostly deal with access points, but I've had good luck with these routers:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124082

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124411

The Linksys one uses both a and g bands simultaneously, which increases the throughput, especially with multiple stations connected, and in the noisy environments. The Cisco one has better control set/features and it supports better real throughput. Since this is for a home network with no frills, I'd go with the Linksys one. You're not likely to hit the throughput limits on either one of them.

Whats the difference between access points and routers? I appreciate the help but your telling someone who's a lot more familiar with a forge and anvil than technology.

[r3dn3ck]

Linksys (Cisco) e4200. Pro-User grade. Multiple wifi domain capability plus all the usual f00. I've put these into small companies and they're just incredible especially for the price.

These are technically VERY oversimplified but should help you understand the operation of the components better:

A wireless access point is just that. ALL it provides is wireless access to your local wired network. You could call it a bridge or a media changer but most of them do support more advanced operations than simple media-changing.

A router is a device that provides routing. Tthink of it as a cop giving directions while on a corner... he's not going to draw you a map but just give you a point in the right direction. Another cop further down keeps the pointing going and the process repeats to guide the walker to the destination. Routers are aware (typically) of other routers that are very close by in a networking sense. They guide the packet to the next hop and the next hop guides the walker to the following hop.

A switch is a little like a wire-nut but it has some complex functions that you don't care about. It bonds your network cable and the others on your local network together to share local network "space". Plug 2 computers into a switch and configure them correctly and you'll be able to talk to one from the other. This is similar to a hub but hubs are quite literally as sophisticated as wire nuts as they don't have any other function except to allow more computers physically on to your local network. Switches know which computer hardware addresses are connected to it (which you don't care about at all... trust me)

A modern cable/dsl router is a combination of a WiFi access point, a switch, a router and a DHCP server, DNS server (well.. sorta), and in most cases lately they're also "aware" of certain multi-media storage and sharing systems that are popular.

Suffice it to say that you need a device that has all 3. The device I recommended is probably the most cost effective way to get exactly what you asked for.

[kedenimar]

anyone's thoughts on Dlink?

i have a DIR615

works good with 2 wireless laptops & our smartphones.....

dont really stream much video except for YouTube to the LG TV in the front room... this thing is MILES ahead of the original bottom of the barrel router Time Warner gave us, for a small monthly fee.... it dropped connections/changed WPA passwords on its own.......

[tuolumnejim]

Thanks even I can understand that.

[ke6guj]

woops, sorry about that. meant to edit it and deleted it somehow.

I'll repeat it.

A basic router just links your internal network (computers) with the internet. most consumer routers will have a built-in switch, 2-4 ports, so that you can plug in multiple devices to the router. YOu can plug additional switches into those ports if you need more ports.

A Wireless access point allows you to connect wireless-capable devices into your network.

A "wireless router" is usually just a router, switch, and access point rolled into one device. Most households would be fine with your basic wireless router. Now, if you had a large house and could not connect to the AP in your wireless router, you could add a second AP into your netwrok. You don't need a second router, just an AP.

[tuolumnejim]

I saw that I was replying to yours.

[high_revs]

toulum, what is your experience level when it comes to setups on routers. as you can see, some rcommend 3rd party firmware over the stock firmware. i would too but only if you're comfortable with that. there is a degree of risk 'bricking' your router. 'bricking' = well, it's as good as a brick by then. LOL

i have the asus rt-n56u. the other asus routers were nicely rated also. linksys e4200 and netgear n600. now we're heading into $150+ priced routers (ouch!!!). that asus was highly rated on cnet and smallnetbuilder.com. performance was good. the UI was something to get used to becuase i was so used to ddwrt (3rd party firmware on my old linksys wrt54g).

think about what you need like triple/double antenna (does your equipment have that?). do you plan on upgrading in the future?