Best wireless adsl router to buy for a non techie

Carolyn2

Hi - can anyone help me. I'm looking to buy a wireless router to use with my desktop and home laptop, but theres so many different ones out there and I'm not very techie at all. If I go for the cheapest, will I struggle to get it going? I've seen this one on ebuyer which comes with a free usb adaptor which I need for the laptop, but some of the customer reviews say its hard to set up.


Please could anyone give advice or recommend a model?

ABH_3

You could buy a Linksys, as they offer support. Though not on weekends. Then there's Belkin, they offer support including over the weekends. Or you could buy one from Broadbandbuyer.co.uk as they have their own support forums here: http://forums.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/default.asp

HTH

espresso

I could be argued that those who find them difficult to set-up, have not bothered to read the user manual supplied with the device. :doh:

If you fancy that D-Link model or a similar model, go to the D-Link website and download the manual to find out all you need to know before you make a purchase. I have found D-Link documentation very good with lots of screen shots etc. :T

Even if you connect one up and it works straight out of the box, you will still need to understand and learn how to change the default user name/password etc. and also how to secure your wireless connection with encryption, as most default to NO security enabled, so that they will work out of the box! :think:

If you intend to make your laptop wireless, I would recommend using a PCMCIA wireless card, rather than a USB dongle.

If you get stuck someone will help you out.

:wave:

Carolyn2

thanks both of you for your advice - I'll try both of your suggested websites and then decide whether to go for that cheap one I saw. The reason I was going for the usb over the pcmcia card was because my laptop is quite old {bout 5 years} I thought it may not work and that I'd be safer with the usb.

thanks.

tigermatt

:hello: I have bought a few Netgear DG834G Wireless ADSL Routers in the past. They are very easy to set up - it is simply a proceudre of taking it out of the box, plugging in your ADSL Line, Power and any computers you will have wired in. Last time I bought one it came with a seperate card with instructions on setting it up (including screen shots), although there is an online support site at http://www.netgear.co.uk.

This one goes along with what espresso said, and doesn't have any sort of encryption on the wireless connection when it comes out of the box. This can be configured in the Administration Interface, along with many other advanced features, including Port Forwarding (for things such as XBOX Live) and Dynamic DNS.

eBuyer are offering this one for £64.67 including VAT, which isn't the cheapest or most expensive, but I think pushing the boat out a little more and paying that little bit extra gives you easier setup. http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=13337593081&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=52244

You say your laptop is 5 years old, so it is unlikely it will already have builtin wireless support as the latest laptops have now. eBuyer also sell USB Adapters/Dongles, in two speeds 802.11b and 802.11g. 802.11b is slower but goes further, 802.11g is faster but doesn't go as far - the Netgear DG834G router is capable of both speeds.

802.11b at eBuyer: http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=13337794558&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=48444 or official Netgear one: http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=13337794558&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=48544

802.11g at eBuyer: http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=13337824205&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=63002 (cheapest) or official Netgear one: http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=13337824205&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X292ZXJ2aWV3&product_uid=60014

Personally, I would choose the cheaper USB Adapter (eBuyer's own) instead of the Netgear one because it is cheaper, but they can be harder to set up, so the Netgear one might be a better option for you. (It comes with a better program etc.)

Sorry for the length, but I hope it helps!

Carolyn2

Brilliant thanks! Very clear - even I can follow! I think I will look to pay a little more to ease myself in. Thanks for the info on the usb aswell - didnt know that there were even 2 different ones!

{thought I was losing it, as I've just noticed the timing on the posts is fast - presume its the server move? }

soolin

Can I please add to this thread?

I'm on Virgin broadband and have just bought a Linksys wireless gateway from Tesco, however I can't get it to work properly. I know I am a complete novice with the PC but everyone kept saying this was easy, yet it is driving me crazy. I'm wondering if I have bought entirely the wrong thing? However, I have followed the instructions and can get as far as getting the LAN connected and into the web page to confirm my settings, but it will not go any further than that.

I got some info from Virgin about VPI and VCI settings which I apparently have to add manually, but even doing that just gets me back to the first install page again.

I did try seeing if it was working without accepting my set up information but I definitely can't connect via Virgin.

This is the second time I've tried to instal a wi fi connection without success and am considering now just getting someone in to do it for me, my question really is how do I find someone who will do this for me and am I safe allowing someone else to set this up for me, assuming it can be done?

Soo

DilbertJones

Netgear 834G easy peasy

tomstickland

I've just installed a Belkin ADSL + wireless router unit and was almost plug and play.
The instructions were rubbish though; they managed to confuse me over several readings, so in the end I just plugged it in and shoved the installation disc in when it recognised new hardware. Then I ran into loads of problems because the old USB ADSL modem was treated as a dial up for some reason, whereas the new one was just straight LAN, so no dialling. The new unit was configured by typing a xxxx.xxxx.xx.x url address into the interweb browser. However, every time I did this it tried to dial up the old modem. I got there in the end by random fiddling and temporarily plugging the old modem in until I decied that it was happy.

DilbertJones

tomstickland wrote:

I've just installed a Belkin ADSL + wireless router unit and was almost plug and play.
The instructions were rubbish though; they managed to confuse me over several readings, so in the end I just plugged it in and shoved the installation disc in when it recognised new hardware. Then I ran into loads of problems because the old USB ADSL modem was treated as a dial up for some reason, whereas the new one was just straight LAN, so no dialling. The new unit was configured by typing a xxxx.xxxx.xx.x url address into the interweb browser. However, every time I did this it tried to dial up the old modem. I got there in the end by random fiddling and temporarily plugging the old modem in until I decied that it was happy.

USB ADSl modem's do use a dial up feature, you could go to tools, options (in Internet Explore) click on connections, and choose never to dial, this will then always use the LAN connection, which is your router :T

tomstickland

That is what I did, but it took me a while to work it out. Mainly because I assumed that the new modem/router would operate in the same way as the old modem.

Bear in mind that I started from a near zero knowledge of routers, modems and all that.
Mind you, a lot of my job consists of making things work from zero knoweldge.