What wireless router ?

neiljc_2

MY dw has got her work to agree to buy a wireless router as she needs to use her laptop frequently and she has to connect using our home pc and the ethernet cable from the router.

Obviously I want to ensure that we get the right router for what we need.

the router is for an asdl line and both our laptops and the home pc use windows xp,

I will also use it for playing on my PSP and x box 360 ocassionally.

I assume that we want an wireless N router as they appear to be top of the range at the moment?

we have had a netgear G wireless router (gift) that does not recognise our connection to our ISP correctly and consequently cant set up a wireless network.

so which router would be effective for all our needs?

Thanks

Neil

Phantom_Flan_Flinger

Can't you log into it and reset it to factory settings?

Or maybe run the wizard again?

What model is it?

neiljc_2

no I dont want to get the netgear to work again

I want to know what people think is the best wireless N router to buy ie reliability, capacity etc

savemoney

I would like a good router to that has good wireless I have a netgear dg834g V1 for almost 4 years

I get some dead zone sin house I tried new wireless cards/usb dongles even tried some of those power plugs that connect to main but I got two dodgy one out of a pack of 4 and they gone back now I wasted a day of my life trying to get them to work

Leopard

You need to get clear in your mind which bit of kit does what.

There are three separate aspects to it:

1. The modem (decodes the Internet signal).

2. The router (creates a network and permits a number of computers and other devices - including your modem - to talk to each other, allocating which bit of signal is sent to which device and when).

3. The wi-fi device (uses radio waves to enable computers and other devices to connect to each other without having to be plugged by cable into the router).

(This is a crude, non-technical way of describing them but it conveys the basics of it in layman's terms.)

Where it gets complicated (and causes all manner of confusion on here when people describe their kit incorrectly) is that some of these devices are combined into one unit.

So, in addition to the three basic devices, there are modem routers (which combine the modem and the router - but have no wi-fi), there are wireless routers (which have no modem) and there are wireless modem routers (which combine all three).

If you have two devices that combine components (e.g. a modem router and a wireless router) you have to disable the duplicated component. In other words, in the example given, you would have to disable the network routing function in one of the devices - only one of them can be allowed to control the distribution of networking among the devices participating in it.

There are advantages and disadvantages to combining them into one piece of kit. Personally, I prefer to keep the elements separate. But others prefer to have them all combined into a wireless modem router. (And, of course, that means just one powered device consuming energy instead of three - which should not be overlooked if the kit is going to be left switched constantly on.)

It's unclear, from what you've posted, precisely what kit you've got at the moment and what you are using as a modem.

If what you've got now is a Netgear wireless modem router it is perfectly capable of doing what you seek now - without any device from your wife's employer - if it is configured properly. (Although it is unlikely that it is 802.11n wireless - in all probability it will be 802.11b/g).

If, however, it is merely a wireless router and you have some other device, so far unmentioned and unspecified by you, performing the function of a modem, you may wish to avail yourself of the indulgence of your wife's employer to acquire a single device that would perform the entire job, single-handed.

And if you wish to future-proof yourself as much as possible it would be as well to specify an 802.11n device.

If all of these apply to you, the device to ask for is a "Wireless N Gigabit Ethernet modem router" emphasising that it indeed be wireless N and that the Ethernet ports on it (for connecting Ethernet cables to it) are Gigabit Ethernet - not 10/100 Ethernet.

The Netgear version of this is the WNR854T. And it's a very good, award-winning piece of kit.

Be careful they don't try to fob you/her off with the similar-looking, non-Gigabit, DG834N model - wired connections between computers in your household will otherwise be limited to 100 Mb/sec speed instead of 1,000 Mb/sec Gigabit.

And don't forget to advise your insurers that your wife performs computer work professionally in your house or they may use that to reject (perhaps entirely) any claim you may need to make in the event of a fire or other loss at your home. (This happens.)

neiljc_2

Thanks Leopard for the summary

you said the WNR854T was good, some reviews I have read raise questions about reliability and a short product life, do you know of any other similar products I should consider?

totalsolutions

I think you have been given good advice I would use it, as works are paying, do they mind you sharing it?

I would also try one one you already own, if you are already having trouble than I dont hope you getting the new setup running with all the gear you have....

TonyMMM

[quote=

I assume that we want an wireless N router as they appear to be top of the range at the moment?

[/quote]

Does the laptop support Wireless "N" mode, if not you will only be able to connect it at the existing g 54Mbps

spaceboy

I always use 3com routers,never had a problem with them.

Conor_3

neiljc wrote: »

no I dont want to get the netgear to work again

Why not? 802.11n isn't going to offer you any benefit at all as your existing wifi gear doesn't have it so it's only going to work as fast as the Netgear.

As you've obviously got more money than sense if you're replacing something that works perfectly fine just because of a setting being wrong, I'll be happy to take it off your hands for postage. I like my Netgears. My current one is 4 years old and has worked flawlessly.

Oh, and I'll take your new one off you as well when that doesn't work because you've put the same settings in that you did in the netgear...

spaceboy

My friend has a netgear and it is always having to be re-set, try 3com. It's a good make. Netgear is aimed as a fashion accessory imo.