Are cheap wireless routers reliable?

cyberstar

I was supposed to buy a Belkins wireless router for £60 - £80 from talktalk., then I came across ebuyer which sells cheap ones for £40-£50 that comes with free USB adapter, which I 'm tempted to buy. Are they reliable?

And also whats the difference between ASDL and cable/dsl router? which one do I need as I'm slighty confused. Thanks

albertross_2

For BT lines, you need an adsl router.

So, for talk talk any of these should do..

http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/Shop/ShopSearch.asp?CategoryID=80

for Cable (telewest/ntl) a cheaper cable/dsl router.

More info here:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=2471408&postcount=37

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showpost.html?p=2471410&postcount=38

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=121274

Never used a "cheap" router, so can't advise you, but some people here have used Safecom which is the cheap end of the market. In my experience, Netgear are reliable, Belkin have a lifetime warranty a free hotline, but a naff website. Some people here have had range issues with Linksys, others no problems. 3Com routers are commonly discounted, and a well known brand. Personally I don't like the BT configuration screens, but do like the on/off switch. Dlink are a well known make, but there is a recently exposed security issue with them which hasn't been patched yet.

You may as well pick one that looks nice..

There are customer reviews available on the ebuyer website, so you can see what others think of the cheap ones.

going2die_rich

I think Albertross has covered it all really.

Go by the reviews on Ebuyer - I personally look at the reviews by filtering it for lowest ratings first as they will give you all the negatives about the item. That way you can make a note of what the item doesn't have. Then do the higest and sift through them as usually someone will have written a lot of detail about the modem so you can make a note of it's features. (Most will be people saying it's great therefore not provide anything other than showing you on person certainly hasn't had any problems). Then simply compare these details to any other modems you have in mind and you should eventually find the modem that is the best in your price range. When your down to two models just print off the specifications for each and cross out what each has in common. That way you'll come down to the differences between the models and can reasearch just them to see which is best.

I personally wouldn't consider a 54mbps router as I'd rather future proof now and pay that bit more and get 125mbps, but this depends on your needs and finances.

Also I'd personnaly ensure that any new modems are ADSL2/ADSL2+ standardd (it's basically the next generation from ASDL). I believe TalkTalk do recommend ADSL2/ADSL2+ to ensure you get the most out of their connection.

Watch out for routers that are rated as 802.11b ("B" models), you want 802.11g ("G" models) - basically the "G" models support faster speeds. But I believe 125mbps models are all "G" models.

One last thing, if using Ebuyer and you find a product with none or only 3 or 4 reviews on it, just copy the router name and model into Google and do a search. No doubt you'll find reviews on the router to help make your decision. (Also don't forget to rate it once you've used it for a week or two as it'll help others in your situtation)

Hope this helps

gyzmo

I have just bought a Belkin 54 mbps router with free adaptor so that my laptop can access the internet via my pc. I'm not a techie and know little of these, but my laptop seems to process internet pages quicker than my desktop - suits me!

oldrimes

Cable modem is for connections supplied by cable companies - for example NTL.
ADSL is where your connection is via your telephone line - earlier posters are also right - look for models that are compatible with latest standard ADSL2.

If you are in a hurry to get your hands on your wireless router - its worthwhile checking the prices at PCWORLD - they offer a collect reserve online, and collect in store at the online price. Sometimes they offer a bundle of wireless router and USB adaptor, which are quite competively priced (if you reserve online).

gyzmo

That's where I bought mine from - the router was on sale and the adaptor was a freebie. I normally avoid PC world and their ilk like the plague, but pricewise it is good.

Also check out Morgan Computers.

wolfman

cyberstar wrote:

And also whats the difference between ASDL and cable/dsl router? which one do I need as I'm slighty confused. Thanks

Cable/Dsl router is actually not quite correct and something you'll see used wrongly in a lot of shops.

You'll be looking for a router with an inbuilt modem. It'll consist of two things:

The Modem:
This is the part that is connection specific. You'll either want an ADSL modem or cable modem. When you mentioned Cable/DSL, this is technically wrong. ADSL is a form of DSL, which is a technology that runs over the copper wires of your telephone line. So to be accurate it's more like ADSL/DSL or Cable. Many places will technically get this wrong, so just make sure you know what you're getting.

The Router:
A router merely routes (sends) data between your pc's. It's not bothered what type of connection you're on, it's just going to route the data that comes in and out of that connection.

You can actually buy both the above seperately, it's just more convenient to have them both in the same package.

marksward

eBuyer 'own brand' are pretty good. several people at work (IT) swear by them. I currently us a safecom router without problem and get a better sync rate than the belkin I had before. Also the belkin had problems using VOIP, which belkin would not help with (I essentailly had to turn off the packet inpection to stop it blocking the traffic - and the phone call after about 10mins), even though there was a lifetime warrenty etc etc. Friend had a belkin 'melt' on him and had over three months of contact with them trying to get a replacement on warrenty.