Any good deals on wired routers?

North-East_Quine

I am a BT Broadband customer and up until recently used a BT Voyager 105 modem. However, I am now being offered the chance to have a Virtual Private Network from my work so that I can work from home occasionally. I need to have a wired router for this and my work won't provide.

I got hold of a BT Voyager 205 ADSL Router but have had problems ever since I intstalled it and on checking other posts from MSE'ers I find that lots of people have the same problem - intermittently losing internet connection.

I think I will call it a day with the BT Voyager and buy a new router. Can anyone recommend something cheap, but reliable?

mostly

netgear http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0000TZ8Z8

rjm2k1

Not sure why you think you need a router rather than your existing modem, what type of VPN are they using?

Cerro

I'd recommend anything by DrayTek. The Vigor routers they make are amongst the best and can do just about anything. They don't come cheap though, but they are amongst the best - espeically if you need a reliable router that can be configured any way you like (but isn't the blank command prompt a la Cisco).

I'd avoid Belkin. I don't really like Netgear either but they are cheap and for the price, not bad, but certainly not a great router.

wacko911

I have used http://www.dsldepot.co.uk before lots of times and the stuff while 'grade b' has always been of excellent quality. There is however only a 30 day warranty, but just test it well within this period.

They have routers at a fraction of the normal cost, and I see a Draytek 2600 with VPN support for less than 30 quid delivered next day.

albertross_2

I presume you are going to be using software (e.g. Cisco) for this vpn, as opposed to a hardware vpn? If the latter, you will need to choose a router that supports hardware vpn as opposed to pass thru.

If you are ever likely to get a laptop and want to go wireless in future, then it might be an idea to get a wireless router instead, a netgear dg834G does all of the above.

PS If you are using a software vpn, then you don't actually need a router, a modem will do, but your workplace might specify it for the added security benefits routers provide.

What are your BT Voyager 205 problems, it may not be router related.

North-East_Quine

Thanks for everyone's replies. I'm really rather clueless about all this so don't know about software. I just know that we cannot use wireless due to confidentiality and sensitive information. It has to be a wired router and a modem cannot be used.

I'm still waiting for more details from my IT Support, so perhaps I'll have to get back to you for advice nearer the time. It's just so frustrating when everything was working so well until I changed to the Voyager 205 Router.

albertross_2

what is wrong with the router?

North-East_Quine

The router seems to keep losing its connection to the internet. I can connect to the internet when I first start up my PC and it works away fine. Then if I go away and leave it for a while, when I come back it tells me server not responding. So I then have to close everything down and reboot, which is most time-consuming.

The router actually belonged to a friend who no longer needed it and gave it to me so I could get set up for VPN. Having looked at problems other MSE'ers have with this particular router I assumed that it was the model of router rather than just my single piece of hardware that was problematic.

albertross_2

When it happens..

Could you try pinging the router ip address.

start, run, cmd
ipconfig - note the gateway ip address then
ping 192.168.1.1 or whatever the number is

also, try just pulling the plug on the router next time is happens.

Also, have a look in the router config screen for an idle timeout setting, usually setting it to 0, helps if it is really disconnecting from the internet.

When you do try the VPN, you might have to reduce the MTU setting on the router, to 1430 or 1400

North-East_Quine

The ip address is 192.168.1.3 - what does pinging mean? Sorry to be so thick!

I have tried pulling the plug, eg switching the router off at the button at the back of it.