Tell me about wireless routers, please

[new_mommy25]

I am ready to throw my router out the window. It's so slow!! Plus it goes down and needs to be reset on a regular basis. I think we got it in 04 or 05 so I am sure there are much better options out there.

Ours is a Linksys Wireless-B 2.4 GHZ. We got it for free when we signed up for DSL.

Right now there are 4 computers hooked up to it. 3 are plugged in (because the wireless is much slower!) and one is wireless. 3 computers are PCs and 1 is a new MAC.

Can you please give me options that are faster and won't break the bank? I want to have a little knowledge before I go to a store. I'll probably check Best Buy first because I have a gift card.

[khm]

Could you call your DSL company and upgrade directly? The last time we got DSL, the modem the company gave us was super nice and didn't require a separate router for wireless.

[citymama]

I definitely recommend going with Wireless G rather than B. It is a big step up - mainly in terms of range and reliability. And I agree with the PP - you may want to contact your DSL provider about a faster connection - usually doesn't cost a lot more.

[KrisM]

I definitely recommend going with Wireless G rather than B. It is a big step up - mainly in terms of range and reliability. And I agree with the PP - you may want to contact your DSL provider about a faster connection - usually doesn't cost a lot more.

I'd agree with that and that you likely don't need to get a Wireless N router. We've used Netgear routers with no problems.

[new_mommy25]

Good to know about contacting our provider. I didn't think about that. I'll call and see if we can get the Wireless G.

[BillK]

Wireless G and B have nothing to do with your provider. They're simply the types of wireless protocol the routers use. I'm not a fan of wireless unless absolutely necessary.

[DebbieJ]

Our router came from our internet provider as well. I have no idea what we have. LOL!

[khm]

Wireless G and B have nothing to do with your provider. They're simply the types of wireless protocol the routers use.

I was just thinking that her provider might offer her a better modem with wireless built-in vs. needing a separate router. When I signed up, there were several options for modem, most were wireless capable.

If they won't upgrade your modem, I've had good luck with Netgear too. We've also used a Microsoft one, also fine, but I'm not sure they still make them....

[new_mommy25]

Wireless G and B have nothing to do with your provider. They're simply the types of wireless protocol the routers use. I'm not a fan of wireless unless absolutely necessary.


I don't like the wireless either, but with so many computers it seems like the only option. We do have 3 that are plugged in but that required really long cables, a staple gun, and drilling holes through our walls. It would be nice to have a wireless router that actually worked well so we didn't have to have cords everywhere. I am also considering buying a laptop and I would want that to be wireless so I could use it upstairs in my bedroom. Right now all our computers are on the ground floor. I work from home which is why we have a lot.

[jgenie]

Wireless G and B have nothing to do with your provider. They're simply the types of wireless protocol the routers use. I'm not a fan of wireless unless absolutely necessary.


I don't like the wireless either, but with so many computers it seems like the only option. We do have 3 that are plugged in but that required really long cables, a staple gun, and drilling holes through our walls. It would be nice to have a wireless router that actually worked well so we didn't have to have cords everywhere. I am also considering buying a laptop and I would want that to be wireless so I could use it upstairs in my bedroom. Right now all our computers are on the ground floor. I work from home which is why we have a lot.

Any particular reason you don't like wireless? Is it a privacy/security issue?

[larig]

If you have a new mac it is likely capable of 802.11n. It's the most recent/fastest wireless standard. If you're going to buy one yourself (rather than take what the ISP provides), I'd suggest that you get the fastest you can afford now, as it is likely to be several years before you upgrade again (if you're like we are--we use things until they die or are just too sluggish to deal with).

We have apple airports (http://www.apple.com/wifi/) (both express and extreme). All of the wifi base stations that apple sells are now 802.11n. I like the express because with it you can stream itunes music from your computer to speakers which you hook up to it. Both the express and the extreme allow you to hook up a printer to the base station so it can be shared by the computers on the network. Anyway, I've been happy with apples. They are a little bit more expensive than others, but they are easy to set up and we have an old airport that is probably 7 years old that still works great.

BTW, 802.11n base stations will work fine with wireless cards that are 802.11g or 802.11b.

[larig]

one more thing...802.11n is also supposed to improve the range of your wireless network, which would be really helpful if you have a large house.

[NancyJ_redo]

I would strongly recommend going with 802.11n instead of 11g - g is being phased out right now. 11n is faster and provides better security.


BTW, 802.11n base stations will work fine with wireless cards that are 802.11g or 802.11b.

Yes, that's true, but you won't get the benefit of 11n unless your wireless card is 11n also. So the 11n router will be backwards compatible to work with 11b/g cards, but you won't get the increased speeds available with 11n unless you upgrade your cards as well.

I've always had D-Link routers and cards and think they're they best :)

Edited to add: Angie, check your PM.

[larig]

but you won't get the benefit of 11n unless your wireless card is 11n also. So the 11n router will be backwards compatible to work with 11b/g cards, but you won't get the increased speeds available with 11n unless you upgrade your cards as well.

This is a great point. I will add that if you have a 11b wireless router now and have 11g cards and got a 11n to replace the 11b you'd still see a speed improvement in the computers with the 11g cards. So at least if you couldn't replace all of the wireless cards in your computers at the same time it would still be a marked improvement over 11b.

I'm not a big PC user, so I couldn't tell you what the system requirements are for PCs that will handle a 11n card.

[BabyMine]

We had a slow connection for awhile. When we called our provider they did some tests and noticed some problems. After they fixed it there wasn't a problem.

[bubbaray]

We had a wirless router/modem combo thingy (dlink) from our ISP. It sucked. DH purchased a separate Linksys router and modem (not a combined unit) and they work MUCH better. Its the n thing, not g. We have a large house and the one provided by our ISP d/n work worth squat.

[citymama]

N is even better than G, but I think G is fine for a home network. I'm a big Linksys fan myself. I think if you opt for a password protected network, using WPA2 security (rather than WEP), you should be fairly secure.

[BillK]

Any particular reason you don't like wireless? Is it a privacy/security issue?
It's still too slow compared to a hardwired solution - and yes - I'm not a fan of the security issues with wireless. Regardless of the type it is - there are still too many holes for my taste.

[3blackcats]

Just a reminder to always change the name of your wireless network. Also, change the log in name and password to something extra secure. Use numbers, caps, and symbols to get a strong password. You can also choose different ways of securing it. For example, DH has ours set so your MAC address (not as in a Mac computer, but the hard coded address on the device) must be entered before you can access our network. This prevents someone in your neighbourhood from accessing your network.

HTH

[ahrimie]

I read the other replies and that's too technical for me. lol :)

I have an apple airport that's 5 years old and it's held up great. I just plug it in and literally, that's it! I agree, some of it might just be your DSL too and it'll help to get a better connection.