Which N gigabit router should I buy??

I just upgraded to comcast 22mpbs internet connection, and my old router went bad. I need a new N Gigabit router and dont know which one should I buy. My budget is $80-100. I was considering Belkin N+ and DLink-655, but both of these have mixed reviews. I am a heavy downloader and do massive data transfers between my LAN computers, so I need rocksolid stable bandwidth. I dont know anything about linksys routers. I am using different laptops with both N card and G cards in them, so I know a dual band will help me, but I dont think I can find a dual band router within my budget range. Can you guys share your experiences and help me choose the right hardware...

 

i justpicked this up at amazon , check it out 87.00 http://ca.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=WAa6AQFncrceRBEo&templete=2

asus rt126n let me add dlink i would avoid , have had nothing but trouble with them , only good product in consumer line is the dap 1522 .

 

I don't think you can go wrong with the DIR-655. If you want dual band you can find DIR-825 for a bit more. DIR-825 has worse range than the DIR-655 but higher LAN throughput (wired) and dual band. If range is not too important the DIR-825 is great.

 

I would avoid Belkin like the plague. I've had several of their networking products, none of which functioned even close to decently.

 

I put my vote in for the DIR-655. Best router I have ever owned. I've purchased at least 4 in the last 2 years for friends and family, and I've never had a single complaint. With the QOS on I can have two roomates running torrents at full bore, one on VOIP, one on XBOX watching Netflix, and I still have the best ping in CS: Source. Router of my dreams.

No, it's not dual band, but so many of the devices in my apartment are G that the router doesn't get to sit in N mode for very long anyway. I wont be transitioning to full, dual-band N for a few more years for this reason.

For single-band, there is no router better than the DIR-655 (in my book anyway), it's actual data ROUTING capabilities are also above and beyond most dual-band routers.

 

I'll second that! Me and a friend have that one and zero issues on both, easy to setup and respectable range and throughput. My 1410 connects at 270mbs(2.4ghz) with the stock Intel 1000 card. Always keep the firmware current.

 

I have a D-Link wired router, and it is fantastic.

 

the 655 must be great , has the busiest board at d-link
http://forums.dlink.com/index.php

 

another vote for the 655. Great router.

 

the dir-655 IS a great router. only reason mine is sitting here unused is because i wanted dual-band and upgraded to the netgear. otherwise it has served me well for the last 1-1.5 years trouble free.

 

A little out of your price range but I bought the Netgear WNDR 3700 at staples for $129.00. It is normally $159.00 plus I used a $30.00 coupon I got off the net. I really love this router. Plenty of speed and works great at N and G speeds.

 

I got a trendnet tew-671br concurrent dual band router over a month ago and have no issues with it. The set up was super easy but I got mixed up and had to call customer support. They were very helpful and I was only on the phone with them for a few minutes. The price was the lowest for a concurrent dual band.

 

If you want dual simultaneous bands, 2.4 and 5 this is the router to buy according to all the wifi gurus and testers. I cannot get it for 129 but at 159 it's pricey.

 

If you have a staples near you its $159 and use the coupon for $30 off. The coupons work online as well.

 

I'm very happy with my Buffalo, and I've never been happy with any router ever.

 

+1 Dir-655

 

I actually looked for that coupon. Did not find it anywhere. Is the coupon still available and if so, where can I get it?

Thanks,

 

You can find it several places. I bought mine on Ebay for 99 cents. But if you google Staples coupons it should come up. it will be something like $30.00 off for a $150 purchase. They are usually good online or in store.

 

All of them!!!

Nah! JK.

Linksys is MY personal preference. For dual band routers, it's still hard to say whether you'll be good with one or the other. I personally stay away from Netgear wireless products. Netgear was great with their corded stuff, though.

 

For that price, I would look into a Linksys 310n or 320n. Preferably the 320N, which has some of the highest throughput you can get. Linksys don't last forever, but they work well up till the day they start to die. While a bit long in the tooth, if you only need G and 10/100, look for a WRT54GL, these are diehard workhorses, especially when loaded with aftermarket firmware such as Tomato.


Belkin... Stay away, they just don't seem to last (or work right).

Netgear has lately had a history of under spec'ing the power packs, also at least one recently has had internal component issues, and there is also some bad firmware in terms of FTP. The WNDR3700 and WNDR3300 are considered good, but long term the 3700 is questionable being new. The 3300 is based on an older design I had issues with.


D-links lately, the ones I have put in, lasted no more than a year in any location (several homes and offices). They typically run okay though... Typically. As for the D-Link DIR-655, I have one. Have you ever seen Office Space, remember the printer they destroy, that is my relationship with it. Go look at the D-Link support forums before you buy one, make note of the thread/post count in each forum, then look at the 655. Also, note the "I finally fixed it" threads, most which say they finally replaced it. Yes, many have them and work fine, but many also have an unbelievably hard time with it. I could sell it on Ebay, but I don't want to curse anyone with it.

 

my dlink dir655 has served me well

 

I hate the DIR655. Right now it's sitting in the next room over (the living room) and yet I get only 2 bars in my bedroom which is less than 15 feet away. Absolutely terrible range, I don't know what all the hype is about.

At this point I'm willing to spend like $200 to get a FAST router with a lot of range that doesn't drop connection so I'd appreciate some suggestions as well.

I think I'm gonna give the WNDR3700 a try, although I'm not a fan of Netgear at all.

 

I keep looking at it myself. Spec-wise it is one of the best deals out there, very fast (it has some of the highest throughput you can get) and strong signals. However, it's Netgear, it's new, and a rev 1.0, all of which worry me.

The alternative is the Linksys WRT610N. They can be had for about the same price as a WNDR3700, already able to run alternate firmware (in case the Netgear firmware stinks) and quickly gaining a reputation as a good router (also on rev 2.0 with same as original specs, the Netgear is 1.0). It's not perfect, but few are.

If they were a bit cheaper I wouldn't be so apprehensive, I'm just tired of wasting money.



You should be getting a better signal though.

There is a couple of things you can try.
Grab a copy of Inssider and scan the neighborhood, you may be on a flooded channel or you may have a problem on your computer and getting a poor signal all around. Try moving the router a bit, there may be something in the wall, water interrupts the 2.4 frequency. Also, they work best in a horizontal plane, don't have the router in the basement under where you work, and keep the antenna pointing up. I don't remember if there is a power setting, but if you go too high, the quality and strength will fluctuate and give you lots of noise or even just plain drop. The power supply on these are not exactly high quality, I hooked mine to a molex on a nearby computer and it stabilized somewhat. Cranking the power uses more power, and can also cause this issue. This applies to all routers, there is a threshold and once exceeded they actually drop in power.

 

they are having issues with the power supply , at least a few in the netgear forums are having problems . I use my own power supply , not the netgear supplied unit . Use it as a 5 ghz AP
I also have an asus wt n16 that i use , can also run tomato or ddwrt on it ,not sure it is stable yet , some say it works well though .

 

Believe me, I tried it all with the DIR655. I think that my walls are just too thick or something. I hear you on the Netgear being 1.0, that worries me as well. The first models always suck. However, the reviews have been generally positive so I'm ok with the gamble. I was looking at the Linksys 610 as well but the reviews haven't been as good and it's more expensive (I spent $140 on the WNDR3700).

 

I get best results with netgear with transmit power at 75% , at 100% got lower connection rate