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    best router for networking and best price

    Discussion in 'Networking and Wireless' started by calkdist, Nov 18, 2006.

  1. calkdist

    calkdist Notebook Enthusiast

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    Looking to pick up a router soon, looking for a good, easy to secure and install router that also makes sharing data and a printer easy.

    any reccomendations


    Thanks
     
  2. RDTigger

    RDTigger Notebook Geek

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    Personally I like shopping at tigerdirect... picked up a super G Netgear for about $30. I hooked it up this week and have had no problems.
     
  3. blue68f100

    blue68f100 Notebook Virtuoso

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    If you are going to run BT move to a business class router. Residential routers have problem with the heavy traffic. I like my AP's seperate of my router, no combo units. Makes it easier to setup in a optium location. I would look at the gigabit routers, most everything coming out now has a gigabit port.

    my 2 cents
     
  4. drumfu

    drumfu super modfu

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    it depends on what you mean by sharing a printer?

    if you want the printer to standalone, you will need a router that has print server functionality which are more expensive (unlikely you'll find one for 30 bux). if you're going to have the printer hooked in to a desktop and shared and leave the desktop on 24/7, then a normal router will be fine.
     
  5. gusto5

    gusto5 Notebook Deity

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    I also recommend against Dlink products, from experience only.
     
  6. calkdist

    calkdist Notebook Enthusiast

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    Ill be having the printer hooked up to the desktop. The majority of the networking will be song sharing, around 3,000 some pictures and word documents.

    I was looking at the WRT54GS, should I just save my money and go with the WRT54G?

    Thanks guys
     
  7. lixuelai

    lixuelai Notebook Virtuoso NBR Reviewer

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    I picked up a Motorola WR850G from ebay recent for like $20. It uses the same board as the WRT54G (which is made by Broadcom). Installed DD-WRT on it and its been working great. Torrent speeds are excellent since I can set static ips etc. Anyway great bang for the buck. If you look for better performance I think a router with a Magicbox board will be really nice. They are Atheros based and work with some Linux thirdparty firmware as well.
     
  8. LIVEFRMNYC

    LIVEFRMNYC Blah Blah Blah!!!

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    I use the WRT54G for my Wireless Network. Pretty solid. I have no problems at all, and it's cheap.

    I never upgraded firmware, (to scared) as I heard too many horror tales by doing so.

    If it ain't broke don't fix.
     
  9. calkdist

    calkdist Notebook Enthusiast

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    great sounds good thanks guys, ill be picking one up soon then =)
     
  10. dragonrage

    dragonrage Notebook Consultant

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    Netgear or WRT54g v4 or lower. WRT54g v5 and newer are crippled. v4 not only has great third party firmware but even if you don't touch that, it's got double the amount of RAM and reports say it's noticibly faster.
     
  11. lixuelai

    lixuelai Notebook Virtuoso NBR Reviewer

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    Its actually pretty hard to brick your router unless you do something totally stupid lol. Even then you can recover it 90% of the time by opening the router up. If you learned how to follow directions in elementary school you will have no problem flashing a router.
     
  12. NissanSupraGTR

    NissanSupraGTR Notebook Evangelist

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    wrt54gl is also flashable w/ 3rd party firmware and shud be bout the same price as the wrt54g. Id go for the gl