Recommendations for a good wireless router?

[seL]

Looking for a new wireless router. My previous one was a DIR-655 and I've been out of the game for a bit so I don't know what's out there right now. I'm sure I could read up and come up with something eventually but I figured I'd cut to the chase and ask those who are savvy.

I don't necessarily want the cheapest one out there, just something that is good and isn't overpriced/overvalued. I'll be connecting with several wireless devices, some current and some legacy as well. I'll be sharing a printer and gaming online with my 360 and PS3.

Thanks!

[duckdown]

I just bought a Linksys E3200 dual band router from NCIX on sale for 69.99 marked down from something like $129

Only had it a couple days but seems great so far

Great reception throughout all 3 floors at our house and the N speeds have been super fast

[Infocible]

By experience the best routers are rarely the one sold in big retail stores, brands like TP-Link make a decent product line and are very cheap. They have external antennas for Wifi wich is much better than internal ones like Linksys (CISCO). Some models have detachable antennas to replace them with stronger signal like 18db for wide areas. They also have the power inside to use those antennas. Important detail, on any wireless router it is recommended NOT to enable the WPS function. The model I would suggest you to find is TL-WR1043ND

You can even flash it with a new alternative OpenSource firmware like dd-wrt

Website: http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/details/?model=TL-WR1043ND

You should be able to get it for around $60 CDN

[Kwirky]

What gripes/concerns do you have with your current router?

[seL]

What gripes/concerns do you have with your current router?

None at all. I gave it to my brother when he moved out so I figured I'd see what else is out there. I used the 655 for years without issue.

[willy]

Just curious ... What kind of legacy devices do you have ?

[will888]

I also picked up a E3200 from NCIX when they had the sale last month. Running dd-wrt on it (had to sacrifice the 5 ghz radio). It has been rock solid. Just keep an eye on the hot deals threads. There are great router sales all the time.

[seL]

I ended up picking up another DIR-655. It suited my needs well before and since they haven't changed I figured I'd just stick with it. I found one for $47. Thanks for the input folks.

[lead]

I ended up picking up another DIR-655. It suited my needs well before and since they haven't changed I figured I'd just stick with it. I found one for $47. Thanks for the input folks.

http://www.dslreports.com/forum/r24268677-DIR655-firmware-downgrade-to-13xRU-121-111

if it has current firmware here;s a post to drop it back to 1.21. Argueably the best it offered

[oldpro]

Would DIR-825 make any difference over DIR-655 ? Apart from being dual band and having a USB port, and costing a bit more, that is.

[valinrace]

I could go for linksys E3200 if you cant afford it, wait for it to have a discount or promo.

[will888]

Dual band is probably unnecessary for many people. Those living in high density may find it necessary to migrate to 5 GHz to improve wireless performance because there are too many 2.4 GHz signals all around. USB is useful if you want to network a USB printer or hard drive.

[oldpro]

Dual band is probably unnecessary for many people. Those living in high density may find it necessary to migrate to 5 GHz to improve wireless performance because there are too many 2.4 GHz signals all around. USB is useful if you want to network a USB printer or hard drive.
Thanks will888 :)
The reason I thought of DIR-825 was that one can find it recently for a very good price.

[will888]

Thanks will888 :)
The reason I thought of DIR-825 was that one can find it recently for a very good price.

No problem. I highly recommend that whatever you get, make sure that there is 3rd party firmware support available. I just can't stand the OEM crap firmware. I have numerous routers sitting in storage that crapped out because of OEM firmware bugs and no updates to correct them.

As you can see, I am a dd-wrt fan. The DIR-825 is supported.

[dardragon]

I always wondered what specs should you look for in a router?
I see router price range from 20s all the way to 100s and there are g routers which cost more than n routers.

What are the main specs you would look for in a router?

[willy]

I always wondered what specs should you look for in a router?
I see router price range from 20s all the way to 100s and there are g routers which cost more than n routers.

What are the main specs you would look for in a router?
The chipset, size of flash/RAM, # of antennas, # of simult. freq, extra features (ie. USB ports) ... etc ...

The actual brand plays a very small role ...

[Agafaba]

I always wondered what specs should you look for in a router?
I see router price range from 20s all the way to 100s and there are g routers which cost more than n routers.

What are the main specs you would look for in a router?

Considering the time it takes to find the actual specs of a router I find its usually easier to just compare reviews online.

[studolf]

Pick up a TP-Link WR740N, if you're on a tight budget. You can flash it with dd-wrt or gargoyle firmware. It's got 32mb ram/4mb rom, and a reasonably fast atheros processor. Best $20 I ever spent.

[lead]

this was a little gem ran it hard for a year without a reboot(unless upgrading firmware but did so rarely) doesn't run 3rd party its a soho/egenius rebrand(encrypted firmwares) runs the same chipset as the asus rt13u and then used it as a repeater for xbox/mediaplayer and then access point for an old g devices so my main would only run n for max speed. The last firmware i put on it was for android support back in jan or feb. The newer rosewills are tplink based. I bought it years ago for 19.99 freeshipping
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833166042

Its alittle dated but i mention it simply due to its stability. sometimes the problem with 3rd party support is simply finding the cherry firmware you set and forget. Now don't just rely on whether its 3rd party support but search out, dropouts wifi disconnects, android/ios disconnects, cable and dsl wan disconnects. If you can find a router you like and a firmware that isn't plagued with it. Your good to go. Grab that specific stable firmware flash it and forget about it.

[Timaeus]

If you're a fan of " I buy it, I want to use it the way I want, stay away from Cisco products.

http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/07/freeing-your-router-from-ciscos-anti-porn-pro-copyright-cloud-service/



I just bought a Linksys E3200 dual band router from NCIX on sale for 69.99 marked down from something like $129

Only had it a couple days but seems great so far

Great reception throughout all 3 floors at our house and the N speeds have been super fast

[seL]

Well after bringing the 655 home and having range issues with it, I decided to exchange it for an 825. After screwing around with the DIR-825 and flashing a few different versions of dd-wrt to it (couldn't get the wireless antennas to turn 'on') then doing some tweaking everything is working the way I want it to for now. I get full bars on wireless anywhere in the house or basement and after installing a gigabit switch in the basement every room in the house now has wired and wireless Internet/network access. I'll keep an eye on the Asus RT-N66U and wait for it to drop in price. The 5ghz range on the DIR-825 isn't the greatest but it will suffice for now and I can get something with more range in the future when the price is right.

[wilsonlam97]

I just bought a Linksys E3200 dual band router from NCIX on sale for 69.99 marked down from something like $129

Only had it a couple days but seems great so far

Great reception throughout all 3 floors at our house and the N speeds have been super fast

Same here. But too bad my laptop can't negotiate a 150mbps link speed with the router. I know if worked with my previous router.
>:(

But signal quality is much better then my previous belkin.