Request for Input: My Wireless Router 'Final Six'

[ntepperman]

I've got it narrowed down to 6 routers, and am hoping some of you might be able to help me choose a top pick.

Price-wise, they're all in play.

I'll have 2 notebooks connecting wirelessly, for file sharing and media streaming.
I'll have a NAS connected directly, along w/ an Xbox360, and possibly a TV/ receiver also.

DIR-655 ($ 95; D-Link)
E2000 ($ 85; Linkysys)
E3000 ($150; Linksys)
DIR-825 ($155; D-Link)
E4200 ($180; Linksys)
DGL-4500 ($180; D-Link)

 

[stevech]

My semi-solicited advise, based on corporate track-records:

Omit D-Link
Add Belkin
Add Engenious

Read user reviews on NewEgg.com. Toss the high/low and goof-balls.

Unless you are doing something particularily demanding, don't spend more than $74 on an 11n router.
And don't forget that your WiFi client devices (PCs, Laptops, Games) must be 11n or there's no benefit over 11g.

 

[thiggins]

Why did you choose these routers? What is your selection criteria?

 

[ntepperman]

Good question- sorry, I should have put that in the first post.

Set-up:
- My internet is cable (via Cogeco in Ontario, Canada).
- We've got a fairly small house, so I'll have the cable modem and the router in the living room.
- The router will have direct connections to the NAS, my Xbox360, and (hopefully) a printer.
- There will be at least 2 notebooks connecting wirelessly for file sharing, client back-up, media streaming and printing.
- I will also be looking into a media device (Sonos, etc.) for music streaming throughout the house.
- A USB port would be nice.


Criteria for the new router:
1. It shouldn't suck.
2. Stability. I don't want to drop wireless regularly.
3. Speed. I'd like it to be capable of very good speeds (I was looking for gigabit, too).
4. Consistency. I'd like the performance to be consistent.
5. Multi-tasking. It needs to be able to handle Xbox online play while dealing with other network traffic via the clients (media streaming, bittorrent, an active back-up, etc.).
6. Dual band.


Why I chose the routers on my list:
- Let me just say that I'm not set on *anything* on the list if anyone has a better idea.
- I've got some tech background, so I'm not incompetent but my networking skills are intermediate at best.
- I read a lot of reviews and product round-ups or 'best of' lists (which can be challenging, since many reviews don't give numerical ratings, or buy/don't buy recommendations).
- I looked for the products that appeared to get positive ratings across those multiple reviews.
- I eliminated anything that I thought was ridiculously expensive.

 

[BostonDan]

My Setup

My story might influence/change your path:

I had Router-1(DIR-655) with wireless disabled in my basement and Router-2(DIR-655) setup as a wireless access point on the main floor of the house with the following devices all connected using wireless:
2 laptops using 802.11(N)
3 laptops using 802.11(G)
Ipod 802.11(G)
Roku using 802.11(N)
Various Printers 802.11(G)

I was having issues with the streaming video to the Roku using wireless if I tried to access the web using wireless from a single computer at the same time. The Roku kept stuttering and having to pause to buffer data.

To solve the problem:
1) I enabled wireless on Router-1 and pointed all (G) clients access Router-1
2) I pointed all (N) clients access Router-2.
3) I used inSSIDer 2.0 to scan my area and it influenced me to manually changed the Router-2 from the auto-assigned channel (6) to channel (4) as there were conflicts and this provided the most available bandwidth.
4) Router-1 is using auto-assigned channel 11 without any nearby conflicts.

The Roku no longer stutters while I browse the web using both 802.11(N) and 802.11(G) laptops simultaneously. Backup time from the 802.11(N) laptop to a wired NAS device has decreased significantly and file copies from/to the LAN are much quicker.

Hope this helps.
Dan

 

[ntepperman]

3) I used inSSIDer 2.0 to scan my area and it influenced me to manually changed the Router-2 from the auto-assigned channel (6) to channel (4) as there were conflicts and this provided the most available bandwidth.

This point was interesting to me, and something I'll investigate further when I get home.

The reason I'm going through this process, though, is because my router just can't hold a connect. My wife and I can be sitting on the couch, 5 feet from the router, doing nothing but browsing the Internet, and then, boom:
she'll lose her connection;
I'll lose my connection;
we'll then have to reboot the router to re-establish the connection.

There are some applications that seem to kill the connection for our Internet with good reliability: Skype, bittorrent in particular. Those typically don't require a reboot of the router.

However, the router seems to require a reboot just about daily at this point. Major pain in the butt.

 

[BostonDan]

I don't know if this is true for all routers, but the DIR-655 seemed like it would only auto-assign channels 1, 6, or 11. I would never auto-assign anything else.

inSSIDer will tell you all nearby access points, channel, relative strength, overlap, etc.... You can then see if your router(s) auto-assign to those channels with the least interference or if you need to manually do it. Good Luck.

 

[ntepperman]

Thanks.

I could still use some help picking out the new router though. I swear... trying to compare all of these products w/ similar ratings and similar feature sets is driving me batty.

 

[thiggins]

What are you using for your current router?

Choosing the right wireless router for you involves kissing a lot of frogs. You may just have to try a few until you get the right one.

A few points to you in answer to your requirements:
- Dual band will help only if you have dual-band clients that you can move to 5 GHz

- No router will help you maintain a stable wireless connection in an overcrowded 2.4 GHz space. There are some things you can try to improve stability. But it's still a tough problem. See this article for tips.

The important thing to understand is what is causing your connection to drop. This will take some work. Throwing a new router at the problem may not help depending on what the problem is. Start with a good site survey to see what you're up against.

 

[ntepperman]

What are you using for your current router?

The router is a D-Link 615, and I think the cable modem is an RCA.

Choosing the right wireless router for you involves kissing a lot of frogs. You may just have to try a few until you get the right one.

This was a brilliant way of saying it. You made me laugh, but I got the point too.

I wish it wasn't the case though, and it seems to me like it shouldn't be the case. With as many different suppliers and models of wireless routers available (especially under $99), you'd think there would be a couple of clear choices in each price/ feature set category. Frankly, as consumers, don't we deserve that?

A few points to you in answer to your requirements:
- Dual band will help only if you have dual-band clients that you can move to 5 GHz

We're using a MacBook (approx. 4 years old) and a MacBook Pro (8 mos old). It's my understanding that the integrated Airport Extreme cards are dual-band.

- No router will help you maintain a stable wireless connection in an overcrowded 2.4 GHz space. There are some things you can try to improve stability. But it's still a tough problem.

I suspect this is a big part of the problem. In the last 6 months, the number of wireless networks available in the neighborhood has probably quadrupled. While it's nice to see that most of them are properly secured, there are a ton of them that are actively broadcasting. To make matters worse, we're about 2 blocks away from an active waterway (shipping, etc.) and I know that can also have an impact on broadcast traffic.

See this article for tips.

The important thing to understand is what is causing your connection to drop. This will take some work. Throwing a new router at the problem may not help depending on what the problem is. Start with a good site survey to see what you're up against.

Thanks... I'll check these out for sure.

Here are a bunch of routers that seem to fit the bill (some are w/out USB) in the under $100 and over $100 price ranges. Anything in this list that I should avoid? Any clear leaders?

Under $100
TP-LINK TL-WR1043ND
ASUS RT-N16
BUFFALO WZR-HP-G300NH
NETGEAR WNR3500L-100NAS
Linksys E2000
Linksys WRT320N

Over $100
Linkysys E3000
Netgear WNDR3700-100NAS

 

[thiggins]

Again, first understand your problem.

If you want to shotgun the problem, you can try an inexpensive dual-band router to see if switching your MacBooks to 5 GHz helps. The WRT320 / E2000 are as good as any to give this solution a try.

 

[ntepperman]

I'm not going to buy a router until I first review the two articles you suggested, and see what I can learn/ improve on based on that reading.

I just wanted to determine what router to go with (if I have to replace mine, ultimately) while the thread was still active.

 

[stevech]

I don't know if this is true for all routers, but the DIR-655 seemed like it would only auto-assign channels 1, 6, or 11.

That's optimal, as those 3 channels are the only non-overlapping channels. Others are imprudent.

 

[stevech]

I could still use some help picking out the new router though. I swear... trying to compare all of these products w/ similar ratings and similar feature sets is driving me batty.

Newegg.com. Look at the user reviews. Toss the high and low and goof-balls.

 

[Rayzer]

Hey ... I recently was in the same situation, not knowing what to buy.

- I decided to go with the WNDR 3700 over the d-links and the e3000 linksys.

And ....so far so good.

I have 2 laptops connected wirelessly, 1 Xbox 360 wirelessly, 1 360 wired, 1 desktop wired, and my LCD TV is connected with my cocegco cable. (smaller 1 floor house)

-Occasionally (but repeatedly when happens) I cannot get a good connection with opponents when searching for a game on xbox live, not sure if thats me or not.

-Router security was a quick set-up. Alot quicker than I figured it would be.

Good Luck