Upgrading to N and gigabit, this is my setup. What would you get?

[Glen_S]

My network setup:

• WRT54GL running dd-wrt v23sp2 as main router/AP connected to ISP
• WRT54GS running dd-wrt v24 sp1 used as bridge-repeater, hooked up to kids pc
• 2 laptops that are G clients
• 2 linksys network cams that are G clients
• Nintendo wii G client (used little in this capacity, kids watching youtube etc)
• WD 1TB Mybook World edition wired to WRT54GL
• #1 Netgear 5 port gigabit switch downstream from WRT54GL (hooked up to main PC and one other)
• #2 Netgear 5 port gigabit switch downstream from first switch
• Asus o!play and WDTV Live media players downstream from #2 Netgear

My wife just got a work laptop that is wireless N, and I may be getting another Asus media player that is also N capable. All my NIC's are gigabit capable so I want to upgrade to both N and G and am deciding which router is best way to go. I like dd-wrt and the extra options it offers, currently also running it on another WRT54GL and a Buffalo WHR54 for outside customers, both are rock-solid.

I was seriously looking at the Linksys WRT610N and its dual band etc, but reading the sticky on it over at the dd-wrt board is kind of scaring me off. I do like its capacity, samba/external drive and dual band feature though. I am thinking about perhaps the WRT310N and seeing if I can use it exclusively for N clients and using my existing WRT54xx routers for existing G clients.

I like to tinker around with things like dd-wrt, but I am by no means a network expert and more or less like to set a router up and forget about it. I don't want to spend hours experimenting with different builds etc., but I do want the extra features firmware like dd-wrt and others offers.

I am happy with Linksys, but will consider any make out there that gives me solid performance and reliability.

So I am asking the more knowledgeable on this board the following: if you had a setup like mine, what router would you upgrade to to get wireless N and gigabit speeds?

 

[occamsrazor]

I'm in a similar situation....

I'm currently using an Asus WL-500GPv2 with Tomato firmware. Everything works perfectly, the problem is I need to add fast N-Wireless as I've started to do backups over Wifi (Apple Time Machine) from two MacBook Pros to a QNAP TS-239 Pro II NAS. All wired devices are connected to a gigabit switch which is then connected to the WL-500GPv2.

I see my options as:

1. Replace existing router with a Tomato-compatible one that has N wireless, (although my understanding is you may only be able to get 150 speeds with that firmware) such as Asus RT-N16 or Netgear WNDR3700 and run Tomato on that. Only problem is these are pretty expensive, and as I now have a QNAP NAS, I don't actually need the torrent, USB, file-sharing etc functions to run on the router.

2. Buy an Asus RT-N13 or EnGenius ESR9850 and use it only as an access point, which according to the SNB review has faster wifi than the RT-N16. The RT-N13 is less than half the price of the RT-N16, and the other advantage of using a separate access point is I can keep G devices on the WL-500GPv2 and put only N devices on the new access point.

Does anyone have any other suggestions on how best to add *fast* N wireless to my network at relatively low cost? I'm happy with my current router, I just need the fastest N wireless at the minimum cost...

Thanks,

Ben

 

[thiggins]

What are the DD-WRT "must have" features? Requiring support for alternative firmware narrows down your selection a lot.

 

[thiggins]

You're not going to be happy with wireless back-ups even using N.
If you're in the same room (where you'd be better off using a cable), best using 40 MHz mode you'll get 100 Mbps or 12.5 MB/s.

 

[occamsrazor]

Thanks for the replies Tim...

The router runs as an OpenVPN server giving me superb remote-access to my LAN which I am very happy with, plus great QoS, and generally just a great easy-to-use but full-featured interface... I use Tomato not DD-WRT, but that's beside the point.

I realise it limits my hardware, that's why I was looking at adding an access point (whether it be a real AP or actually a router used solely as an AP). I should clarify if I went down this path, I do NOT require the AP to run other firmware, as all routing (and G wireless) would continue to be done by my WL-500GPv2. It just needs to be a fast, "dumb", cheap AP.

It'd mostly be in the same room, and I have a cable already, but I move around a lot and the backup runs hourly, but it's an incremental one so the transfer each time isn't too bad. I realise I'd be looking at something like 12.5 MB/s, I'm fine with that - with my G I only get 3 MB/s.

So assuming I keep my 2.4Ghz G devices on the existing router (i.e. not needing simultaneous dual-band), and I only need it as an N access point for N devices, what's the fastest/best-value option you think? The RT-N13 seemed pretty good for that...

Thanks...

 

[thiggins]

Thanks for the information.

You might want to consider Buffalo, even though they're opting for DD-WRT.
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wire...to-ship-dd-wrt-routers-partners-with-novastor

http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wire...s-n-high-power-router-a-access-point-reviewed

There are also the NETGEAR WNR3500L, which I haven't tested.

 

[tipstir]

Go to the DD-WRT forums first before you shell out dough on the routers you want. DD-WRT doesn't play nice with 802.11n. Remember just going enabled disabled features that the stock firmware doesn't allow. TX/RX seems them to generate more errors in DD-WRT. I can't speak for Tomato I had only used it twice with a Buffalo Wireless 802.11g router I didn't like the results. I did have WZR2-300N from Buffalo back in late 2007. To me one of the best ones they had made cost me $160 for two at CC. Firmware was awful not even the Senior CS could figure out the issue. That unit had Marvel 500MHz MCU, 8 Flash and I think it was 32MB or 16MB of RAM. Wasn't gig ports but the wireless was so strong for N no matter where I was it was strong. The only issue with that it had dropped WAN and LAN like a dime every 30 seconds. I had purchased two because one for AP and one for DHCP. Both of them had the same issue. Ended up getting my money back.

Netgear N with DD-WRT was a nightmare I don't know how the WDR3700 would be or if it's supported.