Router recommendations?

[TimElhajj]

When I switched to cable, I lost my two static IP addresses and have been put on dynamic IP. Right now I am just plugging the modem into the hub, but I want to get a router so I am only assigned one IP for my house and to keep things more secure. It should have nat/dhcp. It would also be neat if it had a wireless node and didn't cost over $80.

I don't really need the wireless part of the equation, but feel sure I am going to get a laptop from work one of these days, so I want to be ready. :)

I suppose I should also at least look at cable modems, because this looks like the start of a beautiful friendship with me and comcast, and I am just renting their equipment right now.

Where does everyone shop for network equipment like this? I have just been honching it with hubs and crawling around under the house stringing CAT5. Now I am going to buy some networking gear. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[XPav]

Where does everyone shop for network equipment like this? I have just been honching it with hubs and crawling around under the house stringing CAT5. Now I am going to buy some networking gear. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Best Buy or CompUSA. At this point, Cable/DSL/Wireless routers by Linksys or Netgear or D-Link or house brands (aka rebranded old Linksys stuff) are al commodity stuff. The wireless stuff can be a little more tweaky, but thats because it is radio.

The good news is that all the cable you've run will still be good. you just plug it into the router if its got a built in switch or you just uplink the hub to the router if it doesn't.

(You did wire it correctly, right? -- Many people get it wrong on their first try, like, well, me.)

[Guido Jones]

Don't buy a Linksys router if you play games online - certain versions of the firmware like to queue up packets every 10 minutes and tend to cause a lot of lag (supposedly they're released a new firmware recently, but I've heard mixed results). They're fine for normal surfing though

[Aleck]

Don't buy a Linksys router if you play games online - certain versions of the firmware like to queue up packets every 10 minutes and tend to cause a lot of lag (supposedly they're released a new firmware recently, but I've heard mixed results). They're fine for normal surfing though

Interesting -- I've got an original BEFSR41 router and never had any problems like this! (I dumped it for a Netgear in June to add wireless).

Weird...

[JeffL]

FWIW, I purchased and installed a Netgear router/firewall and it has worked so well I don't ever think about it. I"ve had to reset it maybe twice in the last year, that's about it. Makes me wonder why I was dumb enough to pay my cable ISP for three IPs for so long. :wink:

[Case]

I suppose I should also at least look at cable modems, because this looks like the start of a beautiful friendship with me and comcast, and I am just renting their equipment right now.

Where does everyone shop for network equipment like this? I have just been honching it with hubs and crawling around under the house stringing CAT5. Now I am going to buy some networking gear. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

If you do get a wireless-enabled router, get one that supports 802.11g. It will be backwards compatible with 802.11b, but offer better throughput. Don't be tempted by ultra-low 802.11b prices -- the manufacturers are trying to dump their obsolete gear.

[chet]

I just called to dump my dsl monday and am switching to cable myself. O am picking up the stuff tomorrow. The deal i have comes with a modem for $3 a month, I already have a switch I am going to plug it into. For $3 a month, I might as well just use their equipment. They want $40/month per IP address for static ips. So I do lose that.

My DSL provider, SBC, couldn't see how I was outraged that my fixed bill for phone, VM and dsl could swing from $130 a month to $195 last month. According to them, I just signed up for DSL last month (ignoring that I have had it for 2 years now). For a fixed cost package, I never paid the same amount twice.

Chet

[Chris Nahr]

FWIW, I purchased and installed a Netgear router/firewall and it has worked so well I don't ever think about it.

Same here, I'm using the Netgear RP614v2 with my DSL dial-up connection and it works like a charm. Since I'm on a metered connection I particularly like the automatic dial-in and the automatic disconnect after 1 minute idle time. I don't have to dial in manually anymore and still I spend less time online overall.

[Tyrion Lannister]

Don't forget to get a router with a firewall. Definitely worth the extra expense.

I'm very happy with my Hawking (once I upgraded the BIOS).

[Quaro]

DI-604 (D-Link) here. That thing costs less than 30 bucks and has never faltered. D-Link seems to have risen out of the cheap-ass category lately into the cheapass but solid zone.

[awdougherty]

If you do get a wireless-enabled router, get one that supports 802.11g. It will be backwards compatible with 802.11b, but offer better throughput. Don't be tempted by ultra-low 802.11b prices -- the manufacturers are trying to dump their obsolete gear.

I was curious about this. Why not jump on board some cheap 802.11b stuff? Seems like the only advantage the g version would have is if you were copying files between computers. Shouldn't the b version be enough for connecting to the web? Are there other advantages for the g version?

[Brian Koontz]

I was curious about this. Why not jump on board some cheap 802.11b stuff? Seems like the only advantage the g version would have is if you were copying files between computers. Shouldn't the b version be enough for connecting to the web? Are there other advantages for the g version?

Some G routers have improved security. There is a three letter acronym for it starting with V but I can't remember. The lesser security used by the B routers is VAT I believe.

[Warlord of Mars]

I was curious about this. Why not jump on board some cheap 802.11b stuff? Seems like the only advantage the g version would have is if you were copying files between computers. Shouldn't the b version be enough for connecting to the web? Are there other advantages for the g version?

Some G routers have improved security. There is a three letter acronym for it starting with V but I can't remember. The lesser security used by the B routers is VAT I believe.

VPN or NAT?