Best Wireless Router FAQ:
I just got set up with Comcast Cable at my apartment. During the install, they gave me a Motorola Surfboard 5100 Cable Modem. When connected to the PC, the connection speed is awesome, but I want to go mobile. Which type of wireless router should I go with? I have previously installed Linksys equipment at another place, and wasn’t impressed. I also have tried Actiontec equipment and found it to be more than enough. I think I’ll buy another Actiontec router unless someone else out there can recommend a better brand or type. Thanks!
I just got set up with Comcast Cable at my apartment. During the install, they gave me a Motorola Surfboard 5100 Cable Modem. When connected to the PC, the connection speed is awesome, but I want to go mobile. Which type of wireless router should I go with? I have previously installed Linksys equipment at another place, and wasn’t impressed. I also have tried Actiontec equipment and found it to be more than enough. I think I’ll buy another Actiontec router unless someone else out there can recommend a better brand or type. Thanks!
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
I bought a Belkin Pre-N and have found it fast and reliable.
The installaton was a breeze and their tech support is flawless.
Best advice I can give.
get a linksys its literally plug and play – however you may want to lock it down unless you want other people outside on your network
i’m absolutely happy with my linksys WRT54GS wireless router. i never had a problem with it.
LINKSYS!!!!!
ever hear of Cisco? you know… cisco… thats the company that makes 95% of all business networking equipment in the WORLD. Well they own Linksys and the core of Linksys routers is Cisco.
if you enter the Linksys command prompt interface the commands you can type (its watered down from the real Cisco stuff) are the exact same commands Cisco uses.
I second what the person just above said. I have the same setup with the same Linksys model. Plug it in and it practically sets itself up. I like the customization too. Since you were not impressed with one of the best brands your question probably should have been about a certain feature that you were expecting and didn’t get, or with ease of setup, or whatever. As mentioned here, I think Linksys and Belkin are quality brands.
But personal experience goes a long way, and if you are happy with your brand, stay with it.
Belkin, Linksys, and D-Link are all equally easy to setup and use and have good customer support if you run into problems. I would stay away from Netgear in your situation. I have tried to setup three different Netgear wireless routers with the Motorola Surfboard 5100, and not one would work, and then their customer support was nil.
So see which of the 1st three is your best price point when you get to the store and go with that.
buy Buffalo , i think you love the speed and the simplicity, i use it too
I have tried many many brands but Cisco is the number one.
if u only have 1 PC…u dont need to buy a wireless router…u can just get a wireless cable modem…
tho i’m not sure which is cheaper to buy…u gotta do the research
Go with a IEEE 802.11g or 802.11a standard. Linksys, Netgear, and D-Link make good equipment, compare specs and prices. They are all relatively easy to setup, and since you are in an apartment you should take care in investing in a router and wireless adaptor that will support WPA encryption. WEP encryption is weak and was never intended for security, only privacy. The 802.11g and 802.11a standards both operate up to 54Mbps which is definitely more than enough bandwidth for any home user. Do not fall into the trap of purchasing a so called pre-n router. The 802.11n standard has not even been finished yet. These pre-n devices have been built by manufacturers that are assuming what the standard will be finalized as. These devices are proprietary and are likely to work only with the same manufacturer brand. I have not heard any good reviews as of yet with respect to these pre-n devices.
Another point to consider is the difference between the 802.11g and 802.11a standards. They are very similar except that they operate at different frequencies. 802.11g is 2.4GHz and is the most common. 802.11a operates at the 5GHz range and is less common than dot11g. If you have a 2.4Ghz cordless telephone, you may want to use the 802.11a router because the 802.11a can interfere with your cordless phone. However, if you want to be mobile and use your laptop at other locations while travelling or on business, the 802.11g is your best bet because it is the most commonly used. There are some devices out there that will support both 802.11g and 802.11a but you will pay the premium. Research the above mentioned brands on each manufacturer web-pages is your best bet. Most products are very similar in performance as long as they are designed around the IEEE standards. Some may have extra features for filtering, firewalls, forwarding ports, etc. but some cheaper ones will not give you the range you may require. Your best bet is probably with a Linksys, D-Link or Netgear.
Hope I helped!