slipdoc

Hello -

I want to preface this message by saying that I have VERY LITTLE computer experience. (I have learned a lot from reading all the posts here - thanks for that!)

I'm waiting for my TH-55 to be delivered and I would like some advice on which router would be good for a beginner to set up a home network.

These are the features I need:

1-Compatability w/ TH-55
2-Easy set up/operation
3-Ability to keep my desktop hooked-up w/o having to buy a wireless card for it
4-lowest cost possible

I use a motorola cable modem w/windows 98.

Thanks for all your help!!!

msurtees

Hi, Slipdoc.

I work in IT and we, as one of our services, setup many users with this kind of thing at their homes.

Opinions vary, needless to say, but, with our experience...stay away from Linksys. They have a bad habit of posting firmware updates and then later removing them because of errors. They are inexpensive and very popular but I'm just going by experience.

D-Link we've had very good success with. They are VERY easy to setup...we haven't had an issue with a single box.

Apple Airports are also very good but pricey.

Whatever you get...be sure to implement the WEP features to make your network (somewhat) secure.

Just my thoughts.

c0mm0n

Dunno about prices in your region, but any wireless b wifi router would do what u want ;

c0mm0n

murtees : i'm stunned..how can u advice cheap and poor dlink stuff with affordable and gpl bases latest linksys products ???

Regarding non professionnal products, i'd higly adivse you to forget about dlink and go for a netgear/linksys/buffalo/smc/zyxel model ; all products from this manufacturers aren't perfect but most of the are.

For more infos from users : www.dslreports.com

A glimpse at the dlink forum will instantaly show you how costly it may be to choose this brand

jumpyg

I just ordered the DLink 624 Super G router for $53.00 after rebate from Amazon. It is a recommended product on CNet, and 80% of the hundreds of user opinions were positive. I almost went with the Netgear WGT624, but only 55% of CNet's users had positive opinions about it.

That said, you should in theory be able to get just about any router to work with the TH55. Just make sure the vendor you buy from has a decent return policy if things don't go smoothly.

I would go with 802.11g instead of b at this point. G is quite a bit faster and only a little more expensive. Super G is even faster. If you get a desktop or laptop card in the future, you can take advantage of G. The TH only supports b, so you won't see a difference if that's your only wireless device.

Most or all of the wireless routers out there will have wired ports (usually four), so you can hook up your desktop computer to it without buying a wireless card for it. Of course, that means the router needs to be pretty close to the desktop.

__________________
I just neutered the cat. Now he's a liberal.

c0mm0n

Lol i've kept my DI-624 for 2 days as it's the least stable thing i've ever met, options are cheap, firmware not stable and superG all but efficient if u haven't the dlinks cards on other computers ; when used for routing it hasn't passed a full day before rebooting or worst freezing ; i had it changed but that was the same...
My very basic Zyxel p324 was far better and was quickly reinstalled as the maiun router ; i then used the di624 as a costly and still unstable ap+bridge
I got linksys wrt54g, and have now qos, vpn, syslogs, ssh, and can evenre choose between several firmwares builders and ask them for more functions...
Sorry but Cnet ain't a good indicator for me, talking about network, dslreports and personnal use may be considered as references.

I wouldn't be saying that is the dlink products were just average, i don't have any interests in other brands, but i won't advice anyone to buy this particular touter and to be warned off dlink very average products. That said, i think you have a rev C router, mine is a rev B so this may explain yours is stable and mine isn't but still isn't acceptable for me...

msurtees

Hi, c0mm0n.

Again...my recommendation was based on real-world experience...not forums, boards, etc.

I did purchase a Netgear wireless card once...performed great!

jumpyg

Well, it's hard to base a buying decision on one person's horror story. There are so many factors that go into whether it works or not. You can easily find someone who had a bad experience with any given wireless router out there.

However, when 80% of 231 users on CNet say the product works for them, I'm pretty convinced. Each of those 231 users' experiences is worth no more or less than your experience.

If the DLink didn't work for you, why didn't you return it?

__________________
I just neutered the cat. Now he's a liberal.

jherubin

The problem with real world experience is that unless you get a larger sample size than 1 person it doesn't provide much. It's like for every person that says they have a Ford lemon you will find a person that had no problem with their 15 year old Ford.

Also, I think Linksys makes some of the best networking products for home use on the market. Now that they are a division of Cisco they "should" get even better. Let's just hope that they don't start passing the price of Cisco products to the Linksys line (read expensive). I too work in IT and this was also based on my real world expereince.

My advice to a TYPICAL home user is just to get the cheapest brand name one on the market that has a decent warranty. Bottom line...if it works it works. However, some DLink models use a very low decibel antenna. So if you have a large house placement of the access point may be a factor.

Also, it seems that you know WEP is not truly secure so to take the security to the next level users may want to do the following (all depending on how paranoid you are ):

1) Use WEP

2) Limit the number of wireless connections allowed

3) Use MAC filtering

4) Don't broadcast your SSID

5) Position your accesspoint on the furthest side of the house away from public access (street, sidewalk, etc...)

6) Use a program like netstumbler to sample the range of the access point and test if the signal "bleeds" out to public areas

c0mm0n

I mentionned it's been change by dlink with same result ; i've been discussing this issue with at least 10 owners that reported same troubles , actually the only reson i see to explain these divergent opinions is that rev C which is sold in ths us is "muche better" than rev B sold in europe...

I'm not the kind of people who gonna say my device is broken, doesn't work good all are, but it's really not the case for the products i've mentionned (zyxel dlink and linksys) ones).

Well to come back to the authoir's request, our chat may learn him chossing a router isn't something that should be made quiclky and he may check user feedback in his comparisons.

c0mm0n

c0mm0n

->jhrubin : are u sure it's wap ? and not wep or wpa ?

jherubin

Oooppps...yeah, fixed it...thanks!!

Had a bad flashback of a programming nightmare using wap. Yikes...

jumpyg

Actually, this was a large factor in my decision to buy the DLink.
In CNet's lab tests, it was second only to the Netgear in range.
CNet compares wireless routers

PC magazine just gave a good rating to the DLink:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1435739,00.asp

PCWorld was not as kind, however:
http://pcworld.com/reviews/article/...866,pg,1,00.asp

__________________
I just neutered the cat. Now he's a liberal.

msurtees

Good stuff. The more input from folks the better.

(still awaiting the TH55...drooling every day with all the pics showing up!)

Take care everyone!