Best Router for a P-7811FX

Okay.. tommarrow I'm going to buy my Gateway P-7811FX from Best Buy.

I'm planning on getting the NXZT because I'm a fairly hardcore gamer and cooler is better. (And my wife steals the desktop!)

I'm also gonna grab probably a Targus case for it.. haven't really decided yet.

Anyway, through my research I've found out that the P-7811FX has a Intel Pro 5100 WiFi adapter that can handle up to 300Mbps.

Now I'm trying to find the best router for my setup. I have a 10/100/1000 Ethernet card in the desktop. So what I'm looking for is a wireless broadband router that also has 2-4 Gigabyte LAN ports. And will connect to the laptop and my other system at the highest speed possible.

Anyone have any suggestions? I was thinking about Linksys but I'd also like to stay under $100 if at all possible.

 

D-Link DIR-655

 

Hands down no contest don't even consider anything else?

Wow it's not even cheaper at newegg either so I can get it right at best buy. Go figure.

Anyone else got any input on it?

 

Its always good to get a second opinion, so hopefully someone else will chime in, but this was the router that one me over from Linksys. That is with the notable exception of the WRT54GL I have Tomato firmware running on. The dlink is well reviewed and many people find it to be the best N router out at the moment. Which is surprising to say the least.

 

Any other accessories I should be planning on?

This is my first laptop, I usually build my own systems. But the wife is stealing my desktop for Warhammer Online, so I need the laptop as a backup / 2nd gaming rig. (space saver ftw!)

Planning on that targus case I think http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage...oduct&id=1083713711275#tabbed-customerreviews .. the NXZT notebook cooler.. now the DIR-655 router.. and I got a spare Logitech MX518 mouse laying around somewhere.

Anything I'm forgetting?

 

Wife that plates WAR...wow...

 

Well I have the WRT54GL with DD-WRT firmware and it works better than the $150 N (draft) router that I had before. I have done 20Mbits down without a problem and I overclocked it and upped the transmit power so I get awesome signal in my entire apartment and outside.

Awesome for the $50 dollars that it cost. If I wanted to upgrade it I would wait until the N specs gets finalized and/or dual band N routers mature more. But since the WRT54GL is rock solid I might not change it

 

i recommend this over the slim line linksys routers. i just got done having a crap load of problems with the WRT310N, and bought the DIR-655. 100 bucks@best buy. no problems WHATSOEVER with the router. no dropped connections like before. and i can use the **** wired LAN ports.

 

Yeah the WRT54GL isn't N or have Gigabyte support and isn't nearly what I'm looking for, thank you for the info though.

Yeah my wife will play WAR.. she played WoW for years including high-end raiding (Sunwell) and multiple 70's. Her desktop needs to get replaced, so she's stealing my desktop and I'm getting the laptop.

And sounds like it's DIR-655 for sure then.



Edit: Hey does the DIR-655 run N in 2.4Ghz and 5.0Ghz? I can't seem to find it in the specs.

 

From the BB blurb:

Product Features

* Wireless-N technology delivers up to 300 Mbps data transfer rates
* Compatible with draft 802.11n; backwards compatible with 802.11b/g

 

I like the Netgear N routers.

as far as accessories go, i'd probably just get a travel bag. You really don't need much more than that unless you want to invest in a passive or active cooler.

 

I like the Linksys WRT600N. It has both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz radios. This allows the router to operate in the far less crowded 5 GHz band (which the P7811 supports). It will also support older stuff with the 2.4GHz radio, so your friends will still be able to connect even with older hardware. It also has decent range.

It is expensive, but works well.

Ira

 

2.4Ghz since is not dual band.

The 855/825 are simultaneous dual band routers while 1522/1555/4500 are selectable dual band Access Point/Routers (not 100% sure about the 1555/4500 being selectable or simultaneous but they are dual band). Anyway all of these have Gigabit ports/N since for some reason you want this.

 

You do realize gigabit ports and N wifi bandwidth have absolutely no effect on internet performance, correct? Current internet bandwidth is nowhere near even half the theoretical limit of N. The added N and/or gigabit bounses generally only come into play when distance from the router is a concern and/or when high speed LAN performance(ie transferring large files between computers on your local network) is needed. I just wanted to make this clear as some are of the understanding that a gigabit router will automatically make their internet faster, which is generally false, unless they are hell and gone from the router and experiencing poor performance due to a poor signal.

 

I like to split my stuff up...
I use a Linksys WRT54G as a WAP, and I use a ZyXel ZyWall-10 for firewall/NAT/Internet connection. ZyWall has a true SPI fw, but then again, maybe others do now. I've owned it for like 5 years or so...

Also got a Lucent/Orinoco 802.11 dual-card WAP as a backup to the Linksys.

Yo Dook - a friend of mine was at a university dorm, and apparently they had a 155mbit ATM link to the dorms.
This dude could pull some SERIOUS bandwidth down, until they started blocking torrents and such...


T

 

Sharky,
If you have a WRT54G that can be "firmwared", you should check out either Tomato(recomended) or DD-WRT. Both increase the potential of this little router to ones costing thousands more. I use Tomato on my WRT54GL at home and some of the features you get are mind-boggling.

 

Hmmm...gonna have to check it out.

Mine has serious issues - if I change the SSID, it goes bonkers.
Maybe it's time to flash the bad-boy!
I basically leave it as "linksys" and don't broadcast, and shut off DHCP servers on all devices, and
use static IP's.

EDIT: Status page says it's a WRT54GS with Linksys v4.71.1 firmware


T
"I only go to NBR to see what new avatar Dook has"

 

lol@your sig. I was asked to take my most recent down, so I'll try to think of something new for tomorrow.

Back to the router thing, I had a similar problem which totally disappeared when I installed Tomato. Check the site to see if your version is compatible. If not compatible with Tomato, there's a good possibility it will be compatible with DD-WRT, as they have broader model support. If you have a WRT54GL then youre golden either way, as it runs Linux natively.

 

Yeah that is why I recommended the WRT54GL since if flashed with tomat/DD-WRT it turns into a "industrial" router that could cost hundreds more.

Maybe he has an amazing internet connection and needs the N or has some special circumstances (range, media server). But the gigabit thing is purely a gimmick IMO since as of now since we don't use the capabilities of the 100 one :\

Anyway if he wants it the Dlink 655 it is a good router. I would try to get a router that could be flashed with 3rd party firmware but that is just me.

Also not sure how this is related to the gateway forum after thinking about it he would receive better comments if he posted this on a networking forum.

 

Well I didn't think the answer would become this complicated and I thought others would benefit from the answer as I'm sure I'm not the only one who will be purchasing a wireless router as well.

I wanted a gigabyte router because I do a good chunk of file transfers between the two computers and I didn't see a reason to restrict myself to 100Mbps because I wanted to save $50 on the router. I transfer large printing files and movies and every picture we ever took goes back and forth a lot too.

I also want to set everything up so I can run the laptop wired or wireless depending on what I'm doing and where I am in the house. The problem is that the laptop will be mostly used upstairs so the wireless will have to go through a floor. I also might like to take the laptop outside with me across the little street and sit in the grass and read while my dog runs around. The VA is putting me back through school so I'm getting my bachelors degree and a CCNA and MCSE so I'm doing a lot of reading off of computers atm.

I'm mostly looking for the best solution and most reliable one at that. I hope I didn't get too off topic with all this. But I hope you can see where I'm coming from.

Also.. on a side note. Because I knew I was going wireless at some point in the future I did a few things like making sure I don't use 2.4Ghz phones. I'm running DECT 6.0 cordless phones that operate well above the 5ghz range even.

 

You and I know about the benefits of upgraded firmware, but for the general population, they don't want to have to go to all that trouble and just want something simple that works. He had a few requests for a router, and those are what I tailored my answer too. There's no doubt the WRT54GL once upgraded is one helluva router, but it also has a slightly higher learning curve than a "plug and play" solution, such as the N routers suggested here.

OP- Definitely check out the 655, not saying rush out and buy it, but check the ratings and reviews and see if it's something that you feel comfortable with.