Dual Band router with ATT 2wire Gateway?

Hi,
I moving into a rental community which only allows ATT as their internet provider, i've signed up for a 12MBPS connection.

Now the ATT 2wire gateway modem+router that they give with installation is G router only, the current router they had provider me in my previous resident was crap. When i ran diagnostic using xbox360s, the result showed that it wasn't even capable of stream video clips, HD content was a long shot. ESPN on xbox360 was choppy although i had a constant 6MBPS connection.

I am looking for a nice dual band Gigabit N router that can simultaneously do 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz(USB media storage port would be a big plus) that can do that following:

1) Stream content from PC to xbox360
2) I also want to use xbox360 for viewing ESPN and Hulu+
2) Stream content from PC to media player. e.g. WD live plus.
4) USB storage port would be a big plus in the router
5) The following devices would be connected to the router at all times: 2 laptops, xbox360s, 1 tablet, 2 smartphones, DVR.

Please let me know a decent Dual Band N router that can do all the above and attach to the Gateway 2wire modem+router.

Also USB storage port would be nice


Thanks a lot guys.

 

Netgear WNDR3700, Linksys E3000/E4200 or Asus RT-N56U. You will need to set your router to bridge mode or if it is set to auto switch in the firmware provided by ATT, set your router to PPoE and enter your user and password for your Internet connection. Any router should work with the 2wire set in bridge mode, my Linksys E3000 works at least. Disable wireless on the 2wire too. In any case, i'd get a router with a good CPU and at least 64MB of RAM, i get very good throughput with my E3000, the Netgear should give you similar if not better throughput. Those routers ain't cheap though $120 or more.

 

Absolutely no problems with the Asus RT-N56U. Setting the RG to 'bridge mode' can be a bit of a pain. I have the Asus set to AP mode and no problems using PS3MS

 

Thanks for the info guys, the linksys E4200 is out of my budget which was $100.

It's between Netgear WNDR3700 and Asus RT-N56U both cost $129 at BestBuy, i can manage that.

The ASUS has 2 USB which looks as an awesome option, it also has download to USB connected device option without keeping PC on, i can see myself using that quiet frequently.

Also both routers USB ports shouldn't have any problems streaming MKV HD content right?

Also i know ASUS has simultaneous dual band, is it also true for netgear?

I guess if all above are true than both should be a great option.

Thanks.

 

Yes, the netgear is simultaneous dual band as well. You'll find advocates of both routers on this forum.

Newegg.com - Recertified: Linksys E3000-RM 2.4GHz / 5GHz simultaneous Dual Band Gigabit Wireless Router IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n
Newegg.com - LINKSYS E3000 Wireless Router simultaneous Dual Band Gigabit 802.11a/b/g/n 2.4GHz / 5GHz up to 300Mbps with USB Built-in UPnP AV Media Server

Older model but almost the same as the E4200, just to give you more options .

 

I did go to my local bestbuy today but couldn't find the asus that i wanted to get.
I came across WNDR 3400 at bestbuy for $79.
All the spec were same as netgear WNDR3700.the only diff i could see was 3400 had 8mb ram vs 16 on 3700 also 3700 said dlna certified which was absent from 3400.

Both said 300/300 simultaneous dual band.

So is 3400 gonna do the job? Or will be handy capped in some way. I am willing to pay extra if its worth it.
Also I've seen and read dlna many places but how good is having that certification on the router.

As always thanks for the help guys.

 

3400 is completely different from 3700- it uses different radios and different main chip (SoC)- it's based on entirely different hardware- Broadcom instead of Atheros you get in 3700.
So if you're looking for the best go for WNDR3700.

 

I got busy with stuff then realized i might get a good price in thanksgiving sale.

Ordered the Linksys E3000 from newegg for $70.

It's suppose to be dual band simultaneous and hopefully will get the job done fine.

Will get back after i setup it up.

thanks.

 

That's a very good choice for an equally good price.

 

Indeed, i'd consider this a killer deal. At that price, you're getting a router with killer throughput. Mine has been working flawlessly so far.

 

If your up for an inexpensive wireless router, a recertified Netgear WNDR3300 Dual Band Wireless N Router With 300Mbps is on one day sale now! $25.00,,sold close to 1,200 today,,got mine, ebay one day deals..keep you advised on running 270mb/s from my adapter..Broadcom chipset. Oh Windows 7 certified(with lastest firmware update)--32 bit or 64 bit-compatible, I'll link it to my AT&T dsl-wireless G router and then have N wireless speeds, I use usb 300N adapter, changed my mind and upgraded to Netgear rangemax dual band usb adapter

Sale for $25 is off,,,up ~1300 units sold ,,now-$30- free shipping

Got me the companion that goes with it for Maximum Wireless performance,,,,,NETGEAR WNDA3100 Dual Band Wireless-N USB WiFi 802.11n Network Adapter,both version 1's....

Cheers
3Fees

 

Thanks for letting me know, but i am late at looking at your reply

Hopefully i will be getting my E3000 by Wed.

 

Let us know how it works out, if you have trouble setting it up, feel free to ask, i did my fair share of tweaking with that router.

 

They changed it back to $24.99-free shipping-extended the deal-,,mine is coming UPS-shipped quick,,,3,400+ units sold now,They may have ~5,000 units to sell left ,heres a link in case anyone wants to get into the in crowd. Windows 7 Certified with latest Netgear firmware update.

Netgear WNDR3300 Dual Band Wireless N Router With 300Mbps Data Rates | eBay

Features Include:
Up to 300Mbps wireless data rates
5 Ethernet ports (10/100): 1x WAN, 4x LAN with auto-sensing technology
Simultaneously surf the web, stream HD video, make internet phone calls and more
Push 'N' Connect easily and securely connects new devices to the wireless network
QoS automatically prioritizes the router's tasks according to existing bandwidth and your needs
Type 1 frequency bands with full 2.4GHz configuration for WiFi 802.11 b/g/n
Type 2 frequency bands with Duo 2.4GHz and 5GHz configuration for WiFi 802.11 a/n (5GHz) and WiFi 802.11 b (2.4GHz)
Privacy protection
Double firewall with NAT hides PC and files from outside users
DoS (Denial of Service) attack prevention
Wi-Fi protected access, WPA2-PSK, WPA-PSK
WEP 64-bit, 128-bit protection
WiFi Protected Setup (WPS)
Parental controls
Time based usage controls
Website logging, URL content filtering



Cheers
3Fees

 

This is the first time i would be hooking up a router to the 2wire modem/router so any advice is appreciated.

thanks.

 

Check for specific info about ATT, but i had to set the router to PPPoE mode instead of DHCP and enter my username and password for my Bell internet account. Depending on your modem's firmware, you may have to set the modem manually into bridge mode. Mine did the switch automatically, but it has a custom Bell firmware. If by ATT, you mean AT&T, then i think cnet has a tutorial on how to do just that.

the rest of the setup was pretty easy from there. I set my wireless manually through the web interface, do not use the easy configuration software when you receive the router, do it manually. It takes more time, but you can set things however you want. I set both my wireless networks with different SSIDs, security to WAP2-AES and made sure channel bonding was enabled. I set the 2.4GHz network to the less crowded channel between 1,6 and 11. That's about it, great throughput from then on. New wireless-wireless transfer record yesterday at 7.5MB/s (peak, ~7.2 average)

Oh and don't forget to disable the wireless on the 2wire.

 

So far this is where i stand:

1) I disabled wireless from the ATT 2wire modem/router.
2) The i ran the cd that came with E3000 and connect it to 2wire with ethernet cable and it automatically connected me to the internet, the wireless light on the 2wire modem is off so i am assuming i am running internet through Linksys.

Then i went into settings after connecting my 1TB WD elements HDD.
Now in Storage/Disk it's showing me the disk
I enabled media server and it's showing an icon in Win 7 network page.

How do i share the whole HDD and be able to view play files from it?

Also how can i see if my devices say smartphones, xbox, laptop is connected to g band or N band?

Also how do i make downloads e.g. torrents etc to download on USB attached HDD while PC is off?


Thanks.

EDIT:

DHCP client table tells me that my laptop and my smartphone's interface as "N" so that should mean they are connected through wireless N right?

 

I don't know if you saw this or not but the Linksys E4200-RM (refurb) on the linksys website is $99 with free shipping. I think they have a $5 off holiday special too....in case you are still looking...

The E4200 is a stellar router...

 

Better is too get Netgear rangemax Dual band WNDR3300v1,WNDR3400 and adapter Rangemax Dual band WNDA3100 ,,go version 1-300Mbps or version 2 -600Mbps,,,version 1 pair refurbished ~$50,,WNDR3400 with WNDA3100v2 pair ~$80. My version 1's arrive early next week,,,,,Go Netgear for the wireless win !!!! Nice addition for my Lenovo/IBM laptop. Both Microsoft-Windows 7 compatible,Nice wireless enhancement for my AT&T DSL, Dual Band 2.4 and 5 Ghz ,,2.4 has 3 channels,, 5 has 23 channels, ..WNDR3300 has 8 antennas.Time for liquid refreshment.

if you want to go faster heres: Netgear N900 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router (WNDR4500)up to 900Mbps

wndr4500 ,,,$180 @ Amazon..

Keep in touch

Cheers
3Fees

 

wow... 900mbps.

i never heard of that before....guess i've been living under a rock.

For now i am happy with the $69 Linksys E3000 coz i got it and already set it up.

I am able to access the hard drive over same network using win 7 PC.

Now if anyone would pls. tell me how to setup remote access for my hard drive attached to the router, also how to access it through my xbox 360.

Would love to get some input over the issue, thanks for the help so far guys.

 

Don't let the marketing fool you, it is 450mbps on 2.4GHz, which you will never get unless you live in the middle of nowhere and 450mbps on 5GHz. You will not get 900mbps on a single band with wireless N.

Also, netgear routers are usually on par or marginally better than the Linksys E with the same advertised features.

 

Update: I just got wnda3100 range max dual channel adapter,,,,,its not version 1,,its version 2 ,upgraded for nada,,works like a charm on my G network,,,,My Netgear Wireless 300N router is coming in UPS, then its 300N time....Oh its close to 3500 units sold ,now,,,,,,,Stay with NETGEAR Software and Firmware and be M$-Windows 7 - M$ HQL compatible........

Cheers
3Fees

 

Can anyone help me with the above.

Thanks

 

I got it running,,,270Mbps,,,,up to 5,600 + units sold,,,Rangemax- WNDA3100v2(600Mbps) and WNDR3300 Dual Band Wireless N Router With 300Mbps(a Gateway) are paired up,,,as too the 900N its dual channel 450+450 just like it says on the home page,,,They are still on sale, The 600N WND3400 is on sale too,,in case you want to exercise usb 3.0, Its a little challenging with no cd for the wndr3300,,however,,the price is right,,lol.. ,,pm me if you get stuck with these two,,I have figured them out.,,,,lol,,,,oh,,no conflicts with the AT&T DSL Service and 2Wire Gateway Service with the Rangemax Gateway - Wireless adapter Service..........

Cheers
3Fees

 

Hi,
Do you have any experience using Allshare i am having the following problem:

When my 2wire wireless is on, my samsung phone (connected to wifi) can see and connect to my samsung tv (connected to LAN), when i disable wifi on 2wire modem and connect it to Linksys E3000 than my samsung phone or PC cannot see my tv.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks.

 

Im in a similar situation as the orginal poster. I am starting a small business and want to add 2 new PC's, a NAS and a printer to my existing 2wire wireless gateway. Im hoping to pick up an ASUS RT-N56U and plug my 2 PC's via Cat6 Patch cables into the ASUS and plug my NAS and Printer in via USB. Then using the ASUS for wifi as well, instead of my exisiting 2Wire 2107HG-B. My only concern is getting internet to the whole mess. If I understand right I can factory reset the 2wire and put it in Bridge Mode then run that into the Uplink of the ASUS and that will provide my DSL to the whole mess (Wifi, gigabit to PC's and my NAS and Printer)?

Would love any advice, Im sure I can make it work, I just want to buy the right equipment to start with.

Thank!

 

Connecting a NAS via USB? Sounds weird- NAS must be connected via Ethernet or it's not a NAS. On another note- connecting a USB disk enclosure to a router via USB is possible but would be very slow (unless you choose a Linksys E4200 v2 in which case it would be slow-ish)

As for bridge mode- you connect a DSL line into a modem, then run an Ethernet wire from any of modem's Ethernet ports to Asus' WAN port.
Bridge mode should mean no Wi-Fi and no DHCP enabled on a modem but it doesn't always work like that so make sure you disable those manually in case switching to bridge mode doesn't do that for you.

 

You are right, it wouldn't be true NAS if I did it VIA USB, I planned on just using an external USB drive I have as a make-shift NAS until I had some extra money to purchase a true one. I realize I'll be limited to USB 2.0 transfer speeds.

I was more concenered with making sure my simple network plan was sound before I went and bought the ASUS RT-N56U. Seems like a really nice piece of equipment with lots of options.

 

It's not USB that's going to limit you- it's the router.
Write speed is will be about 8MB/s and ready speed up to 13MB/s.

 

I guess I'm not understanding, isn't this a gigabit router? Are you referring to anything I run thru USB being limted? Or the whole system being limited? I actually am not concerned about the storage via USB at all, by biggest concern is high speed between my 2 PC's and correctly integrating a Wireless g/n network and my 2Wire DSL.

 

I was referring to the speed you'd get from USB connected drive (9 & 13MB/s tops)
The rest will be fine but the pseudo-NAS will be extremely annoying if it's used for anything more than storing Word files or something like that.
CPU in the router isn't powerful enough to deal with this type of transfer (cheap home NASes use 1.2GHz-1.6GHz Marvell CPUs just for that and do nothing else)

 

Thanks for the info, just wanted to make sure the rest of the network would work as expected.

 

@gumby46

I am using Linksys E3000 and have attached a external WD HDD as NAS. And it works just fine, but just like download mentioned speeds are limited to around 8-10mbps not the usual 30mbps you get with USB. Over wifi I get around 2mbps which is OK if you want to transfer docs or stream stuff.

In the future I will also get a real NAS with RAID config running but for now I can't afford it at all.

buy this is not a problem for me. I've been streaming HD mkv from that USB attached external hdd and it works just fine on my network. As long as do it right 2wire should work with any router and act like a modem only.

The reason I got the Linksys over Asus is coz it was half the price around that time.
Also your setup should work fine with 2wire modem , I didn't have to reset it just turned on bridge mode and than turned off Wi-Fi on 2wire so I wouldn't have 2 networks running.

If you want to know my exact setup or how to go about it let me know.

Hope this helps.

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