looking for a new router

hi guys im looking for a new reliable wireless N router to replace my old d-link dir 615 as this one is already malfunctioning greatly.

router doesnt have to have many bells and whistles in terms of software n firmware, just need the basics like portforwarding, dmz, wep/wpa, which even the most basic routers shud offer. what i want most is:

1. reliability. this router is already my 2nd or 3rd d-link that had to be replaced due to malfunction. they keep malfunctioning after a while its very disappointing. i heard linksys is no better, and that its not a matter of brand but a matter of price and class/tier of the product. but ya, dont malfunction shortly after a year, i lost count how many times i blamed my isp b4 investigating LOL.

2. wireless gaming. im the only person who uses the internet in the household, theres no1 to get in my way. but for some reason online games on wireless encounters major lag spikes every once in a while. this is not because of latency or shortage of bandwidth, its known problem, but i know under certain routers these problems dont exist. if you know what im talking abt please recommend one.

3. preferably ability to connect to an external hardrive so all computers can have a centralized shared storage. this is not a must have tho.

4. cheapest price that meets all the above


thanks a lot in advance

 

Hi:

You might try looking for a router that has MIMO(multiple input-multiple output) dual band technology 2.4-2.5 Ghz(ect.)

MIMO - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Look at ones in newegg or similar online seller and find one that fits the budget and has high rating and of course fits the square footage.

Cheers
3Fees

 

If you want to game, honestly, go wired.
No chance of interference, it's faster, and more reliable.

The external drive will add a bit to the cost.
Without it, just grab any dual radio router from Linksys, Netgear, Buffalo or Asus. You can get these starting at around $60.

If you want the external drive however, expect that to more than likely double, at which point, just get the current king, the NETGEAR WNDR3700 or NETGEAR WNDR37AV (basically the same router).

 

my current d-link dir 615 has 2 antennas. does that mean it also has mimo technology according to the wikipedia link u sent me?

 

Most 11g routers used mimo technology. But you would have to check the spec to confirm. What it did in real life was to give longer range and higher speeds. Some mfg worked better than others though.

 

I just ordered one of these, so can't speak from first hand experience, but they seem to be getting great reviews and they support dd-wrt.

Newegg.com - TP-LINK TL-WR1043ND 802.11b/g/n Wireless N Gigabit Router up to 300Mbps with USB 2.0 port

 

If you're the only one really using the wireless, period, there's no need to go dual-band. Just get something with a strong signal, like this Buffalo router. SmallNetBuilder tested it and it really does have a beastly wireless signal. That said, I don't know how far you're going to be from the router, so you might not need the ones with above normal transmit power.

The Asus RT-N16 gets some good reviews--though people say the stock firmware is lacking. I have the Asus RT-N56U, and I'm perfectly satisfied with it. No problems after owning it for a little over a month.


Oh, by the way, how many machine/computer/whatever are going to be wired and how many are wireless? If you're exclusively wireless, and you don't have to worry about people clogging your network, you could skip the gigabit ethernet, too.

I thought the new king was the Linksys e4200?

 

Too new to really hold that crown yet I think. It may be great, but give it a bit for people to find the kinks.

Many are reporting lots of restarts, it needs time to ripen.

 

i have many computers in my household but like i said, im the only one actively using the internet, there wont b any clogging issues

 

netgear 3700 ver 1 , with fw 1.0.7.98 it works well , great range , zero reboots and traffic meter works perfectly . Single channel ,asus rt-16 , fantastic range no problems so far in 6 months use using latest firmware . I like the options in the asus firmware , others don't . open soutce is available for asus , netgear as well , but reports of trouble with DDWRT with 3700

 

u guys all leave ur routers on 24/7 right?

 

I don't know anyone who turns them off.

Broadband is considered an "always on connection".

 

Don't know about you guys but I have one of these:

Buffalo WHR-HP-G300N - AirStation Nfiniti Wireless-N Essential High Power Router & Access Point WHR-HP-G300N | Buffalo Technology

60€ and it totally kicks .

 

I have been running a Netgear WNDR3700 for about 2 months and it works flawlessly. Having a USB drive hooked up to it is a plus. I also like the 2.4GHz / 5Ghz dual banding.
It really is worth every penny.

 

I've had Linksys BFSR-81 for like 8 years and it works fine still, just to give you a little heads up about reliability lol. I think I'm gonna get the Linksys e3000 in a week or two.

Something I was wondering, does my distance from the router count through the floor and whatnot? If we're talking going from my room, down the hall, to the basement, to the router, then I'm at over 100ft probably. But through the floor I'm like right on top of the router.

 

Directly above and under the router are two worst places to be due to the way antennas work.