Need advice please choosing from these 3 routers

Hello everyone. I'm in the market for a new router. However, I am somewhat limited by my choices. I have a $75 dollar Staples Gift Card that I plan to use, so I am limited to the choices available at Staples. Also, due to my desktop configuration space/set up, I can only get a vertical standing router. So this essentially eliminates most all of the Linksys models. The items that I use wireless for, are a laptop, an HTC smartphone, and a HP Touchpad.
Gigabit ports aren't really necessary as I do not have a Gigabit adapter/card on my desktop or pre-historic Xbox 1 (which I use as a media center.)
Dual Band would be nice to have as I live in an apartment with 3 cordless handsets and a microwave, but I don't know if its really a necessity considering not many devices are capable of utilizing the 5GHz spectrum. I've had problems maintaining a connection and playing YouTube videos on my HP Touchpad with my recently deceased Linksys WRT54GX4 (SRX400) router. So hopefully, one of these newer routers will help solve that problem. I narrowed my choices down to:

1) Belkin N750 Wireless Dual-Band N+ Router (Model F9K1103)

2) NETGEAR RangeMax Wireless-N300 Gigabit Router (Model WNR3500L)

3) NETGEAR N600 Wireless Dual Band Router (Model WNDR3400)

The Belkin N750 is Dual Band and rated #2 overall on the WAN to LAN Throughput Router Chart and seems to have great range. However, its firmware seems to have very limited configuration options and DD-WRT or Tomato isn't available for it. I also understand that it wont allow me the option to set Static IP's for my devices. I currently have a wireless printer, that is hardwired via Cat5E cable to my existing router using a Static IP. (I was having trouble getting it to connect wirelessly thats why I connected it using the cable.) So that is somewhat a concern.

The Netgear N300 WNR3500L does not have Dual Band but does have Gigabit connections. It is also more outdated compared to the other 2 routers , but seems to be solid nevertheless. What's enticing is that it is an Open Source router so I can put DD-WRT or Tomato on it.

The Netgear N600 Dual Band WNDR3400 has Dual Band but does not have Gigabit ports. I think DD-WT maybe available for it, but am not positive. It also has a Lifetime Warranty which is great, considering Netgear routers seem to die out quickly. The other 2 routers have only a 2 year and 1 year warranty, respectively.

The prices for all these are in my range. I live in an apartment complex. So with all this in mind, which router would you guys recommend for me? I have also included a screenshot of the spec comparison on Staples.com, for these 3 routers, below. Thanks and I apologize for the lengthy post.

 

Those are hard choices, seeing you are limited to Staples. It looks like dual band is not so important in your case (not many uses this yet), and Gigabit is probably better for you for your household equipment. I am all about DD-WRT and Tomato on these devices, so the Netgear N300 WNR3500L would be my choice. It also have Gigabit, which is nice.

If you ever want a good bang for the buck router, I heard the Netgear WNDR3700 is a very good router w/ DD-WRT support. It is ranked #2 on Top Ten Reviews. Roughly $60 on eBay (man. refurbished). If you want the best one, go with the Linksys E4200. I hear it is very good in this forum. It has everything.

 

The Linksys models have mounting holes at the bottom, so all you need is some sort of stand. Have you checked your wireless environment with inSSIDer? That would help determine if you'd benefit from 5GHz equipment (provided some of your wireless gear si 5GHz compatible) or not. I'd go for one fo the two netgears personally.

 

Hanime - Thank you for the advice. I changed my mind and decided I wouldn't need Gigabit ports since none of my non-wireless devices have a Gigabit card/adaptor. I agree with you about DD-WRT and Tomato on these devices. The more options in these open source firmwares will help troubleshoot potential problems. The WNDR3700 is desirable but is almost double the cost. I would prefer to stay away from Refurbished items, because of the short warranty. With that in mind, the Netgear WNDR3400 is the only router from these 3 that comes with a lifetime warranty, so thats a major plus.

tijo - I wasnt aware about the mounting holes. Thank you for informing me. I'm not too crazy about Linksys as Ive had connectivity issues with my HP Touchpad. Not to mention, my Linksys router just died out on me. I'm sort of leaning between the 2 Netgears due to the Open Source firmwares. I just want the one that has more updated hardware. Thanks for the heads up on inSSIDer. Unfortunately, I cant test it as my router is kapoot.

 

inSSIDer uses your computer's adapter to scan for available networks. It will display even hidden networks as well as the channel of said networks. It usually also picks up networks windows doesn't bother to display since the signal strength is low. no router needed what-so-ever.

 

Sounds good! I'll give this a shot. Thanks again!

 

Avoid the Belkin N750, 5ghz band will constantly disappear, and it's performance on the 5ghz band is sub par.

 

things to consider: external antennas, replaceable antennas, dd-wrt and/or tomato firmware compatibility, amount of tx/rx buffer ram, how 'hot' they run (other review sites), warranty, etc.