Nickspohn's What Wireless Router is Right for Me Guide? Updated 2/19/2006

ok so in summary it sounds like you are suggesting just going with G instead of super G.

I dont think i would/should pay even $26 for that atheros min pic express super g card as good of a price as it is if thats what you were talking about becaues someone else told me that it wont fit in Asus v6j.

i guess mini pci express is different and goes somewhere else then the express card slot that v6j and many other laptop have. i think express slot wireless cards aren't made yet but are coming out soon. just shame that while some laptops have both pcmcia and express card slots many have the newer express card slot which while be future proof and supposedly better, wireless express cards just aren't available.

at least that is what i gather at this point though its been confusing with one person suggesting mini pci express and others say that wont fit and both that and express card slot having the word express in it, heh.

anyway i do already have the super G router so i'm thinking of keeping that instead of exchanging for the regular G. Plus i have a free netgear pcmcia (pcy type II) super g card that i can maybe exchange for the netgear usb super g adapter. otherwise im stuck with it and have to sell it. so especially if i can get the usb adapter which will work with my laptop obviously then its prob worth keeping the super g router.

unless, does super g really cause some problems over G as you and others i think have said being on channel 6 and 2.4 ghz. i haven't had much problem, but i have had it drop off randomly and reconnect though almost right away as someone else mentioned has happened to them.

so maybe super g is more trouble then speed increase is worth. isn't the range farther though?

i guess it will depend if i can swap between using super G with the usb adapter and using G through the integrated intel pro wireless a/b/g when i dont feel like using the usb adapter sticking out and/or need that 4th usb slot for something.

if i can easily switch between using either the built in or the usb super g adapter then its fine. but if installing the super g usb adapter messes up the integrated intel one then its not worth it. and already the intell one got messed up and i think it was after installing the software for the pc card super g adapater (before i knew it wouldnt' fit)

it was fairly easily fixed by just going in add remove progs and clicking the intel pro wireless and then hitting repair which reinstalled part of it but I would not want to have to do that everytime i take the usb super g adapter and want to just use the B or G of the intel one.

i guess only way to find out is to try and its worth trying as long as i can get usb adapter in exchange at no cost as they are same price. otherwise i would just exchange the super g for a g router and get the difference back (like $20 less for g?) and return the super g adapter but i can't do the latter.

so i will try the super usb adapter and if hot swapping between that and the intel a/b/g doenst' work then i will exchange for G (hopefully i still can at that point) and i guess try to sell the super g adapter. bleh

 

Im confused.
I bought this: http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Satellite?blobcol=urldata&blobheadername1=Content-Type&blobheadername2=Content-Disposition&blobheadervalue1=image%2Fjpeg&blobheadervalue2=inline%3B+filename%3Dwrt54gc.jpg&blobkey=id&blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobwhere=1130803994874&ssbinary=true
This needs your additional router to connect. I don't want two boxes. I need a router with all in one. Smack it to the phoneline, insert ISP username and password and get online.
What in the Linksys range is the one to buy?

 

I was losing connection sporadically all the time and though it would come right back i thought this was enough reason not to pay $20 more for super g. i exchanged it for the regular netgear G router. the guy in CC did say the super g had more range. i'll have to see if i have adequate range with the regular G.

seem like N is available no not draft or pre N but even the CC guy was skeptical and said its prob still the same or early version.

i figure i will wait till they come out with express card adapter before i upgrade from G as the only other way to do something other then g on my laptop or any with only express card slot and no pcmcia is using a usb adapter which i dont think is preferable.

 

Please update!

 

Just out of Interest, do you guys in USA ever use PPPoA or is it only PPPoE.

Have you included any DSL Modem Routers in there? That would be extremely helpful nick...

 

switched from Comcast internet using Motorola surfboard cable modem to Verizon FIOS using ActionTec router.

daisychained the ActionTec which is kinda crappy to my Netgear g router and it was a pita.

supposedly on most you can just disable dhcp to daisy chain but the netgear had an ip conflict and i can't remember what all i did with the verizon tech to get it working.

i can get signal to my xbox 360 and its wireless adapter from either the actiontec or the netgear but i think the netgear gets a stronger signal.

also the netgear at least had an open NAT when testing the the xbox live connection but the ActionTec is moderate which isnt' ideal but better then strict and everything still works.

I ending up getting a netgear wall outlet inet connection sharing device which gives the 360 a pseudo wired connection but strangely enough when i stream 1080p wmvs from my pc they run smoother on the wireless connection then the wired through netgear recepticle thing.

that tells me that the connection must lose some speed/power when going through the electric outlet. will have to do speed test on laptop through the wifi compared to wired to the netgear electric outlet thing.

any info on the ActionTec router would be helpfu and i think i do have instructions for it somewhere on how to set it up better for gaming which may open the NAT. never bothered yet cus it works without doing that.

360 recommends using an A router though mostly just to not get interference from the wireless controller, headset etc plus your neighbors g networks and cordless phones all on 2.4ghz and the wireless adapter has A/b/g so i may try to find an a/b/g router at some point like the linksys one as my laptop can use wireless A also.

no stores have any routers with 802.11a anymore but you can get online.

any A router recomendations?

there are 2 a/b/g routers listed @
http://www.xbox.com/en-US/support/connecttolive/xbox360/homenetworking/equipment.htm

a dlink one and a linksys one as well as 2 linksys bridges that are a/b/g. how do bridges work? and would that be more ideal maybe then an a/b/g router. though i guess it wont be able to use an a signal if its just getting the b/g from the actiontec or netgear router so yeah i need an a/b/g router and can get a bridge later if needed.

 

Hey Nick, could you help me decide what router I need at the fire station I work at? There are several of us there that use laptops and Xbox 360's and Playstation 3's on line at one time. Which router would be best (for under $100) to use for a combination of these wireless devices working at the same time. Usually no more than a couple of laptops and two game systems are being used at one time. Thanks for any help.