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Best Router?

D

DougY

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 2, 2009
286
0
What is the best router to have for my iMac 27", 3.06 gig? I currently have a Belkin N1 Wireless Router, but it has been acting up lately, dropping my connection, requiring disconnect/re-connect.
 
I can't speak for any product specifically, but in my experience D-Link routers are great.
 
i have to airport extreme base stations and have had up to 3 express base stations. i love(d) all of them.
 
I use a WRT54GL running tomato firmware. I also have a time capsule bridged via wan port for gigabit and wireless n.

It really works well to separate the traffic in this house (6 computers and plenty of phones connected via wifi). The slower devices connect to the WRT54GL and the time capsule only has wireless N & gigabit devices connected.

If you dont need wireless N or gigabit, get a WRT54GL and load the Tomato firmware on it. Mine is STABLE as hell. I even have my DSL modem bridged to it. The WRT54GL handles the connection with the ISP eliminating/disabling the router function of the crappy DSL modem/router.
 
DougY said:
What is the best router to have for my iMac 27", 3.06 gig? I currently have a Belkin N1 Wireless Router, but it has been acting up lately, dropping my connection, requiring disconnect/re-connect.
Click to expand...


IMHO almost a no brainer, get an Airport Extreme. If you can't afford new buy a refurbished one from Apple for $129.
 
Netgear WNDR 3700 hands down.

Excellent range - dual radios - one for 5Ghz N and 2.4GHz N / G and support for usb storage.

I have one and love it. Never crashes, gigabit speeds on the local network and on the internet port.

Web based UI with firewall, SPI etc. It's the best consumer router on the market.

WNDR 3700
 
For ease of setup, excellent range and general performance, I am more than satisfied with my Airport Extreme.
 
Exactly how I feel George. I have all Apple gear now and intend to get an Apple TV for xmas. Cant really find any bad reviews of the airport. Just wondering what people use as a modem.
 
SpitUK said:
Just wondering what people use as a modem.
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that right there.

have to say i've assumed that people with airport es are mostly non uk or at least if they are in the uk they have the modem provided by their broadband supplier.

it feels to me that selling a router, without the means to connect it directly to the network, is like selling a laptop where you need to buy the ethernet as an cost option.

appreciate that comment might not apply in other countries but it feels fair for the uk.
 
SpitUK said:
Does the Airport Extreme have a modem built in? If not what modem do you guys use with it?
Click to expand...

I recommend you read the specifications of the Airport Extreme, you can find them at:

http://www.apple.com/airportextreme/specs.html


External modems are needed to get an Internet signal to the AE. In most cases modems are provided by the ISP of the end user. For example Comcast is my is my ISP therefore I use one of their modems. I would suggest you ask your ISP what modems they currently supply if that is important to you.
 
rkaufmann87 said:
In most cases modems are provided by the ISP of the end user.
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I guess you mean where you live.

In the UK, my experience is that the reverse is true.

Looking at the user name of the OP - i'm assuming he might well be UK based.
 
I have an Airport Extreme and it's okay. If I had to do it all over again, I more than likely would have gone another direction. There are better routers out there that cost less. But the AE works.
 
rtrt said:
I guess you mean where you live.

In the UK, my experience is that the reverse is true.

Looking at the user name of the OP - i'm assuming he might well be UK based.
Click to expand...

I see, sorry I was posting from my point of view located in California. I (wrongly) assumed the modem supply question was universal. Thanks for the UK point of view.
 
rkaufmann87 said:
For example Comcast is my is my ISP therefore I use one of their modems.
Click to expand...

I use a Motorola SB 6**** DOCSIS 3.

If you have an older modem that is not DOCSIS 3, you might want to check to see if they support it in your part of the world, and which specific modems they will support.

Although we cannot pay for the 50 MBPS service in my part of the world (the Home Counties in Virginia), it was still of use to me. My average speed jumped from 22 MBPS to 28 MBPS give or take, and I can occasionally test well over 30 MBPS.

This doesn't make a huge difference in what I normally do but the combination of the SurfBoard DOCSIS 3 and the modern Netgear router with the caching has made a big difference in Netflix performance and in the 12-year old's gaming experience.
 
My linksys router is old and slow, so I bought a airport extreme to go along with the i7 imac I got (which should be here on wednesday).

Haven't hooked it up yet, just worried that it won't work with my sister windows 7 laptop. Since I've read some sites that say, windows 7 has problems with the airport extreme.
 
George Knighton said:
I use a Motorola SB 6**** DOCSIS 3.

If you have an older modem that is not DOCSIS 3, you might want to check to see if they support it in your part of the world, and which specific modems they will support.

Although we cannot pay for the 50 MBPS service in my part of the world (the Home Counties in Virginia), it was still of use to me. My average speed jumped from 22 MBPS to 28 MBPS give or take, and I can occasionally test well over 30 MBPS.

This doesn't make a huge difference in what I normally do but the combination of the SurfBoard DOCSIS 3 and the modern Netgear router with the caching has made a big difference in Netflix performance and in the 12-year old's gaming experience.
Click to expand...

How do you know what version your modem is? I have a motorola surfboard modem which is also our main telephone line connection.

We just switched to our cable company's phone service and they gave us a new modem specifically for both.
 
Netgear WNDR 3700 - Hands down.

+1

Seriously, there is no need to look furthers. This is THE best router.
 
I have an Airport Extreme, and it works great for me. Never can have enough Apple products in the household :D

Anyone use the N300 from Netgear? That was another option I was considering when I got the Airport. I notice that its a modem/router combo, and that it has similar features to the 3700.
 
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Airport Extreme support wake up

The main reason to get Airport Extreme Base Station is that it has support for wake-up on LAN. That means that if you have an Apple TV but your iTunes library is located on your iMac, the Apple TV can wake up your iMac from sleep
 
WRT54GL with DDWRT firmware has done me no wrong so far. Great for heavy internet traffic. Never crashes, and is super customizable.
 
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