I have dsl from sbc. I've never had a wireless comp. until now, so I don't a thing about them. Any suggestions on a fair priced router?
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What's a good wireless router?
- Thread starter baka chinko
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I find Netgear Works Well
I am using a Netgear WGR614 802.11g wireless router (with SBC DSL) and it's working great. I got mine from eBay for about $25 but you can get them new for about $35 after rebate on Amazon. I think newer versions are even faster - 108Mbps but I find the 802.11g plenty fast.
I have also used a Linksys 802.11g and it was very good - but more expensive. I would not recommend the Belkin 802.11g it was inexpensive but kept dropping the connection.
cmowat
I am using a Netgear WGR614 802.11g wireless router (with SBC DSL) and it's working great. I got mine from eBay for about $25 but you can get them new for about $35 after rebate on Amazon. I think newer versions are even faster - 108Mbps but I find the 802.11g plenty fast.
I have also used a Linksys 802.11g and it was very good - but more expensive. I would not recommend the Belkin 802.11g it was inexpensive but kept dropping the connection.
cmowat
You're on a budget, so you probably don't want an Airport, but just for reference I bought one of the full-on base stations (the mini Express ones are cheaper), and it was amazingly easy to set up--totally plug and play with my SBC DSL modem, although I fiddled with the security settings--and has run perfectly for the past month at least.
Contrast this with my brother's 2Wire modem/router combo (also with SBC DSL), which was a big hassle to get working properly, particularly with any security features turned on.
So anyway, I'd recommend against 2Wire, even if it were cheap.
Contrast this with my brother's 2Wire modem/router combo (also with SBC DSL), which was a big hassle to get working properly, particularly with any security features turned on.
So anyway, I'd recommend against 2Wire, even if it were cheap.
Netgear and linksying are the way to go. Apple Airport is really not any better than either one of them and it cost over 2 times as much. (ok the user interface on the apple one may be a little better but you will only really mess with it 1-2 times a year) and the netqear and linksying are both really easy to understand and clear interfaces and very easy to set up.
I am on a Linksying wireless56g with speed boost right now. Set up with all the protection and key stuff for networking. Took me about 5 mins to get it all working from across the house wirelessly. That one is running on cable internet at my house at school
I also set up a linksying wirelessG router several different times for SBC DSL at my parents. Switch the broken one out. Playing around trying some more advance stuff you will never touch. but really that part is easy and 30 sec to do.
What you have to know is SBC DSL runnes on PPPoE connection. It be one of the pull down choices in the linksy router (or any router of that matter). From there you just have to enter in your user name and password.
you username going to be you sbcglobal.net email address so it be something like
Johndoe@sbcglobal.net Password: xxxxxx. That user name does not have to be the primary account holder username. Any of the email accout though them will do. My family still running on my user name at home because I was the one who set it up the last time and I knew my username and password off the top of my head. That is the hardest part is knowing that DSL is PPPoE connection. In layman terms is dail-up Broadband. The router will connect for you. Default is for it to say one 24/7 with a 30 sec keep alive. SBC will not kick you off even if it didnt do that. But yeah really easy to do.
I am on a Linksying wireless56g with speed boost right now. Set up with all the protection and key stuff for networking. Took me about 5 mins to get it all working from across the house wirelessly. That one is running on cable internet at my house at school
I also set up a linksying wirelessG router several different times for SBC DSL at my parents. Switch the broken one out. Playing around trying some more advance stuff you will never touch. but really that part is easy and 30 sec to do.
What you have to know is SBC DSL runnes on PPPoE connection. It be one of the pull down choices in the linksy router (or any router of that matter). From there you just have to enter in your user name and password.
you username going to be you sbcglobal.net email address so it be something like
Johndoe@sbcglobal.net Password: xxxxxx. That user name does not have to be the primary account holder username. Any of the email accout though them will do. My family still running on my user name at home because I was the one who set it up the last time and I knew my username and password off the top of my head. That is the hardest part is knowing that DSL is PPPoE connection. In layman terms is dail-up Broadband. The router will connect for you. Default is for it to say one 24/7 with a 30 sec keep alive. SBC will not kick you off even if it didnt do that. But yeah really easy to do.
If you're running a wireless Mac, don't waste your money on a router that advertises speeds higher than 54mbps... It's possible to get 108mbps on some routers, but you have to have a matching/compatible wireless card on the other end. So even if you do buy one, you're still "stuck" at standard g speeds.
That said, I own both a D-Link and Linksys router, and I can recommend both of them. The Linksys is more stable and reputable though. Linksys's WRT-54G has been around for quite a few years as a "standard" router of sorts. You can't run Linux on the newest revisions, so you may be interested in investing in a WRT-54GL if you'd like to experiment with 3rd party firmwares.
reality
That said, I own both a D-Link and Linksys router, and I can recommend both of them. The Linksys is more stable and reputable though. Linksys's WRT-54G has been around for quite a few years as a "standard" router of sorts. You can't run Linux on the newest revisions, so you may be interested in investing in a WRT-54GL if you'd like to experiment with 3rd party firmwares.
reality
Maybe not; in my case, I already had a hardwired DSL modem that came preconfigured for my account (so, while the service technically uses PPP of some sort, I didn't need to set my Mac up with PPPoE--the modem handles the connection on its own), so all I had to do was plug it into the router and I was good to go. If you're buying a combo modem/router, this may be different, though.Timepass said:
Also, I'm just curious how well Linksys and Netgear routers handle printers. I was amazed that all I needed to do to get my inkjet on the network was plug it into the Airport, and it immediately showed up just as if it was connected to the Mac locally (both my hardwired tower and wireless MPB).
I'm not saying that other brands of routers don't have this feature, or that it doesn't work--they might be just as easy. I'm just curious, because I keep seeing posts about problems getting an inkjet working on a home network (admittedly, this usually seems to be an issue with Windows print sharing).