A route to a router...

[mackerel]

I'm getting sick of my current router, the Belkin one. It likes self resetting itself when I'm in a game or doing a big download. It has latest firmware so I'm thinking of getting another one.

Looking at previous threads, the Netgear seems prefered by those out of the UK, with the Linksys more popular in the UK (except those wih early versions with non-upgradeable firmware).

I'm tempted towards the Linksys as it is cheeper, then again that's why I got the Belkin and been disappointed.

I'm not after fancy features. I just need it to work with minimum fuss. So to those Linksys owners out there, have you found it reliable?

BTW the review by Jema (http://www.ninjamicros.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8072&highlight=router+review) isn't on the reviews section of the site.

[Talon]

Personally, as I have stated before, I really like the Netgear 614 +, which to me is completely "no fuss". If I was to rate some of the "main" hardware vendors out there, I would probably put Netgear first, and then D-Link, Linksys, SMC, and lastly, Belkin. Of course, that's just my opinion.


Talon

[Gservo]

Talon, we need to work for these folks, write up some reviews, see if we can get cash or free stuff. Netgears are GOOD x 10 My router has never let me down...

[Ragnarog]

Im using a DLink 713P Wirless (and 3 ethernet ports) router and its been running reliably for months without losing connection etc...installation is straightforward and the web interface for the setup is nice too.

Rag

[Talon]

If we're talking wireless, D-Link wins hands down. They are the easiest to install, and I have yet to have a D-Link W-network fail on me.

Talon

[Gunslinger]

A year ago I was recommending D-Link DI-701 router/firewalls to everyone I knew using cable broadband. :)
Then the failures started... :(

Mine started bit-dropping intermittently - initially I thought it was a cable modem problem, but one day the failed light illuminated on the 701. :eek:
A colleague's 701 failed the same way about three weeks later. :eek: :eek:
The another colleague's 701 started blowing power supplies. :eek: :eek: :eek:
Then a close friend started getting spontaneous resets on theirs. :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

To make things worse, all of the boxes were just out of warranty... :o

Generally I like D-Link's products (all of the switches, hubs and NICs at work were D-Link until we started buying PCs with motherboard networking), but this experience knocked my confidence in them.

After some experimenting, we mostly chose SMC 7004 ABR (Barricade firewall/router/server) replacements, although one colleague went with the NetGear instead.

I didn't go wireless after I was taken on a short car journey around town by a friend with a laptop... :rolleyes:

Ni! :gunsling:

[Talon]

Yup, if you really need to keep things secure, then wireless is NOT the answer. For home yes it is fine, but if you are running a small business, or any business for that matter, then you need to do the old wired route.

[Acros]

I have had a Linksys BEFSR41 for over two years now. Not a single problem with it, including having two computers playing Counter-Strike online for extended periods of time. :D

[BigBen]

Hi,
I have the Linksys BEFSR41 and its great, get it from www.amazon.co.uk for £49.99 :D

Regards

[CyberdynSystems]

Based on your intitial post Mackeral,.. you allready know where I stand,.. re: Linksys routers.

I will expand to say that of all the networking hardware i have used,. the only products that have "Failed" thus far have all been Linksys.

1. My perpetually self disconnecting self resetting Router
2. The only two network carsds I've ever seen "break",. both Linksys
3. A 5 port Linksys switch that died.
4. A Linksys PCMCIA card 10-100 that lasted all of one month on a laptop that ran on a network 5 days a week at 8 hours or so.

Keep in mind my Offices Netgear router has run for nearly 2 years now without ever needing to be reset. This is at work,.. only about 12 PCs go through it,.. but still as compared to my two or three at home that go through the buggy linksys,....

[mackerel]

Thanks all for the comments. I've taken the plunge and gone for the Linksys mainly as it's cheeper than the Netgear. I have a spare Amazon certificate so have used that.

I know the same logic got me the Belkin, but most seem happy with it. CyberdynSystems, you certainly don't seem to have any luck with Linksys, but I hope that you're just unlucky as opposed to there being a fundamental fault with their kit, which I'm sure would have come up much more often had it been the case *cough*IBM hard disks*/cough*

[CyberdynSystems]

lol,.. no its true I don't see so many complaints against the Linksys gear,.. and well oddly,.. I have IBM disks in the vast majority of PCs I work on,.. and to date not a single failure! :D


/runs down to the woodshop to knock on as many varieties as I can find,.. Teak,. Mahogony,. Rosewood, Oak, Maple, Birch, Poplar,..... and in the Softwoods,. Pine, Hemlock, Fir, Long Leaf Yellow pine,.... and the sheet goods,. CDX Plywood, Phillipine Mahogony faced Luan, Balitic Birch lumber core,. A-B Plywood in 3/4", 1/2", and 1/4"..........hmmm. maybe the Cocobola grips on my 1911 when I get home...:scratch:

[Talon]

Good luck with your purchase Mackerel, let us know how you make out with it.

[mackerel]

Received the Linksys router today. Just installed it, took about 15 minutes, most of that was spent jiggling around the old setup after I half disconnected it, trying to remember what mac address I needed to clone as my CM is locked to a since mac. Once entered and forced my network to get a new ip address (powered cycled my switch) all PCs went on as if nothing had happened. Didn't need to reboot anything.

Impressions are it is a slicker product than the Belkin. Setup was a breeze, and a firmware update went up no fuss. And the LEDs on the front are less "in your face" and actually convey information.

Obviously it is too early to say if it is more stable, but it "feels" more responsive than the Belkin. But that could just be a short term variation in my ISPs performance as they had unidentified performance issues yesterday.

Does anyone want to buy the Belkin? :) Ebay here I come...

[BigBen]

Pleased everything went well for you :) I have had no probs with my Linksys at all :D

Regards