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Need to buy new router, any suggestions?

Discussion in 'PC Hardware' started by Daanii, 2008/12/21.

  1. 2008/12/21
    Daanii

    Daanii Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    The wireless connection on my NetGear MR814 seems to have died during the night. I tried to log on to the Internet with my laptop this morning, and could not. It's worked fine up until now, so the sudden death was unexpected.

    But I reset everything I could think of, and even called NetGear technical support. She helped me free of charge, even though the product is five years old and the warranty period only three years. But it looks like the wireless connection is shot, leaving the wired connections working fine.

    The woman at NetGear technical support suggested that I buy a new wireless access point and use that with my router. I'm debating whether to do that or just get a new router.

    Our DSL Internet connection is not very fast, so I don't know that the speed of the wireless connection will matter much. Looking at my three laptops, one has an 802.11 b card, one has g built in, and the other has n.

    Any recommendations? I have liked the NetGear router. I'm more budget minded than performance minded. But I do want something reliable.
     
    Daanii,
    #1
  2. 2008/12/21
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

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    Some things to consider:

    1. When using different 80211.x adapters on a wlan, the access point's maximum rate will be that of the lowest rate adapter. In other words, if have a wifi n or g access point, and a computer is using 80211.b adapter, ALL computers on that wlan will be using 80211.b (11 mbps). 80211.b is the slowest rate adapter and the access point adjusts itself to that.

    2. Your access point quit but the router and wired switch in it still works. But for how much longer? Those hardware compoments are are all the same age.

    3. Stand alone access points are more expensive than routers with built in access points.

    4. Your current router-ap is only 80211.b. But 2 of your comps are capable of g & n rates, but have only ever operated at b rates because one comp is using a b rate adapter.

    5. Invest in a new wifi router and upgrade the adapter on that computer with the b adapter.
     
    TonyT,
    #2


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  4. 2008/12/22
    Daanii

    Daanii Well-Known Member Thread Starter

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    Thanks for your suggestions, Tony T. I think I will get an 802.11 g router and a new g adapter card for the old laptop. An 802.11 n router seems better, but not better enough to justify the price and reliability difference.

    It's hard to decide on a router. Looking at the reviews, opinions and experience are all over the map. One person will love what another one hates.
     
    Daanii,
    #3
  5. 2008/12/25
    clubECGR

    clubECGR Inactive

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    So it's not recommended to buy a new laptop that is Extreme N compliant when the other laptop is a B or a G and the other is an N? got the same question but my router is not yet dead. it's a D-Link G router with B backwards.
     
    clubECGR,
    #4
  6. 2008/12/26
    TonyT

    TonyT SuperGeek Staff

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    It's your choice.
    The extrene n or n laptops will run at whatever speed the AP is running at, thus if a b client laptop is connected to the SAP then the AP will set itself to operate at b rates for ALL connected clients.

    However, it won't hurt to use a more modern wifi adapter in a laptop as the laptop generally will use multiple APs throught it's lifetime. (traveling, upgraded router-ap, etc.)

    For Internet usage it really won't matter much which rate the AP runs at as even most broadband connections are less than 80211b rate (11 mbps). But for faster file transfers between local computers g & n rates are desired.
     
    TonyT,
    #5
  7. 2008/12/27
    clubECGR

    clubECGR Inactive

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    i made a mistake. I was supose to say "it's not recommend to buy a extreme N ROUTER ". Sorry about that. but either way, it'll be th same answer, isnt it?

    but it you gave enough information. Thanks. I fully understand now
     
    clubECGR,
    #6

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