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WastedJoker
Oct 29, 2011

Fiery the angels fell. Deep thunder rolled around their shoulders... burning with the fires of Orc.
oops didn't read the OP before posting!

ok, now I've read it I can frame my questions a lot easier.

I want a simple dual-band router which will allow my various devices (2x laptop, desktop pc, 2x smartphones, 2x games consoles) to connect to the net. I don't use file sharing of any sort but I do stream HD content from my desktop pc (wired to the router) wirelessly to my xbox/ps3.

My current router is a Netgear DG834GT. It's starting to run very hot after 4yrs service.

I'd prefer something that:

Can run custom firmware and be in the £50-£70 bracket.
Has a good web-based interface.

What can you guys recommend?

This seems like a fairly good value option?

http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/details/?model=TL-WR1043ND

WastedJoker fucked around with this message at 18:38 on Nov 25, 2011

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Devian666
Aug 20, 2008

Take some advice Chris.

Fun Shoe

WastedJoker posted:

oops didn't read the OP before posting!

ok, now I've read it I can frame my questions a lot easier.

I want a simple dual-band router which will allow my various devices (2x laptop, desktop pc, 2x smartphones, 2x games consoles) to connect to the net. I don't use file sharing of any sort but I do stream HD content from my desktop pc (wired to the router) wirelessly to my xbox/ps3.

My current router is a Netgear DG834GT. It's starting to run very hot after 4yrs service.

I'd prefer something that:

Can run custom firmware and be in the £50-£70 bracket.
Has a good web-based interface.

What can you guys recommend?

This seems like a fairly good value option?

http://www.tp-link.com/en/products/details/?model=TL-WR1043ND

The tp-link router is junk and worthless. If you want value look at the op again. There are a number of choices in a wide range of prices.

NOTinuyasha
Oct 17, 2006

 
The Great Twist

Devian666 posted:

The tp-link router is junk and worthless. If you want value look at the op again. There are a number of choices in a wide range of prices.

I set up a TP-Link WR1043ND for my parents, the range is one of the best I've seen out of a cheap DD-WRT router. It's 2.4GHz only, but that's it's only weakness. I've used some TP-Link equipment before, I can say that everything they make is poo poo with the sole exception of that model.

jkyuusai
Jun 26, 2008

homegrown man milk
The Asus RT-N16 is currently $50 after a combination of Instant and Mail in rebates on Newegg:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833320038

You have to buy it by 11/27 to qualify for the MIR.

WastedJoker
Oct 29, 2011

Fiery the angels fell. Deep thunder rolled around their shoulders... burning with the fires of Orc.
:ughh:

forgot to mention it needs to be a combined router/modem which rules out the TP-Link one.

so glad I checked this!

DaNzA
Sep 11, 2001

:D
Grimey Drawer

WastedJoker posted:

forgot to mention it needs to be a combined router/modem which rules out the TP-Link one.
Combined router/modem are always horrible and you wont find any recommendations on that in this thread. Especially since modem can be ISP specific most of the time with their settings locked/loaded.

Get a modem-only device then attach a good router to it.

Guitarchitect
Nov 8, 2003

I was doing some research on routers, specifically the Linksys E4200 and came across the following on CNet: "Unfortunately, though streaming music and photos worked well in our trials, the video streaming wasn't smooth and sometimes didn't seem to work at all. This is mostly because the router doesn't have enough power to offer the fast storage throughput required to stream high-definition content."

So what makes for a good router for streaming HD Content? More RAM, faster processor, intelligent media server software? I'm streaming wirelessly from my computer to my router through to my home theater on a wired connection - just wondering if this will be an issue. They don't really say what kind of streaming they were doing and to what kind of player, and if it was wireless->wireless or wireless->wired

WastedJoker
Oct 29, 2011

Fiery the angels fell. Deep thunder rolled around their shoulders... burning with the fires of Orc.

DaNzA posted:

Combined router/modem are always horrible and you wont find any recommendations on that in this thread. Especially since modem can be ISP specific most of the time with their settings locked/loaded.

Get a modem-only device then attach a good router to it.

I know zero about modems.

Moey
Oct 22, 2010

I LIKE TO MOVE IT

WastedJoker posted:

I know zero about modems.

If you have cable internet, this is the standard go-to choice.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16825122015

WastedJoker
Oct 29, 2011

Fiery the angels fell. Deep thunder rolled around their shoulders... burning with the fires of Orc.

Moey posted:

If you have cable internet, this is the standard go-to choice.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16825122015

Thanks but I've settled on this:

http://www.lambda-tek.com/WBMR-HP-G300H-EU-Buffalo-AirStation-NFINITI-Wireless-N-300Mbps-Modem-Router-Annex-A~cs/2241977

I really couldn't tolerate the added wiring of splitting a router/modem up.

Ashex
Jun 25, 2007

These pipes are cleeeean!!!
I want a Dual-band wireless router with gigabit, is the Linksys E3000 my best option? I don't really care for the media server portion.

Triikan
Feb 23, 2007
Most Loved

WastedJoker posted:

Thanks but I've settled on this:

http://www.lambda-tek.com/WBMR-HP-G300H-EU-Buffalo-AirStation-NFINITI-Wireless-N-300Mbps-Modem-Router-Annex-A~cs/2241977

I really couldn't tolerate the added wiring of splitting a router/modem up.

OMG, I don't want an extra ethernet cable and a single power cable making GBS threads up my house.

Moey
Oct 22, 2010

I LIKE TO MOVE IT
Comcast finally decided to show up to hook up cable at my new place.



Now I just gotta replace my aging WRT54g.

Shaocaholica
Oct 29, 2002

Fig. 5E

Moey posted:

If you have cable internet, this is the standard go-to choice.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16825122015

Why would you want an aftermarket modem over the one they give you? Performance?

Devian666
Aug 20, 2008

Take some advice Chris.

Fun Shoe

Ashex posted:

I want a Dual-band wireless router with gigabit, is the Linksys E3000 my best option? I don't really care for the media server portion.

Your closest options in that price range are the E3000 and the Netgear 3700. I've had a good experience with the 3700.

Devian666
Aug 20, 2008

Take some advice Chris.

Fun Shoe

Triikan posted:

OMG, I don't want an extra ethernet cable and a single power cable making GBS threads up my house.

No one wants to spend money or time to have functioning internet these days. :v:

Triikan
Feb 23, 2007
Most Loved

Shaocaholica posted:

Why would you want an aftermarket modem over the one they give you? Performance?

The difference isn't going to be huge if you're going from standalone modem to standalone modem. If your ISP doesn't charge you a rental fee and provides the modem free of cost, its probably best, at least in my opinion, to keep the provided modem. That way, if anything goes wrong they can't go "Well, your modem's the problem".
All-in-one units are typically less reliable than separate modem/router setups, though, so that's why this thread recommends you avoid them.

Opentarget
Mar 17, 2009
Hey, so I'm a big dumb idiot that forgot my login info to get into the web page interface on my router. Is there any way of getting that info without resetting my whole network?

I'm using an Asus RT-N16 with Tomato.

Into The Mild
Mar 4, 2003





Devian666 posted:

For best performance on a 3700 check that it's a 3700v2. I'm skeptical about any extra range but the 4000 has better wan to lan throughput and possibly better wireless speed (it does have a higher peak speed if you have anything that supports it).

I'm pretty happy with my 3700 but extra money where it may not make a difference to you typically isn't worth it.

I have a 3700v2 and its absolutely fantastic.. since ive installed pretty much every custom firmware on it, DD-Wrt is the best ive found.. Running OpenWRT I had crashes, and less options in the webbased settings manager.

I know I can config it differently but I really don't want too.

Also understand that the atheros chipset on the 3700v2 right now has a problem with clients running linux 3.0.0.x kernels.. its an error that the linux development team is aware of and seems to be working fine with kernel 3.0.0.14 and upwards. But basically the error would crash out the wireless on the router.

Aside from that the 3700 has some issues with the wireless, with a percentage of the hardware having signal strength issues, and poor range. Whilst I have this issue, my 3700v2's 5ghz died within a week, which i'm in the middle of replacing the router for another of the same model.

I know this sounds all doom and gloom but this really is a fantastic piece of hardware.

Also there is a 3700v3 on the market right now, it has a broadcom chipset, so there isnt any replacement firmware.

FInally, the 3800, is the same as the 3700v2 with double the memory, and apparently no issues with range or signal strength.. so if you can find a 3800 go for that.

vanilla slimfast
Dec 6, 2006

If anyone needs me, I'll be in the Angry Dome



Guitarchitect posted:

I was doing some research on routers, specifically the Linksys E4200 and came across the following on CNet: "Unfortunately, though streaming music and photos worked well in our trials, the video streaming wasn't smooth and sometimes didn't seem to work at all. This is mostly because the router doesn't have enough power to offer the fast storage throughput required to stream high-definition content."

It sounds like, based on the context, they were talking about streaming content off of an attached hard drive to the router, not device->device on the network.

Your performance for that is entirely dependent on the performance of the network itself (wired being best, obviously)

Ashex posted:

I want a Dual-band wireless router with gigabit, is the Linksys E3000 my best option? I don't really care for the media server portion.

I'll throw in another recommendation for the Netgear 3700v2.

I believe the E3000 will work alright and is DD-WRT compatible. I learned the hard way that the E3200 (which is sold locally here) is compatible too but there is no driver for the 5ghz antenna making it basically worthless for dual-band. I believe you can still get the E3000 on Newegg, however

vanilla slimfast fucked around with this message at 18:53 on Nov 27, 2011

Guitarchitect
Nov 8, 2003

vanilla slimfast posted:

It sounds like, based on the context, they were talking about streaming content off of an attached hard drive to the router, not device->device on the network.

Your performance for that is entirely dependent on the performance of the network itself (wired being best, obviously)

yeah, i'm half considering getting a couple of powerline adapters and not even bothering with wireless. but if i do go wireless, it turns out my belkin wireless adapter doesn't even support 5ghz. Since I'm trying to keep costs low it'll probably end up being an Asus RT-N16 and I'll just keep ferrying my media to my player via USB. which is far more reliable for HD, anyway!

Shaocaholica
Oct 29, 2002

Fig. 5E


This looks pretty poo poo. I'm in Los Angeles, on Time Warner cable with the 'Road Runner Standard 'Package'.

Although I did take this reading at 10AM on a sunday. I'll try again in the evening and early morning.

Edit: Oh, maybe thats just what I bought (10 Mbps down, 1 Mbps up)

http://www.timewarnercable.com/socal/learn/hso/roadrunner/internetplans.html

Shaocaholica fucked around with this message at 19:22 on Nov 27, 2011

Moey
Oct 22, 2010

I LIKE TO MOVE IT

Shaocaholica posted:

Why would you want an aftermarket modem over the one they give you? Performance?

DOCIS 3.0 allows you to break through the 42mbit barrier that caps DOCSIS 2.0

Also since DOCSIS 3.0 supports multiple channels, I have heard of people getting a good amount higher of bandwidth than what they are paying for (not true for everyone, but I am getting higher speeds than I am paying for).

Another benefit is I trust my own hardware, I don't want to use their leased stuff. Comcast also charges like 7 bucks a month to rent a modem, the SB 6121 was only like $83 shipped, it also makes sense that it will pay for itself.

Shaocaholica
Oct 29, 2002

Fig. 5E

Moey posted:

DOCIS 3.0 allows you to break through the 42mbit barrier that caps DOCSIS 2.0

Also since DOCSIS 3.0 supports multiple channels, I have heard of people getting a good amount higher of bandwidth than what they are paying for (not true for everyone, but I am getting higher speeds than I am paying for).

Another benefit is I trust my own hardware, I don't want to use their leased stuff. Comcast also charges like 7 bucks a month to rent a modem, the SB 6121 was only like $83 shipped, it also makes sense that it will pay for itself.

Interesting. How do the cable companies control your up/down speed cap for the different tiers they offer? If it was all in the modem, you would think people would have hacked the poo poo out of that by now right?

But even if I did get an aftermarket modem, won't returning the leased modem tip them off to your shenanigans?

Edit: Lastly, what do I need to do to swap out the modem? Do I need to configure the new one with some sort of credentials for it to work? It's been so long since I did the last time.

Shaocaholica fucked around with this message at 20:47 on Nov 27, 2011

elite_garbage_man
Apr 3, 2010
I THINK THAT "PRIMA DONNA" IS "PRE-MADONNA". I MAY BE ILLITERATE.
For Verison FIOS, they still use wireless G with 10/100 Ethernet routers on new installs. You'll only get a wireless N router with gigabit Ethernet if you get their fastest fiber package. Nowadays, most computer have wireless N or gigabit Ethernet come standard, but they don't support it on their basic fiber packages. You end up having to go buy your own hardware anyways.

I setup a Linksys E3000 to handle all my wired and wireless duties, and my internet download/upload went up significantly. I started pulling an additional 8mbit down, and 1.5mbit up. Even my wireless G speeds are faster than what I got with the supplied router.

Myrdraayl
Apr 13, 2011
I'm planning on buying a router for a 2 floor house and eying the Asus rt-16 since it's only $75, although I'm hesitant because amazon put up the wndr 3700av (which I think is v2 of the product?) for $121. There are 3 laptops on wireless with only a few wireless devices such as a printer, phones, and some handheld gaming devices. Will the rt-16 be able to handle it all or should I just fork over an extra 50 for the 3700av since it looks like a steal?

SamDabbers
May 26, 2003



Shaocaholica posted:

Interesting. How do the cable companies control your up/down speed cap for the different tiers they offer? If it was all in the modem, you would think people would have hacked the poo poo out of that by now right?
The cable modem downloads a configuration file from the cable network that includes the speed details of your subscription tier. All the throttling is done in the modem itself, and while it is theoretically possible to override the cable company's config file, there are some particular features in the DOCSIS protocol that, if implemented properly, make it very difficult/nearly impossible to do so.

Shaocaholica posted:

But even if I did get an aftermarket modem, won't returning the leased modem tip them off to your shenanigans?

Edit: Lastly, what do I need to do to swap out the modem? Do I need to configure the new one with some sort of credentials for it to work? It's been so long since I did the last time.
The cable company will need the MAC address of the modem (an identifier number usually on a barcode'd sticker on the modem itself) to activate it. Just call up tech support and tell them you'd like to swap out their modem for one you purchased.

Shaocaholica
Oct 29, 2002

Fig. 5E
^^^ thanks

So Im cruising around town and I see that there's a docsis 3 modem by Zoom for roughly the same amount as the Motorola 6121. Is it any good?

Shaocaholica fucked around with this message at 22:20 on Nov 27, 2011

LionYeti
Oct 12, 2008


We're moving from DSL to Cable internet but that means moving the router from the office to the living room which means that hard wiring isn't an option. Whats the best PCI wireless card around?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833166038 This is what i'm thinking of getting.

LionYeti fucked around with this message at 22:55 on Nov 27, 2011

SamDabbers
May 26, 2003



Shaocaholica posted:

^^^ thanks

So Im cruising around town and I see that there's a docsis 3 modem by Zoom for roughly the same amount as the Motorola 6121. Is it any good?

Between the Zoom and the Motorola I'd go Motorola.

jkyuusai
Jun 26, 2008

homegrown man milk

Myrdraayl posted:

I'm planning on buying a router for a 2 floor house and eying the Asus rt-16 since it's only $75, although I'm hesitant because amazon put up the wndr 3700av (which I think is v2 of the product?) for $121. There are 3 laptops on wireless with only a few wireless devices such as a printer, phones, and some handheld gaming devices. Will the rt-16 be able to handle it all or should I just fork over an extra 50 for the 3700av since it looks like a steal?

*cough*


jkyuusai posted:

The Asus RT-N16 is currently $50 after a combination of Instant and Mail in rebates on Newegg:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833320038

You have to buy it by 11/27 to qualify for the MIR.

Moey
Oct 22, 2010

I LIKE TO MOVE IT

SamDabbers posted:

The cable modem downloads a configuration file from the cable network that includes the speed details of your subscription tier. All the throttling is done in the modem itself, and while it is theoretically possible to override the cable company's config file, there are some particular features in the DOCSIS protocol that, if implemented properly, make it very difficult/nearly impossible to do so.

In many of the reviews for the SB 6120 and 6121 people are reporting that they are easily exceeding their speed tiers. I myself can confirm that as well. I have no idea the logistic behind it, but I will not complain.

Just snagged the Asus RT-N16 from Newegg (thanks jkyuusai), now its time to do some ethernet drops around my place.

Myrdraayl
Apr 13, 2011

jkyuusai posted:


Okay, so I'm guessing the rt-n16 is the superior choice than. Also, I saw your post previously and that's why I was asking.

NOTinuyasha
Oct 17, 2006

 
The Great Twist

Shaocaholica posted:

Edit: Oh, maybe thats just what I bought (10 Mbps down, 1 Mbps up)

http://www.timewarnercable.com/socal/learn/hso/roadrunner/internetplans.html

Time Warner now has a 30/5 plan (in NYC, at least) for $50/month, it isn't listed and you need to call them to find out about it. Considering the base 10/1 plan is $30, the upgrade is definitely well worth the price. They swap out the crap RCA modem for a DOCSIS 3.0 Motorola SBG6580 too.

jkyuusai
Jun 26, 2008

homegrown man milk

Myrdraayl posted:

Okay, so I'm guessing the rt-n16 is the superior choice than. Also, I saw your post previously and that's why I was asking.

Oh, sorry - wasn't meaning to imply that necessarily. Just wanted to make sure you were aware of that in case it made a difference. I was trying to decide between it and the cisco whose model number escapes me right now. I decided on the asus due to it having somewhat beefier specs and me not really needing the 5 ghz spec for wifi currently.

sbyers77
Jan 9, 2004

Dumb question that I've always wondered - How does router CPU/RAM actually relate to router performance?

Devian666
Aug 20, 2008

Take some advice Chris.

Fun Shoe

sbyers77 posted:

Dumb question that I've always wondered - How does router CPU/RAM actually relate to router performance?

Running out of ram is a major problem with a router. While streaming or running bit torrents my old combo modem/router would actually freeze and not recover the connection. Unlike a desktop computer there's no hard drive to have a swap file on so something has to break.

There are a number of tasks that depend on the cpu performance. If the router is checking for dubious packets (acting as a firewall) it will need to use the cpu to inspect the packets before sending them on. The cpu power tends to limit the WAN to LAN throughput. Wireless encryption and VPN encryption both need cpu power and appear to be mostly cpu limited activities on a router.

I'm not the biggest expert in relation to this but others might fill in a few more gaps.

Shaocaholica
Oct 29, 2002

Fig. 5E
Whats the deal with the DIR-655? Its got ~1800 reviews on newegg with a really high avg rating but it doesn't support any of the custom firmwares.

Devian666
Aug 20, 2008

Take some advice Chris.

Fun Shoe

Shaocaholica posted:

Whats the deal with the DIR-655? Its got ~1800 reviews on newegg with a really high avg rating but it doesn't support any of the custom firmwares.

The closest I can figure is stockholme syndrome. That and six months later would they still give it the same rating?

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Slider
Jun 6, 2004

POINTS
I'm thinking about buying this router:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124405

to replace my d-link ebr-2310. My d-link router is terrible, it pretty much cannot handle torrenting poo poo at all and locks up my connection. Would this one do that to? I think I read somewhere that said my d-link one can only handle 20 max connections before it craps out.

Anyways, for only $23 it seems like a pretty good deal to me. Any suggestions?

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