Wireless Router

[joe2812]

Can anyone suggest a good wireless modem-router to use in the home for a 2 Meg BT BB connection?

My laptop has a built in the wireless thingie so I need a router and a dongle type whatsit for the PC.

Anything I should look out for or ensure I get with the router?

Not looking to spend loads either as I know they can get a wee bit pricey.

Many thanks guys.

[Conan the Librarian]

Depends on the size of your house or desired operating area really. I would get a 108MB/Sec modem/router though as there is no premium these days. Netgear (check out their MIMO routers) and no doubt several others are now claiming large increases in range and consequent operating speed with their latest offerings, but wireless is such a growth area that I would expect most major manufacturers to be offering similar.

Of course, the old carrot of offering you a free PCMCIA/USB/Dongle is still there on many products, so a bargain is there to be had.

Some newer routers and similar, are now including phone sockets for Voice over IP or VoIP telphony. Do you have any interest in this area? If so, you might check if any prospective purchase has provision for the odd telling bone to be plugged in.

Best location for a router is high and central to operating area, but a really great way of getting conned at the last fence, is to find that you need longer patch cables, etc. etc. and then hop off to the nearest P*World, where they will be delighted to relieve you of more cash. There are much less expensive options :-)

Just having a horrible thought - check on what you really need. Although routers, gateways and modems can all look alike, they all do different jobs. If you need just a router, then fine - but modem routers are often the thing that is needed. I know of 3 peeps so far that have bought routers and then had to go back and buy modems as well, or swap their original purchase. My own Netgear is an all in one solution and I am very happy with it.


Conan

[bladewashout]

Netgear DG834 G <something>

About £60, 108Mb wireless, usually with a free USB or PCMCIA wireless card.

I use 3 in different office locations, all fine.

BW

[joe2812]

BW

This one? (http://www.netgear.co.uk/extra/h_wirelessrouter_dg834gt.php)

Joe

[Conan the Librarian]

Not supporting commercial links (cough) - but you wont go wrong with this one if you want an all in one solution.

Conan

[grow45]

Conan wrote

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If you need just a router, then fine - but modem routers are often the thing that is needed. I know of 3 peeps so far that have bought routers and then had to go back and buy modems as well, or swap their original purchase.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am currently on cable broadband using blueyonder and have been looking at a wireless network. As far as I can see modem routers are only available for ADSL broadband. Is one available for cable as it seems a lot neater than plugging in a seperate modem with all the extra cables this would need?

Thanks

g45

[Background Noise]

Any opinions on the laptop end of things - ie wireless usb dongle vs wireless pcmcia card? I suppose the usb is a bit more flexible in that it could be used in any usb computer.

[Conan the Librarian]

Background, you got it in one. Only thing I have against USB dongles are that if they fit directly into the USB slot like flash memory, for instance - that they are a bit easy to knock around, potentially damaging your laptop. Way around this is a short USB cable and then plug it into that.


Grow45, Errmmm.... Haven't a clue. You need to ask your cable supplier I suppose...

Conan

[spekesoftly]

wireless usb dongle vs wireless pcmcia card?

I chose a pcmcia card to wirelessly enable daughter's laptop. Not only is it less vulnerable than a usb dongle, but it also leaves the usb ports free for printer, flash drive etc.

[Conan the Librarian]

Grow45,

Have just been asked to put in another wireless network and was browsing to buy them a router etc. and Lo!!! It appears that Netgear (for one) DO make wireless routers for cable users.

I would just check with your provider that they support any router that you might take a shine to.

Good luck!

Conan

[batninth]

Joe2812,

I moved to wireless a few weeks ago after BT upgraded my line to 2MB. I used a Netgear DG834G which worked straight out of the box with the BT link. (main reason for changing my old Draytek router which was a solid piece of kit was that the BT supplied modem was the only one did not work with the old Draytek :{ ) You don't need the USB modem that BT send you.

Grow45 - Yes there are equivalents for Broadband. Take a look a www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk, plug in the type of connection you want and it'll tell you the choices.

My laptop has a built in the wireless thingie so I need a router and a dongle type whatsit for the PC.

I have Centrino in my laptop which offers Wireless without having to add anything. However in my case it is the slow "b" spec which runs at 11MB/s (which is still 5 times faster than the BT line so no problem). Just don't spend hours like I did trying to work out why it's not running at "g" spec 55MB/s

Eldest son bought an eBuyer own brand PCMCIA card for his laptop, £20 + p&p, and it worked absolutely fine. Also saw another known brand card in our local Tesco for £25 so would have been just as easy to pick one up there.

With the router in the back bedroom, both of us can work out at the bottom of the garden or in the lounge on the opposite side of the house.

Don't forget to turn on security - I went to WEP on the Netgear. Nothing against my neighbour, but I can see his wireless network from my desk and thus he can see mine.

Have fun

[bladewashout]

Joe

Sorry, been away.

Yup that one.

BW

[FJJP]

I have my main PC hard-wired to a D-Link wireless router. The wife's PC is linked via a wireless card and my laptop via a PCMCIA card.

All hard disks are shared, as are my 2 printers.

D-Link has worked well for more than a year now.

[joe2812]

Thanks for all the input everyone, I will be off shortly to get me one :p

(And to those who contributed on my various threads of why my BB signal was dropping, BT sent me a new modem router and it works fine 2 days in - touch wood - so thanks to those who suggested that option too!)