Router recommendations for more power.
July 19, 2011 8:04 PM Subscribe
Comcast gave us a router when we subscribed. It has issues. But we can replace it! Help me find the best one. (Warning: lots of data below, because I want to answer as many questions as possible off the bat.)
The router they gave us is a Netgear WNR1000 V2. Research has shown that this is a 'special' one that Comcast gives people, which is designed so you can't play with it much. Unfortunately, it also has some range issues.
The house has five bedrooms; I use one as an office (in the basement, which is where my bedroom is as well), and one of them is currently used as a guest room (we are expecting more roommates to show in the next year, another reason for the upgrade). In the center of the house is a sizable chimney that has openings for fires on both the basement (finished, the area the chimney is in is a den area) and ground (living room) floors.
The den and my office and one of the bedrooms is 'visible' without occlusion by the chimney. The current guest room, between the two upstairs bedrooms, is partially occluded. The other two bedrooms have the chimney in the 'way'. The upstairs has reasonable connectivity, my bedroom has lousy.
There are three desktop computers, three laptop computers, my iPad, the XBox360 and the AppleTV all connecting through the router. Said router also tends to stop responding to some of the laptops and the AppleTV, and the only thing that gets it working again is power-down and power-up again. (Which harshes my watching of Top Gear, I tell you.)
Given my druthers, I'd like a router that I can install DD-WRT on (and in fact Buffalo Technologies has N routers with DD-WRT on, which is why I am leaning in their direction), but if anyone else has ideas, I'd like to hear your stories and get your advice.
Thank you for reading all of this.
The router they gave us is a Netgear WNR1000 V2. Research has shown that this is a 'special' one that Comcast gives people, which is designed so you can't play with it much. Unfortunately, it also has some range issues.
The house has five bedrooms; I use one as an office (in the basement, which is where my bedroom is as well), and one of them is currently used as a guest room (we are expecting more roommates to show in the next year, another reason for the upgrade). In the center of the house is a sizable chimney that has openings for fires on both the basement (finished, the area the chimney is in is a den area) and ground (living room) floors.
The den and my office and one of the bedrooms is 'visible' without occlusion by the chimney. The current guest room, between the two upstairs bedrooms, is partially occluded. The other two bedrooms have the chimney in the 'way'. The upstairs has reasonable connectivity, my bedroom has lousy.
There are three desktop computers, three laptop computers, my iPad, the XBox360 and the AppleTV all connecting through the router. Said router also tends to stop responding to some of the laptops and the AppleTV, and the only thing that gets it working again is power-down and power-up again. (Which harshes my watching of Top Gear, I tell you.)
Given my druthers, I'd like a router that I can install DD-WRT on (and in fact Buffalo Technologies has N routers with DD-WRT on, which is why I am leaning in their direction), but if anyone else has ideas, I'd like to hear your stories and get your advice.
Thank you for reading all of this.
Can't really go wrong with the Linksys WRT54GL and Linux firmware. They have made millions of them and firmware (stock or open-source) is rock solid. Doesn't support N though. For that many rooms you may also want a repeater.
posted by sophist at 9:54 PM on July 19, 2011
posted by sophist at 9:54 PM on July 19, 2011
Response by poster: an alix 2d3 is outside of my capabilities, as it appears to be something you assemble.
we'd really like N, mostly for the extra speed across the network for streaming things from machines.
posted by mephron at 11:31 PM on July 19, 2011
we'd really like N, mostly for the extra speed across the network for streaming things from machines.
posted by mephron at 11:31 PM on July 19, 2011
This is very slightly dated, but I worked off that guide last time I bought a router and couldn't be happier with my dual-band netgear and its astounding range.
posted by tempythethird at 3:33 AM on July 20, 2011
posted by tempythethird at 3:33 AM on July 20, 2011
Is there a reason an Apple Airport Extreme isn't on your radar? Other than your preference for DD-WRT, of course.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:38 AM on July 20, 2011
posted by Thorzdad at 5:38 AM on July 20, 2011
Slightly dated but might be helpful:
Router Roundup: We Review 7 Top-Tier Routers
posted by sharkfu at 8:56 AM on July 20, 2011
Router Roundup: We Review 7 Top-Tier Routers
posted by sharkfu at 8:56 AM on July 20, 2011
I can't speak for the router of choice, but I do have this to say about Comcast: when you return their router to them, document every move and get everything signed. I just ended a six month battle with them, in which they attempted to get me to pay for a modem I returned to them. It was a battle of epic proportions. They are an extremely useless company who will never admit fault or liability. So, when you return this modem, take it to a Comcast customer service center and have someone sign a document that stipulates the return has taken place.
posted by AlliKat75 at 10:25 AM on July 20, 2011
posted by AlliKat75 at 10:25 AM on July 20, 2011
Just bought a Vizio router that went with a previously purchased Vizio TV. Connected the router up to the TV, a 2005 Mac G5 with an airport card and a 2011 Macbook air. So far, so good - all devices play well together and no problems to speak of.
While researching how all this worked, I considered getting an Airport express or extreme, but the $65.00 price tag for the Vizio at the local Costco was a better deal all the way around. Installation was ridiculously easy, especially for someone who isn't all that savvy with computers.
posted by Cookbooks and Chaos at 12:55 PM on July 20, 2011
While researching how all this worked, I considered getting an Airport express or extreme, but the $65.00 price tag for the Vizio at the local Costco was a better deal all the way around. Installation was ridiculously easy, especially for someone who isn't all that savvy with computers.
posted by Cookbooks and Chaos at 12:55 PM on July 20, 2011
Response by poster: AlliKat75: we're not going to return their router to them until and unless we change companies, at which point it's all going back at once and we can get the signatures. This is our second situation with them - the first was an all-in-one cablemodem/router device which was installed at 2 PM on a Wednesday and started failing around 6 PM; they sent another guy around on Saturday morning who replaced it with the two piece solution because, in his words, "if the router doen't work out for you, you can put it in a drawer and replace it with your own". (They also credited us the cost of the install and the first full week of service, so I for one am not complaining.)
tempythethird, sharkfu, thank you for your links!
Thorzdad: I'd like something a little cheaper than $180, which is why it's not quite on the table. It is an option, though.
posted by mephron at 5:45 PM on July 20, 2011
tempythethird, sharkfu, thank you for your links!
Thorzdad: I'd like something a little cheaper than $180, which is why it's not quite on the table. It is an option, though.
posted by mephron at 5:45 PM on July 20, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Brian Puccio at 8:37 PM on July 19, 2011