Looking for new router

[LLLimit]

Can anyone breakdown what's important in choosing a new router?

I'm currently using my old Linksys WRT54G2, and looking to get something a lot newer to move information between 3 lappys, a PS3, D-Link DNS323, and whatever wifi phone/gadgets I'll have in the future

The D-Link DIR-825 or DIR-655 look nice, but I'm not confining myself to this brand/model

Having a tough time understanding, in simple terms what all the jargon mean; gigabit dual speeds, mimo, vpn, etc etc etc and if they are important to me.

[eblend]

DIR-655 or DIR-825 are both awesome, can't go wrong with any of those. 825 if you can afford it, simultanious dual band.

[mazdavirgin]

WRT54GL w/ ddwrt

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX10841%28ME%29.aspx?cc=1

end of thread...

[Mibz]

I'm not sure why you'd buy a G router nowadays :/

I run a WRT350N with DD-WRT and like it but, from what I've heard, stock D-Link firmware is stable and has all the features anybody could want.

[thetransporter]

Originally posted by mazdavirgin
WRT54GL w/ ddwrt

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX10841%28ME%29.aspx?cc=1

end of thread...


Even better the Buffalo DD-wrt routers are better, faster up to 400mhz CPU /64 ram and they have about double the coverage then a wrt54

[bart]

best router you can buy is a netgear wndr3700, it's 680mhz screaming fast

[Offroad]

Originally posted by bart
best router you can buy is a netgear wndr3700, it's 680mhz screaming fast

:thumbsup: X2 i have this one and takes on 2 xbox360's,2 itouches 2 laptops and hd streaming without a hiccup

[schocker]

I have the asus rt-n16 running on tomato firmware, great router overall and running tomato unlocks alot more potential, that netgear does look great though.

[ArjayAquino]

gave up on dlink routers after using two that never has consistent connection. I bought a netgear one during boxing day. got it for 60 instead of 120 :D

[n1zm0]

Originally posted by eblend
DIR-655 or DIR-825 are both awesome, can't go wrong with any of those. 825 if you can afford it, simultanious dual band.

I had a 655 when i moved into my new place, up until last month it had been great since July 2010. i could still get min wireless reception from across a 4 lane road! but it went completely unserviceable one night, changed firmware to almost every version since it was built - reinstalled/reconfigured bla bla bla, brought it to my parents to setup there and it still died.

when i was at my parents they had a WRT54GL, that thing is amazing, it still works to this day flawlessly and caked to shit with dust lol (they dont care about N band or anything so it suits them well). so since the Dlink crapped out i went back to good old Linksys (Cisco i guess), got a Linksys WRT610N E3000, love it so far, simultaneous duals, it also seems to run ALOT cooler than the 655 i've noticed (edit: maybe thats why it died?).

one thing i miss tho, the QoS with dlink and the ton of preferences available for router settings.

[ailsa]

Well, i suggest huawei B970, as you have so much devices: 3 lappys, a PS3, wifi phone/gadgets, huawei B970 is a good one, it has 4 ethernet ports, an analogue port for attaching a phone, WiFi support as well as a connection for an external antenna.
You can find this router from modem3g.com:
http://www.modem3g.com/b970-router-p-36.html
Hope this helps!

[BigMass]

Originally posted by Offroad


:thumbsup: X2 i have this one and takes on 2 xbox360's,2 itouches 2 laptops and hd streaming without a hiccup

:werd: x3 and dual band is a must depending on where you live. I'm in a high-rise with about 60 other wireless signals and am the only person using 5Ghz. It's nice and clear. Amazing range and speed

[focusdriv3r]

Originally posted by bart
best router you can buy is a netgear wndr3700, it's 680mhz screaming fast

yup best soo far! running xbox, compy,iphone,ipod,appletv best one!

[Xtrema]

DIR-655 for a year since my last router died.

Been great. No problem. Torrent @ 1-1.5MB/s

I don't have a wireless N device so I don't know how good the throughput would be. But as for range, my neighbor can log into a guest VLAN I set up for him. Signal is great.

[heinz256]

Heard really good things about the Asus rt-n16 especially if you are a heavy torrent user

[Kg810]

Originally posted by BigMass


:werd: x3 and dual band is a must depending on where you live. I'm in a high-rise with about 60 other wireless signals and am the only person using 5Ghz. It's nice and clear. Amazing range and speed

x4

BUT... make sure you get the WNDR3700 and not the WNDR3700v2 which has been rolling out since mid Jan or so. Version 2 has terrible firmware so far and has been reviewed to perform worse than the original version.

Be sure to check the side of the box to see the contents included. Make sure it doesn't say "(WNDR3700v2)" and you should "probably" have version 1. And it's only probably because some people have reported Netgear throwing version 2s into version 1 boxes.

[LLLimit]

How does the D-LINK DIR-628 hold up?

http://infonec.com/site/main.php?id=437210&module=detail
good chance to PM at memory express.

Looks like the biggest difference compared to DIR-825 or DIR-655 is Gigabit

[Mitsu3000gt]

Loving my DIR-655. Super fast, easy to set up/change settings, and so many little issues/problems with my network magically disappeared when I switched to that router. Everything is now plug and play as it should be!

[teknical]

I'm using the DIR-825 since it first was released. It gave me a couple issues with the Shareports firmware at the beginning, but it's been good to me ever since :)

Only router I would go with over the DIR-825 would have to be the DGL-4500 (http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX20005(ME).aspx)

[HiSpec]

Is the Netgear WNDR3700 simultaneous dual-band?

[voodoo]

subscribed as im looking for a router also.

[HiTempguy1]

Originally posted by teknical

Only router I would go with over the DIR-825 would have to be the DGL-4500 (http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX20005(ME).aspx)

They actually had one of these in Edmonton as an RMA for only $120 :banghead: I missed out on it!

[LLLimit]

Looks like a pricematch at memoryexpress is possible for the Asus RT-N16
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=45265&vpn=RT-N16&manufacture=ASUS&promoid=1270

I still don't know what I'm looking for:cry:

[HiTempguy1]

^^^Keep in mind MemExp will factor in shipping as well ($10 for that router). Personally, memexp is almost always the same as NCIX nowadays, AND the stock/return is right in your city. I don't buy anything from NCIX now that I live in Edmonton right next to MemExp!

[LLLimit]

Originally posted by HiTempguy1
^^^Keep in mind MemExp will factor in shipping as well ($10 for that router). Personally, memexp is almost always the same as NCIX nowadays, AND the stock/return is right in your city. I don't buy anything from NCIX now that I live in Edmonton right next to MemExp!

Thats a negatory, I've picked up many things at memexp and never been charged shipping.

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Information/OnlinePolicies.aspx#lowest

Last thing I pricematched was a Nikkor 35mm AFS in Dec2010.

[Alterac]

Linksys E3000 router Dual simultanious band N, all gig ports, and its fast, and able to run DD-WRT if you want too.

[HiTempguy1]

Originally posted by LLLimit


Thats a negatory, I've picked up many things at memexp and never been charged shipping.

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Information/OnlinePolicies.aspx#lowest

Last thing I pricematched was a Nikkor 35mm AFS in Dec2010.


Once our staff verifies that the item is in stock and available for immediate sale and delivery at the advertised price , you will receive your refund. If you purchased the item from MemoryExpress.com and there is no Memory Express store in your area, you can contact us or by email at [email protected]. The advertised item must be of the same brand and model as the purchased product, must be new and factory sealed, and subject to a manufacturer's warranty applicable in Canada. Advertised prices must be in Canadian dollars, and will be calculated to include all charges applicable for next day delivery to your home address.

You're a lucky guy I guess :dunno:

[LLLimit]

Their policy is conflicting.


7 Day Price Match Guarantee If you find a lower price within 7 days of purchase from an authorized Canadian retailer or online dealer, we will match that price. Also, when we match an online retailer's price we don’t add the shipping cost if you pickup in store!

Or you can say I've lucky about a dozen times for the last couple years then
:poosie:

[bart]

Originally posted by HiSpec
Is the Netgear WNDR3700 simultaneous dual-band?

you can run a normal wifi network, + a 5ghz wifi network, + a guest wifi network for users that want internet but cant access your local network

you can run all 3 at once

[Kg810]

Update on the WNDR3700v2

http://forum1.netgear.com/showthread.php?t=62608

Firmware just released a few days ago.

So I again say go for the WNDR3700, but I have heard really good things about the AsusRT-N16


Edit - Forgot to post link for you to price match at memoryexpress if you decide to get it

http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=45503&vpn=WNDR3700-100NAS&manufacture=Netgear&promoid=1270

[tictactoe2004]

The Cisco WRVS4400N V2 is what I use, it's the least expensive router I haven't been able to crash with an automation system. So far i've been able to crash every d-link, linksys, netgear and apple router with even a mid sized Control4 system.

I know this won't apply to most people, but if anyone here has an automation system or is considering one save the head aches and buy the WRVS4400N.

[voodoo]

whats the difference between the 3700, 37av

[Kg810]

Originally posted by voodoo
whats the difference between the 3700, 37av

Nothing.

Apparently the 37av box ships with a 3700 inside anyways. So get whichever one you can find.

[Bizzareo]

Originally posted by LLLimit
Can anyone breakdown what's important in choosing a new router?

I'm currently using my old Linksys WRT54G2, and looking to get something a lot newer to move information between 3 lappys, a PS3, D-Link DNS323, and whatever wifi phone/gadgets I'll have in the future

The D-Link DIR-825 or DIR-655 look nice, but I'm not confining myself to this brand/model

Having a tough time understanding, in simple terms what all the jargon mean; gigabit dual speeds, mimo, vpn, etc etc etc and if they are important to me.

gigabit is a specific type of port for your wired connections, its superior in terms of speed. IIRC The dual speed will handle older machines that don't have full support for modern technology.

Personally I would look at high end routers, since you will find that upgrading will happen less often, and they have a lot more features to take advantage of.

Don't go for anything other than d-link or linksys, the rest are a PIA. I have the gamer one of these two, it works great..

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX20005%28ME%29.aspx

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX15463%28ME%29.aspx

[voodoo]

did anyone go get this router from memory express and use the price match? i think im gonna head down tonight and try it out.

[LLLimit]

You can print out the ad or URL and show it to the csr, or direct him where to go on the internets. Either way he'll look it up on his computer and get his manager to approve it.
Then good to go.

I remember when I picked up my Asus n51vn lappy, I made him look through a bunch of websites through shopbot.ca/canadapost comparison shopper to get the best pricematch haha. He was pretty good about it and let me have my way to save $200.

[voodoo]

Originally posted by LLLimit
You can print out the ad or URL and show it to the csr, or direct him where to go on the internets. Either way he'll look it up on his computer and get his manager to approve it.
Then good to go.

I remember when I picked up my Asus n51vn lappy, I made him look through a bunch of websites through shopbot.ca/canadapost comparison shopper to get the best pricematch haha. He was pretty good about it and let me have my way to save $200.

did u decide which router your gonna go with?

[WhippWhapp]

I have a DIR-655 sitting idle if anyone is interested- never had any problems with it, just using the Actiontec from Telus now.

PM if interested.

[LLLimit]

Nope. With the suggestions here, I think I'll wait for the Linksys E3000 or D-Link825 to get cheaper because it goes on sale somewhere in Canada all the time.
Yes I know it's only a router, but I'm a cheap asian :)

BTW, DIR-628 for $50 at dell.ca, vs. $90 @ ME.
http://accessories.dell.com/sna/products/Networking/productdetail.aspx?c=ca&l=en&s=dhs&cs=cadhs1&sku=A2051908

Asus RT-N16 $80, saw some semi-bad reviews though.

[Kg810]

Actually MemEx is selling it for $79.99 which is the cheapest as far as I'm aware.

http://www.memoryexpress.com/Products/PID-MX27427%28ME%29.aspx

[voodoo]

Originally posted by Kg810
Update on the WNDR3700v2

http://forum1.netgear.com/showthread.php?t=62608

Firmware just released a few days ago.

So I again say go for the WNDR3700, but I have heard really good things about the AsusRT-N16


Edit - Forgot to post link for you to price match at memoryexpress if you decide to get it

http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=45503&vpn=WNDR3700-100NAS&manufacture=Netgear&promoid=1270

for this router, you dont even need the price match right now. memoryexpress has it on sale now for $119.99. i picked mine up at lunchtime today. only the north east store has stock left.

[DeeK]

So, I'm bumping an old thread. I'm looking for a new router, and as per this thread tried the WNDR3700. Works great. But it's not for me for one reason. I cannot port forward more than one computer. This surprised me, and even surprised the tech support guys, after a few hours they told me the unit simply does not have the capability to do that.

So, my search begins again. Any recommendations. And keep in mind, I don't really care about the wireless. I just need the wired ports.

[Mibz]

You mean you can't forward the same port to different computers or that you can't forward different ports to different computers?

[DeeK]

Originally posted by Mibz
You mean you can't forward the same port to different computers or that you can't forward different ports to different computers?

You cannot forward the same port or ports to different computers. and port triggering doesn't work when its a block of ports.

Unless maybe you guys know a way to accomplish this...

For example I want to forward ports 27000-27050 on 192.168.1.100 AND 192.168.1.101

[Mibz]

Originally posted by DeeK
You cannot forward the same port or ports to different computers. This is intended behaviour. You can't open two connections on the same IP and port.

What are you trying to accomplish?

EDIT: If you can't trigger a range then 5 separate trigger entries should fix that.

[DeeK]

Originally posted by Mibz
This is intended behaviour. You can't open two connections on the same IP and port.

What are you trying to accomplish?

EDIT: If you can't trigger a range then 5 separate trigger entries should fix that.

But, you must remember that a router is not a single connection obviously. It flips back and forth between packets, and as such, I need that port open and available for two computers to access through that port.

Triggering is not good for groups of ports, it is for single ports. otherwise I would just trigger my ports open.

EDIT: Im not a networking guru or anything, and don't claim to be. I could be completely out to lunch here..

Also, this can be done on every other brand of router. I've never come across this till I tried netgear.


Here's the goal I'm trying to get at...

Starcraft 2, along with many other of my games have designated ports which I cannot change. They must be opened for certain things to work. such as the blizzard downloader. At this point in time. The blizzard downloader works on one of my computers, but not on the other. Due to the fact that the required ports are not open on that IP.

I need to know how both computers can have access to these ports so that the two computers can play together.

[Mibz]

Originally posted by DeeK
Also, this can be done on every other brand of router. It certainly can't be done on mine or any enterprise router I've worked on. If an incoming connection request is sent to two computers at the same time only one of them is going to be able to fulfill the connection. It is impossible/retarded to forward the same TCP port to two different destinations.

For your situation I can think of two options.

1. Forward all the ports you need to one computer, do the downloading you need to do and then forward them to the other computer.

2. Since ranges exist, forward half the ports to one computer and half to the other. I imagine this could cause problems on some software though.

This also only applies for things like Blizzard Downloader or torrents or whatever where you need to be accepting incoming connections. To actually play games on Battle.net or Steam you shouldn't have to do a damn thing because the connection originates on your end.

EDIT: Option 3 is that you activate your 2nd IP with your service provider, get a dual-WAN router and NAT each computer to a separate public IP.

[MilanoRedTeg]

I picked up a DLink DIR-815 dual band and I have to reset the fuckin thing like once a day. I thought it might just be the router but nope that 2nd DIR-815 did the same thing. Any solutions to fix this or should I just give up and buy a different router?

[Alterac]

Originally posted by MilanoRedTeg
I picked up a DLink DIR-815 dual band and I have to reset the fuckin thing like once a day. I thought it might just be the router but nope that 2nd DIR-815 did the same thing. Any solutions to fix this or should I just give up and buy a different router?

Running the Latest Firmward for it from DLink?

[Alterac]

Originally posted by DeeK
Starcraft 2, along with many other of my games have designated ports which I cannot change. They must be opened for certain things to work. such as the blizzard downloader. At this point in time. The blizzard downloader works on one of my computers, but not on the other. Due to the fact that the required ports are not open on that IP.


You dont have to manually open any ports or Starcraft2 or the Blizzard downloader, just make sure you have UPnP enabled on your router, and it will take care of it by itself.

I have 1 port open on my router, and UPnP takes care of the rest.

[sillysod]

I have the Asus RT-N16 and it seems to work pretty well.

Getting fiber connected tomorrow so should have a faster connection to the outside world too.

[DeeK]

Originally posted by Mibz
This also only applies for things like Blizzard Downloader or torrents or whatever where you need to be accepting incoming connections. To actually play games on Battle.net or Steam you shouldn't have to do a damn thing because the connection originates on your end.

EDIT: Option 3 is that you activate your 2nd IP with your service provider, get a dual-WAN router and NAT each computer to a separate public IP.

Well from what I understand, to be able to use the ingame voice, you need to be able to accept incoming connections. You cannot host custom games. And unless ports are open you are always at risk of being dropped or disconnected.

voice = http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_US&articleId=31519&parentCategoryId&pageNumber=1&categoryId=3636

[DeeK]

Originally posted by Alterac


You dont have to manually open any ports or Starcraft2 or the Blizzard downloader, just make sure you have UPnP enabled on your router, and it will take care of it by itself.

I have 1 port open on my router, and UPnP takes care of the rest.

Univeral Plug and Play only counts for registered devices on the local network. It has nothing to do with connections to and from external sources. It also only extends as far as services. So it is for use with things like printers, scanners, etc.

As far as the blizzard downloader goes.. try it with and without ports open. I guarantee you that it will go 100x faster if you open the ports.
http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_US&articleId=21065&parentCategoryId&pageNumber=1&categoryId=3617

[Alterac]

Originally posted by DeeK


Univeral Plug and Play only counts for registered devices on the local network. It has nothing to do with connections to and from external sources. It also only extends as far as services. So it is for use with things like printers, scanners, etc.

As far as the blizzard downloader goes.. try it with and without ports open. I guarantee you that it will go 100x faster if you open the ports.
http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_US&articleId=21065&parentCategoryId&pageNumber=1&categoryId=3617

When i use the blizzard downloader, it uses UPnP to automatically open the ports it needs. I can watch it do this in the log, and by confirmation on my routers upnp open ports webpage.

uTorrent also does this for you.

I dont know about the ingame voice, as I use mumble so you are probably right there.



NAT traversal section from Wikipedia on Universal Plug and Play
One solution for NAT traversal, called the Internet Gateway Device Protocol (IGD Protocol), is implemented via UPnP. Many routers and firewalls expose themselves as Internet Gateway Devices, allowing any local UPnP control point to perform a variety of actions, including retrieving the external IP address of the device, enumerate existing port mappings, and add or remove port mappings. By adding a port mapping, a UPnP controller behind the IGD can enable traversal of the IGD from an external address to an internal client.

[DeeK]

Yes, I've been researching UPnP over the past hour or so, and I'm getting entirely conflicting information. Some places say its restricted to local traffic only (including the netgear site), IE. Sharing a device connected to a pc, from the other pc.
Also, it is restricted to UDP connections only, not TCP.

Other sites are saying its a port mapper.. http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Port_Forwarding

I'm not sure what to think.

[Alterac]

It should be pretty easy to test out, depending if your router supports it, and supports showing you what is open. (Assuming you have a DD-WRT Capable router, you will support both)

Open utorrent, enable upnp in that, then grab something from the net.
Click on the Log tab, and make sure you have some verbose logging (possibly). It should say if it was able to open the port or not.

You can also check on your router.
Go into your routers webpage, to Nat/QoS tab, then the UPnP SubTab, it should then show you the ports that are open.

I dont know if any commercial routers can show this info.

[DeeK]

Well... I suppose that works.

Just tried it via torrents, sure enough ports open. Awesome.

[Alterac]

From my uTorrent Log
[2011-06-02 21:27:07] UPnP: Checking cached host http://10.0.0.1:1780/InternetGatewayDevice.xml
[2011-06-02 21:27:07] UPnP: Queueing cached host http://10.0.0.1:1780/InternetGatewayDevice.xml
[2011-06-02 21:27:07] UPnP: Discovered host: http://10.0.0.1:1780/InternetGatewayDevice.xml
[2011-06-02 21:27:07] UPnP: Found location from upnp notify: http://10.0.0.1:1780/InternetGatewayDevice.xml
[2011-06-02 21:27:07] UPnP: Discovered host: http://10.0.0.1:1780/InternetGatewayDevice.xml
[2011-06-02 21:27:07] UPnP: Discovered new device: "LANDevice" http://10.0.0.1:1780/control?WANIPConnection
[2011-06-02 21:27:07] UPnP: Mapped TCP port 38408 -> 10.0.0.50:38408
[2011-06-02 21:27:07] UPnP: TCP port 38408 -> 10.0.0.50:38408 mapped successfully.
[2011-06-02 21:27:07] UPnP: Mapped UDP port 38408 -> 10.0.0.50:38408
[2011-06-02 21:27:07] UPnP: UDP port 38408 -> 10.0.0.50:38408 mapped successfully.
[2011-06-02 21:27:07] UPnP: Getting external IP
[2011-06-02 21:27:07] UPnP: Host 'http://10.0.0.1:1780/InternetGatewayDevice.xml' added to cache.
[2011-06-02 21:27:07] UPnP: Got external IP: 174.x.x.x




And from my DD-WRT Log

Description Enabled From (WAN) To (LAN) IP Address Protocol
uTorrent (TCP) Yes 38408 38408 10.0.0.50 TCP
uTorrent (UDP) Yes 38408 38408 10.0.0.50 UDP




Heh, you must have posted while i was typing this out.

You using DD-WRT? or some other router?

[DeeK]

Originally posted by Alterac
You using DD-WRT? or some other router?

Netgear WNDR3700

[SmAcKpOo]

Surprised nobody has mentioned building their own pfSense router.

An old p4 with 512mb of ram has a throughput on the WAN link of ~800mbit/s

pfSense is stateful which means no opening ports for internal network requests out of the WAN link.

my pfSense box is hosting 3 subnets, a wireless AP, full gigabit connectivity.

Worth the investment for the initial setup costs. I will never have to replace it.

[Grogador]

Originally posted by SmAcKpOo
Surprised nobody has mentioned building their own pfSense router.

I don't bother anymore as most of these wonderful people don't even know what "an ethernet" is :thumbsdow

[TorqueDog]

Originally posted by DeeK
You cannot forward the same port or ports to different computers. and port triggering doesn't work when its a block of ports.

Unless maybe you guys know a way to accomplish this...

For example I want to forward ports 27000-27050 on 192.168.1.100 AND 192.168.1.101 You cannot do this without having two external (WAN) IPs.

Case in point, take another application such as IIS (Web Server). It uses TCP Port 80 for HTTP. Now let's say you have another IIS server on the network, also running on port 80. You wish to have HTTP requests to your WAN IP (ie: 10.10.10.10:80) resolve to both web servers.

How exactly does the router determine which port goes to which internal IP? All you've done is request the WAN and a specific port.


Outbound is one thing. The router itself will not 'close' outbound ports unless you specifically configure it that way (which is going to stop pretty well everything from working unless you explicitly specify certain types of outbound requests/ports, like HTTP, SMTP/POP, etc.)

But you cannot take a single IP router and map the same port to two different internal IPs. It just doesn't work.


On the subject of UPnP (in layman's terms), it allows applications to create their own port forwarding entries. The Playstation 3, for example, is able to dynamically create its own port forwards every time it connects to the network. This allows the PS3 to achieve an open NAT, while negating the use of a statically assigned IP. uTorrent has this ability too, as mentioned in a previous post. The time that these entries will stay active in the router may vary.