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Hardware recommendation?
08-10-2009, 12:02 AM
Okay, we got the word in email -- our laptop is finally coming from Dell. It took freaking long enough. In any case, that means it's time to move from
the old wire-bound ethernet router to a wireless one.
So... what's a good wireless hub? There's a Linksys I was looking at a few months ago, but I can't recall at the moment the model number. What
have people had good luck with, and bad luck with?
And what do folks think about USB wireless cards? I was figuring that might be the easiest way to add wireless connectivity to the desktop.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
HoagieOfDoom
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USB wireless can be hit-or-miss. I had one that worked great for about a year, but then it suddenly died and I replaced it with a supposedly better (and more
expensive) model that underperformed severely. I'm back on a physical connection, fortunately. Have you considered a PCI wireless card? It requires extra
tinkering, but is better than a USB one. As for a router, I've got no clue. My apartment uses an Apple Airport Express, but that's mostly for its
ability to play audio remotely.
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Seconding the PCI recommendation- Internet is one thing you don't want on a USB port. PCI cards generally give a better connection, both to the computer
and in wireless reception (they have bigger, stronger antennas). One less device permanently stuck to your USB ports is a good thing- after all, who knows
when you'll need that port? Plus, everything you can get inside the case is less likely to get broken by accident, and wouldn't it just suck to have
your internet die that way?
PCI cards are also just about as easy as USB devices to install, and have the added benefit of only having to be installed once.
As for the wireless router, it depends on what you plan to do with it. Do you use P2P programs, including Bittorrent? How many computers will be on it? The
higher the load you intend to put on it, the more careful you'll have to be when you shop.
I would give two general pieces of advice. First, don't buy a Belkin. My current router is a Belkin, and it barfs when I try to do too many things at
once. Second, Linksys is a good name, and you'll probably be safe with one.
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.
I've been writing a bit.
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Seconded on the Linksys. They were a good brand before being bought by Cisco (one of the biggest names in networking), and they've only gotten better since
then.
Although, as a matter of principle, I prefer wired networks to wireless. Wireless encryption protocols have a bad habit of getting broken and thus left open to
who-knows-who spying on the traffic, but nobody's yet developed a way to tap a wired connection that doesn't show. (Yes, I have something to hide: my
banking information.) Wireless is for the fun stuff (like this forum); wired is for the serious stuff.
--
Rob Kelk
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them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
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I can't recomend a single product per say... However, a sure bet is to check out customer product reviews over on NewEgg. I've been able to tell
whether a product is going to work reliably or not through the reveiws.
As for USB Adaptors, I've had no real issues with those in the past. Most of everything I do, in fact, has to be through a USB port becuase I'm bound
to using laptops only until I make enough Rate to get an apartment.
My personal experiences with wireless routers is somewhat hit-or-miss... but in my travels, I would sat that Netgear is the most user-friendly. ESPECIALLY when
it come to updating the firmware upgrade. (Linksys = manual, Netgear = automatic)
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Hm. Well, the wireless is mainly to support the laptop. And the point about banking info is a good one. Maybe I should shop for a Linksys that has both
wireless and hardwired. Is there such a beast?
-- Bob
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Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
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Quote:Is there such a beast?
http://www.linksysbycisco.com/CA/en/products/WRT160NL]Yep!
(Actually, I'd be surprised to find a wireless-only router. Most routers require a wired connection to allow the owner to configure the wi-fi security...)
--
Rob Kelk
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the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
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I've configured several WRT160N, the NL is going to be nigh-identical, and gets my stamp of approval
"No can brain today. Want cheezeburger."
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I'll agree with Linksys - I've had a WRT54G for about 5 years, and it's been a fantastic router.
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robkelk Wrote:Quote:Is there such a beast?
http://www.linksysbycisco.com/CA/en/products/WRT160NL]Yep!
(Actually, I'd be surprised to find a wireless-only router. Most routers require a wired connection to allow the owner to configure the wi-fi security...) Isn't that just a WAP. I believe there's a company that makes a wireless-only router as part of a mesh distribution system. However the closest I've seen is %[link=http://www.linksysbycisco.com/CA/en/products/WRE54G]http://www.linksysbycisco.com/CA/en/products/WRE54G] which just resends the signals from me WRT54GL
--Rod.H
Quote: jpub wrote:
I'll agree with Linksys - I've had a WRT54G for about 5 years, and it's been a fantastic router.
I agree as well.
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Mm. That looks just about perfect. Thanks, folks!
-- Bob
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chiming in late here.
I'll third the rec for a WRT54G.
I'll also recommend putting a different firmware on it.
-Terry
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Late to the party as well, but add my vote for the WRT54G. I've had one since... uhh... early '03, if memory serves. Never had a problem with it and
it's still handling my traffic today.
Sweno: your firmware recommendation, does that come from personal experience? I've been toying with the idea of a different firmware solution, but
honestly I can't see a reason to do so yet. I don't know anybody who has actually used one of these personally, so it's hard to get a review that
doesn't smack of the "Linux is teh bestest" modding-because-I-can mentality.
--sofaspud
--"Listening to your kid is the audio equivalent of a Salvador Dali painting, Spud." --OpMegs
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personal I use the old HyperWRT set, and haven't gotten around to upgrading to the tomato build.
So ya, I have found it has much better uptime than the stock firmware on the boxes and the extra features (like being able to set p2p apps at as low priority
traffic) is a godsend.
-Terry
-----
"so listen up boy, or pornography starring your mother will be the second worst thing to happen to you today"
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Hmm. I'm leery of trying different firmware, but only because I'm unfamiliar with it. If I can get some hand-holding here, I might be amenable to
trying it.
ETA: Hell, I'll need hand-holding all the way through -- I've never set up a wireless router before, and I had trouble enough with the hardwired one.
I want to set up max security and whatnot, and I'm worrying about where to start.
-- Bob
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Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.
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There are three basic security settings for home wireless: none, WEP, and WPA. Obviously, you don't want "none". WEP was cracked wide open last
year; while he chances that somebody in your neighbourhood can read WEP-encrypted traffic are small, that chance isn't zero. Thus, I'd go with WPA
encryption.
Once you've selected WPA, there are a few subchoices (different flavours of the standard) from which you'll be choosing one. Which one you want depends
on which one all of your wifi devices can use - read all your manuals.
And you'll have to come up with a password (or passphrase) for the WPA key. Choose something you can remember, but something that isn't too short...
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."
- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
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Thanks, Rob.
-- Bob
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Depending on how much free time I have tonight/tomorrow I'll try and do a brain dump on setup & security for a router like this
-Terry
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Thanks, Sweno, but don't go out of your way. I haven't even ordered it yet.
-- Bob
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Um, Sweno, currently produced WRT54G can't use any other firmware then what Linksys provides, due to hardware constraints. It's why I've got a
WRT54GL -note the 'L', its important- so that if I ever contemplated using a thrid-party firmware, I could.
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*facepalm*
Your right Rod.
I had forgotten about that (I picked up my router before they implemented that 'feature').
So yah. WRT54G is good, WRT54GL is better if you want to hack around on it.
(packing for gencon, brain-dump will come later)
-Terry
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Okay... the WRT160NL arrived yesterday; I'll probably be setting it up tomorrow.
And I just realized that I didn't end up getting the one we were discussing in the back end of this thread, but the one Rob recommended almost all the way
back at the top... oh well. As it turns out, it has a couple features that are useful to us. It's an "L" series, which I presume means it runs on
Linux based on the box blurb (no, I haven't opened it or read the docs yet), and thus its firmware is similarly hackable?
-- Bob
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Yeah, the L series means it's got 4MB flash as opposed to 2MB, which means its far more hackable.
Not that I ever *bothered*. I need the damn thing to provide wireless and LAN. If I wanted to get into the nitty-gritty of network administration, I'd do
more of that stuff at *work*.
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