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cj1976
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
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 Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2009 2:39 pm Post subject: Someone recommend a good wifi router |
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I'm going to replace my D-Link DIR-300 because it doesn't perform as well as I'd like it to. It seems to be quite slow at times and it constantly drops the connection.
I need a fast and reliable router that will work with both a PC and Macbook on the same network.
I can't afford the super-priced Apple units, so if it can be kept under 50k, that would be smashing.
Thanks |
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dazzed
Joined: 26 May 2007
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| Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2009 2:46 pm Post subject: |
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| Ever thought about getting a linksys? They're known for making good routers |
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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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| Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2009 4:09 pm Post subject: |
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| I've had very good luck with Belkin routers. I've had 4. All worked great, and nowadays, can be had with English. They haven't died on me -- I have given them to various friends as gifts. |
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giraffe
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
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| Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2009 4:37 pm Post subject: |
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| been with linksys for years. works great. |
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crossmr
Joined: 22 Nov 2008
Location: Hwayangdong, Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2009 6:41 pm Post subject: |
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| Getting a linksys in Korea can be hard. It isn't a popular brand here. I got an iptime a couple months ago, seems to work fine. |
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Auslegung
Joined: 14 Jan 2009
Location: MB, SC
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| Posted: Sat Aug 22, 2009 7:43 pm Post subject: |
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| I was going to suggest getting a Dlink DIR300 and flash DD-WRT onto it. Check it out here: http://shop.dd-wrt.com/. It's a linux-based firmware that allows you to tweak your router far more than was intended. You can increase signal strength, set address priorities, etc, making a $30 router into a $150 router. Of course, if yours is old and the hardware is crapping out, then this won't help much. Still, I'd suggest getting a router that can support DD WRT or Tomato and put that on it. They're nice. |
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cj1976
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 9:18 am Post subject: |
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| Auslegung wrote: |
| I was going to suggest getting a Dlink DIR300 and flash DD-WRT onto it. |
After a few abortive attempts at this, I finally got it up and running. Man, it has made a huge difference. Why can't the manufacturers make it this good in the first place? Good advice bro, cheers. |
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Auslegung
Joined: 14 Jan 2009
Location: MB, SC
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| Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 9:40 am Post subject: |
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| Glad to help you save a few bucks. |
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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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| Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 3:45 pm Post subject: |
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| cj1976 wrote: |
| Auslegung wrote: |
| I was going to suggest getting a Dlink DIR300 and flash DD-WRT onto it. |
After a few abortive attempts at this, I finally got it up and running. Man, it has made a huge difference. Why can't the manufacturers make it this good in the first place? Good advice bro, cheers. |
Because there are federal (national, in Korea's case) laws that limit the amount of power these things put out. If they put out too much power, they interfere with other forms of communication. Most DIR-300 routers that people run this software on seem to die after 3 to 6 months.
In addition, though currently out on the fringe, there are cancer concerns.
Besides, why would you want a signal that carries farther than your home? That only opens your system to exploit by hackers. |
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pkang0202
Joined: 09 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 5:10 pm Post subject: |
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| cj1976 wrote: |
| Auslegung wrote: |
| I was going to suggest getting a Dlink DIR300 and flash DD-WRT onto it. |
After a few abortive attempts at this, I finally got it up and running. Man, it has made a huge difference. Why can't the manufacturers make it this good in the first place? Good advice bro, cheers. |
I did the same. Works AWESOME now. I bricked the first attempt. I simply mailed the bricked router to Dlink (located in Yongsan) and they mailed me a new one pretty quick. |
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Auslegung
Joined: 14 Jan 2009
Location: MB, SC
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| Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 7:46 pm Post subject: |
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| Bass, there are other tweaks to make than signal strength. And you're right, most countries have a limit on what your signal strength can be, but it's not really enforceable. Most people wouldn't recognize that your signal is messing with theirs, they'd just assume something was wrong with their product. And you're also right that this can reduce the life of the router, but not always, especially if you follow the "common sense" guidelines that most of the firmware distributors suggest. However, he was going to chuck his and get a new one, so this is better no matter what. |
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cj1976
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 3:14 am Post subject: |
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TBH, I don't really understand what all the various settings actually mean, so if anyone can shed some light...
I haven't changed the TX Power or Antenna Gain, but I changed the Wireless Network Mode to "G-Only" and enabled "Turbo Mode". |
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hugekebab
Joined: 05 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 8:53 pm Post subject: |
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| is there any way possible to flash a 54mb router to become a 100mb router? I don't know anything about routers/networking, so if this sounds noobish, then that's why! |
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crossmr
Joined: 22 Nov 2008
Location: Hwayangdong, Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 10:32 pm Post subject: |
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| hugekebab wrote: |
| is there any way possible to flash a 54mb router to become a 100mb router? I don't know anything about routers/networking, so if this sounds noobish, then that's why! |
54 is generally the wireless speed, so not usually. These are usually hardware limitations not software. Though it'd be possible for a manufacturer to put a 100 MB port in the router and software limit it to 10 or 50. |
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hugekebab
Joined: 05 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2009 10:44 pm Post subject: |
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Reason I ask, I've got a buffalo wireless router, and if I put the connection through it I get really bad variations in download speed e.g. 10mb (there are two laptops on it and my gf hardly uses hers for anything) I get this even if I pass a wire from my router to my laptop rather than going wireless. Does updating the firmware ever help this sort of thing, or is it likely just a crappy router? (signal strength is fine, always five bars.)
If I hard wire the connection into my laptops rj45 its 90 odd MB. |
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