[fredpb]

I should be getting my DSL Alcatel Speedtouch Home this week.
It will be attached to my computers Ethernet card.

After getting the mess running I plan on putting in a router for added security (hardware firewall) and to keep the line up all the time.

So I need a router. 1 port or 4 port ok. My local choices
are Linksys, SMC Barricade, and a Netgear. Anyone have any
info on these? I want to keep it below $120. I have heard
bad rumors of the Linksys, but it is the most accessible (office depot). I do want to do long term downloads (audiobooks) and
do some internet gaming (Mechwarrior. I want to show those kids that aging does destroy eye-hand coordination).

 

[roll-man]

I have the Linksys 4 port dsl router. It cost $99 six months ago (probably cheaper now at office depot), took 5 minutes to set up and has performed flawlessly. No complaints here.

 

[Nick Dangerous]

Ditto that. I have the Linksys and like it. It occasionally (very rarely) needs to be power cycled, but I that's only because I really thrash it during multiple Team Fortress sessions.

 

[MacDEF]

I have the Xsense XRouter Aero, which is supposedly a rebranded LinkSys wireless, and it's worked flawlessly.

 

[dhwilkin]

Another positive vote for the Linksys over here.

 

[chych]

*puts on [almost] CCNA certified cap on*

Bah, Linksys can go to hell! Can't port forward if its life depended on it. If you want an unremovable firewall, sure, linksys is your best bet, especially if you are on a PC and are susceptible to all those whacky Windows virii and DoS attacks

Also is very slow, kills your bandwidth, grr... well, routers are supposed to do that, oh well...

 

[Audio-Me]

Linksys 4 port here as well. There's better ones out there for sure, but you'll have to pay quite a bit more than $120 for top notch performance, you might as well go gigabit ethernet in that case.

 

[ai0tron]

I have a linksys and it works great.

 

[bootman]

I have my eye on a netgear wireless thats on sale at buy.com.

Quote:

you might as well go gigabit ethernet in that case

(Takes off Head-Fi hat and puts on System Engineer hat)

Good luck getting gigE to work over copper!
If you use cat5e cable you won't be able to properly crimp a connection that will make it up to a gig anyway.

Real men use Gbics and fiber for gigE.

(but this is not for home use, takes hat off and places back Head-Fi hat.

)

 

[andrzejpw]

Ok, I got an smc barricade 7004BR for $50. Its a great router for the price. Quick and easy setup, well worth it.

Now, I just set up a netgear fr314 for someone. It costs a bit more, but WOW does it pay off! Many features, and very secure. Its just that I don't trust linksys as much . . .

 

[Ctn]

I second the netgear fr314 !!

 

[dhwilkin]

Quote:

andrzejpw said... Its just that I don't trust linksys as much . . .

Why not?

 

[jodokast]

Hehe.

Me on wireless DSL networking here via D-Link router. One of their earlier models I believe....

 

[jerikl]

Ahhh.. NO, not the Linksys. Man I hate that router. I have one, it's not in use anymore though. It worked fine for quite a while. Actually, it worked fine for over a year or so, with occasional power cycling issues that were of coursed fixed in no time. But a couple months ago it really started giving me hell, and would go out for hours at a time. It would work, then it wouldn't... so on so on. It was the Linksys 4 port version.

Anyway, we have a D-Link 4 port version (sorry I don't feel like looking up the model numbers) that works quite well here, doing the work for our DSL. But, we also have cable service here too. Heh, it's a very technology enabled house. But, for a cable service we have Smoothwall running on one of my old pc's... it's a Pentium 233 actually, with 64mb of ram. That's probably the best router you can get if you have an old system... because, the software is free.

So I suggest SMOOTHWALL.

Justin

 

[fredpb]

I got the Netgear RP114. Works great! Easy to use! Maintains my DSL connection no problem. I did not have to install any software on my computer to use DSL, the RP114 does it all, including a basic firewall. So far, so good.

Thanks for all replies!