NEED HELP to chose between 2 routers linksys vs netgear range max

Discussion in 'other firewalls' started by mack_guy911, Sep 1, 2007.

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  1. mack_guy911

    mack_guy911 Registered Member

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    Recommendations to choose between netgear WPN824 and linksys WRT54GL

    Please help me to choose between these 3 models of router can any one tell me which of them worth buying and why.......


    right now i am using dialup conection so should i buy dial up modem or should i get static ip form my isp they provide both......


    1. netgear RANGEMAX™ WIRELESS MODEM ROUTER
    DG834PN

    or
    2. RANGEMAX WIRELESS ROUTER
    WPN824

    or
    3. Linksys WRT54GL
    Wireless-G Broadband Router



    please give your reviews as early as possible.........

    i am also giving the link of sites

    http://www.netgear.com/Products/RoutersandGateways/RangeMaxWirelessRoutersandGateways/WPN824.aspx


    http://www.netgear.com/Products/RoutersandGateways/RangeMaxWirelessRoutersandGateways/DG834PN.aspx

    http://www.linksys.com/servlet/Sate...nksys/Common/VisitorWrapper&lid=7724139789B08
     
    Last edited: Sep 2, 2007
  2. Baldrick

    Baldrick Registered Member

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    Hi mack_guy911

    Took the plunge myself recently moving from ADSL modem to wireless router and in fact I looked at all these models (+ 1 from Belkin) and finally went for the Netgear DG834PN. Can only speak therefore for that one but I have been very please with it. Small profile, clear lights, easy to install (but more on that later), etc.;)

    Would recommend that you take a look at the following review as it was informative:

    http://www.trustedreviews.com/networking/review/2006/01/04/NetGear-DG834PN-Wireless-ADSL-Router/p1

    but I would also check with your ISP as to which router they recommend as although you may not get the same model as they would advise at least if you use the same manufacturer they will be more likely to be able to help you if you have issues as they will have some knowledge of the products. Luckily my ISP recommended Netgear.:cautious:

    Now, about installation. It went OK until I hit a snag which turned out to be due to my PC configuration and not the router. Suffice to say for the moment that I have an old PC to which I had to add an Ethernet card and unbeknownst to me services required to allow the router to function had been disabled when the PC was delivered as it was viewed that they were not required...as it had no Ethernet card installed. It most probably will not be an issue for you but if you find that your router (which ever you buy) cannot get an IP address from your ISP then post back and I will let you know what I did to resolve that (took a long time to figure out and I would not wan to bore you with that if it is not necessary).

    Good luck!:D
     
  3. Vulcan_

    Vulcan_ Registered Member

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    I'd personally go with either the WRT54GL or one of the newer Buffalo Routers. WRT54GL supports 3rd Party firmware.

    The Buffalo routers also use linux firmware, and most of the 3rd Party firmware projects like Tomato and DD-WRT have begun to implement support.

    Anything linux based, is almost a guaranteed to be stable, plus you usually have alternative projects supported.
     
  4. mack_guy911

    mack_guy911 Registered Member

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    Re: Recommendations to choose between netgear WPN824 and linksys WRT54GL

    i am really thankfull to Vulcan and Baldrick for your reviews please i am new to
    Router Firewall dont know much about it so please ..........real

    Recommendations are very much needed to chose between NetgearWPN824 or LinksysWRT54GL

    please need hurry replay for you guys.......:oops: :oops:
     
  5. Vulcan_

    Vulcan_ Registered Member

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    Re: Recommendations to choose between netgear WPN824 and linksys WRT54GL

    Personally, I would go with the WRT54GL if the choice was limited to those two models.

    If you go with the Netgear model you will be limited to only official support from NetGear for your router, which could be a bad thing if the router model has issues.


    WRT54GL is supported by many projects including...

    Tomato
    DD-WRT
    HyperWRT
    OpenWRT

    There are many more, but those are the most popular.

    More information about the WRT54GL can be found at
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WRT54G


    Besides the WRT54GL, I would also consider the following routers

    Buffalo WHR-G54S, WHR-HP-G54 models


    The Buffalo routers use the same Broadcom chipset as the WRT54GL and can be upgraded with the same 3rd Party firmwares listed above.
     
  6. mack_guy911

    mack_guy911 Registered Member

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    i agree with your review Vulcan thanks again for your replay but is it range is good enough for entire floor

    can you give me rainge idea about the following 2 routers i mean real range idea not what the printed on manuals
     
  7. Vulcan_

    Vulcan_ Registered Member

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    That is something I can't really weigh in on. I have earlier WRT54GS model, with a 3rd Party firmware, but do not use wireless due to security concerns.

    WPA2, with mac filtering, and no-ssid broadcast is ok for most people, but I guess I'm somewhat paranoid :eek:

    What I can comment on is you have the ability to bump up power output settings with the use of most of the 3rd Party firmware which should extend your range if you have low signal problems.
     
  8. SoCalReviews

    SoCalReviews Registered Member

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    The Linksys WRT54GL is one of the most reliable basic wireless routers you can buy. This opinion does not apply to the current non-Linux firmware based WRT54G and WRT54GS models that you now see in most walk in retail stores. In the past several years I have purchased more than twenty of the Linux firmware based WRT54G series of routers (the older Linux based WRT54G, WRT54GS and newer WRT54GL models) for use on my own network and for small business networks. The WRT54GL routers are excellent and consistently have the highest consumer satisfaction ratings at the online review sites and online stores. Out of the box using the standard firmware they are easy to set up and configure, reliable and inexpensive. It has also been my experience in the past few years that Linksys (by Cisco) has very good free telephone based technical support for their products.

    The standard Linux based firmware works fine for basic wireless networking but in the future you always have the option of flashing it with a variety of feature enhanced third party Linux based firmware such as the highly acclaimed DD-WRT firmware. Be aware that flashing the router with third party firmware can void the warranty and the Linksys product support. The WRT54GL model with the standard firmware has decent range but if you need more range from your WRT54GL then some of the third party firmwares allow you to boost the wireless signal power. There are additional products from Linksys (such as a high gain antenna and the WRE54G range expander) that allow you to extend the range of your wireless G network.

    Although I have experience using the Netgear brand of routers I am not familiar with the Netgear RangeMax routers. I can only provide my opinion based on my experience with the Linksys wireless routers. If you want an option other than the Linksys brand then you can consider using the Buffalo brand of routers which offer performance and specifications similar to the Linksys WRT54GL. Many Buffalo router models also have the ability to flash them with Linux based third party firmware. It does not sound like you need more than a basic wireless G router but if you ever need more complex advanced features right out of the box without having to flash the router with third party firmware and you don't mind spending more money then consider the SonicWall wireless routers or the Cisco small business series of wireless access points and routers.

    I prefer wireless routers like the WRT54GL that use the standard wireless G specification instead of some of the newer routers with MIMO technology, wireless N or pre-N type of specifications. Although the newer wireless N spec. based routers may provide a stronger wireless signal, many of them can create problems for any other devices in your area if those other devices use the same 2.4 Ghz or 5 Ghz range of frequencies (wireless telephones, etc.) as your router. The Netgear routers you listed do have some of these features so you will want to confirm from other users of those exact Netgear router models if they have experienced this problem which effects their other wireless devices. When configuring a standard wireless G router like the WRT54GL try manually changing the router's frequency to a different channel if conflicts occur with other wireless devices used in your area.

    Whether you choose Linksys or Netgear I recommend using a separate modem and router rather than a combined product. This gives you the most flexibility in the future for your wireless networking hardware. You can ask your ISP for just the modem device only instead of getting a combination modem and wireless router in one device. You should be able to setup the Linksys router using the simple directions provided. But if you buy a Linksys router and use a separate modem device provided by your ISP and you need help configuring the Linksys router then you can either ask your ISP for help or just call the free Linksys product support.

    Most internet users do not need a static IP address. If your ISP charges you extra money for a static IP address over the cost of a dynamic IP address then just get the less expensive dynamic IP address option. If for some reason you need a static IP address in the future you can always call your ISP and change to a static IP address. If you travel allot, don't want to use other networks to access the internet and want to have a direct connection to your ISP available (i.e. to access the internet with a notebook computer) then having a dial-up number is useful. Most ISPs provide dial-up internet access at no extra charge if you have an account with a high speed connection .
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2007
  9. YeOldeStonecat

    YeOldeStonecat Registered Member

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    If range/distance is of any concern...I'd look past the old "G" routers, and look at MIMO/*N products. The increase in range is really that much more...even if you use old G and ancient B wireless NICs...the range increase over G really is fantastic and worth it.

    Also if you run heavier loads on your network..especially for those users who slip into that black P2P stuff...which puts many concurrent connections on your rotuer, and bogs down many home grade and more basic models with slower CPUs and less RAM. Todays more current generation MIMO/*N products have quite a bit more horsepower.

    Granted the 3rd party firmware such as DD, Hyper, and Tomato, do give a little boost to the models that support it..the wrt54g series is still a very old model...it's been eclipsed by a few generations.

    The current top performing champ for home grade wireless routers is the DLink DIR655.
     
  10. SoCalReviews

    SoCalReviews Registered Member

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    If you are streaming data from one system to another within your own local network such as from your PC to a multi-media based computer connected to your entertainment center computer then I could see the advantage of the MIMO or N based wireless devices. In the most demanding applications you might be advised to use a hard wired Gigabit ethernet network instead of any wireless solution.

    If you are using your PC to access the wireless router for internet access then the N based devices are overkill. Even the fastest 6-10 Mbps internet access speeds are handled easily and reliably with a basic wireless G network effectively running at about 20+ Mbps. Most home users have a broadband internet connection of 1 - 6 Mbps which means that even an "ancient" wireless B network is still sufficient to handle most of the required throughput for internet access.

    The real advantage of the new N based wireless routers is the increase in effective range. The problem has been that the new technologies flood the available frequency ranges that are also used by many other devices such as wireless phones, wireless house alarms, wireless remotes, your neighbor's wireless devices, etc. . The newest wireless N routers are improved but this can still be a big problem.

    I know a technician who did wireless N based hardware compatibility testing for more than a year for a major hardware manufacturer. They had to test the compatibility of wireless network cards and drivers with wireless N routers. He found that although the newer MIMO and N based routers had greater range they caused bad problems for many other wireless devices in and surrounding the testing area. The newer routers basically wiped out the connections of other wireless networks in rooms far away from the testing area. While most of the wireless G routers were solid and reliable the N wireless routers were plagued with compatibility problems, random packet loss and connection instability issues. Many of the problems were from slight variations among the MIMO, and N type of specifications used by different manufacturers. His recommendation for now was to only use wireless G based hardware for consistency and reliability.

    The general feeling was that manufacturers were pushing the latest MIMO/N hardware to simply sell you new equipment at a higher price. This is not to say that someday in the future the average computer user might not need this technology. It just isn't something that is a critical to have now or in the next few years. It is important for the average consumer to be aware that many of these latest wireless technologies still need to be improved and standardized.
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2007
  11. Diver

    Diver Registered Member

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    I would get the Linksys due to the available 3rd party firmware. Also, Buffalo makes several nice routers that run the various Linux based firmwares. Over here I have a Buffalo WHR-HP-54G running Tomato and a Linksys WRT54G v6 running DD-WRT Micro in bridged client mode. The Buffalo has a built in amplifier and great range.

    You can also set up multiple routers in a wireless distribution or repeater mode, for extended range. Its an advanced topic and you might want to check the DD-WRT site for more info.
     
  12. YeOldeStonecat

    YeOldeStonecat Registered Member

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    That's the advantage I was talking about, as I don't worry much about throughput, I use wireless (for myself, and for clients) only for internet, remote desktop, and VPN. No local running of applications across a LAN.

    Since MIMO/Pre-N hit the market approx 3 years ago...and I started deploying it to clients...I found the increase in range tremendous. Doing site surveys...one MIMO/Pre-N AP was required..versus having to use two or three vanilla G units. After deploying it...I pretty much never got calls from clients complaining "my signal drops upstairs", or.."my signal doesn't reach the last room down the hall".

    That set the stage for me..on lighter small office and home setups...MIMO/Pre-N/Draft-N was a no brainer...as return calls focusing on complaints of distance disappeared. When yer talking a few hundred wireless LANs..that's important.

    The only non-MIMO setup I've done in the past year was for a health care firm...they needed WiFiSec ..and I have Sonicwall gear there..Sonicpoint G units. Enterprise hardware hasn't gone *N yet.

    I have not had compatibility issues with other neighboring wireless setups, I always do site surveys first...and if others are nearby on the default channels...I change to ch 1 or 11. Also naturally always making a unique SSID.

    In the states here..lotsa broadband is now exceeding what wireless can handle..."ancient B"...quoted as 11 megs, realistically 3-5..is a bottleneck on most 6 meg cable connections now..not to mention the 8 meg...and in the growing cases of "boosts" like Comcasts Powerboost which nudges 30 megs...even "G" can be. And fiber.

    The point some will make of "well it's not official yet"...well, it's not like once N becomes officially ratified and hits the store shelves (still 2 years out)...current versions will cease to function. They'll continue to work just fine, and the fact that they'll still be compatible with current B and G wireless NICs is all that matters to me..and should for most people. When it becomes standardized...current MIMO routers will not blow up. Some will even be upgradable to the official N firmware when it comes out. Plus...look at how cheap they are..if you hafta hafta hafta have an official N product when it comes out..heck, they're only a hundred bucks...a couple of years from now you'll have gotten your moneys worth from the current router.
     
  13. SoCalReviews

    SoCalReviews Registered Member

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    YeOldeStonecat, you make some good points to consider. If more wireless range (distance) is the primary concern then the wireless N draft spec. routers are one way to achieve that objective.

    There are many other reliable options for extending the wireless range that have been mentioned in this thread such as using wireless G based range extenders (repeaters) or by using two wireless G routers including a Linksys WRT54GL flashed with third party firmware that allows for it to be used in repeater mode.

    The official N routers could be ready in the very near future ( possibly by the end of this year 2007 or next year 2008 ). If you get an N draft spec. router now I would recommend reading the hardware specifications to make sure it is the very latest and greatest model so that upgrading the router to the official 802.11n will be as easy as flashing with new firmware from the manufacturer.

    If you decide to go with a Linksys WRT54GL instead of an N spec. router you could still purchase an official wireless 802.11n router when they are available. You would have the WRT54GL as a solid backup or you could flash it with a good third party firmware and use it as an additional advanced feature wireless device in your network, an advanced router, repeater, etc..
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2007
  14. mack_guy911

    mack_guy911 Registered Member

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    Thanks to all

    i bought netgear rangemax wpn834 router as i looking for good range in my router

    i pretty disappointed by their tech support....they told me that my router is faulty its sucks.....lol

    i called the tech enng form the store from whom i bought router from he done all the work but charge 12$(Rs500)for configure the router and wireless...............

    thanks also for suggesting me to buy router without modem as well as stand alone modem i done that also


    now need help to learn how to configure its nat firewall

    THANKS TO ALL OF YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR ADVICES
     
    Last edited: Sep 10, 2007
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