Need to know what router to get?

Question

Before I go on... PLEASE read what I put before answering.. please?

OK, I need to change my router. My old one is really bad, it was just a super cheap stopgap that's outstayed it's welcome by about 18 months. The push to replace it is because I intend to give it to a friend who's just got broadband til they can buy their own.

Requirements:
Must be 54mbps or better
Must be reliable!
Range is not a big issue, but should be powerful enough to keep up at least 11mbps through a mid-size detached house whose walls seem to be a faraday cage made out of lead (the old one often drops to 5mbps after only 4 - 5 metres & a couple of walls!)
Needs a half decent firewall built in
MUST BE ABLE TO DO *UDP* PORT FORWARDING. This was a big failing of the old one. I wont buy a new one without it.
Prefer not to have ADSL filter built in as i'm on ethernet-workalike cable. Therefore it needs ethernet input port (and 2+ output sockets)

Manufacturer and model code would be nice :)
thanks
MP

thanks guys, good to know someone's awake out there after the tide of idiocy that's the more usual result... renewing my faith slightly :)

just had a little skim, will probably print this to read in more detail, so just a quick response
* have heard good things about the linksys before... some complaints it's a little flakey, but who knows.. i might strike lucky. can't be any worse than my dad's useless BT ADSL modem after all.
* yep.. i'm afraid so.. my old one DID do port forwarding, but ONLY as TCP. some nasty little netgear something-or-other. has a nice easy html setup system and has only locked up once in two years of use, but thats about as much good as you can say for it. have looked extensively in vain for ways to upgrade it or open up the udp ports - nothing. useless... (well, it's ok for web browsing, but there's plenty other internet uses that need more than TCP..)

(what i mean is - thanks for reinforcing the other reviews for that model cuz now i know not to close the browser tabs i'm looking at it in :)

also, i couldn't put the router in a different room to where it is now without a whole lot of trouble. it's hooked up to a (fibre optic) cable modem that can't go anywhere else... my only option would be to put it in my brother's room and use the linking ethernet cable that he's put thru a drilled hole to the guest room it's currently in. but that would be moving it further away from the usual work places, ie the wrong direction. putting it somewhere else would involve enough ugly wiring (as described by my mother, the ubermistress of the household) that i may as well just setup a plethora of wired access points with the more "normal" router that's in the cupboard :)

thanks for the tips on virtual server etc :)

i haven't a clue what this house is made of. i did assume just brick (seems that way in the garage at least) but the cosmetic plasterwork may well be bound on a metal lattice... seen that done *somewhere* before, and might be the only thing stopping the slightly bowing guest room wall from completely collapsing into the stairwell. also there's going to be power cables and pipes all over the place anyway.

as for throughput speed - well, it's just as bad if not worse for an 11mbps one. I think i'm seeing the equivalent of 3-4mbps, which is pretty poor for inter-computer file transfer; however as my raw internet connection is now up to at least 3840kbit/s (rolling upgrades), it's truly going to start sucking soon! 27mbit would be screaming fast in comparison; hell, even a "true" 11mbit would do.

Answer 1

The Linksys is pretty good. I've got a US Robotics USR8054 that I'm very happy with. As a bonus, it can work as a wireless router AND as a wireless access point.

Those 2 walls are going to hurt your throughput. Most wireless routers will have similar problems. It's quite possible that those walls actually ARE a faraday cage if the construction is metal lath and plaster on the interior walls. No wireless is going to get around that! You can get range extender antennas for most wireless routers and WAPs. They are pretty expensive though and will typically double the cost of the router or WAP.

Don't be fooled with maximum speed claims. An 802.11g wireless will rarely see actual throughput greater than one-half the rated speed -- or about 27 Mb/sec -- under ideal conditions. Don't confuse throughput with link speed either! And don't be fooled by the proprietary "speed boost" technology advertised by most manufacturers. It only works if ALL of your wireless NICs are from the same manufacturer AND support the technology.

Virtually any router can handle port forwarding -- UDP, TCP or both. If your current one can't, look for a firmware update from the manufacturer that will support it. Personally I've never seen one that doesn't support port forwarding though that certainly doesn't mean that there aren't any that don't. Some call it by a different name, such as Virtual Server like my USR does. And some hide it pretty well too so you may have to dig around to find it.

Answer 2

I have a Linksys WRT54G. It does have really good security and firewall. It does UDP port forwarding. I don't know how good the wireless would work in your home but in my 1400 sq foot home it goes upstairs and outside with no problem. They do sell add on antennas that will increase your range.

Answer 3

"Broadband router" and "cable/dsl router" recommend the comparable element, considering cable and dsl are 2 (of many) broadband techniques. d-hyperlink makes good products. I even have 2 of their routers sitting good next to me (in spite of the fact that I want Linksys, for motives that have no longer something to do with utilising their routers as routers). with regard to the only adjustments i might make to the advice are one million) think of approximately getting a instantaneous router. (you additionally can hook up with it via wires, yet you have the alternative of utilising instantaneous.) and 2) shop around. Circuit city isn't undesirable, yet somebody else might have the comparable router for a low fee.

Answer 4

I also would recomment the Linksys...It's a good product. I would probably upgrade to the High-gain antennas for better range/power/signal. (it also is a 4 port router)

Also you might consider placing the wireless device in a different room to see if that helps you signal.

Answer 5

I've always been really pleased with Linksys products, so I recommend the Linksys SpeedBooster model WRT54GS. It's going to cost you about 70 bucks, but it's worth it

Answer 6

Get a Linksys 54G router at walmart for 45 bucks. Easy to install and configure and very reliable.