Equipment Support > Hardware By Brand > Linksys > [Wireless] Buy a WRT54GL or a WRTxxxN wireless-N router?

[Wireless] Buy a WRT54GL or a WRTxxxN wireless-N router?

How about a 50-ish dollar, Tomato-ready, router with an amp for increased range?

»www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···-Product

reply to Wolfie00
I've been using the WRT320N at my house for the last two months or so with great results. It looks a little weird but it's easy to wall mount. It has a Gbit switch which I needed for doing data backups over the network, wireless N and it can be set to run in either the 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz bands if needed. I use the 2.4Ghz band and the range is as good as anything I've used in that location including WRT54G's with DD-WRT, Netgear WRT614, or D-Link DIR-655.

Also, if you're into using 3rd party firmware on the router the WRT320N is DD-WRT compatible. The only think I don't like about this router really is the price which is about $100 retail. I wish it was more like $60.

reply to Wolfie00
Thanks guys, they both look pretty good (wish the 320N had external antennas, though). As with all wireless routers, it's hard to find one that hasn't had some negative reviews, and those two are no exception, but they seem to have better ratings than many others.

The one that everyone seems to love, the real classic, is the now-getting-old WRT54GL with Tomato or DD-WRT. But apparently the wireless-N is designed for better range. Decisions, decisions...
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"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity" -- a corollary of Murphy's Law
"A dog is like a child who never grows old ... always there to love and be loved" -- Aaron Katcher

reply to Wolfie00
I was skeptical about the internal antenna setup as well but in my application it's working just fine. Check out Smallnetbuilder.com he's got reviews and lots of information about many different routers including charts which compare data throughput vs distance to the router. I like the external antennas in some ways because they can help to make the hardware a lot more versatile. For instance I'm using a couple of WRT54G's with DD-WRT set up as a long distance wireless link and that would not be possible with internal antennas.

I believe that you'll find that N will work fine but it will NOT provide additional range over B,G.

reply to Wolfie00
You might also want to check the laptops to see if they are 2ghz only or 2/5ghz and then see if you need either single transmit or dual transmit. 5ghz might help get a less congested channel (until others relocate there).
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one should not increase, beyond what is necessary, the number of entities required to explain anything

reply to Wolfie00
The 320N does both bands but only one at a time. I have it running in the 2.4Ghz band which works fine at my house where most of the time I only have about 5 or 6 WLANs competing for airspace. Of those networks most are pretty weak and none seem to cause any trouble for my network. Using the 5Ghz option might be a good choice if you live in an apartment or some place where the wifi is really crowded and your other equipment supports that mode of operation.

reply to Wolfie00
There's a new twist to this story. I was mistaken (or overly optimistic ) in assuming that all three laptops were "N" capable. Turns out only one is, the other two are only "G".

To me the obvious solution at this point is to get the WRT54GL, load Tomato on it, and be done with it. But my friend seems to prefer the idea of replacing the wireless cards on the two older laptops with "N" capable cards (like the Intel 5100 AGN) and going with an "N" router -- I can get the 320N for only a few bucks more than the WRT54GL. This is mostly based on the expectation of "N" being faster and having better range, but I don't know if those expectations are realistic. What do you guys think -- especially those of you who have gone from "G" to "N"? Is it worth the trouble and expense?
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"Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity" -- a corollary of Murphy's Law
"A dog is like a child who never grows old ... always there to love and be loved" -- Aaron Katcher

The issues for most have been that the routers are more stable using only one frequency and not both. If you can pony up for all 5ghz capable cards, then go for it. If you need 2.4 for your iPhone/iTouch/NDS/guests or whatever, then stick with a rock solid router like the GL and maybe get yourself a small gigabit switch/hub to actually connect your devices to for the fast backup capability.
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»www.Warpstock.org

reply to Wolfie00
If you're going to use the wireless connection to surf the web via a typical connection I don't think you'll notice any real difference when running N vs G. If you're moving files to and from a NAS device N can be helpful. Having the Gbit switch as in the 320N only makes a difference for me when using my wired PC's and backing up data. Again the 320N has been a nice stable good working piece of equipment for me, at least for the 2 months I've had it running here at my house.

reply to Wolfie00
If this is for a friend I would just go for the n router at the lower price you found and be done with it. Even if you can flash ddwrt or something else I would not. Just put on the newest most stable oem firmware. If they ever need basic help it will be more available from others if you are not available in stock firmware form.
Since they are asking for your advice I get the impression they are the set and forget type and not the try the new thing firmware flash type.
The N should have more room also because of gigabit etc. also for future or current needs.

Although a solid 11G router is fine, the future is sneaking up, and higher speed broadband is becoming much more available. With that in mind, I do recommend considering an 11N router for new purchases.

As DaveM mentioned, I really use the gigabit connections and higher speed wifi for my NAS and intra-network file transfers...I've only got a 6Mbps DSL line after all...hardly enough speed to push an 11g router! But sooner or later...
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Deeds, not words

reply to jp0469

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My grandkids ARE cuter than yours!

I use a WRT54GL for quite some time now. Never given me any trouble. A real workhorse.