Technical > PC Hardware Discussion/Reviews > Low priced 4 port wireless router, what do you recommend?

Low priced 4 port wireless router, what do you recommend?

Can't go wrong with an old standby: »www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a···33124190

reply to signmeuptoo
Be aware the WRT54GL, despite being good/reliable (mostly), won't provide you very good throughput speeds on your LAN or WAN -- because it uses a 4-port 100mbit switch, not gigE. Its WAN port is also 100mbit.

If this doesn't matter to you, sure, it's a good investment.

I might even have one laying around -- actually, I think what I have is a WRTSL54GS, which provides much more RAM and flash space, but still 100mbit Ethernet ports. Let me know if you'd like it (for free), signmeuptoo , as I can go digging around in my garage for the box/etc. and ship it to you. I'm absolutely 100% certain it works, but I'll need to make sure to upgrade the firmware for you to TomatoUSB (pretty sure HyperWRT or Thibor is on it).

Otherwise, I would strongly suggest you look into Linksys/Cisco's current line of Exxxx series routers, most (all?) of which have gigE Ethernet ports (including WAN).
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Making life hard for others since 1977.
I speak for myself and not my employer/affiliates of my employer.

Thank you, very generous of you! You might just save the day, see my PM for what I am going through ATM...

If koitsu doesn't have something, I have a Netgear laying around that you can have.

Thank you to you too! Right now my back is against the wall with cascading events, so it is a real blessing that you two are offering this.

Tell me about Tomato, I've heard of it because I'm not familiar, it is an open source firmware I take it. What kernel is it based upon? What benefits does it bring?

BTW, I don't necessarily need gigabit, the best I'm gonna get with OOL will be the medium or lower tier, and networking between computers won't be too heavy.

Both computers do gigabit but are both pretty modest systems, one uses a first generation AMD quad core, the other a recent generation quad core. Both have just 4 gigs of RAM and motherboards for less than 90 bucks. Modest systems but sufficient for my needs.

I'd like to set up the backup system for the living area as a fledgling entertainment center, maybe set up a cable card device when I get the money... I don't even have a TV, erm, well, I have a little 15" or something, model, an LCD. I have no furniture, it's gonna be a real scrape making this move, I might have to sleep on the floor for a while...

All I know is I have to get out of here before things blow up between the other people involved.

I've been tortured already, he either keeps the thermostat at 50 and my room falls below that, and he burns wood in the other room, or he turns up the heat in the house to where it is in the 80's in my room. No modicum or moderation of temperatures. It's got my system running hot like it were summer. I open the window for a while when I won't get caught doing it.

I just hope I land that apartment before I'm homeless. My sister is really helping a lot, god bless her!
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Join Teams Helix and Discovery. Rest in Peace, Leonard David Smith, my best friend, you are missed badly! Rest in peace, Pop, glad our last years were good. Please pray for Colin, he has ependymoma, a brain cancer, donate to a children's Hospital.

Anytime.

You can read all about Tomato here: »en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato_(firmware)

There are other distro's that work on the Linksys's as well.

Hopefully you will, how is the prospect looking at the moment?

A lot of things have hit me all at once, beyond my budget. I don't want to complain though because the PROSPECTS for my future look better than they have in ages. I am trying to insure I won't be homeless again right now, there is a possible apartment if I can delay leaving here a month or two. Rent and utilities will be higher and I just got hit with a couple bills from the past I wasn't expecting and also I don't have full prescription coverage for the 10 pills I take so basically a rough patch in the immediate future.

The world owes me nothing though. I'll get through this, and in the coming months things look better. My fiancee overseas has a crises and if I can get her through it somehow then the rest is just a headache.

We've all got headaches, we take aspirin, hah hah... At least I haven't committed crimes, I'm not addicted to drugs, I have two families that love me, and an awesome future wife. A lot of people have it worse off than me.

But back to routers, I don't really need 10/100/1000 right now, 10/100 will get me where I need to go. Hopefully I won't need a huge deposit for the internet service or for the utilities. I just wish it hadn't all hit at the same time. I've also gone on a diet and can't use food as a fix any more...

I appreciate the help guys, wasn't expecting that, nobody owes me anything, but the help with the device makes it where it is one less thing to stress out about.
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Join Teams Helix and Discovery. Rest in Peace, Leonard David Smith, my best friend, you are missed badly! Rest in peace, Pop, glad our last years were good. Please pray for Colin, he has ependymoma, a brain cancer, donate to a children's Hospital.

reply to koitsu

reply to signmeuptoo
As far as being without a phone I thought I read where you had used voip? I have straight cable , netflix, voip.

reply to signmeuptoo
If you can get a free router that is great. If you end up paying make sure it has a track to go to IPv6 in the future.

reply to nonymous
Wow power is out here. Yes I have voiP. calls don't come in on it well.

reply to signmeuptoo
Well you are moving so maybe the new setup will work better for voip. If not post in the voip forum and we will try and help.
Plus if trying to send voip through wireless may have issues. Hook the voip ata straight into the router. Use a wireless phone if needed.
New place new setup so a voip provider may work for you. Plus as you know international calling is cheaper.

Eh all this voip stuff is pointless as far as a router...

I can call with free voip over my cell over my wifi and have a perfect call (3g has the 3g lag...), and again, as I said, NO charge (I don't get a voip number, but I can make free outgoing calls, saves cell time)

To say wifi is the issue is kinda lol.

Router choices listed are good... idk about the linksys exxx stuff however... Door stops with no antennas... eh...

»www.youtube.com/user/LinusTechTi···JuFHJq18

I don't have the time atm to rewatch to remember who did the best... but I never liked the new linksys design.

ALSO you may want to make sure you can turn OFF wps if the router comes with it and it does infact TURN OFF else you will be hackable via reaver.

Edit: clear up last point, some routers have the "off" or "disable" or whatever option... however the router is still hackable via reaver, so even turning off wps still allows reaver to work. You need to make sure the router REALLY does turn it off.

reply to signmeuptoo
You should really make certain you have a warm place to live and afford before you worry about conveniences like internet. I ran into bad luck afew years ago and went without TV/Internet for 5 months to afford a place to live in. Best of luck 2 u.

reply to matt5
Matt, ATAs aren't really pointless. Keep in mind that I use the VOIP primarily to keep in touch with my fiancee in the Philippines and I've shopped for the lowest priced service and it requires an ATA which I have had for a few years now. (ATA is a Linksys). Plus I don't dare do anything on the cell because the cell is not my account, I chip in on a family plan, and I made the promise that even if it doesn't charge ATT, I am not supposed to ever have a call overseas on it, I have a strict understanding of that.

I need a router, not a fancy one, and I could get by maybe without wireless, but the fact is, the iPhone uses wireless, and I can't run up the minutes on 3G.

I am, admittedly, in a corner with everything that is going on right now, and the landord looks like they are going to make trouble about giving the depo back (my room is in perfect condition, I have done NO damage to the house, shared most of my meals with the other guys, did almost all the house cleaning...)

I've been a very good tenant, but it hasn't always been exactly equal. I mowed the lawn, grew the garden, chopped the firewood, I've chipped in above and beyond with no discount to my rent. I sure hope I get my depo, I need it for the move.

But back to routers, yes, I will want wireless, so I don't understand what you mean by it being lol?
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Join Teams Helix and Discovery. Rest in Peace, Leonard David Smith, my best friend, you are missed badly! Rest in peace, Pop, glad our last years were good. Please pray for Colin, he has ependymoma, a brain cancer, donate to a children's Hospital.

reply to bohratom
It isn't a convenience for me, it is a necessity. I will be going to school for computer science. I use it to speak and see my wife overseas DAILY, I use it for VOIP.

I can go without TV and POTS, but not internet. I can go maybe a week, maybe 2 weeks.

Believe me, we are going to make certain I have a place to live first, over anything else. A couple possibilities but nothing certain, still looking. My siblings are adamant about me staying OUT of the nearby city, in fact, they told me if I insisted on moving to the nearby city they will wash their hands of me and leave me on my own (the city has gone down the tubes and they know I've been assaulted a few times in my life and my brain doesn't work as well as it used to because of it being bashed in).

Now I know it is my fault that we went off course here, but if we can try and focus a little on routers, it would mean a lot to me.

One question I have, are the new routers without external antennas as good, signal wise, as those with rubber ducks on them?
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Join Teams Helix and Discovery. Rest in Peace, Leonard David Smith, my best friend, you are missed badly! Rest in peace, Pop, glad our last years were good. Please pray for Colin, he has ependymoma, a brain cancer, donate to a children's Hospital.

reply to signmeuptoo
No I was trying to say all this VOIP won't work over wireless stuff is pointless... I've used VIOP free VOIP, over my cell phone, to my wifi at home, with no issues. I have a vonage I know all about the ATA and stuff...

Anyway I linked ya a vid on range not perfect but it was pretty good, I do not have the time atm to watch again so you would need to check it out... I have also read people complaining about the door stops but no hard facts atm.

And again as it seemed to be ignored, WPS, look into it, I aint sure how you can know if it can be fully turned off or not...

reply to koitsu