Best Router Brand

**buddhafest** · March 3rd, 2003, 02:06 PM

Can anyone tell me what networking company produces the best router?

I've been seeing sum mixed reviews on Linksys... so anybody got any recommendations on what i should go for?/

D-Link?
SMC?
Netgear?

anyway thanks guys for the help

**EvilRick** · March 3rd, 2003, 02:07 PM

Are you wanting one for a home, business, soho ?

**buddhafest** · March 3rd, 2003, 02:12 PM

Im gonna be using it for just a home network

**buddhafest** · March 3rd, 2003, 02:13 PM

And i'll be using ot for sum online gaming like CS and WC3 etc

**EvilRick** · March 3rd, 2003, 02:18 PM

I have the Linksys BEFSR41 and I haven't had a problem w/ it at all.

It should work for what you described above just fine.

**buddhafest** · March 3rd, 2003, 02:25 PM

Yeah that was the one i was gonna get but when i read some of the reviews out of customers from Future Shop i was getting a little worried. But i guess every brand will have their small problems.. u got any tips i should know about tho?? like upgrades for firmwares and the likes?? im using 98SE to network both my computers..

and it doenst come wiht any cables right?

**M_Six** · March 3rd, 2003, 02:28 PM

Once you get your router, look on the Status page and check your firmware version. Then check the Linksys site for updates.

This is another useful site for Linksys router info.

**EvilRick** · March 3rd, 2003, 02:30 PM

I don't remember if mine had any in the box or not. I don't think it did.

As for the firmware, you can get the latest here

You'll wanna upgrade asap, it has a fix for potential DDoS attacks. I never experienced any, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

I would also run a software firewall, like Sygate's

With both these, you'll be pretty much set.

**Mntsnow** · March 3rd, 2003, 02:32 PM

I personally have used both the SMC and Linksys units and both have worked flawlessly for me. I have had 2 good friends that have gone thru Netgears & multiple belkins and now use the SMC models with great results

**buddhafest** · March 3rd, 2003, 02:37 PM

Allright sounds good... thanks for the input

**e980238** · March 3rd, 2003, 02:57 PM

Cisco

I used the Linksys BEFSR41 for almost a year. Then, I put together a Linux router and noticed that there was a HUGE difference in initially loading a web page.
My theory:
The linksys router is a cheap P.O.S. that works. It is technically a proxy server instead of a router.
The speed difference from using a REAL router over using the linksys was enough to make me put the linksys in the closet and not use it again.

**SpookyEddy** · March 3rd, 2003, 03:05 PM

It is technically a proxy server instead of a router.

Assuming the product was sold as a router and it performs the fairly essential job of routing traffic between two networks what makes you say its a proxy not a router? I would be interested to know as I have never owned a linksys router and would be fairly upset if I ended up with a proxy for no obvious reason

TIA

Regards

eddy

**e980238** · March 3rd, 2003, 03:09 PM

I dont remember the link to the site that had all of the information on it. I cant find the site through google either,

It does do the fairly essential job of routing traffic between two networks however, I would prefer to have pages load faster for me then to use the linksys' simplicity.

**agathodaimon** · March 3rd, 2003, 03:14 PM

I'm using a D-Link DI-804V
It's been pretty good to me.

But I was wondering if my D-Link would be considered a "proxy server" instead of a router...
How do you tell?

**HfdWolfPack** · March 3rd, 2003, 03:20 PM

I have been using a D-link 704 for about a year and a half and have never had any issues with it.

Maybe a reset every 6 months, but that only takes 3 seconds.

It's ugly, but it is in the closet anyway

**e980238** · March 3rd, 2003, 03:28 PM

My g/f has a D-Link (I dont know the model number) but its a 4 port router with a print server. I dont notice any delay initializing a webpage with her router.

prexaspes · March 3rd, 2003, 08:38 PM

I'm a Netgear guy for home and light office networking, all the way.

Blue metal box Netgear, that is. I don't really trust small plastic networking units. And Netgear has been very reliable for me. Routers, switches (no hubs!), print servers, wireless APs, wireless nics...

I wouldn't use a Netgear network adapter. They may be faster than the others, but they also use up more than their share of cpu cycles.

That all said, you might want to go over to the geeks and check out their stock of old Compaq gear.

http://www.compgeeks.com/details.asp?invtid=CP-2W-N

Wireless. Probably reliable.

They have other cheap routers there, too.