Looking for advice on wireless ADSL router

[Paul Adams]

Girlfriend is changing from her 4 public IP 2Mbps DSL setup to an 8Mb 1 public IP jobby (£28/month equivalent, no less!), so will need a router to use her PCs and laptop.

She's already shown an interest in going wireless, so I sourced a couple of USB WLAN adapters, originally with a view to getting a WAP to plug into the hub, but now it would make sense to get a DSL router/modem/WAP combination.

Any recommendations, or alternatively brands/models to avoid?


Personally, I have used a Linksys cable router, a DLink DSL500 and a Netgear DG814 and they've all been "much of a muchness" in terms of performance/uptime/security features.
(Though the DLink box did need a couple of resets at times.)

I'm particularly interested (from a professional stance) in the wifi security features - ability to reduce the broadcast range (to just cover her apartment), MAC address lockdowns, encryption & ability to change keys easily (or use PEAP/LEAP).
DHCP would be disabled.

It would also be preferable to have 802.11g if possible, even though the WLAN adapters are just 802.11b for the time being.

[Jiff Lemon]

I'm currently using a buffalo WBR54g combined with a Dlink DSL300g modem.

Wireless access is super secure (WPA-PSK, Mac address lock down, intrusion filtering - the list goes on and on). There's also goodies such as reducing power output and hiding the SSID of the router.

[Paul Adams]

TY, Jiff - is this the Buffalo thingy?
Buffalo Broadband Router (WBR-G54)

Looks very interesting, and it happens my gf's ISP would provide a DSL modem (which I was intending just to stick in a drawer)... so as long as it has an ethernet presentation rather than USB, we should be good to go?


So is this your setup:

Clients --wifi--> Buffalo --ethernet--> DLink DSL modem --RJ11(?)--> phone socket


I guess if the DSL modem the ISP provide is a cheapo USB-only one, we'd have to get a separate one anyway, that supports RJ45 in?

[XiXora]

I'm recieving a netgear DG834G soon
54g, adsl modem, and 4 port router all in one

[Paul Adams]

Ah, let me know if you come across any quirks with that one please?

The only thing I'm aware of as funnies with these DSL router/modem jobbies is occasional port-forwarding "weirdness", unhappiness with some multiplayer online games, non-functional VPNs and sometimes requiring a hard reset to bring it back to life.

Some of these are fixed by firmward upgrades, the most problematic one I've come across was the D-Link DSL500 - for me the Netgear DG814 has been an absolute dream to use.

[Jiff Lemon]

Originally posted by Paul Adams
TY, Jiff - is this the Buffalo thingy?
Buffalo Broadband Router (WBR-G54)

Looks very interesting, and it happens my gf's ISP would provide a DSL modem (which I was intending just to stick in a drawer)... so as long as it has an ethernet presentation rather than USB, we should be good to go?


So is this your setup:

Clients --wifi--> Buffalo --ethernet--> DLink DSL modem --RJ11(?)--> phone socket


I guess if the DSL modem the ISP provide is a cheapo USB-only one, we'd have to get a separate one anyway, that supports RJ45 in?

You are quite correct in your observations.
The buffalo also has a 4 port switch for Hard wired Lan too. The really good bit is the security - WPA-PSK or WPA with radius authentication. Having done a bit of net stumbling, I know how important locking down an AP is

Which ISP you going for? Zen will suplly the Dlink modem (at good price too!). The reason for doing it this way also means if you move from DSL to cable, you're not buying new kit - or if you want to upgrade to 802.11z (gigabit networking) when its released, your only replacing its a single box to change.

The dlink Modem will support an 8 meg line!

[Paul Adams]

The buffalo also has a 4 port switch for Hard wired Lan too. The really good bit is the security - WPA-PSK or WPA with radius authentication. Having done a bit of net stumbling, I know how important locking down an AP is

Yeah, the thing that's put me off getting any WLAN installed at work or my house is the security - in order to evaluate the WLAN features I got a USB Belkin jobby and drove to the outskirts of Manchester with a laptop on my passenger seat, using Aerosol.

Picked up 4 WLANs on the way in - including a large DIY chain store advertising its presence

Which ISP you going for? Zen will suplly the Dlink modem (at good price too!). The reason for doing it this way also means if you move from DSL to cable, you're not buying new kit - or if you want to upgrade to 802.11z (gigabit networking) when its released, your only replacing its a single box to change.

The dlink Modem will support an 8 meg line!

It's not in England - my girlfriend is Swedish
She tried applying for the 10Mbps VDSL service, but it's not in her area of Stockholm just yet, so she had to slum it on 8Mbps (shame, eh?)

Personally, I'd go for a separate AP and router/modem (or AP/router and modem) combo, but my girlfriend hates hardware as it is, so I don't know if I'd end up with lots of support calls
(She's very much a software person )

I'm at my parents atm and my dad has had a wireless Linksys DSL router for a while and it's been a doddle to set up, like Linksys of old

[Moby-Dick]

There is a new Vigor Wireless DSL router available on the market soon which , if its a functional as the other ones shoudl be pretty good.

http://www.draytek.co.uk/products/vigor2600g.html

[Aaron]

I've got a Linksys 11g wireless router and it's fantastic. Best peice of networking gear I've ever bought.

Incredibly easy to set up, superb documentation, great range, great speeds. Awesome.

I think they might do a model with an ADSL modem built-in too, but I'm not sure.

[wol]

Originally posted by Moby-Dick
There is a new Vigor Wireless DSL router available on the market soon which , if its a functional as the other ones shoudl be pretty good.

http://www.draytek.co.uk/products/vigor2600g.html

Cant recommend these enough.


Wol