I need a Router

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salesrep

salesrep

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lllinois
I currently have a linksys wireless G 2.4 and live in an old house with lots of iron and plaster. Internet speed and connectivity is slow and inconsistent at times. Will upgrading the router increase my internet speed? If so. what should I upgrade to?
 
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Yes, routers have a lifespan of 2-3 years. Made of cheap components in China they do wear out.

My suggestion is a new Wireless N router. They have better penetration of objects and greater range.

A wireless N router solved similar problems in my Father's house that used to have huge dead zones.
 
While a wireless N router may help, it ultimately still depends on the layout of your house. Try also looking into wireless bridges and wireless repeaters.

As an example, let's say your current router is in a downstairs room and that most of your connectivity problems are upstairs. Using a wireless bridge upstairs, the wireless bridge could grab the signal from downstairs and then broadcast a stronger signal upstairs or to your dead zones. If your local Best Buy (or whatever) does not have a good selection, try an Internet retailer like NewEgg or Amazon.
 
Do not buy a TrendNet router. Extremely poor reviews and the one I bought on sale never did work. The Linksys you linked to is still wireless G.

As hate2work mentioned, you do need to upgrade your wireless card to N to take full advantage of the higher networking speeds offered by N. Otherwise, N still provides a stronger signal and will be backward compatible with your G wireless card.

How many GB do you need to look for? Personally, I do not think you will notice much of a difference in use. Just go for a strong and quality device.
 
Confused.
Is it Denzel's character in "Philadelphia" that says" talk to me like I am in Kindergarten."
1 free tube of grease to the simplest, most efficient link to the product I need. Shipped.
What is a wireless card? N? G?
Do I need to hire my computer dude to come over to hook this thang up?
 
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It's not as simple as just buying an N router and being done. You have to have the N router, you have to have an N compatible wireless card installed, and you have to download the correct driver(s) for the card so the OS will recognize it.

If you have a local tech guy that can help you, that's what I would do. Maybe he'll do it for the tube of grease!! :)
 
Sounds like this is more complicated than I thought, reckon I will give him a call and have him just install whatever he recommends.
 
Originally Posted By: SuperDave456
Yes, routers have a lifespan of 2-3 years. Made of cheap components in China they do wear out.

My suggestion is a new Wireless N router. They have better penetration of objects and greater range.

A wireless N router solved similar problems in my Father's house that used to have huge dead zones.

I can't see where N is going to penetrate any better than G. They use the same 2.4GHz freqs as G. It was probably just replacing the faulty router with a newer improved one that did the trick.
 
Originally Posted By: tmorris1

I can't see where N is going to penetrate any better than G. They use the same 2.4GHz freqs as G. It was probably just replacing the faulty router with a newer improved one that did the trick.


a GOOD N router will be longer range, but that is really model specific and whether you can hack it to increase power or not.

The most important feature in N that offer enhanced range is the MIMO. Basically it uses multiple antenna to detect multiple path of transmissions, and use that to either cancel out interference or increase data transmission rate. So the same 2.4Ghz would travel the same distance, but you can get more usable bandwidth out of it due to better ability to interpret the signals.
 
I've always had great luck with Linksys, which is now owned/operated/bought by Cisco.

As far as upgrading your "Internet speed" it depends.....it's not going to make you any faster than what your ISP will allow. wireless will always be "slower" than a "wired" connection; and so if at all possible, look into wiring the house with CAT5 throughout for the "most speed" (though kinda pricey) - you may have better luck with bridges and repeaters as previously mentioned.
 
Linksys is definitely one of the better brands I have one that has been running for about 7 years and still going strong. I would contact your ISP and find out what connection speed you are signed up for and then go to www.speedtest.net and test your connection. If your tested speed is close to what your paying for then your router is not the problem. Also sometimes ISPs will raise your connection speed without you having to pay more, all it takes is for you to ask.
 
14.21 ping 41 ms
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Have you considered a simple run of Cat5e/6?

Solves a multitude of problems.

Otherwise, Linksys offers high gain booster antenna kits that can add some wireless range. Also, if you want to make the effort, running dd-wrt can also improve the performance of Linksys routers.
 
+1 If you have unfinished space above or below, it is quite easy to snake wires through interior walls. The insulation is harder to work around in outside walls. You need little more than a drill and a coat hanger or 2. You can buy mix and match plates. I have one here with cable out and ethernet in and one in the other room with ethernet and phone.

Just check carefully. Walls are full of existing wires, pipes, and ducts.
 
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