Wireless network thoughts!

[Andy-Always]

Has anyone really delved into the world of wireless networks, studied all the different makes and found a wireless router that performs perfectly under all conditions?

I'm talking "average home user here" - I have used, setup, troubleshooted and nearly thrown out customers window all makes of wireless router but still not found and been able to stick to one and recommend one!

They either have a weak wireless output, keep losing the connection with the ISP, are a nightmare to setup or simply dead when you take them out of the box!

I used to like netgear, they seemed reliable, easy setup but even they needed to be rebooted every so often (quite acceptable)
The latest versions however seem to have poor wireless output!

At work and at home I use a ZyXEL ZyWALL 5 - the wireless output is outstanding, it's incredibly configurable but really expensive for the average home user.

Any thoughts? Recommendations? Or are you all struggling to find a good quality affordable router?

 

[TechPro]

I have an old buffalo airstation WYR-G54. Never had any problems with it.

I always recommend them!

 

[Bryce W]

I run a netgear wireless router which doesnt give me any trouble and was pretty easy to setup. The brand I often use for clients is "Belkin" which are considered a budget brand, these are the easiest to setup Ive ever seen and always work as expected right out of the box. They also carry a huge manufacturer warranty (3 years I think), so I like them.

 

[agarath]

Linksys was bought out by Cisco so there will be some (has been) serious improvements in quality and service.

 

[lcs]

I have always had good luck with Linksys.

 

[Blues]

The only problem I have had with Linksys has only been with mine here at my own house. We have 2.4 GHz Cordless Phones and they are cuasing interferance with the 2.4 GHz Wifi signal so fairly consistantly my wireless PCs will get kicked off. I don't really link this to the brand as having two different types of devices on the same frequency is likely to lead to this issue.

 

[katebush]

Linksys WRT54G is the best in my opinion for the average user, though D-Link and Netgear also have few successful models.

2.4Ghz coexistence with the cordless phone is a problem. you may consider switching the phone to 5.8Ghz or the wireless network to 802.11a to avoid the conflict.

Take care of well securing your network and make sure you also get a decent wireless card for the laptop/desktop (Lates Centrino with 3945ABG is the best!).