Hello,

I am shopping for a wireless router for work, a public library.

The needs are simple: something with good range, good speed, b/g/n, and work well with both Windows and Linux.

I am reading reviews online, but thought to ask here as well.

Have been using Linksys WRT54g and now looking into
D-Link DIR-655 Extreme N Gigabit Wireless Router

Might as well ask the same of simple Access Points too while I'm here. . .

Thanks

~david
D-Link DIR-655 Extreme N Gigabit Wireless Router

I've got a WRT54g at home since few years now and I've got no issue so far.

D-Link DIR-655 Extreme N Gigabit Wireless Router will have better performance and range I gess and should work fine as well.

At the end it all depend on how much you are ready to spend in it.

Angel.

Hi,

Welcome to LQ!

LQ forum members will aid you when you help yourself to a solution. Provide us with what you have attempted and then maybe someone will be able to assist. Do a Search here on LQ may provide some direction or <Linux> - Google Search with good keywords.

'How to Ask Questions the Smart Way' would be one link you should look at to help us to help you in the future.

To general of a post and not enough provided information. If this is for a library then what is the desired coverage area? Floors? Computer Lab? Antenna needs & AP? Loads of required information in order to be of assistance.


EDIT: BTW, consumer grade is not the way to go.

0 members found this post helpful.

>> LQ forum members will aid you when you help yourself to a solution.

Help myself?! I said I've been reading reviews and thought to ask here.
This is a question of 'opinions' and 'first hand experience'.
Apparently you did not read my posting very well.


>> EDIT: BTW, consumer grade is not the way to go.

Instead of all that nonsense you posted, it would have been helpful to say which way to go and which make/model.

You have been useless.

Thanks! You have been helpful !
I too have had the Linksys with no problems, covers the floor well but its been a few years and wanted to get other opinions. Thanks!

Hi,
Fine! Your viewpoint. I made a observation along with my viewpoint.

Consumer grade equipment use in a critical environment is a poor selection. If you want free advice then accept what you get. If not pay an IT or professional.
You place requests and cannot understand the presented material then that's your problem not mine. You cook for yourself. Pitching a poor request then damning someone for responding makes your position weak.

As for nonsense, it was a general reply. What part don't you understand?
'How to Ask Questions the Smart Way', to me your presentation was lacking and this link would aid. As for each of the search links, those have loads of links if you know how to use the proper keywords or search terms.

Throwing out makes and models without sizing the environment or design requirements will only waste time. Search for Cisco!

Enough said.

0 members found this post helpful.

Look, if you have used a wireless router and found it had a good strong signal and was reliable just say so. If you used another brand and it crapped out say so.

Why do some tech-types have to over complicate things?

A good range is a 100 feet or so.
A strong signal means 4-5 bars for the 100 feet.
Reliable means it runs for a few years with no problems.

If a $100 Linksys or D-Link does the job - great. Done. We've been using the Linksys 54WRT54g for years and its been fine. If someone asked me, that's what I'd tell them.

We're doing an expansion and I will be buying more or something new, just taking a quick and simple survey.

That's all - its really that simple.
If you can't answer that, move on.

Here are some useful (real world experience) answers that were helpful.

Actually, I turned into a netgear guy - the wireless n setups with internal
antenna is awesome! Excellent range, reliable too!
Bob
-------------------------------

Been using LinkSys for several years without issue. WAP54G are the
access points I use. I got rid of the router because my wireless traffic
goes through my Bascom firewall now and it handles routing and filtering.

Scott
-------------------------------

Like - Netgear - Both routers and access points I've had no problems with.
Range is decent. The only draw-back is they are not mount friendly.

Dislike - Linksys - In the past year or two I have been unable to directly
access the admin console on the consumer products through the web on several
Linksys products. To configure the device(s) I've had to insert the cd and
use the wizard. After a lengthy call with Linksys tech support about the
issue I've concluded it is that way by design. As for the business products,
I purchased 4 Linksys switches that all died within a year of purchase. I
also have an older Cisco access point that died within a year of purchase.
It has a lot of features but it's really overkill for what I'm using it for.

Arleen
-------------------------------

Read and learn. "be nice, be helpful."

Hi,

Fine, it's yours to make. Not mine.

No lose for me. But if you operate in a professional environment and expect to use consumer grade to meet those needs then the shortfall is yours to do.

You come to forum and present then expect a response. Take it or leave it. Yours to do also!

Hi and Welcome

May I suggest that you you might like to consider drawing up a basic plan of the area in which you are intending to use the wireless router and make a few notes on what constitutes a significant barrier to transmission and reception in the intended coverage area (eg. thick walls, etc). Based on that information you can determine a few locations on where to optimally locate the Wireless router. You also generally have the option of connecting a higher gain external antenna to the router via a shielded cable.

For those areas in which transmission and reception are still a problem you could consider installing wireless access points that are configurable as a "Wireless repeater" (DLink manufactured a number of Wireless Access points that work in B/G in "Wireless repeater mode").

Alternatively you might consider using a number of Wireless Routers hard wired to the same network, but operating on different channels (so they don't conflict) to provide distributed coverage.

My experience is in the 802.11 pre-B/B/G/SuperG arena and I have to say that the Wireless B/G routers sold in the retail channel are generally disappointing when it comes to range. SuperG was a D-Link 108Mbps product which works ok but requires the devices used to be SuperG compatible for higher performance connection which is not good for a public access point(smiles)).

If you are primarily setting up a public access point then you might consider concentrating on the B standard rather than G (as far as physical location testing of router placement is concerned). The N standard has the advantage of higher speeds but I'm not sure of the ranges that would be on offer.

Unfortunately, it is largely a case of "suck and see" to establish the best network performance and coverage trade off in a specific premises.

You might like to consider a slightly different approach to your problem, and arrange to visit a number of places (university campuses, libraries, etc) who routinely upgrade their wireless communications equipment and see what they are using. Hotels, Motels, etc are generally not a good example because in some cases they just use a cheap wireless router with no regard to performance and hope for the best.

Hope that proves to be of some assistance

Regards

Chris