Guys,

I'm looking into getting a decent router.  I want it wired for my computer but wireless for her pleasure (e.g., her laptop).  Can anyone share their router of choice they like?

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I'm using a dsl modem/wireless router/5 port gigabit router from d-link. It's nice having an all-in-one piece. I think Cisco and D-Link are one company now. Not sure if the hardware is the same. If you don't need advanced control over your network just get your standard hardware. It gets the job done. 

Stick wrote on Dec 7^th, 2011 at 11:55am:


Cisco bought Linksys.  D-Link is still a standalone company.


Quote:


When has that ever been good enough for a geek?  ;p


-b0b
(...!)

Well for all intended purposes I just want a good internet connection, not so much LAN transfer goodness.

Generally speaking, the best consumer router on the market today is the Netgear WNDR4500.  It's painful to type that as I was never a fan of Netgear when I used consumer-grade equipment, but it appears Linksys has taken a bit of a backseat on this particular round of hardware.

The WNDR4500 supports three simultaneous 150Mbps spatial streams on the wireless side, giving you a theoretical maximum of 450Mbps per channel (2.4GHz and 5GHz).  Don't buy the 900Mbps BS implied by the name, you can't serve one client on two different wavelengths.

Real world performance numbers put the wireless radios in the 150Mbps range on the 2.4GHz channel and closer to 250Mbps on the 5GHz channel.  Those are incredibly impressive numbers for an all-in-one consumer device.  Just to expand on the functionality, you can also plug in a USB memory stick or hard disk and turn your router into a NAS.  I've never used a router-based NAS, but it seems like a fairly straightforward implementation.  Apparently, you can also connect a USB printer to it and have it function as a print server.



-b0b
(...bam!)

The WNDR4500 has an integrated four-port gigabit switch.

That's totally up to you.  I'd say it's a reasonable price for the feature set, but I have a different set of priorities when it comes to networking gear.

If you don't need a gigabit switch and 450Mbps on the wireless side, I would definitely recommend buying something cheaper.  Don't pay for the bleeding edge if you aren't going to use it.


-b0b
(...shrugs.)

I'm thinking about getting an air compressor to clean out my computer.

I'm sick of buying air canisters and it never seems like they have enough power.  Plus, an AC never runs out and a price of a decent cheap one is about 7 packs of canisters.

Can anyone think of a reason why this is a bad idea?  Other than making sure that I hold the fans so they don't spin faster than are designed?

X