Help Buying Wireless Router

[9Nails]

Originally Posted by Erman_94

Hey guys, im getting wireless internet to go online with bd live and play ps3 online...just a few things i need to ask first.

1) should i get a g router or n router?

2) what speed should i be looking for?

3) my cpu does not have a wireless card...can it be installed easily?


i know many of you on here are tech/computer savvy but i am not, so can you guys try and keep your answers simple for the uneducated like myself

thanks in advance!

Get a Wireless N router if:
1) You will have a distance over 100 feet or more than 3 interior walls between you and the access point.

2) You will need to transfer large amounts of data between your networked devices regularly. (DVD's, etc)

3) Have excess Holiday cash to spend.

Or get a Wireless B/G router if:
1) Price is a consideration.

2) Distance will be minimal (under 100 feet with very few interior walls between you and the access point.)

3) You're primary connection will be to get information from the Internet, and you won't need to transfer large files (photo's & music are considered as tiny files) regularly between your home networked computers.

If speed is a concern, consider a wired network and not using wireless. (You should plan to take advantage of some of the wired ports on your new router for both security and performance.) Wireless networks can only send or receive data, but not both simultaneously. Keep the total number of wireless devices below 5 for a fairly fast network. Maximum devices on your wireless network should be kept below 20. Wireless networks also share the speed with all other devices connected, and can be interfered with by other devices that transmit in the frequency ranges. (Fluorescent lights, microwave ovens, cordless phones, etc...) And the slowest device connected in a B/G network determines the speed. Your Internet will most likely be the slowest point on your network so a minimum of 802.11 G will give you more than enough speed for your devices.

It's fairly trivial to install a wireless card in a CPU if your computer is Windows 2000 or newer. The process consists of turning the power off, removing a few screws, installing the card, putting the screws back in, turning it on, and installing the CD-Rom drivers. But it's more involved to connect that network card to a wireless network. And it can be confusing to properly secure your wireless network. For this you might want to ask for more help if the supplied documentation doesn't appear to be enough.

Some product recommendations:
Router (B/G speed) - Linksys WRT54G
This is the most popular router of them all, and for a good reason - it's reliable and a good performer at a good price.

Router (B/G/N speed) - Linksys WRT600N
'N' speed routers really haven't taken hold due to their higher prices. But this router works well if price isn't such a consideration.

CPU Adapter (B/G speed) - Linksys WUSB54G
You can get any adapter, but I like these since they are USB external adapters and can be easily installed or moved to another computer.

CPU Adapter (B/G/N speed) - Linksys WUSB300N-BP
Similar to above, but works at 'N' speeds. It's probably best just to get one of these since they're a few dollars more than the one above and then you're 'N' ready if you upgrade your router when their prices come down.