Ask Engadget: What's the most reliable wireless router?
By Darren Murph 
posted Oct 23rd 2008 10:30PM
posted Oct 23rd 2008 10:30PM
The latest question to fly into our Ask Engadget mailbox (which is ask at engadget dawt com, for those unaware) concerns wireless routers. But not just any wireless router. We're talking wireless routers that offer up rock solid reliability day after day, transfer after transfer. "What is the best wireless router in terms of reliability? I know that question has been covered before, but most people just answer with whatever router they own. I've had issues with routers. Gone through three Netgears and a Linksys that after a certain amount of time cease to hold a decent connection. I'm wondering if people know of a solid router that might be a little less mainstream."
Who better to ask about the underground WiFi router scene than Engadget readers, right? Help this poor fellow out -- one more dropped connection whilst racking up frags and he's going to have a catastrophic meltdown.
Linksys WRT54G with DD-WRT firmware... bloody brilliant!
agreed. best and most customizable firmware ever. I have had mine for almost 4 years and nothing surpasses this device+firmware combo. It's Linksys so it is quality.
Agreed, this router is perfection.
I'll tell you which one SUCKS.
The actiontech Verizon gives you with FIOS. Damn thing won't even work with my Xbox360's Wifi adapter.
It also times out after I've been on the internet 5 hours.
I got a testimonial for the LinkSys WRT54G with DD-WRT!
I set the power output to 80mw and it's "Excellent" signal around the house.
Link with Pictures:
http://forums.benheck.com/viewtopic.php?t=23729
Other than the Linksys WRT54G simply dying on me within less than a year, I never could get the 'Linksys Network Advisor' or whatever it's called to install properly (don't know if I would use it anyway). It seemed like all the GUI-ful interfaces that came packaged with the router didn't want to play (nicely or otherwise) with Vista (pre and post SP1). 2 pennies.
Tomatoe =) Firmware is very rocksolid too, though the router rocks.
ditto that.
not the fastest, but I haven't had a single issue in over a year.
"most people just answer with whatever router they own. I've had issues with routers. Gone through three Netgears and a Linksys that after a certain amount of time cease to hold a decent connection. I'm wondering if people know of a solid router that might be a little less mainstream." My problem, same as this guy. My WRT54G was great in the beginning but now looses connection every day throughout the day. It's really annoying, especially when trying to DL a big file and it just cuts in the middle of it. Anyone know of a good firefox addon that would help reconnect an interrupted DL instead of having to retry the DL the whole thing from the beginning? I think that would help me better than getting a new router.
I love DD-WRT. I wanted to get Tomato because the AJAX interface looked cool and easy to use, but I got the WRT54Gv8 which doesn't have enough room for Tomato. DD-WRT micro solved a lot of problems I didn't even know I had, however, and it's been nothing but great.
Totally go Apple Airport Extreme. Their pricey, but wicked fast. I actually have 4 Airport Extremes (802.11n) the 802.11G version and a 10 year old 802.11B version, and all of them are running fantastic!! In the mean time, I've gone through 2 D-Links and 2 Linksys routers that have just died. The Airport is very reliable and as a bonus, it is covered by your Mac's 1 or 3 year warranty.
One more for the WRT54G w/DD-WRT. I was running the stock Linksys firmware for years with nary a problem, but I mainly used wireless for web browsing and e-mail. Then my daughter got old enough to have her own computer, and we went wireless-only on it. Still, she used it only for web browsing.
Then one day I tried to transfer a multi-gigabyte file to her PC (an ISO of a DVD-ROM that she purchased, but didn't have a DVD at the time, so I was going to use Daemon Tools to run it) but the connection kept dying. Next I started noticing the problem with my VPN connection back to the office over wireless; same issue.
I was ready to dump the router and get a new one. Since I had nothing to lose, I decided to try out DD-WRT. That was over a year, maybe a year and a half ago, and I have yet to have a single problem with it. Never drop a connection, never have to reboot...it just works.
I've had my Linksys WRT54G for almost 4 years. I still haven't gotten around to getting a firmware yet, but its still ticking
DD-WRT is definitely a good solution and you can get WRT54GLs for a great price. But I would chuck out a vote for Tomato. Tomato has more than enough features for the average-power user and I find it's a bit more stable than DD-WRT. DD-WRT is more feature rich but a lot of it's over kill for what most people need. I personally run DD-WRT but I will say that unless you specifically need a feature it possess, go with Tomato.
Linksys WRT-54G is the way to go. I've been hesitant to upgrade, since one of my co-workers bricked his router trying to install the DD-WRT firmware. Until I have some extra cash to replace mine, I'm not going to be attempting an upgrade myself.
Flashpoint
If you upgrade the Actiontec's Firmware the Xbox 360 WiFi adapter will work with it. This was a known problem, and was fixed several months ago.
WRT54G is the way to go. Just make sure to get the version that you can flash with DD-WRT, not all the WRT54G models can be flashed.
Old WRT54G are great but if you are gonna buy a new one somewhere it is terrible (check dd-wrt website for detailed version information). If you have the budget the best thing is actually use your old pc to build a x86 DD-WRT. It has a Bunch of features!!
I had the 54G and it bricked in less than 6 months. So far my netgear Rangemax has been going strong for over a year and works great.
took the words right out of my mouth
Huh, i have two of those lying around, i'll look into that firmware.
thanks for the info.
Working in the past for comcast, I can honestly say that never once did someone call in with a problem related to the wrt54g router. I've had one since they first came out and have never had a problem. I have referred it to all my family and friends and anyone I helped in tech support. It is simply the best router on the market today. i have used it so much that I can help you config it from memory. Has the best range of any other of the 200 odd routers available. Secure, fast, reliable. Shit if liksys made a car I bet it would be great.
Easy Peasy lemon Squeezy.
Just remember to power cycle once a month if you're running gaming consoles.
Flashpoint
I heard those routers suck also. I hope they don't ruin the FiOS experience. I still want FiOS dammit.
Linksys WRT54G. I've had it for 5+ Years and never an issue. Its the best I've had. Beat my belkin to a pulp.
Only thing better is a WRT54GL with DD-WRT, and bridged to another one.
I just bought a Linksys WRT610N. What about this DD-WRT? I think the WRT610N works completely fine and stable with its current firmware, but if DD-WRT is so much better.. Does it work with my WRT610N? The DD-WRT website says my router is compatible with DD-WRT, but I have no idea which version I should use.
Agreed. Except I'm using OpenWRT. Can't remember the last time I rebooted it except for updating the firmware. This router took a lot of abuse in my hands. I've bricked it many number of times. It was so bricked that I had to tear it open and short-circuit the flash memory. I found myself not updating the firmware as often after that.
If you are going to use DD-WRT the asus 500 premium v2 is a champ tons of RAM and Flash, very solid feeling and big enough to prevent overheating. This thing will not fail and you can use the biggest version of DD-WRT on it. Not to mention that Asus includes a utility to make it easy to Flash the firmware. wireless signal is also great, and can be bumped up to non standard power with dd-wrt.
Me too! Had a WRT54G v.1 with DD-WRT on it that died after running 2+ years, and a replacement has now been going for 3+. I think the first one was a power issue and not a system issue.
Just can't beat anything else if it's running DD-WRT.
Agreed. I've been using this combination as well, and although I don't have the latest firmware from DD-WRT (http://www.dd-wrt.com), it's still rock solid stable. Recently however I have been asking a little more from my wireless and have started using a Cisco Aironet 1240G. As far as wireless goes, this thing is awesome.
definitely. With the Linksys firmware it sucked, but with DD-WRT it's been great. Maybe one drop out a month.
Bootleg Zani & Flashpoint - I've had my FiOS router for about 6 months now with absolutely no issues.
It was kind of a PITA to get it fully set up and secure but once that was done it's been working fine with all my devices.
Maybe you need a firmware update. (FWIW the update function of my router doesn't seem to work, you need to download and install updates manually.)
Christina, I think you're absolutely hot, and I'm saddened that you're not single (and in Califonia). But why is it Apple fans fall for their products and are blinded by all of their flaws or shortcomings, and yet don't have any issues knocking other products that possibly have more benefits (not you, I'm talking about other Apple fans)? It would seem asthetics alone can go a long way, even for little white boxes that will likely be hidden from view.
Anyway, I've had the U.S. Robotics USR5461 MaxG wireless router for several years now, and it has worked flawlessly (with a caveat). It is firmware upgradeable, very customizable, top notch security (for its time), has a built in USB port for wireless print hub... everything that people have been wanting in a router (on this thread). I wish they made a 802.11n version. For the first several years I never had to reboot it, and it never dropped my connections. Recently it started happening though (that's the caveat). But after a few months, I figured out what was causing it (and this may apply to ALL routers, I'm not sure): it was getting too hot! Not its own fault, really... it was the fault of my silly SBC/AT&T DSL router. That thing puts off so much heat, and I had placed my USR router directly on top of it in a cabinet. I finally separated the two by several inches (different shelves) and the problems practically disappeared. In fact, my DSL modem drops the connection more often than my router (which hardly ever does now)... but I went from several times a week, to almost never.
So for those of you with connection issues, separate your modem box from the wireless router... let the things breathe!
Agree on the WRT-54G with DD-WRT. Great range, excellent controls over access, and works with ANYTHING.
Your joking right? I had a Linksys WRT54G and it used to drop-out like over 5 f*cking times a day. Bought a new router and haven't had a problem since. Worthless piece of shit!
I have never had a dropped connection, or any problems since I bought my D-link DGL-4500. While it might seem like overkill, it's the only router (and I've gone through about 6) that has been able to keep up with my downloading and fragging.
i really like my Netgear MIMO router
i second that, most reliable router ive had in a while and ive been thru a few
sorry, this is purely opinion, but FUCK Netgear soho routers. anything in the white plastic shell is a piece of shit. however my 8 port gigabit Netgear managed switch (blue metal case they use) works great and i haven't had one problem with it.
at the risk of sounding like a fanboy... the airport extreme base station is tops in my book (regardless of your computer preference). i ran through wireless routers every few months... just getting tired of endless reboots, and dropped packets. i purchased my first aebs 3 years ago, and have only replaced it once (to upgrade to the 802.11n model).
close second is a linksys with custom firmware (ddwrt). although it offers a lot more than the aebs, its still all about the hardware.
Agreed. I used to have a Belkin and switched over the Airport Extreme - it's about a hundred times more reliable.
Agreed. I went through several linksys's, netgears and belkins. They would all end up needing constant reboots in order to work for another 10 stupid minutes. Finally I gave up and bought an Airport Extreme and haven't had a single problem since.
I agree before that I was a netgear fan since I had the 108 storage model and it worked great for a long time, then after having 2 gigabit N's fail me I stepped up to the airport and never looked back, in fact I also got an express (N model) not for lack of range but for a wired port downstairs and for airr tunes, oh how I love air tunes
I've got a Base Station Extreme as well and it works pretty well. I have a 1TB LaCie HDD attached to it and I stream media from it/download to it all day long without a hitch for the most part. I might have to reset it every couple of weeks because my DSL connection will drop, but it's fine for my needs.
I also hooked up a white Netgear 802.11g router at my in-laws and it's been running flawlessly for about a year now.
I concur as well. It may have been expensive, but my Airport Extreme has been nothing but perfectly reliable for me. Just be aware that you can't change your MAC address on it, for some stupid reason.
I've used many routers over he years so you while I feel my knowledge is extensive, it's still anecdotal and should treated as such....
• The ubiquitous WRT54G has done me well for many years, until they lowered the HW's CPU, RAM and Flash and added VxWorks for the firmware over Linux. They latter added the Linux version for a higher price, despite keeping the same high pricepoint for so many years while actually lowering the HW specs. I didn't have any love for Linksys for doing that. Full disclouse: My bricking the first WRT54G I tried to switch to DD-WRT has nothing to do with my current feelings of Linksys not lowering costs or upping the specs of this popular 802.11g router with 4-port switch.
• I've had relatively good look with the Netgear's 802.11g and 802.11n routers. The are nicely designed, though the single antenna of the 802.11g router made it less ideal for some situations, and the firmware did have some initial issues, but it wasn't a constant issue.
— All the Airport models have been quite good for me—
• Airport Express was great for travel for hotels that ONLY have Ethernet in the rooms. This seems to be more common with higher-end hotels. The cheaper the hotel, the more likely they have faster internet, WiFi, and often free of charge, while fancy hotels charge you in blocks at extortionist prices.
• Airport Extreme Base Station is good for a fast, wide-range 802.11a/b/g/n router. It costs more than other 'n' routers, but it does offer some advantages over other, cheaper models. Besides the aesthetics, it offers a built in networked printer option or HDD via the USB connector. This may not seem like much, but getting these added features historically do add a significagant cost. Plus, I think it has a faster CPU and more RAM than the other 802.11n options, as well as 10/100/1000 switch for Ethernet connection machines.
• TIme Capsule is pretty much the same the AEBS, above, but offers an internal HDD. This makes it easy for a centralized Time Machine backup and/or for just basic file storage. You can still use the USB port to add a network printer and/or external HDD. The price might seem high, but when you consider what you get it's actually very fairly priced, which stats are showing since Apple seems to be dominating in the 802.11n sales.
We've got a time capsule over at our place for backups. I like it a lot, and it's great in terms of internet. If any of you out there are looking for some NAS, the time capsule is not a good choice. My MacBooks and MacBook Pro lose the HD all the time, like in the middle of a time machine backup - yet web surfing and IM still work. Our next router is probably going to be an AirPort Express, and I do not know what we'll do for backup.
I've also used a linksys router. I don't know what model, but it had default firmware and wasn't terrible in terms reliability.
I love my Airport Extreme. Not having to reboot the router once a week is all i ever asked for.
Airport Extreme all the way. After using quite a few, including a WRT54G, I'll stay with my Extreme! Fastest, best interface (although not the most customizable)!
Airport extreme is the best there is i think, i mean i have try i think almost every router there is and hostly this is the only one i haven't return back to best buy, 2 years that thing has been running solid as a rock, i mean i don't even remember where it is anymore, i haven't seen it in the entire 2 years, Linksys where ok but not to good for gaming, it use to hang all the time and needed to be reset at least once a week. Airport extreme are a little expensive but you can grab one on ebay for cheap