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Need recommendation on computer router.

Bud

It is what it is.
We are going to have an wireless internet modem installed soon. Antenna on roof to access point on top of grain elevator 4 miles away.

They supply the modem, we need to supply a router.

Heard good things about Apple Airport.

Any recommendations?
 
Linksys

I'm not wireless, but I use a Linksys (by Cisco) WRT120N "Wireless-N Home" router. Easy setup, zero issues for years.
 
I've have had several and I have given some of them to my children so I could connect at their houses (because I wanted "better" but I couldn't tell any difference). I've bought Netgear and Linksys and some were refurbished. Most ran from $12 to $30+ and they all work fine without any glitches. I figure I don't need to spend a ton on a router when I can run 3 computers and a wireless printer throughout my entire house (2 story 100X34) with no issues. I got some from newegg.com and others from E-Bay.
 
Next thing we know, Bud is going to start an oil thread.

I like my Airport Extreme. Ours has handled three computers, Netflix and a couple of phones/iPods simultaneously without complaining. If I have my iPod with me when walking home, it picks up the router over a block away.

YMMV

Bob Koreis
Orting WA
 
Apple offers two Airports. One has a hard drive built into it. Very nice way to go. If you are running Apple computers, using their airports is the best thing you could do.
 
We are going to have an wireless internet modem installed soon. Antenna on roof to access point on top of grain elevator 4 miles away.

They supply the modem, we need to supply a router.

Heard good things about Apple Airport.

Any recommendations?

Apple Airport Express. Painless setup. $99.
 
I've had really good luck with Linksys, I've switched lately to an Apple 'Time Machine' which will back-up my computer and serve as an Airport router as well. I'd recommend either one.
 
I've had really good luck with Linksys

Some Linksys routers will not connect to various Apple products. It's a well-known issue for some of us who've had to deal with it. I kept running into it in campgrounds a couple of years ago in NS. The iPhone would connect, but not the iPad. Go figure, same OS. The campground host (2 different locations) confirmed that the router was a Linksys WRT54G. "Oh, Apple is the problem. It won't work with Mac." "Uh, no, man, Linksys is the culprit." I had one here 5 or 6 years ago, trying to beat it into compliance for a friend -- no go. Do a net search, it's loaded with possible fixes -- firmware updates to the Linksys.

Easiest ever router setup is Apple, hands down. Here's Apple's refurb pages -- warranty same as new. http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/mac_accessories
 
I never had any problem with my WRT54G connecting to my Macs/iPads/iPhones/Android/Nook/Kindle/Windows/Linux boxes. If you do, one or the other or both are mis-configured. Except for that (e.g. setting the Mac to connect only to N networks, which the 54G can't do), there's no technical reason why the Apple or Windows or whatever won't work with a Linksys. For the most part, networking is networking.

OTOH, the Apple routers do work well, altho using the Time Machine feature with non-Apple computers can be challenging. The thing I don't like about them is that the configuration you can do is pretty limited, nothing like the other routers. And the price...
 

On a serious, but potentially misinformed, note I have heard that a Wireless-n router will offer greater range and speed than a Wireless-g unit. Of course, your computer wireless adapters have to be Wireless-n to take advantage of that benefit.
 
Yeah, I know you should be able to make it work, but if its somebody else's hotspot, good luck with that.

Don't take my word for it: https://www.google.com/search?q=linksys+and+mac+problems&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&client=safari (3,350,000 results)


I never had any problem with my WRT54G connecting to my Macs/iPads/iPhones/Android/Nook/Kindle/Windows/Linux boxes. If you do, one or the other or both are mis-configured. Except for that (e.g. setting the Mac to connect only to N networks, which the 54G can't do), there's no technical reason why the Apple or Windows or whatever won't work with a Linksys. For the most part, networking is networking.

OTOH, the Apple routers do work well, altho using the Time Machine feature with non-Apple computers can be challenging. The thing I don't like about them is that the configuration you can do is pretty limited, nothing like the other routers. And the price...
 
Next thing we know, Bud is going to start an oil thread.

I like my Airport Extreme. Ours has handled three computers, Netflix and a couple of phones/iPods simultaneously without complaining. If I have my iPod with me when walking home, it picks up the router over a block away.

YMMV

Bob Koreis
Orting WA

Bob,

I was thinking about :laugh it till the March ON came today with the largest oil thread in ON history.

Next thing you know it will be ATGATT or ?????? :thumb

I sure like the specs on the Airport Extreme. Not the price so much. :violin
 
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