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Scoo · Dec 2, 2002, 02:13 PM

I have an Earthlink DSL connection feeding a Jaguar G4 and a Windows 98/2000 white box via a Netgear 10 base t hub. The Windows box keeps getting viruses when file sharing is enabled, so a router/firewall seems in order.

Are there any decent routers that work with this type of set up that run in the 20-40 dollar range? We are on a very tight budget. Good places to get get open box/refurb units?

Severed Hand of Skywalker · Dec 2, 2002, 02:19 PM

Don't get a LinkSys! you can't really get a router that cheap but you can get one for about $60.

ghporter · Dec 2, 2002, 03:29 PM

I disagree with Skywalker. I've been using Linksys products for a couple of years, and I've had good experiences with them.

On the other hand I just bought a US Robotics router with print server and I'm very disappointed. Their tech support hasn't bothered to reply to me (and they keep close to banker's hours!), and there are features that just don't work right.

Siemens' Speedstream line is pretty good, and easy to manage (browser interface is the ONLY way to go!), and they're not too expensive.

Like many consumer-level products, though, none of these support AppleTalk. It seems that AppleTalk support costs an extra $80-$100, though I can't imagine why that little extra bit of firmware code should be that expensive. Must be the "we can squeeze more money out of Apple customers because they're a captive audience" mentality.

thesearcher · Dec 2, 2002, 06:31 PM

If it's for non-commercial use, you could try ZoneAlarm free edition on your pc.

Scoo · Dec 2, 2002, 11:45 PM

OK, I've looked around and $50-$70 seems to be the price range. What brand of router would you get in this range? There may be good rebate/xmas sales, etc.

Scoo · Dec 7, 2002, 07:21 AM

What about D-Link? Club Mac has a Four Port Broadband Router for $34 after a $10 rebate. Has anyone here used D-link stuff before? What are your experiencess with it?

quietjim · Dec 7, 2002, 08:37 AM

I have a small Netgear (I think the model is MR 314). Configures via browser, so it is easy to set up. Actually all I did on OS X was check DHCP. It's worked steadily for over a year, never given a problem. DSL on one end, iMac and Powerbook on the end. I'm about to get a wireless acess point and will definitely buy Netgear again.

Socially Awkward Solo · Dec 7, 2002, 02:31 PM

D-Link is also good. Netgear is great.

Linksys stinks. The broadband reports forums are clogged with problems such as hangs crashes and routers dead after an upgrade.

My Linksys would crash and kill the connection every 3 days. since I plugged in my netgear it hasn't needed my attention once in over a week.

ghporter · Dec 7, 2002, 03:33 PM

Unfortunately, Solo, your logic isn't quite as solid as your current form in Jaba's palace. There are indeed a lot of complaints about Linksys products on Broadband Reports' Linksys Forum, but a lot of it comes from people who either want to push the envelope of what their (notably inexpensive) equipment is capable of ("I'm trying to run a simple, 500 player, VPN hosted game of Unreal Tournament, and my one-port Linksys router chokes! What a piece of crap!"), or who think that "bleeding edge" means flashing the newest beta firmware the moment it comes out. (That's not staying ahead, that's leaping before looking!)

I again point out the PC Magazine's 15th Annual Reader Survey - Service & Reliability , from July of this year. In the home/small office networking arena, Linksys came out way on top, particularly in number of respondents-over 1800 versus their nearest competitor, Netgear with just over 400. So if you have, say 85% of the market and a typical problem rate of 5%, your market is going to have numerically more problems, though the rate is still only 5%. Pay particular attention to the results of requests for service-Linksys stacks up on top there percentage wise.

Solo, keep an eye on your Netgear box. They have a habit of being a problem in unexpected ways, such as not liking mixed or encapsulated protocols (like VPN and others), and for having heat-related problems. Good luck with it, but please don't generalize about a market leader's products from one unhappy experience. As I've posted in this forum just minutes ago, it's human nature to gripe about things we don't like, while quietly and smugly enjoying it when things go our way.

Scoo · Jan 19, 2003, 10:16 PM

My waiting has paid off! I found a 4 port Siemens SpeedStream Broadband Router (model SS2604) at Office Depot for $30, plus there's a 20 rebate. $10 router, not bad! Found it at NiftyNews. Story was posted on Jan 16, scroll down a bit to find it. Offer good until jan 31 2003.

Don't know too much about this brand, but at this price I figured what the hell, and so far it's running like a champ.

passmaster16 · Jan 20, 2003, 12:28 AM

I haven't had any problems with my linksys. I've used netgear as well. Netgear used to be bay networks. Their stuff has gone done a little in quality, but I still feel their product is solid. Cisco has a SOHO series router out as well.

oscar · Jan 20, 2003, 03:23 AM

never used it, but from dealmac.com:

OfficeDepot.com offers the Siemens SpeedStream 4-port cable/DSL router for $28.72 before a $20 mail-in rebate, $8.72 after. It's the cheapest broadband router we've seen, though shipping practically doubles the after-rebate cost. Rebate ends January 31, 2003.

https://www.officedepot.com/shop/cat...fficedepot.com

ghporter · Jan 20, 2003, 01:20 PM

The Office Depot offer was TOO GOOD to pass up! I just ran out and got a Siemens SpeedStream model SS2604-I didn't want to wait for shipping. My local store had it in stock for the same sale price ($28.76) as mentioned above. The regular price is over $59, so this is QUITE a deal! Go to their web page for the coupon-you'll find it on the page for the router.

Of course I plugged it in and tried it out right away. Works great, has lots of features, and it should be a great addition to my network. It even has a parallel printer port for my HP DeskJet printer (the laser's on the other print server in my network), so now I don't have to have any particular computer turned on to be able to print from anywhere in the house.

Now why do I feel like I'm getting away with something?

Scoo · Jan 20, 2003, 07:53 PM

Not only is my home network happy, but Battle.net, of which I've complained much on these boards, is now actually halfway tolerable. I played Diablo II LoD for 2 hours instead of 2 minutes last night. Yay!

Teh W1N!1111