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TheCeltictiger · Jan 26, 2006, 06:32 AM

Hi there,
I intend to take the leap and set up my home with a wireless router and I am looking for cheaper alternative than a Airport base station. I would appreciate if any of you people can advise me on what would be a good third party Mac friendly wireless router taking price and performance into consideration.

Thanks in Advance

The Celtictiger

ghporter · Jan 26, 2006, 12:36 PM

I've had very good results with Linksys products. I must point out that I use a separate router and access point, and this may be in part responsible for my success.

Nowadays, the concept of "Mac friendly" networking hardware is pretty much a non-player; just about every network device that needs some sort of configuration or management provides a browser interface that ANY platform can access. You may not get a CD that allows a Windows user to automate a router's setup, but let's face it: if you're intentionally getting into networking, you probably are smart enough to make the needed settings by yourself-especially if you know you can come here and ask for some assistance!

Leia's Left Bun · Jan 28, 2006, 10:36 PM

I had very negative experiences with 3 Linksys models. I find Netgear is the best alternative to Apples.

olePigeon · Jan 29, 2006, 02:07 AM

Cisco (not Linksys) is a sure bet, but an expensive one.

Leia's Left Bun · Jan 29, 2006, 02:34 AM

Does linksys still have ZERO mac support? They used to hang up on you when you told them you had a Mac.

ghporter · Jan 29, 2006, 02:04 PM

I never heard of them actually hanging up on a customer because the customer had a Mac, but no, they still don't provide a lot of support for Mac related problems. They DO have quite a lot of useful information, such as how to connect an AirPort card-equipped computer to a Linksys-based wireless network (including OS X screenshots of the important configuration settings). Not that there are many Mac problems-mostly Mac users need some translation from the Windows-centric instructions in Linksys manuals.

selowitch · Jan 29, 2006, 05:21 PM

I've been very happy with my Belkin router and access point, and their tech support staff actually knows something about the Macintosh because Belkin specializes in Mac stuff, although not exclusively by any means.

rparke1 · Jan 29, 2006, 05:25 PM

Originally Posted by Leia's Left Bun

I had very negative experiences with 3 Linksys models. I find Netgear is the best alternative to Apples.

total opposit for me. ive had 2 netgear models go crazy on me. loss of signal, not very quick. even if my computer is right next to it. i switched to a linksys and it has been working very well ever since.

side note: i love the new smilies

shmoolie · Jan 31, 2006, 01:39 PM

I've had good experience with the Netgear WGT624 Super G 108 Mbps Wireless Router. I'm using it with Comcast cable modem and I have it connected to a Vonage router. It works fine. Every now and then I have to power cycle it but I think that's because of some Comcast maintainace pushes..

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...onics&v=glance

Leia's Left Bun · Jan 31, 2006, 02:44 PM

Originally Posted by ghporter

I never heard of them actually hanging up on a customer because the customer had a Mac

They did on me. They said they put on the box only windows support and I shouldn't have got it.

ghporter · Jan 31, 2006, 07:24 PM

Originally Posted by Leia's Left Bun

They did on me. They said they put on the box only windows support and I shouldn't have got it.

That particular person was a jerk! There's NOTHING you can do with most of their products (their "media adapter" "music bridge" and "media center extender" are the exceptions) that you can't do with a Mac, and they should know it. The only real stumbling block used to be the ability to upgrade firmware, but they did post a link to a Mac version of TFTP and later they made most of their boxes able to do the update without any file transfer program at all, all through the browser.

I'm sorry you had such issues. The kicker is that you probably didn't even have a really serious problem and they could have walked you through a few minutes of stuff to get you running fine. I probably could have!

Apfhex · Jan 31, 2006, 07:35 PM

My inexpensive Linksys BEFW11S4v2 has been chugging along for over 3 years now, although it only offers 802.11b wireless (I don't have any "g" devices anyway). Some friends that got a newer Linksys wireless router+cable modem had their wireless crap out, though it still functions as a modem+wired router. So it's a mixed bag, but I haven't exactly heard great things about the other popular brands either. I think you have a fair chance with Linksys. You get what you pay for.

ghporter · Jan 31, 2006, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by Apfhex

Some friends that got a newer Linksys wireless router+cable modem had their wireless crap out, though it still functions as a modem+wired router.

Note that I said I have a separate wired router and access point...and no problems. I think Linksys overreaches with their combined products.

Anyone else have success stories with other brands? Let's get this opened up and not so much about one brand!

Apfhex · Feb 1, 2006, 01:28 AM

Originally Posted by ghporter

Note that I said I have a separate wired router and access point...and no problems. I think Linksys overreaches with their combined products.

Yup, that's what I was getting at.

phoenix78 · Feb 2, 2006, 10:43 PM

I have Belkin pre-N wirless router.

the best router i have ever seen. I have a two storey double brick home with a reinforced concrete slab for the upstairs floor. my router is upstairs and i am using my PB downstairs about 25m away from the router and i get 3 bars of signal strength.

no dropouts and easy setup. i can network my Dell desktop and pb easily and share my net connection.

cheers,
robM

jersey · Feb 4, 2006, 08:30 PM

Originally Posted by phoenix78

I have Belkin pre-N wirless router.

the best router i have ever seen.

snip

no dropouts and easy setup.

I just picked one up and it's awesome. took 3 minutes to get it up and running and be back online. and only and additional 5 to set up all the portforwarding for my webserver. awesome piece indeed.

if you're in the market for a router, this is well worth the $.

ghporter · Feb 5, 2006, 10:28 PM

Do not depend on being able to use a "pre-N" device once the N standard has been settled and published. In fact, the WiFi people have threatened to pull WiFi certification from manufacturers who suggest that their "pre-N" equipment will function with standard N equipment; there's no telling whether it will or not.

With that said, if you're not worried about forward compliance, it sounds like Belkin's products have a lot of supporters.

tooki · Feb 6, 2006, 12:48 AM

Originally Posted by rparke1

total opposit for me. ive had 2 netgear models go crazy on me. loss of signal, not very quick. even if my computer is right next to it. i switched to a linksys and it has been working very well ever since.

side note: i love the new smilies

Ditto for me. Two Netgears died on me. Two D-Links as well. The Linksys is still going strong.

tooki

phoenix78 · Feb 6, 2006, 06:05 AM

Originally Posted by ghporter

Do not depend on being able to use a "pre-N" device once the N standard has been settled and published. In fact, the WiFi people have threatened to pull WiFi certification from manufacturers who suggest that their "pre-N" equipment will function with standard N equipment; there's no telling whether it will or not.

With that said, if you're not worried about forward compliance, it sounds like Belkin's products have a lot of supporters.

I actually wasnt fussed that it was pre-N since i dont have a pre-N card in any of my systems. When you look at the settings in the actual router html interface there isnt anything that i saw that related to pre-N... all it had was settings for 'g-only' 'b&g' etc... The main drawcard for me was the very much larger range of coverage that this router advertised. i believe that linksys and netgear also have their version of the pre-N router and they too get a larger range than the 'normal' (g,a,b) ones... so these brands 'may' work equally as well as the belkin.

I have double brick walls and reinforced concrete slabs so the belkin was the last straw for me in trying to get a wireless network at home so i was pleasantly surprised and hence my enthusiasm

Most others didnt even get through my closed door from my room

now all we need is to have a router that supports Gigabit network speeds!!! they are still only 10/100. although i saw a D-Link that was 1000 but that was ethernet only and rather expensive(and it wasnt a 'switch'). I cant believe that we have network cards with gigabit rates but routers only at 100.... baffled (possibly cost reasons...but still.)

Tooki... i also had a D-Link die on me.. it was the worst performing router ever...connection dropouts and the wireless stopped working just after a year.

cheers,
rob.

ghporter · Feb 6, 2006, 09:59 AM

Those brick walls and reinforced concrete slabs are a bear for any signal to get through. The Belkin's advertised range improvement may actually help you here. But note that the better range is associated with "pre-N" features. You don't need a "pre-N" card to take advantage of this, it's just how it manages the RF.