[buzlink]

I am currently looking for a Wireless Router for my Macbook Pro.
I was looking for something that is not to expensive but will work with MBP well.

Also it would be nice to have a router that I could upload custom firmwares and such if need be.

Thanks

[ghporter]

They ALL work fine with the MBP. There are some issues with some Linksys wireless router firmwares at the moment, but they are apparently being fixed - and there's almost no way to find out what firmware version is installed on any new Linksys device, since you can actually find products that are two or three HARDWARE versions apart on the same vendor shelf. This is due to vendors not handling stocking very well, not Linksys shipping different hardware versions at the same time.

I personally use a separate wired router and wireless access point (both Linksys: the BEFSR41 and the WAP54G respectively) for a number of reasons, including the fact that I think wireless routers have too many functions stuffed into a single box. Unless you find a rather inexpensive one and are willing to consider replacing it every now and then, I recommend buying the two functions in different boxes.

But my MBP works just fine with my Linksys hardware, thank you very much.

[Blasphemy]

I use the linksys wrt54g and it has worked very well for 3 or so years.

[turtle777]

I have yet to find a wireless router that doesn't need a reset every once in a while (weeks to months).
I have gone through at least 5 brands, and they all did it. Freakin' annoying.

The only Apple branded I had was the 1st gen airport. It worked great (still does), and doesn't need the resets. I would probably buy another Airport I would need a wireless router again.

For now, I'm all wired, and loving it.

-t

[galarneau]

Buffalo WHR-G54S

$40 at newegg.com

Can easily be flashed with dd-wrt firmware to make it an uber-router

Main Page - WRT Wiki
Supported Devices - WRT Wiki

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by turtle777 

I have yet to find a wireless router that doesn't need a reset every once in a while (weeks to months).
I have gone through at least 5 brands, and they all did it. Freakin' annoying.

Just about all consumer networking equipment needs a reboot every now and then, though they all seem to be doing better lately. The problem is that, since these aren't "mission critical" devices, the software/firmware doesn't get the kind of testing and tweaking that's needed to make them truly 24/7/365 devices. I have a simple procedure posted for my family for when something "odd" happens with the home network-it's all "turn this off, wait a bit, then turn it back on" along with where the switches are, etc. The trade off between the cost of commercial grade equipment that is as reliable as we'd all like our home networks to be and the simplicity of an occasional power cycle is a no-brainer for me.

Originally Posted by turtle777 

The only Apple branded I had was the 1st gen airport. It worked great (still does), and doesn't need the resets. I would probably buy another Airport I would need a wireless router again.

You are truly blessed. Even my most optimistic thoughts of what a first gen ABS could do don't include solid reliability for this long-and my more realistic ones are saying "how did you manage not to have that thing burn itself up?" I'm amazed and somewhat awed by you, sir!

But your story does point out what consumer networking hardware is like today. It usually works just fine and without any glitches, but now and then you have to "help it out" a little with a power cycle or maybe an upgraded firmware. When you're talking about a $40 router, that ain't bad, though it is, as you say, annoying.

Originally Posted by galarneau

Buffalo WHR-G54S

$40 at newegg.com

Can easily be flashed with dd-wrt firmware to make it an uber-router

WOW!!! If dd-wrt works with it, that means it's "related" to the Linksys WRT series, and it's possible that other third party firmwares may work...which means LOTS of options! I may have to buy one just to have it!

[galarneau]

Originally Posted by ghporter 

WOW!!! If dd-wrt works with it, that means it's "related" to the Linksys WRT series, and it's possible that other third party firmwares may work...which means LOTS of options! I may have to buy one just to have it!

Yep, same Broadcom chipset as the later WRT54G/GS/GL's

16MB of RAM, 4MB of Flash

I know OpenWRT runs on it. Dunno about Sveasoft. They're evil.

[jmiddel]

I have the Linksys router/wifi access point system that ghporter has and I have to reset it maybe every 4-6 months. The router, not the access point, never had to reset that.

[buzlink]

I'm looking into the Buffalo routers, as I've been recommend to check into those as well over at the Ars forums.

Thanks