View Full Version : Router shopping advice please.
karavite
April 29th, 2010, 11:47 PM
Need to get a new router and not sure what to get. I read that with Comcast (I curse them, but they are all I have) Linksys has some kind of edge in dealing with their DNS servers. Besides comcast we have an intel iMac and two PC laptops we use wirelessly (work computers). Right now the iMac is wired directly to the router but will soon be in the other room and using its built in airport card. Also we have a Epson Workforce 600 and would love to get that little guy off the USB and working as a "network" printer.
Like my old trusty D-Link, I would like this to be turned on and then never think about it again. Thanks in advance.
ElDiabloConCaca
April 30th, 2010, 08:28 AM
My AirPort Extreme does the job nicely, and supports using USB printers as "network" printers.
It costs more than most routers, but hey -- you do, in fact, get what you pay for.
djackmac
April 30th, 2010, 08:36 AM
I've always been fond of the Netgear Range Max (http://www.netgear.com/Products/RoutersandGateways/WirelessGRouters/WPN824.aspx) series. Used one at the shop forever. Another tech friend of mine has one and swears by it. Have had mine for almost 3 years and only flaked out on me once. Just needed a hard reset. Even after the hard reset only took a couple minutes to reconfigure because it has a feature as part of the interface for backing up and restoring settings from backup. But otherwise barely have ever had to power cycle it because of lost connections or anything. Right now I have the wireless G version and am chomping at the bit to get the N version, but this one works so well.
karavite
April 30th, 2010, 08:47 AM
Thanks everyone. I am really thinking about the Airport Extreme. However, I have read a few posts online about how Linksys somehow performs better with Comcast. I am really in over my head in explaining this, but it has something to do with Comcast DNS servers. Many people report changing their DNS server to deal with slow web performance, but others say this is unnecessary with the Linksys. Why Linksys is somehow unique in all this is something I do not understand.
This person describes the problem pretty well.
http://www.eddieoneverything.com/windows-xp/comcast-dns-slow-use-these-easy-to-remember-dns-ips.php
Does the Airport extreme allow me to configure any DNS server I want at the router and then free me from having to worry about this at each computer (I am assuming yes, but need to understand this).