New Router

[Malc]

I'm thinking of getting rid of my trusty old modem soon.

Question's is,as my knowledge of routers is zero,

What should I buy
Where should I buy it from
How much are they
and  - sorry for all the questions - how easy is it to set up

Thanks

Malc

[Rik]

We're here to answer questions, Malc.

A good option would be either a Netgear DG834 (G if you want wireless) or a Speedtouch 585. The Netgear is slightly easier to set up, the Speedtouch is probably a bit better on long lines.

If you're feeling adventurous, then look for a 2-Wire 2700 HGV on eBay. These are a little more tricky to set up, but many of us have found them to give a superior performance. Some have not, though, and I have found there is no one 'best' router with Max, only the best one for your particular line.

Avoid any of the pre-N wireless routers, they could become obsolete very quickly and, iac, you tend to end up having to buy the manufacturers wireless dongles/cards to get the performance.

DSL Depot have 'B' grade 585s at the moment for £20. Their sister company DSL Source has the Netgear at £40 and the 585 at £35.

Most routers, but not all, will auto-detect the line settings, leaving you to enter your username and password, plus, if wireless, the WPA key and security settings. Always change the router's default password and SSID.

If you do need to enter line settings, they are PPPoA (or PPPoATM), VC-MUX, 0, 38.

[Malc]

Thanks Rik, very informative.

I know nothing about types of lines, speed tests (whenever I've tried to do one on BT the screen freezes), or routers (PC's are for playing games, forums and streaming football!)

All I can offer in information is I'm about 1/2 mile from the exchange.

My best speeds (when downloading on well seeded p2p) are 762 down and 82 up.
Also I want wireless, as I want to connect up my daughters PC soon via wireless.

Therefore does it sound like I need the Netgear DG834?

[Rik]

The DG834G would do you fine, Malc. It's a doddle to set up and is supplied by IDNet, so must be good enough. The 2700 is probably not the best 'first time' router due to its lack of official support channels.
There's a set up guide for the 834 here.

[Malc]

[Sebby]

Personally, I'm not keen on Netgears; I've just never found them to work that well on less-than-perfect lines. I'd agree with Rik, though, that the 2700 isn't necessarily a good router for someone who wants an easy life.

I can highly recommend the SpeedTouch 585v6. I believe it's the best "off-the-shelf" router on the market, and this seems to be the general consensus.

[Malc]

Thanks Sebby.

The spedtouch seems to the the most recommended, just one question, will I be able to connect my daughters PC, which is upstairs, via wireless?

[Sebby]

You should do, though there are a lot of factors (such as the thickness of walls, materials, etc) that may affect this.

I found the SpeedTouch to have pretty good wireless coverage, so you shouldn't have any issues. You'll just need to buy a wireless card (PCMCIA) or USB-type (e.g. SpeedTouch 121g) for your daughter's PC.

[Malc]

  again