Time for a new Wireless Router?

Hello,

I currently use a Belkin 54G and have experienced no end of dropouts with subsequent reboots, power cycles etc that I'm just cheesed off with the situation and am beginning to think that a new wireless BB/Modem& router may be in order.

Checking the firmware version there has been no available update since 2006 and considering all the fixes I've tried this may be the root cause of my problems.

Can anyone offer any advice on selecting a suitable device and any pre-install procedures and tips that I need to get the thing up and running correctly as my ISP is an absolute pain to deal with ?

I've read the FAQ and understand that Apple/D Link and Belkin support Mac so it will likely be one of these.

For your current piece, have you tried a full factory reset and set it back up from scratch?

What are the devices that will be touching the network?
Are you planning on streaming or doing a lot of online gaming?

I just upgraded my router at home from a Linksys Wireless-N to the Apple AirPort Extreme. I have an iPhone, iPad, MBP, Apple TV2, Sony Blu-Ray, Dell laptop (Wireless-G), Droid 2, Wii all hooked up. With the Linksys, as soon as the Dell hit the network, everything slowed down... Hence the upgrade.

It will depend on what you are doing and how many devices you want to run. Now, I dont run all my devices at the same time, but at least 3 or 4 are running while I am at home.

Hi Deckyon,
Thank you for your reply.

I've not tried a factory reset, what info would I need for this?

I have the iMac 27" (mid 2010) on virtually all the time (wireless and also hooked up via ethernet because of the drop outs), an iPhone 4 (wireless via iTunes/iCloud) the same, and then my daughter's Mac Mini (Asleep during the day), another daughter's iPad (occasionally in use).

I will be purchasing Apple TV at Christmas for streaming music from iMac to my Denon AVR1910 set-up (I also have a Panasonic BMP-BD60 Blu Ray which I will only hook up via ethernet for a firmware upgrade when necessary as I prefer to watch Blu-Ray disc, because am unsure of the HD sound and vision quality of streaming video from iTunes to Apple TV.

Is the Airport Extreme a combo device?

go to the website for the router - there will be instructions on how to do a factory reset.

I would recommend at least an N router, provided you do not have any G devices on your network. If you have any G devices, get the Dual Band N.

What do you mean "combo device?" It is a Wireless N Dual Band. Also allows for up to 4 devices to be connected via ethernet cable and either a printer or hard drive via USB. The price for it is consistent with other quality Dual Band N routers.

Yes I meant a combined wireless router and modem.

I'll give a factory reset some investigation in the meantime.

Cheers,
Liam

AES are not without their own quirks, but I have been very pleased with mine. Before that I used Linksys routers, which worked well but I had to reset them frequently and replace them about every 18 months.

Have been running the same AES (actually one Time Capsule and one AES) for the last three years with no real problems.

AES so far for me has been bullet proof. It took me about an hour to get things set up and my reservations completed and the TimeMachine drive set. I cannot say I recommend the TC, though, for the same reasons I dont recommend all-in-one devices - one part goes bad, you are replacing everything. Same goes for a combo unit (Wireless Router and Modem combined). One reason I have my own 4TB drive plugged into the AES. Until I got the AES, I had only ever bought 3Com or Linksys (yes, I go back a while.)

Take your time in setting it up, whatever you get. once you get it how you want it, backup the config and save it somewhere safe - you can use it to restore to your defaults if you start having issues in the future.

Keep in mind - as with all electronics, you get what you pay for, so buy the best you can afford.

Deckyon said:

AES so far for me has been bullet proof.

Click to expand...

The only issue/quirk I have had may be as much a factor of my own ignorance as the equipment. But, I have the AES set up to extend my network in a WDS and it works very well.
But, when I lose power about half the time the AES doesn't rejoin the WDS. This is easily corrected by shutting down and restarting the AES, but I don't get a trouble indication that I need to do it unless I scan the network or notice that I no longer have wifi coverage upstairs.

Cheers Guys,

I have been interested in an Apple product for some time and will no doubt go that route.

In the meantime I've been looking at the Factory Restore FAQ's on Belkin's website I have a G/ F5D7632-4 /v4000 and it gives me the impression that after restoring it, it will reboot itself. My concern is that I will need to set up my connection again..need this be the case?

There is an option for saving the existing settings in the router utility but do you know if these settings are saved in the device's own memory, in which case will they be lost if I do a restore.

I'm just concerned with having a very costly ( support helpline) and time consuming rigmarole with Pipex my ISP who, to be quite frank, are a nightmare to deal with.

pendlewitch said:

Cheers Guys,

I have been interested in an Apple product for some time and will no doubt go that route.

In the meantime I've been looking at the Factory Restore FAQ's on Belkin's website I have a G/ F5D7632-4 /v4000 and it gives me the impression that after restoring it, it will reboot itself. My concern is that I will need to set up my connection again..need this be the case?

There is an option for saving the existing settings in the router utility but do you know if these settings are saved in the device's own memory, in which case will they be lost if I do a restore.

I'm just concerned with having a very costly ( support helpline) and time consuming rigmarole with Pipex my ISP who, to be quite frank, are a nightmare to deal with.

Click to expand...

My first post on this forum involved an inadvertent reset of my Linksys router. As you suggest, all of the settings were lost, but as I had printed out configuration sheets of all of my set up screens I was in good shape (until I found out the sheets had been put away for safe keeping).

That was three years ago and I still haven't found those sheets.

So, yes, unless your Belkin is dramatically different than my old Linksys, you will lose all of your settings if you don't have a record of them.

you can save the config settings in a file. dont have to print each page... My old linksys saved a file <date>.cfg on my desktop. I could then go back to the router and restore the settings by pointing to that file. I have reset my linksys back to factory one other time as restored that way and was up and working in a matter of a minute.

Cant tell you anything about Belkin.

Deckyon said:

you can save the config settings in a file. dont have to print each page... My old linksys saved a file <date>.cfg on my desktop. I could then go back to the router and restore the settings by pointing to that file. I have reset my linksys back to factory one other time as restored that way and was up and working in a matter of a minute.

Click to expand...

I wish I had known that 3 years ago.

Deckyon said:

you can save the config settings in a file. dont have to print each page... My old linksys saved a file <date>.cfg on my desktop. I could then go back to the router and restore the settings by pointing to that file. I have reset my linksys back to factory one other time as restored that way and was up and working in a matter of a minute.

Cant tell you anything about Belkin.

Click to expand...

Well I'm going to try that !!!

I'll keep you all posted.

I've had a brainwave..given that the only beef I have with my ISP is their dire communication skills with matters technical/administrative..I'm thinking I may order a new device from them in which case they'll have to send me all the connection settings, and then I could hook up an Airport Extreme.