Need wireless router help!

[Anand]

Linksys support has been outsourced to India, dont buy from them.

just because of that reason!?!?!

[lessthanjakejohn]

no

... but I think that if you need support (which greg may), then you should probaly choose another company. Perhaps many people think they make trouble free routers, but there are many other companies that make them also which do not outsource their support.

I've never used linksys, but have had no trouble from D-Link or Speedstream so I would recommend them also.

And I'm not dissing Indians, Anand, just saying that we could be better served by our own citizens

[szh]

EDGE is already launched throughout the nation... anywhere we have our GSM/GPPRS nework set, EDGE is available. it overlays the GPRS grid and then some.

Really? Hmmm, I will have to look into that then.

Z

[Anand]

no

... but I think that if you need support (which greg may), then you should probaly choose another company. Perhaps many people think they make trouble free routers, but there are many other companies that make them also which do not outsource their support.

I've never used linksys, but have had no trouble from D-Link or Speedstream so I would recommend them also.

And I'm not dissing Indians, Anand, just saying that we could be better served by our own citizens

Naw man... I didn't take it like you were dissin Indian's... I was actually trying to find out what the reasons of that were... I mean... you could have said they outsourced it to China or Japan or XXX country.. I would have asked the same question..

IT's interesting you say it's because almost all companies are outsourcing ther customer care... if not to India then to many other countries like Mexico and even Canada....

I personally have delt with people from all areas and I have come to a conclusion that no matter who or where you talk to ... Customer care reps are pretty how do I say this... intelectually challanged in most cases..

That's not saying much because I have a Cst care background... and I deal with Cst care all day from Canada..

[Anand]

Really? Hmmm, I will have to look into that then.

Z

yes, please do... and let me know what you find out.. I would like to know how EDGE is doing and what people think of it...

[Phax]

Hey guys - By now you've learned that I ONLY trust my NICO brothers to hook the "old dawg" up with quality computer info.

I have DSL into my house, and it's directly connected to my PC. However, I also want to get my laptop online "in-house". I've been advised to get the LinkSys WPC54G broadband router and notebook adapter, but the price is $160 + tax for both.

Alternatively, I can get a data cable and dial up using my cell phone, then I could be online ANYWHERE, and I'd just pay for wireless minutes. I'm already dropping $80 for 1300/month anytime, I could bump up to $150 for 2700/month...

Actually, I'd like to do BOTH if I could get the wireless stuff cheaper.

Any other alternatives you guys know of?

Cell phone connections to the internet suck. A cellphone simply can't move the packets quickly enough, and in large enough chunks, to give you the kind of through put that you want.

LinkSys makes an OK product. When it comes to wireless, make sure that you purchase the card for the PC/laptop, and the wireless router, from the same vendor. Since a comprehensive stardard has yet to have been agreed upon by all the major vendors, they have differing key lengths in their encryption algorythms.

If you want the no joke, no is going to be f'd with your data wireless connection, go Cisco. The stuff is expensive though. We've implimented it for a client, over handheld PDAs in a restaurant (to take orders with). They validate card transactions and the whole nineyards.

D-Link is a good alternative to LinkSys. I think that the configuration interface on the LinkSys is more user friendly. The D-Link offers greater configurability though. It might be less expensive. Less being a relative term ~$20-30.

Whatever you end up going with, make sure that you setup your encryption keys. Also change the default password on whatever account you configure it with (admin / administrator / etc). Because although it's cool to get online from anywhere in your house, it's not so cool when your neighbor is doing the same thing.

[DAEDALUS]

Good info Phax. Any comments on the Netgear stuff at Amazon Black240 mentioned? I was told (3 years ago) that Netgear is a close 2nd to 3Com quality. I want to add a wireless PCI card to my network, so I figured I'd upgrade my whole system. The SMC stuff I have now doesn't work too well with Win XP.

[szh]

Cell phone connections to the internet suck. A cellphone simply can't move the packets quickly enough, and in large enough chunks, to give you the kind of through put that you want.

Of course! But, when 802.11 is not available, then this is an easy fall-back to have. I am not really web-surfing when I use my 1XRTT card ... I just get my e-mails that way and this is sufficient for me.

In my case, I travel a bit and carrying a short ethernet cable, an 802.11 A/B/G card, and my Sierra Wireless 555 CDMA card, pretty much gives me a reasonable chance to do whatever I need.

Z

[AZhitman]

Think I'm gonna go with both of Anand's suggestions.

$70 for the router and card together is a smoking deal, and although Verizon has a wireless PC deal for the same monthly price, the card is over $300 without signing a contract.

Anand, how soon could I have the card in hand?

[lessthanjakejohn]

I usually receive my stuff from Amazon in a little less than a week. If you order today with their super saver shipping i'd guess it would be at your house on the 17-18 if your lucky

[Jesda]

I spent a good month and a half trying to get my wireless network up.

Then, I got a linksys wireless router. It kept dropping the connection. Tried upgrading and downgrading the firmware, and tried every possible setting there was. It sucked BIG time. Tech support wasnt bad.

Then, I exchanged it for a Dlink. For whatever reason, the ping response over wireless was 3000ms, and 10ms on a hardwired network. I could never fix it. Tried two computers, two different wireless NICs.

Then I got a low-end Netgear router and it has been flawless.

-Jesda

[Anand]

Greg, I can get the card ordered today and it will come in next week... unfortunetly, it has to come into me and then I have to mail it out to you... so however long that takes... I will tell you the exact cost of it later today.

[BoostFab]

Netgear is the best SOHO wireless access point. Model WGR614 is my choice, 54 Mbps.

Amazon has them on sell for $44.99 after rebateCLICK HERE

IMO, Linksys, D-Link & SysLink sux arses...

who is your carrier for DSL? SBC Yahoo DSL -- $29, great deal for home use.

[AZhitman]

Bah.

Screw it - Today I bought the AT&T wireless internet card (free after $249 rebate) and $79.99/month unlimited access. It'll be here tomorrow.

[Anand]

Awesome.. now I just hopes it performas as good as I hope it does..

[AZhitman]

It had better - Or I'm blaming YOU!!!

What the HELL was I thinking spending thayt kind of coin?

[Rex]

You can make it back, charging people to watch 1der shock himself with his stun gun in KY.

<you make $, people get a show & 1der has fun - everyone wins>

[MasterMan]

http://www.attwireless.com/speed/

dude thats awsome i didnt know they had highspeed wireless servace... damn.. thats pimp

[AZhitman]

Yeah, you know me... :pimp

[szh]

Today I bought the AT&T wireless internet card (free after $249 rebate) and $79.99/month unlimited access. It'll be here tomorrow.

Greg,

After you get it running properly, please go to this site and tell me the results you get. I am very interested in real numbers, so that I can make a decision to look into the AT&T card too ...

http://bandwidth.com/tools/speedTest

Thanks,

Z

[Rex]

I like using nyc.speakeasy.net, I'd be interested to see what Greg can get thru thin air

2004-02-13 00:17:11 EST: 2826 / 367Your download speed : 2826866 bps, or 2826 kbps.A 345 KB/sec transfer rate.Your upload speed : 367331 bps, or 367 kbps.Seems like broadband .. above the 1mbit barrier!

[C-Kwik]

Lets hope then that AT&T wireless doesn't get bought out. I know that portion of the company is on the rocks according to someone I know that is is the industry. Last time I spoke to him about it, Cingular was looking at picking them up.

[lessthanjakejohn]

It will get bought out soon I think. Vodafone or CIngular

[DAEDALUS]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/ne...ds_dc

[Phax]

I like using nyc.speakeasy.net, I'd be interested to see what Greg can get thru thin air

2004-02-13 00:17:11 EST: 2826 / 367Your download speed : 2826866 bps, or 2826 kbps.A 345 KB/sec transfer rate.Your upload speed : 367331 bps, or 367 kbps.Seems like broadband .. above the 1mbit barrier!

That's not over a cell phone though, is it?

[Phax]

Good info Phax. Any comments on the Netgear stuff at Amazon Black240 mentioned? I was told (3 years ago) that Netgear is a close 2nd to 3Com quality. I want to add a wireless PCI card to my network, so I figured I'd upgrade my whole system. The SMC stuff I have now doesn't work too well with Win XP.

The only experience that I have with NetGear is one of their 10/100 hubs. I made the mistake of putting it in a mission critical environment. It took a dump. I replaced it with a 3com switch at 3:00 in the freakin morning.

So no, I can't really comment on what Anand is talking about.

SMC sucks, no doubt about it. I'm honestly surprised that they are still in business.

Whatever way you end up going, just make sure to get your network card, and router from the same vendor. Otherwise, you're just begging for headaches.

[Anand]

we most likely will be bought by Cingular... the only thing is I hope I am not out of a job!

other than that, I don't care who we get bought by... but we already do have tremendeous amounts of agreements with Cingular that I don't see why we wouldn't be bought by them...

[Rex]

That's not over a cell phone though, is it?

Oh, NO, I was just giving Greg an unrealstic benchmark for when he tests "what (he) can get thru thin air".

[lessthanjakejohn]

I wonder what he will get he will get...

I'd say 60-80KBps would be nice

[AZhitman]

I've been promised over 130KBps.

However, AT&T can kiss my arse. I just spent TWO HOURS on the phone with customer service... The instructions contain errors, 30 minutes on hold, the drivers won't download...

Then they're like, "you need to DL them from our website."

That's great - if I could get online with my laptop, do you think I'd be dropping $80+ per month on this damn PC card? And why the hell did I get a CD if it's not gonna work?

Laptop only has a phone line port, and my home connection is DSL.

I'm so pissed right now I can't think straight.

Bastards.