Router for Intense Data Transfer, what Consumer routers cant

At home I use a Linksys WRT54GS with openwrt, and while at school(University at Buffalo) I use a Linksys Befw11s4.

At home I have a 30/2 connection from Cablevision, in which I should theoretically download at 3840 KBs, or 3.8MBs. With the WRT54GS I can only download at max 2.6MBs, though without a router i can download from giganews at 3.6MBs.

At school we have a excessively fast connection in which I have been able to get up to 8.2MBs from my giganews account. Though with my router the Befw11s4, I could only get 600-800 kbs. This is a dramatic decrease.

I need a router that can offer me the security of NAT and one that can possible be wireless, But I need it to be able to handle the data Transfers. I have come to the conclusion that the consumer branded routers just do not have the processing power needed.


Is my only option to take an old box and load up smoothwall or IPcop and get a switch that can handle the speed.

What about a Smoothwall?

Since I have mine, my games ping dropped by 50-100 and my torrents doubled in speed. You can add whatever you want to it, wireless support, VPN, IDS, ...

yeah, pretty much your only option. theres other commercially aimed routers, but they're expensive, and are basically like a smoothwall running on pc hardware. could go with an itx for its tiny formfactor or somethin, but thats about all you can do size wise, cant get 'em tiny like the linksys you're used to.

a smoothwall box would likely be the most inexpensive or cheapest way and most effective.

You could look on Ebay for used Cisco routers, but then you need to learn their IOS software and how to configure it

Mr.Guvernment said:

You could look on Ebay for used Cisco routers, but then you need to learn their IOS software and how to configure it

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and do a bit of learning before buying it, so you know what to get and dont end up with somethin which you'll need a serial port interface to use or somethin fun like that, like i ran into when i had a 2501.

^^^ thas why i do the same thing, find out ALL the details before hand so you dont end up with a $100 used router and now have to find a serial cable for it.

Why not setup your own router/firewall. Setup a linux box with 2 network cards and use a gigabit switch as your network backbone.

Why not setup your own router/firewall. Setup a linux box with 2 network cards and use a gigabit switch as your network backbone.

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That's what ALL people before you already said. Except Mr.Guvernment perhaps, but I'd say we call IOS an honorable *nix or something

so a POS gateway I had a in 1997 which is a 633MHz celeron with only 2 pci slots will wouk fine, then I need a Gigabit switch behind that.

you dont have to go gigabit, thats only if you have gigabit cards and need / want the extra speed, enough to make it justifiable over a 100 mbit switch.

four4875 said:

you dont have to go gigabit, thats only if you have gigabit cards and need / want the extra speed, enough to make it justifiable over a 100 mbit switch.

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But a Gigabit would have to be alot more powerfull and be able to transfer alot more data, compared to the current problem I am having.

Yes, gigabit would allow faster transfer speeds, but the NIC for gigabyte also cost more and a good router costs more as well, also ahve to make sure you have min Cat5e cable.

am I recommened to get a few good Nics then a wireless Nic, and run smoothwall on it and id be set.


id just need to get an old computer because the only one I have is a onld gateway which is a small form factor and wont fit PCI cards properly and only has 2 slots. But it does have a 633 celeron processor.

so I should take a Old machine then use smoothwall on it.

But should It have a switch between the smoothwall box and my network. Or is there no need.

Most any P2/P3 with 128/256mb ram should make a nice smoothwall/IPCop box. Read up on the install, it can be tricky. You'll need 2 10/100 NIC's and a switch of your choice. (Switch can either be 10/100 or gigabit) One nic is for the cable modem, the other is for your network (ie-the switch). You can then plug all your computers into the switch, heck you can even hook up a wireless AP/router to the switch.