Old WRT54G

hey guys I have an old WRT54G Linksys Router with Firmware version 1.02.8 Date of Oct, 5, 2009. This is the latest Firmware for this old Router. I have the router plugged in to the Down stairs Desktop and My main laptop is upstairs around 200 ft away from the Access Point. My signal is 3 to 5 bars. I try playing Diablo3 but the game lags. Could this be an old router issue if so whats a good router better than the WRT54G.

did you try it on your desktop thats plugged in as see if it made a difference?
well you could try upgrading to a N router but then you may also need to upgrade to compatible equipment to get the benefits.
before you do all that you could try using a 3rd party firmware and see if it helps..such as ddwrt http://www.dd-wrt.com/site/index.

If there's any file sharing taking place it can slow things down as well. Second vote for slapping ddwrt on that moldy oldie.

I say load ddwrt on it (I had to load mini DDWRT as the WRT54G V.5 has a super small flash), then check signal levels via a sniffer, like inssider. Look for channel overlap on 2.4ghz, as well as low signal levels.

First, ping your router from your laptop and check the ping latency. If you are seeing obscene latency or dropped packets, that is the source of your Diablo 3 issues.

Also, TomatoUSB (especially the Shibby, Toastman and Teaman builds) is a GREAT alternative firmware. It provides a better user interface than DDWRT for most things, along with amazing QOS support (which will help with things like filesharing and gaming at the same time).

The WRT54G is on the supported devices list (http://tomato.groov.pl/?page_id=69).

Still, DDWRT is also a great idea, and increasing the power on your antenna's may be just what you need if you are seeing connection issues from your laptop. I say this as a user who has DDWRT loaded on a WRT54GL and a Buffalo WZR-AG300H.

I can vouch for Tomato, its an excellent firmware. Ive been running it on my WRT54GL for close to 5 years now without issue. As was said above, the QoS support is outstanding.

Diablo 3 essentially downloads game content all the time, so make sure you are the only one using wifi since wireless G is very narrow bandwidth nowadays.