• Welcome to Overclockers Forums! Join us to reply in threads, receive reduced ads, and to customize your site experience!

I need the best wireless router $100 CDN can buy...

Overclockers is supported by our readers. When you click a link to make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn More.

Theocnoob

Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2007
Location
Near Toronto Canada
Can anybody recommend me a good wireless router for about $100?
www.canadacomputers.com is my most likely and convenient source though I'm not against ordering from newegg.ca... I just would prefer Canada computers because I can pick it up tomorrow down the street from me.

Solid connectivity is what I'm looking for. Something that'll travel 50-60ft and not drop out all the time. Nothing I have does wireless AC so that's not a necessity.

Thanks in advance.
 
Can anybody recommend me a good wireless router for about $100?
www.canadacomputers.com is my most likely and convenient source though I'm not against ordering from newegg.ca... I just would prefer Canada computers because I can pick it up tomorrow down the street from me.

Solid connectivity is what I'm looking for. Something that'll travel 50-60ft and not drop out all the time. Nothing I have does wireless AC so that's not a necessity.

Thanks in advance.

I love CC. That said, are you going through walls to get to the computers?

EDIT: In addition to Bugfreak 's suggestion, this will improve your signal strength too.

I use one, and it's the only reason why I can still connect to my weak Dlink Router. That antenna really works.
 
I love CC. That said, are you going through walls to get to the computers?

one concrete wall to get to the living room, and 2 concrete walls to get to the balcony.

My current modem (which has wireless) BARELY cuts it and some days it randomly just doesn't put any date through at ALL and others it works pretty good but not great.

So I know it is possible to have decent wifi in this condo with a decent router.

Asus RT-N16 with DD-WRT or Tomato on it. The stock firmware is crap but with Tomato USB on mine, it is rock solid.

Can you suggest a router where I wouldn't have to upgrade firmware? I read the tomato install process and it seems quite extensive... Shouldn't these things just work out of the box?
 
Perhaps TP-LINK N750 TL-WDR4300

or
Dlink DIR-835

I can vouch for the Dlink, I use the older and weaker DIR-601 with DD-WRT and it's great. No issues (other than the poor range for my router) and the CPU load on it is always low. Dlink's stock firmware was alright as well. Easy to configure.

TP-LINK makes solid products I hear, their 8Dbi antenna I linked here for you (Link for the antenna booster) is solid as well. I also use a TP-LINK wifi Pci card and it's fantastic, so I imagine their routers are good too :)
Also, the Newegg review favor the TP-Link over the Dlink, just another point.

Regardless, both router can use the 5GHz band which is great if everyone else is using the 2.4Ghz band - you won't have connection issues.
 
Last edited:
I just thought of something. Isn't Buffalo shipping some of their high-end routers with DD-WRT on them already? I'm not sure if the price fits your needs, but you might check them out.
 
I just thought of something. Isn't Buffalo shipping some of their high-end routers with DD-WRT on them already? I'm not sure if the price fits your needs, but you might check them out.

I believe you're correct Bug

I also use dd-wrt on my Netgear 3700 and it's great!
 
What exactly are DD WRT and Tomato? Why do I need them? What's wrong with stock routers?

They are custom firmware that "unlocks" special and/or hidden feature/options.

Stock firmware is well.. just that - stock :)


I run DD-WRT, lots of features yes, but 1 thing to consider. DD-WRT does not come with IPv6 natively. That must be added in after.
I'd like IPv6, but I have no intentions of trying to install packages on Linux. Let alone on a router :p
 
What kind of hidden features or options? I'm not a complex network user. I don't use anything "cloud". Mostly forums, youtube, torrents, Steam... that's it.

Suggest me some routers for $100 that work well stock plz. :)

Btw, in keeping with my "budgeting philosophy", if there's a router for $120 that's just a ton better than the $100 models, I'll take that. I don't mind going over budget a little for superior hardware.
 
What exactly are DD WRT and Tomato? Why do I need them? What's wrong with stock routers?
You don't "need" them but it's like overclocking your Cpu you can overclock the router. I used DD-WRT to boost my wireless signal and it helped dramatically.
 
What kind of hidden features or options? I'm not a complex network user. I don't use anything "cloud". Mostly forums, youtube, torrents, Steam... that's it.

Suggest me some routers for $100 that work well stock plz. :)

Btw, in keeping with my "budgeting philosophy", if there's a router for $120 that's just a ton better than the $100 models, I'll take that. I don't mind going over budget a little for superior hardware.

The Tp-Link I linked to should do.
Of course, they come with stock firmware. No one said you had to install DD-WRT ;)

But I'd like to hear what other members say as well.

Features unlocked?
Here's the wifi settings on my Dlink router
dd.PNG

On some routers, DD-WRT will let you overclock the router. Yep overclock.
 
What exactly are DD WRT and Tomato? Why do I need them? What's wrong with stock routers?
All the extra stuff is nice but I mainly use them for reliability. As Pharaoh said above, stock is stock, and that's about it. In the case of ASUS routers, the hardware is top notch but the firmware is probably the worst in the market. With DD-WRT or Tomato, they are unbeatable. DD-WRT just makes your router smarter and Tomato is just another type of the same thing. Both accomplish the same thing, keeping your $50 router working like a much more expensive enterprise version.

Definitely do some research on the Buffalo routers. As far as I know, they are the only one's that come with DD-WRT stock. That's just my .02 though.
 
All the extra stuff is nice but I mainly use them for reliability. As Pharaoh said above, stock is stock, and that's about it. In the case of ASUS routers, the hardware is top notch but the firmware is probably the worst in the market. With DD-WRT or Tomato, they are unbeatable. DD-WRT just makes your router smarter and Tomato is just another type of the same thing. Both accomplish the same thing, keeping your $50 router working like a much more expensive enterprise version.

Definitely do some research on the Buffalo routers. As far as I know, they are the only one's that come with DD-WRT stock. That's just my .02 though.

Do ALL Buffalo units come with this?
 
No, I don't believe so. The ones that do, should say it in the specs somewhere. This one says it does. I also don't know if it is a full DD-WRT install or some cut-down version of it made for Buffalo. The ones I use I have to install it but I would check into that before buying one.
 
Upon doing some research, DD WRT seems impossibly difficult to install and Tomato seems sketchy "Hangs at 35% but still works...".

If it's not preinstalled I'm not going to install it myself. I looked into that Buffalo router with WRT preinstalled and it is out of stock at newegg and nonexistant at Canada Computers.

Please help me narrow it down guys I don't want to just go out and buy a random router.
 
Perhaps TP-LINK N750 TL-WDR4300

or
Dlink DIR-835

I can vouch for the Dlink, I use the older and weaker DIR-601 with DD-WRT and it's great. No issues (other than the poor range for my router) and the CPU load on it is always low. Dlink's stock firmware was alright as well. Easy to configure.

TP-LINK makes solid products I hear, their 8Dbi antenna I linked here for you (Link for the antenna booster) is solid as well. I also use a TP-LINK wifi Pci card and it's fantastic, so I imagine their routers are good too :)
Also, the Newegg review favor the TP-Link over the Dlink, just another point.

Regardless, both router can use the 5GHz band which is great if everyone else is using the 2.4Ghz band - you won't have connection issues.

^
That's my 2 cents on this.

Pretty much any router will suffice if you also buy that 8 Dbi antenna.
Between the 2 I linked, I'd buy the TP-link. Sounds solid and the reviews at Newegg are better than the Dlink.


DD-WRT isn't all too hard to install, though it must be done certain ways on some routers. But don't worry about that, stock will work fine for you :)
 
^
That's my 2 cents on this.

Pretty much any router will suffice if you also buy that 8 Dbi antenna.
Between the 2 I linked, I'd buy the TP-link. Sounds solid and the reviews at Newegg are better than the Dlink.


DD-WRT isn't all too hard to install, though it must be done certain ways on some routers. But don't worry about that, stock will work fine for you :)

"need to upd. firmware if having issues at the start with connections but after updating works great."

(From the reviews ^)

I've never updated firmware on a router. How hard would that be to do? Would I need a USB key or anything like that to do it? What are the chances of accidentally bricking it when I update the firmware?

Thanks

http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=27_1046_365&item_id=067008
^ What about this unit? Has DD WRT installed out of the box. Reasonably in budget. Thoughts?
 
Back