Wireless Router Recommendations for High Traffic Usage

[Polonator]

If you are a heavy torrent user (let's say 3 - 5 big torrents continuously), and not experiencing constant reset issues, could you please post the wireless router that you are using at the moment?

I was using Microsoft's MN-700 for a long time, but it was no longer up to the job when my mother developed her Korean soap opera addiction. Upgraded the firmware, but we still had to reset every other day or so.

I bought a Linksys wrt54g v.3 but it has been even worse than the MN-700. After all the Linksys firmware upgrades, HyperWRT, dd-WRT, overclocking, torrent connection count decreases, the new router still needs a reset about every 3 hours or so. The open source firmware has some great functions, but I need something stable.

In addition, I just found out that my ISP has begun the use of a traffic shaper. Great.

BTW, I'm on a Motorola SB5100 and Rogers Hi-Speed in Canada.

 

[Xenocide]

cisco access points rule.

wireless was not implemented for huge files to constantly be transfered across its only a half duplex system.

why do you need that many torrents unless your hurling illegal files across the internet? people don't download that many linux isos....

 

[dicecca112]

http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProd...=&Section_Id=201522&pcount=&Product_Id=179477

I've got that, three torrents going right now about 300Kb/s and no issues, except if my cordless phone is near it, then it drops.

 

[Polonator]

I should have provided more information.

Both my mother's computer and mine are directly connected (old fashion blue cable and all). The wireless capability is for my laptop so that I can work around my house.

I grew out of my downloading phase; no time anyway. I just want to keep the hand that feeds me happy and Korean soaps are supposedly entertaining.

In addition, I've read that smoothwall is an excellent option. I have the parts, but I really do not want to run another computer. Utility bills are bad enough as they are.

Thanks

 

[dicecca112]

yeah that router can do both wireless and wired

 

[Dell_Axim]

I use an IPCop. It has handled P2P better than anything I used in the past.

 

[Xenocide]

its because a computer can handle more concurrent connections than any ****ty router

 

[Polonator]

http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProd...=&Section_Id=201522&pcount=&Product_Id=179477

I've got that, three torrents going right now about 300Kb/s and no issues, except if my cordless phone is near it, then it drops.

I just picked up this model at the local bestbuy. Taking it out for a spin.

 

[dicecca112]

that's were I got mine, because it was 20$ after rebates. What wireless card are you using?

 

[Polonator]

I am using the wifi card in my centrino laptop...it's the 2100B with all the updated firmware.

Alas, a few hours after plugging it in and running a few test torrents with the physically connected comps, I run into the same problems.

The comp is running the latest Azureus clients with severely decreased number of connections (100 global, 30 per torrent). Unlike the other routers, the torrents will stay alive but the http dies.

I've tried using my software firewall to block azureus, or javaw, from accessing port 80, but as soon as I did that, Azureus will lose all its connections. I'm beginning to suspect my ISP is up to something, so I think the next best course of action may be to ditch the router for now and see what happens to the torrents.

Any thoughts?

 

[dicecca112]

are you sure that the card and the router are working on the same channel, that the SSID is correct for both cards?

 

[four4875]

i use an orinoco COR-1100 with one gold card in it, with a 5 DB vertically polarized omni antenna. can occasionally find them on ebay for around 150 without the cards. for the actual routing, i have a netgear piece of crap router that crashes quite often when torrenting. it seems liek its usually every night around 5 am. conveniently when im not awake to power cycle it. and what's really awesome, it takes power cycling it twice to make it work again. i want to get a smoothwall running in its place, just have to get the hardware together.

 

[Bios24]

I've got a Netgear WGR614v5 and I've never had to reset it. I usually have 3 clients on it, 2 wireless and 1 wired. I've done some heavy torrent work in my day, and it hasn't failed me yet.

 

[Polonator]

are you sure that the card and the router are working on the same channel, that the SSID is correct for both cards?

I am not using my wireless computers at the moment, just straight ethernet cables to the router. I have the router running on DHCP ... would static IPs help?

I've read that the Linksys WRT54g v.2s are a lot more stable than the v.3s that are being sold now. Does anybody know anything about this?

Heh, I haven't even moved onto the range of the wireless yet ... but that shouldn't be a problem, I have some experience with building my own cantennas.

 

[fafnir]

a. stay away from dlink-(grey consumer line), tp-link, asus, sohoware, and any and all travel routers (wrt54gc is OK, but nowhere near as good as a GX)

b. good bets are linksys and the dlink-gamerlounge series

c. netgear and belkin (MIMO) are alright, but i find them lacking somewhat in odd random features such as vpn, qos, and parental controls (i've got CRAZY kids in my house, not mine, but they're still insane)

d. belkin (non-mimo) is less than ideal, but CHEAP, if you can find a good cheap wrt54 instead, go for that



specific models recommended would be:

1. linksys wrt54gx v2 (removable antennas, best bet)
2. linksys wrt54gx v1 (solid router, antennas break easily, best performance)
3. dlink gamerlounge dgl-4300 (good solid router, gigabit switch built-in, no MIMO)
4. belkin PRE-N MIMO (good bet if you don't mind what it lacks from the wrt54gx, but much cheaper)
5. linksys wrt54gc (better than vanilla wrt54)
6. netgear rangemax (odd range booster system, but still good)
7. linksys wrt54gs v2.2 (newest version is much faster than v1.0)


if you're just going for cheap:

1. that belkin dicecca112 was talking about
2. wrt54 v3/v2 (NOT v1)



_

 

[fafnir]

1. is the v2.0 wrt54gx

2. is the new sma antennas 12072005

3. box shot (its different than v1)

 

[meionm]

I have motorola SB5100 cable modem recenlty I pick up Belkin wireless router, for time being it's not effected by high bittorent traffic. So far the best router I had.



I had wrt54gx v1 and that was piece of junk, just by turning bittorent program, internet would go off or become slow

I aslo had linksys wrt54gs, this one was working fine for about few weeks to a month then in bittorent all of suddent I started getting error with Unpn.

 

[Polonator]

I ran a comp with just the cable modem today - no router. Torrents worked fine and browsing capability was unaffected.

The MIMO routers look nice but are out of my price range. Also, I do not have any WiFi-G capable devices so I won't be able to use its full range of capabilities.

fafnir, thanks for the recommendations. Question, how is the linksys wrt54gc better than a standard wrt54?

Also, if I do make a smoothwall router, will I be able to use my current router as a switch? Cable modem --> Smoothwall --> Router --> Computers
If I run it this way, will I be taking advantage of the fact that the Smoothwall can handle many more connections, or will I still be bottle-necked by the standard non-smoothwall router?

 

[Spion]

i'll stick with my USR8054 for now hasn't ever let me down in a year and half of service.