Posted by
Wupper
18 yrs ago
Could anyone please suggest a good wireless router that would work with my Apple MacBook? At the moment I have the Apple Airport Extreme, but it seems it gets a lot of interference and the connection crashes (ssems to be the connection between modem and Airport Express, not between Airport Express nad MacBook). Checked various Apple forums and no one could help - only loads of people complaining about the same problem.
In short - I give up and want to buy a new router. Any recommendations as to brand and model?
Thanks!
Please support our advertisers:
Here's a link for you to check out first before ruling out which component(s) are not working properly.
http://www.macmaps.com/WIFI1048.html
Please support our advertisers:
As alcheng says, first check the existing one.
Right now I like the Buffalo routers. Currently have a WHR-G54S.
A year or two ago it was Linksys but lately I have had issues with all my Linksys stuff.
Please support our advertisers:
Thanks both, as I said, I have checked numerous websites and forums on this problem, and I was confirmed that the airport express is the problem. In addition, I do not have WIFI problems at public spots, Starbucks, etc.
Funny thing though - after more than three months of trouble, after I complained on this froum and wrote a nasty review of the product on the Apple Store website - yesterday my aisport express worked for more tahn 10 hours straight... A first time ever. Could make you paranoid ;-) The big Apple company watching your every step...
Please support our advertisers:
"yesterday my aisport express worked for more tahn 10 hours straight... A first time ever."
Hehe. I'd say that if I have to restart my router more than once a month it's too often. Can't remember the last time my Buffalo had to be restarted.
Please support our advertisers:
I agree - I have visions of this thing flying out of my window, dropping down 16 floors, landing perfectly on the edge of the pool, shattering into thousands of pieces and all the little pieces drowning thereafter... What a way to destroy a useless piece of equipment ;-)
Please support our advertisers:
"Hehe. I'd say that if I have to restart my router more than once a month it's too often. Can't remember the last time my Buffalo had to be restarted."
Funny you had problems with Linksys before, my WRT54GL is working flawlessly for almost 1yr straight! It could be that I've installed 3rd party firmware for it though. FYI Buffalo was my 2nd choice, but never needed to change. ;-)
Please support our advertisers:
"I agree - I have visions of this thing flying out of my window, dropping down 16 floors, landing perfectly on the edge of the pool, shattering into thousands of pieces and all the little pieces drowning thereafter... What a way to destroy a useless piece of equipment ;-)"
How about a firecracker? Or perhaps a blender? http://www.willitblend.com/
"
Funny you had problems with Linksys before, my WRT54GL is working flawlessly for almost 1yr straight! It could be that I've installed 3rd party firmware for it though. FYI Buffalo was my 2nd choice, but never needed to change. ;-)"
Don't get me wrong, I've had plenty of working Linksys kit and used to be a huge fanboy. Just that lately I've had issues with both routers and switches. My switch all of a sudden decided it wasn't going to be gigabit anymore, and even 100mbit was giving issues with stuttering video streams and glacial filecopies. My new 3com switches do the job nicely, and as an added bonus support jumbo frames.
Ialso use 3rd party firmware, DD-WRT to be exact. But that works on the Buffalo too. ;)
Please support our advertisers:
axpatguy38, Alcheng,
I realised that you are both using G-Standard routers. Any particular reason why you do not use N-draft?
And - why and how are you guys using 3rd party firmware?
Thanks!
Please support our advertisers:
"I realised that you are both using G-Standard routers. Any particular reason why you do not use N-draft?"
- I still feel that this technology isn't ready. I mean it's still called "draft" and the issues have been many.
- I would have to buy new adapters for the laptops.
- I don't use wireless a lot at home. Mostly it's the guest laptop and the helper's laptop. I run wired gigabit with jumbo frames almost everything else (my machine, my wife's machine, media center machine, server, storage server). This way way faster than even theoretical N draft maximums. I have once run a storage server off wireless and it was very dodgy. With a wired connection it is going to be rock solid.
- Outside the house, there are no hotspots that run draft N.
Having said all that, I will move to N (non "draft) someday. Still, despite being an early adopter, I don't feel the need for this technology. I guess I'm getting older. ;)
"And - why and how are you guys using 3rd party firmware?"
- For the fun of installing and configuring (yes really).
- Many of the features that the hardware can handle are not enabled in consumer level firmware. Things like VLAN and better routing options.
- The most useful option is the ability to boost power and thus increase range.
Please support our advertisers:
axptguy pretty much sums it up there about why we still choose to use G-standard.
3rd party firmwares are exactly that - the fun of knowing that you might possibly brick your old router if things go bad! :-) Of course it's so much more exciting than unboxing a new router and plugging it in. There's also tons more features available that you can fiddle with.
BTW my WRT54GL is running on HyperWRT 2.1b1 + Thibor15c.
Please support our advertisers:
Geek news: Updated the WHR-G54S to DD-WRT v24 SP1 tonight. Good clean fun!
More geek news: Dodgy patch cable sent me on a wild goose chase with updated drivers, updated bios, headache. As my friend always says: CCF! Check Cable First!
Please support our advertisers:
OK guys - thanks for all that info.
Checking the Buffalo and Linksys websites, I found combination modem/wireless router. Does that make sense? Having only one instead of two pieces of equipment would very much appeal to me.
And - one last question (hopefully). It seems that the Buffalo / Linksys routers only come with Windows software. While I can run XP on my MacBook via bootcamp, would I have any problems with connecting later on via Leopard?
As for the firmware updates... I think I leave that to you guys ;-) I just need a simple stable wireless for my notebook to do some internet, email and skype.
Thanks again!
Please support our advertisers:
lace
18 yrs ago
My husband has an iMac and a Mac note book, I have a PC, we both have an iPod touch. Our Buffalo router work very well with all those devices.
Please support our advertisers:
"I found combination modem/wireless router. Does that make sense? Having only one instead of two pieces of equipment would very much appeal to me"
Maybe. But you typically get a modem from the ISP.
"And - one last question (hopefully). It seems that the Buffalo / Linksys routers only come with Windows software. While I can run XP on my MacBook via bootcamp, would I have any problems with connecting later on via Leopard?"
That's a bit of a misnomer. Any Windows software is just fancy "packaging" for the electronic manual. All configuration is browser based so you can use a Mac, Windows machine, Linux box, whatever... No software needs to be installed.
Please support our advertisers:
Yes you only need to input the web address of your router for configuration. Very easy stuff even for novice.
Please support our advertisers:
"you only need to input the web address of your router for configuration"
Many new routers have all that info printed right on them. A smart feature.
Please support our advertisers:
Thanks all for your help. Will get myself a new router. In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy my airport extreme and discussing with Apple whether I can return this piece of plastic or not.... What fun ;-)
Please support our advertisers:
"What I would really like to acquire is an "Access Point" LAN device - like the FON access points which I have plugged in to my hub & on to the router & which is an "a" mode device."
Plenty of routers can be run as access points. Basically turn off the DHCP server feature and ignore the routing.
"I wonder if there is any such beast available on the market outside of Hong Kong."
Are you in the US or Canada? http://www.newegg.com
Please support our advertisers:
You must be logged in to be able to reply.
Login now
Copy Link
Facebook
Gmail
Mail