Just moved into a new place. WRT54G sits up stairs with my PCS in the smallest of the spare bedrooms i've turned into my game room/office. Downstairs my signal is shit. Often going in and out which really affects xbox and laptop usage in the house. Any range tips or another router with significantly better range than the 54G? The cards are all G compatible, not draft-N.

Thanks!

7/24/2009 2:24:15 PM

depending on which revision you have, put tomato or dd-wrt on it, and then you have a knob where you can adjust the signal strength. IIRC, the default with the linksys firmware is set WAY weaker than what it can actually do.

7/24/2009 3:00:13 PM

Ah sweet, didn't realize the wireless signal was an adjustable variable. Thanks, will give Tomato a shot because I hear it requires less reboots when changes are made.

7/24/2009 3:08:19 PM

from what i've read the recommended max transmit power is 84 (default is 42) before getting into heat issues and maybe hurting your router. idk what the basis for that # is tho.

7/24/2009 3:24:49 PM

Yeah I remember reading something similar, i'm sure in the various tutorials on it, its covered somewhere.

7/24/2009 3:52:43 PM

has anyone used active cooling for a router?

I did it this weekend with my old wrt54gs.

80mm fan with AMP MATE-N-LOK connector, cut the top off the router (the vent at the top) with a dremel, screwed the fan onto the top, and plugged the fan into the back of the power supply.

now it needs a lot more tinkering, like vent holes on the sides, but it works rather well and the speed is adjustable for noise.

[Edited on July 24, 2009 at 6:54 PM. Reason : i put dd-wrt on it and turned up the transmit power.]

7/24/2009 6:53:32 PM

^yeah, did it on my wrt54gs because it kept freezing up due to heat

works very well, i use it as a wireless bridge. sits in a confined closet all the time, and i haven't had any issues.

7/25/2009 1:25:11 AM

i'm having a similar problem having my signal upstairs drop after about an hour with my WRT54G v2 (linksys firmware). should i install tomato and burn up my router or just buy an airport extreme?

[Edited on August 1, 2009 at 10:44 PM. Reason : or maybe a WRT610N. i have 2 macs and a win7 media server+xbox360 extender]

8/1/2009 9:58:48 PM

why would tomato burn up your router?

the dropping isn't NECESSARILY due to heat...flash it with tomato and give it a trial run

8/1/2009 10:44:05 PM

well, it IS like a 7 year old router. and i've been having more and more problems with it over the last year, i just figure it's about to die on me any moment. kicking up the signal strength i assume would just accelerate that process. i kinda wanna get a new router anyways. my macbooks have wireless n that i can't take advantage of, and i could really use gigabit streaming for my media server + xbox360

[Edited on August 1, 2009 at 10:49 PM. Reason : wireless g is for lamers]

8/1/2009 10:48:27 PM

Quote :

": or maybe a WRT610N."

i dig it. i like mine. the lack of external antennas is slightly bothersome, but other than that it's pretty sweet.

haven't tried the airport extreme, might be cool.

[Edited on August 1, 2009 at 11:21 PM. Reason : eh]

8/1/2009 11:20:26 PM

i just picked up a WRT310N (wireless-n plus, gigabit) to flash with DD-WRT

if they had a decent wireless-n gigabit DD-WRT-flashable router with a USB, i'd jump on that, but i can't find one...802.11a is pointless

8/2/2009 3:08:18 PM

Quote :

"the lack of external antennas is slightly bothersome"

meh, a lot of even Cisco's stuff doesn't come with external antennas.. if it works who gives a shit

8/2/2009 4:27:44 PM

i do, b/c i'd like the ability to get reception outside the house, if i want.

8/2/2009 11:59:35 PM

the reviews on newegg for the WRT610N and the WRT310N are less than encouraging.

oh, what to do...

8/4/2009 1:29:44 PM

well, after playing with the WRT310N a bit, i have some experience to share

it's kind of a pain...linksys has never released a firmware that didn't suck donkey balls UNLESS you're a "i just want to plug it in and have it work" kind of person, assuming you don't want any additional features...tomato is my hands-down favorite firmware out there, but they don't support N devices (and it looks like they may never), so i'm stuck with DD-WRT (which is okay, i guess...it just seems bloated compared to tomato)

anyway, DD-WRT only works on the v1 310, which you can identify by checking the serial number (starting with F01 is v1, starting with F11 is v2)...wal-mart only had v2's when i checked, best buy only had v1's, so that might give you a place to start

the 310 requires a multi-step flash...one with a special 310 header and then a second one for the "real" version of DD-WRT...i, personally, still have not gotten the thing to flash correctly (i keep getting a dropped connection when i try), though it could be due to my machine and not the router (i'm going to try using a different machine this afternoon)

even then, it seems like a solid 25% of people are having trouble with their 310's, stock firmware or DD-WRT doesn't seem to matter...common thought is that a bad batch was put out, supposedly fixed in the v2 (but which is not DD-WRT compatible and may never be)

i don't consider the USB port or wireless-a functionality to be sellers for me, since you can always pick up a NAS enclosure if you want it...and who cares about wireless-a devices when wireless-n is available? then again, it's only $20 more, so...

[Edited on August 4, 2009 at 2:28 PM. Reason : durr on my part]

8/4/2009 2:23:28 PM

well, i got it to flash today...turns out i needed to use internet explorer as it did not care for firefox for whatever reason

so far, it seems good...we'll see if it resets over the next few days...my asus WL-500W running DD-WRT was rock solid

8/4/2009 9:24:36 PM

new wireless router question...

my mom is setting up a high speed wireless at the house and needs a router. don't need anything fancy just get the job done and last awhile. someone else set me up with my router long ago in college so i know nothing. there is a ton of stuff out there, how much should she being paying and what models should she be looking it? all i know is netgear and linksys

8/7/2009 5:58:10 PM

Too many router threads - here's my post from the other one:

<- Wireless n00b.

My gf wants to get a new router this weekend, and is interested in the Apple Extreme so she can set up her printer and external HD on it. It only has one USB port though, so that seems to not really meet her needs.

Advice on another router that is easy to set up and will be able to support a printer and HD network?

8/7/2009 6:02:33 PM

my google search for router with 2 usb ports turned up some $6,000+ Cisco routers, haha.

I'm sure there's something though.

8/7/2009 6:06:19 PM

get a powered usb 4 port hub and use the router. has anyone tried that?

8/7/2009 6:15:31 PM

anyone know why so many people sell their 'dead' routers at yard sales? are they really dead or are people just technically challenged?

if they're really dead, why?

8/7/2009 6:25:44 PM

because people are stupid.

and i doubt theyre usually actually dead unless somebody tried to flash them with something that wasn't made to go on there or plugged it into the wrong power converter

8/7/2009 7:32:18 PM

^^^^^ umm cant you just use a usb hub

8/7/2009 11:23:15 PM

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp;jsessionid=D40929C665B503F97792D0CF919A4C98.bbolsp-app05-15?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&_dynSessConf=5236679623882968785&id=pcat17071&type=page&st=wireless+router&sc=Global&cp=1&nrp=15&sp=&qp=&list=n&iht=y&usc=All+Categories&ks=960

best buy search for wireless router. what is an N or a G router mean? i dont even know where to start. halp

8/8/2009 12:07:42 AM

wifi g is the standard. most laptops have wifi g built in. wifi n is the new standard and allows faster download speeds and the routers have something like twice the signal range. but not all devices have wifi n built in yet b/c the protocol itself hasn't been fully approved by the organization in charge of such things. but even though it's not official yet, many devices have supported wifi n for well over a year now, so it's a fairly safe bet

8/8/2009 12:15:14 AM

well my mom bought a refurbished macbook pro from apple today for the tax free weekend. i bet it has g

from the link, this one looks good http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8741365&st=wireless+router&type=product&id=1202648529130

Linksys - Wireless-G Broadband Router with 4-Port Ethernet Switch $60

she doesn't need anything crazy, just needs to get herself online and i'd get on whenever im home too. possibly another user in the house, very typical stuff...

she was asking me about password protecting the router. i dont know how to set it up as a friend did mine for me when he came to visit so im of no help. is setting it up pretty easy? will the inserts with the router tell her how to do it?

8/8/2009 12:45:53 AM

^ yep, it may not be in the quick start guide, but it's definitely in the main documentation.

the refurb MBP will definitely have G, and most likely have N. But spending the extra $ on an N router is probably not worth it for your mom.

8/8/2009 8:49:05 AM

^^if she's able to get on the internet.. just tell her to open internet explorer and go to

http://192.168.1.1

username admin, password "password" is probably what it is. if not, google the model number and you'll find it. somewhere in there you can change the pw..it should be very very obvious.

or it might be username admin, password admin. that's what mine is now that i think about it

[Edited on August 8, 2009 at 9:42 AM. Reason : asf]

8/8/2009 9:41:59 AM

awesome, thanks guys!

if she cant get the password thing figured out i'll just do it for her when i go back in sept, and hopefully i can figure it out

8/8/2009 10:48:58 AM

Password protecting the router menu is a must, but she should 'password' protect her wireless network as well. Look for something called encryption and choose WPA and set a password. Then when anyone tries to connect, it should ask for the encryption password.

8/8/2009 11:59:28 AM

Fellow Tomato users, what is the best way to severely cap a roommate's upload speed? I've tried a few different rules using mac addresses and source IPs as filters, but his shit always gets around it.

I think I might just go back to pfSense again.

[Edited on August 11, 2009 at 8:11 PM. Reason : .]

Nevermind, I realized I could stick him in a complete QoS class by himself, rather than use Lowest.

[Edited on August 11, 2009 at 8:21 PM. Reason : .]

8/11/2009 8:10:25 PM

Does this look like a good buy? http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp;jsessionid=ECC99210883C802D5A4A42694AEC45A4.bbolsp-app05-15?skuId=8639967&st=wireless+router&type=product&id=1194054018722

I don't play games over the internet, but do stream movies from Netflix on a regular basis.

8/18/2009 1:37:50 PM

recommendations for a basic router. no gaming/streaming/etc. just need a wireless connection. preferably something that runs more than N/G since I have an older laptop.

8/18/2009 3:18:08 PM

if you just want a basic wireless router, just spend $26 (free shipping, no rebates):

http://www.buy.com/prod/trendnet-tew-652brp-wireless-n-home-router/q/loc/101/209310654.html

features are nothing special, but it'll do what you want and it will do it well (at least, the 3 trendnet units that i've used are still up and running flawlessly after 2 and 3 years)

8/19/2009 12:02:03 PM

even better: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833162026

8/19/2009 9:11:11 PM

if you're gonna play with tomato and channel shifting, i wouldn't go jacking up the tx power on my only router i'd definitely try to get your hands on a spectrum analyzer for at least a weekend. they aren't cheap, but a super rad toy. if you ever used the 2.4x, the wi-spy dbx will blow you away... you'll definitely find the clearest channel with that.

some of the 5.8 ghz cordless handsets transmit back to the base right at 2440 (which is like right on top of "ch7") - and that's what causes lots of the WTF type problems (with 2400 range shit), cause people were getting jammed by 2.4 phones and got rid of them... and forgot about the hybrid monster.

i know there's some better stuff, but i got the good cheap shit you can play around with and catch on fire! bunch of WRT54GS variants boxed up, waiting on AC adapters for a lot of them.

as for the cooling system, that's just silly!

8/19/2009 11:26:28 PM