Newr versions-Lower specs-Why is that?

"p.mc" hath wroth:

Yep. If they can provide the same functions with a smaller memory footprint, it will save a few pennies on the product price, and enhance the bottom line. Give the choice of more "impressive" internals, versus a lower priced product, which would you choose?

Hi Jeff

I suppose I was asking if the extra memory enhanced the network. If so I would gladly pay extra. I was comparing it to a PC, where more memory does enhance perfomance. But as you said more ram 'n' flash memory is not required, then I'm ok to go with,

V.07...16MB RAM...2MB FLASH Memory (Rather than) V.01...32MB RAM...8MB FLASH Memory

"p.mc" hath wroth:

There are various terms for the later units having less RAM, none of them complimentary. I wasn't joking about the pennies. The cheapest addition to modern electronics is RAM. Once you have sufficient RAM, features get added in software, instead of hardware. For example, instead of saving a few pennies, Linksys could have added an internal RADIUS server, or larger MAC address table space so it could handle a larger number of simultaneous wireless client. It's also much easier to write firmware code if one does not need to cram everything into an artificially insufficient memory footprint. One thing for sure... Linksys marketing does not understand how their wireless products are being used. At the least, all the alternative firmware development projects should have given Linksys a clue as to what direction their product should be going. It's apparently done the opposite.

I have no inside information on what Linksys was thinking when they turned the very popular and versatile WRT54G into an insipid piece of memory limited commodity junk. In marketing, we call it "pissing in the soup". The customer will never know the difference. Maybe Cisco considers the Linksys WRT54G competition for some yet un-announced Cisco product. Dunno.

You are a very small minority in today's market place. Most customers prefer to save on the purchase price.

fundamentalism, fundamentally wrong.

rico snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com (Rico) wrote in news:HhF6j.22646$ snipped-for-privacy@bignews1.bellsouth.net:

While this is generally true, it all depends on the product.

I'll spend the extra $$ for Michelob over Budweiser anyday.

But, a local drug store chain has recently dropped the price of 12 packs of OV in bottles to $4.99, so that's what I usually go for.

(That reminds me of a story from way back. A couple of us were partying at another friends house and we ran out of beer at like 1AM. Being poor as teenagers are, we were only able to scrape together about $5.00. There was a supermarket that was still open almost directly across the street. Being underage, we sent our friends mother to the store for us to get the beer. She came back with a 12 pack of Schaeffer...........and change !!!!!)

(Jeff wrote)

Hi Jeff

You seem to know a fair bit on the subject. I know there's pros and cons to different set ups, but could in your opinion give us a maker and model etc for my requirements, money no issue. I'm not bothered about the latest this 'n' that if it's all hype, rather something stable and reliable to suit. Or just a push in the right direction.

(Intended network)...4 bed semi. (ADSL Broadband)

Other subcribers please feel free to comment, apologies for sounding a bit biased, your comments have been extremely helpfull also.

"p.mc" hath wroth:

Can I pass? Several excuses, err... reasons.

1. It takes quite a bit of time to scribble out my favorite system of the month. Yes, it changes roughly monthly.
2. If money really isn't an issue, you would not believe how expensive I can make a wireless system. For example, one of the wireless switches should set you back about ,000 to start plus about 0-0 per access point.
3. Nobody takes my advice anyway.
4. I have some conflicts of interest with clients. I therefore avoid making specific hardware recommendations.
5. I only fix wireless systems. I don't sell them. There are probably users that buy, plug, play, and never have a problem, but I don't see those.
6. I have no real clue as to your application, usage patterns, bandwidth requirements, and expectations. Just listing the connected hardware is unsufficient to size the system. Same with topology and building construction.

Thanks, but I'm trying to answer the questions that the sales and support people normally don't (or can't) answer. I really don't want to get into system sales and configuration.

In general, just get something that does 802.11g to 54Mbits/sec. You won't get stability or reliability from the commodity vendors (Linksys, Netgear, Belkin, Dlink, etc). Look at hardware from Cisco,

If possible, buy seperate boxes for the DSL modem, for the ethernet router, and for the wireless access point(s). This will be useful as the wireless technology changes rapidly and anything you buy today is sure to be obsolete in a year or two.

And to minimize a single point failure turning into a multiple point FUBAR.

Thats why I buy four separate radio cards in four separate weatherproof boxes for my access point, when I could save money and get four radios in one box. Better to take one failed segment down instead of the whole tower site.

DTC hath wroth:

Well, there's "reliability" and there is "$RELIABILITY$". The latter costs more. I tend to look at such things as MMTR (mean time to repair). It's often easier to have a spare handy, than to purchase the ultimate in quality and protection. A spare (live) radio is often cheaper than a pull and replace service call.

Of couse, there's a distinction between mission critical and consumer grade. The unit of measure is the number of phone calls a failure generates. A consumer grade failure will generate exactly one irate phone call. A mission critical WISP failure, can easily generate 100 irate phone calls. Think of the selection of hardware, software, topology, spares, backup, and theft proofing as an exercise in keeping the phone from ringing. When the phone stops ringing, you've succeeded.

That's also why I don't do towers any more. Somehow, even the smallest failure seems to ocurr a the most inconvenient time, and in incliment weather. I like the idea of seperate boxes, but most of the tower companies charge by the box making plastering the tower with boxes somewhat expensive. They also charge by the antenna, which inspired one local WISP to invest in a 3 port BPF/diplexer so he could run 3 radios on one antenna (on different channels).

Reminds me of a lighting grounding company trying to sell me a $15,000 earth grounding system. That's three times the cost of all my tower electronics. If this was Florida, a different story.

We keep spare radio crash kits on a pallet that can restore everything other than a felled tower. And even then we have a spare trailer mounted pushup that can be deployed in less than thirty minutes after on site.

There's a point of diminishing returns when it comes to high price long term MTBF and simply replacing the unit after a year.

Consumer grade is a laugh. Linksys, Netgear, Belkin, Buffalo and Hawking gear should be next to the Fisher Price toy isle for little boys.

Considering there are no buildings over two stories in the county, other than the regional hospital, and no tall structures...towers are a fact of life. My towers are only fifty feet tall. Leasing tower space would a waste of money as there is no advantage for me to get any higher. 5.8 GHz only has an effective range of four miles omni.