Linksys or Netgear

My suggestion is just get whatever is cheap, easy, quick, and fits your needs....

personally, i'd just get something cheap from a local place with a good refund policy (like walmart), come home plug it in, follow the instructs, and viola, in a few minutes you'll have it up and running

Anything concerning consumer electronics changes fairly often.... anything like changing ip addresses/using different firmware/etc is for people like me with no life, enjoy your grandkids, and let us worry about the techie stuff

Many thanks for the pointer. I did have this bookmarked some time ago, presumably this one:

In basic use is the dd-wrt software necessary bearing in mind that installing it may well void the warranty?

remove fingers from ears go to wrt site and see if your current unit will benefit from an upgrade try it it might help if not replace it easy huh

try the thing on std first , if it wont do what you want it is nice to have options

No, I only meant that regardless of which firmware a person decides to use, some basic things should always be done, like changing the password, customizing the SSID and enabling wireless security if wireless is used, disabling the wireless capability if wireless is not going to be used, and things like that.

The stock firmware will provide all of those basic things.

I agree with the others who are saying you should just use the stock firmware when possible. Only consider changing to 3rd party firmware to fix a specific problem you might be having, and then only if the other firmware is known to address that issue.

BT does support PPPoE, but that device doesn't have a DSL interface, so doesn't fulfil your spec.

The whole point of the 'L' version is being a platform for putting third party firmware on, however I wouldn't be surprised if it does void the warranty!

Yeah, Netgear don't update their website, hence the link I posted to the OP not being to Netgear's website. You're the one who stipulated Netgear's website.

Because it doesn't.

Man, it sounds like I just killed to manufactures in just few days. Yes, I have seen the name Linksys Cisco but didn't know the detail info, and NetGear, I have 1 wired rounter RT311.

I always love the lowest price, and I don't want paying more than other for sure. Right now I am looking at the E1000 or E2000. and I still have few more weeks to get ready for sumer break.

Working stock firmware is all I care, and between you and Peter Pan I feel much safer with the stock firmware now. Unless someone else drop another bomb hehehe

I have 4 coffee shops running on various wireless routers (mostly WRT54G, GS, and GL boxes). Also about 10 customers, my house, my office, and a few neighbors. You can look at the status screen of my home and office at:

One catch. The version of firmware that I'm using has a bug that sometimes causes the status page to fail, while everything else works. A power cycle usually fixes it. If nothing shows, I'll kick start it.

The stock Linksys firmware is fine for a home router that doesn't do much. The purpose of DD-WRT is to cram in as many features as possible. For example, I have a VPN running between my home and office using the PPTP VPN client and server included with DD-WRT. Also traffic graphing, SNMP management, and automagic rebooting.

It depends on the hardware version of the router. Some versions are quite easy and just require a simple firmware upload. Others require killing the existing firmware, uploading a mini-version, inscribing some obscure commands, or other contortions. I've done it enough times that it's quite easy for me now, but it was a PITA when I was first learning.

The default settings are useless. Unlike the commodity routers, which are wide open by default, DD-WRT is designed to be secure by default. That means you can't do anything until you specifically enable and secure it.

Yep. The web pile is a mess. If you need help selecting the correct .bin file, just supply your exact hardware description, and I'm sure someone will point you to the correct .bin file.

not hardly, netgear is still around, just that specific model you asked about is obsolete

you may want to think about the tradeoffs to buying something cheap or new... usually new stuff isn't cheap, and if its not discontinued, it's not likely to be sold at discount places nor on sale...

I see, I misunderstood thinking that Netgear is out of business. Actually I didn't for any Netgear model but someone else mentioned or suggested some Netgear model.

The reason I moved to Buffalo because I didn't see much info from Netgear's forum, and I never check to know if Buffalo has any web forum or not.

And you can see how easy I am, or I just want a working model and don't know the difference between stock vs 3rd party firmware.

I read that Wal-Mart is selling for brand new Linksys-Cisco E1000 for $59, or I think it's the replacement of Linksys WRT160N or something like that. So it's about the same price with different name or model.

And who knows it's just the WRT160N or similar with different name? And $60 for a router isn't that expensive.

I think I can agree with you on this one, and the reason I am confused because I don't see any correction about the negative feedbacks but more negative feedbacks adding to the original.

I feel much better and safer now. The reason it has been worrying me for years because I read MANY negative feedbacks saying something like.

- The stock firmware is worthless, useless, very unstable

- They can't get the router working until they replaced with DD-WRT

- They can't get the router working that they have to return to exchange for different model or brand.

Other than that I don't think I will have any problem with stock firmware with just the basic standard features/options.

That I just found out by reading the DATABASE of current DD-WRT versions, else I was so confused by reading mixed reports by many different users. As I mentioned earlier that I tried to read the conversation on some web forums and reading some message like

- I use version A on mine

- Someone else corrected saying "NO version A is wrong, you should use version B"

- Then other jumped in saying "NO, you should use version C"

Hmmm I didn't mean to ask about the default setting (my error), I meant to say "does the stock firmware have the basic standard option" or the "security" of stock firmware is good enough (more option better security than the default) for home use.

That was what I tried to say.

It seems like they do have much more information that most people need to know, but the webs are so hard for newbie to follow

P.S I get to go now so I just made a quick response. And thanks for the information.

My Zyxel router bit the dust and I just within the last 3 weeks bought a Linksys 160NL to take its place as the main router in my home network. I also have a WRT54G v5.1 with DDWRT firmware acting as a wireless bridge communicating to the 160NL to network a DVR and Xbox. The 160NL seems to function well as the main router. I'm running its stock firmware right now which is adequate. I have nearly a dozen DHCP assignments based on MAC, a half dozen schedules to control access time for my kids' computers and iTouch, and I have programmed several ports to forward for applications such as emule, my xbox, and the DVR. I run WPA2 security on all wireless devices and I'm in the G mode. All of this on the stock 160NL firmware. I may or may not go to DDWRT in the future. If it isn't broken....

Thanks for the information. I was real close to go for the Linksys WRT160N, then I learned that Cisco just released around 3 newer E series so try to gather i fo about the E-Series.

And this morning, I bought the Cisco E3000 which is Cisco current top-of-the-line. As I mentioned in the report (to lets some folks who tried to help me decide) that I haven't installed the new E3000 yet.

I may install it either later tonite (if I get bored), or may be after dental appointment on Wednesday. I have been using the current Buffalo for years, so I don't think I will have problem waiting for few more days.

Then I may just upgrade the current SB5120 modem to newer SB6120 too.

~ while the name has changed from linksys to linksys by cisco, you can still ~ go to the linksys website

Linksys was acquired by Cisco way back in 2003.

There is most definitely still a Linksys brand; see

Aaron