What router do you use?

F

felixrosbergen

Senior Member
Hi all,

I'm getting pretty frustrated with linksys equipment. My previous wireless router simply died on me, it would intermittently switch ports on and off for no reason and not even a factory reset would fix it. SO that one is out the window.

THen i got a Linksys busness series wireless G router with VPN...that one i returned because i wanted gigabit network....now i have the business series WRVS4400N (wireless N, gigabit and VPN), but the VPN is giving me fits...the Linksys QuickVPN client is real garbage.

ANybody have similar experiences with Linksys gear? This last router was $250 and actually has less functinality than the $99 wireless G one but does offer the better speed.

What other brands are reasonably priced that woudl give me :
- mutiple gigabit ports (at least 4)
- VPN capabilities (not passthrough, the router needs to act as a VPN server)
- wirelss (fastest available, which is N is believe, if necesarry G would be acceptable as well)

I don't want to pay $1000 for a Cisco.....is there any other candidates?

I may just return this WRVS4400N and get the other one (non gigabit wireless G with VPN) back. At least the VPN on it worked and i can always just add a 8 port gigabit switch right? I assume if client PC's and my server are all gigabit and all connected to the gigabit switch then it doesnt matter if the router is just 100mbit right?

ANy advice greatly appreciated.
 
I can't say I have the same problems with Linksys gear (business and consumer level). I would use an old pc to run m0n0wall, and use a dumb switch. I have a m0n0wall with 10 interfaces , and I have one with 3 for personal use. Works great, and is 'enterprise grade' IMO. I run my personal unit on an old p2-200 mhz without any fans, or hard drives.
 
the Linksys RV042 is a good unit, (10/100). I'd get decent router, and get a gig switch, and wap separately, if performance was that important.
 
It's not so much the performance that is the issue. I really want/need to have remote access to my network and want to use the router VPN capabilities rather than running a programm on a server.

I have some experience with the RV042, but for $180, plus $250 or for Gig switch plus whatever for a WAP it adds up a little past my intended budget...

Basically i want gig speed to be able to rip DVD's on one machine (laptop or desktop) and push the files to the server for playing by SageTV and want VPN access directly via router so i can access ELK and other devices without relying on a PC to be running...

Are SonicWalls pricey? I thought they needed some expertise to set up...bascially i'm not network specialist and don't want to spend over $300 or so..
 
I use a D-Link gaming router right now (includes a Gb switch, good configuration, fast and cheap - and stupid-bright blue LEDs).

If you want a VPN, the latest craze is for SSL VPNs, which allow you to connect with a simple java/activex applet, and not a full-featured (and licensed) IPSec client. Configuration is also much simpler than IPSec.

I am about to purchase one for myself. AFAIK, there are only 2 models in a reasonable price range:
- Linksys RVL200. Cheaper, but mixed reviews on the client. $164 on AMZN
- Netgear FVS336G - more expensive, but much better reviews. $290 on AMZN

I think I'll buy the FVS336G in the somewhat near future. I am not a big fan of tying firewall and wireless functions together - even if it ends up a bit more expensive.

Laurent
 
I haven't been happy with my last 2 Linksys routers. I have used Dlinks and have much better success.
 
SSL VPN's are sometimes overrated IMO. They are great if you need some basic access, but if you want full network access, it's a waste of money, as there tends to be a premium for that feature.

I manage high end Cisco VPN gear, SonicWalls, Linksys routers, and I would still recommend m0n0wall (or the pfSense fork) in this case. It supports all of this and more, can't beat the price, it's rock solid, and is easy to use.
 
I dont know if it is a hardware problem or just a software problem with your router... I use linksys wrt54G series reflashed with ddwrt software. It may not solve your problem but it may revive your "old" linksys you were going to throw out.
 
MavRic said:
I may just return this WRVS4400N and get the other one (non gigabit wireless G with VPN) back. At least the VPN on it worked and i can always just add a 8 port gigabit switch right? I assume if client PC's and my server are all gigabit and all connected to the gigabit switch then it doesnt matter if the router is just 100mbit right?
Click to expand...

Having gigabit on your router doesn't buy you much unless your uplink is > 100mbps. (There might be some edge cases below that, but practically speaking...) I would generally recommend avoiding the switch on routers - having a separate switch allows you to reboot the router without loosing your internal network. It also can be more cost efficient, and you'll find *lots* of gigabit switches, and *lots* of non-gigabit routers - more options.

It's possible (probable, even) that if you're pushing the limits of your network, such that you need GigE, that the switch fabric on the router was unable to handle the load. You might look for a switch on eBay that is specifically non-blocking, meaning that it can handle all the ports maxed out at the same time. Many inexpensive switches are way underpowered, if you're maxing the network out.

-jbn
 
If the Linksys software is your only complaint take a look at either DD-WRT or OpenWRT. Both projects reflash the Linky h/w with open source code. I'm very happy with DD-WRT on a Buffalo access point. I moved the SSH port to 443, turned on the DynDNS client and now I can tunnel HTTP via SSH from work.

Sean
 
The linksys QuickVPN client is finicky, and in many cases will not coexist with other VPN packages on the same PC. I've been using it successfully with the RV016 (wired 10/100 router), but I prefer to use the Windows VPN client (XP pro) with the same router (enabling the PPTP server that's in the router firmware), but not on the same PC. Check to see if the routers now have the PPTP server in them - the manuals online won't tell you - you'll have to check with Linksys or check the firmware revision notes.

Of course, I'm now tying it all into the AD structure at work, so soon it'll change to a pass-through for the AD authentication to take precedence.
 
I too have had much better luck using PPPtp on an RV042 using XP Pro VPN client than any other solution. The RV042 has PPPTP, but this much more expensive WRVS4400N does not..

Can anybody confirm is a linksys WRV200 has PPPTP? I should have check before i returned it last week.... :D
 
I know installing DD-WRT on my LinkSys WRT54G saved the LinkSys for me. Before I was having to restart the router daily. After, I never have to do anything.
 
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