I used to use Linksys WRT54G's not the portable version, but the latest revisions are lacking in memory. I would whole heartedly second the buffalo equipment. I've got 20 plus AP's and routers of their's and not a beat of trouble.

Cool.

OK, I found this Buffalo WHR-HP-G54 Router with a 7dbi antenna and DD-WRT already flashed. for $80 including shipping.

Not quite as cheap as flashing it myself and buying an external antenna, but it looks reasonable.

Of course the limiting factor is still going to be the radio in my laptop. . .

I flashed my buffalo with DD-WRT...it has really improved the performance..tweaked it for optimal range versus signal / noise ratio.

Mine works just great.

But there are three versions out there, imaginatively labeled version 1, 2, 3. Most of the ones on eBay, at Compgeeks.com, etc., are version 1. I will grant you that they are much harder to configure.

But version 3 was a no-brainer and has been rock-solid. (Well, until I ran a surge through it. No surge protector. Dumb me. Its replacement was up and running in 2 minutes)

If you're deaf and use a Sorenson videophone, avoid newer (since Cisco) routers from Linksys. For some reason they don't work with the videophone. Older Linksys routers work fine, as do most other routers.

For those considering d-link, it might be worth researching their port forwarding limitations. For a while they could not forward ports about 1024 which spells trouble for VoIP...
Not sure if that is still the case...

This should not be. I have an el-cheapo Belkin router I bought several years ago and it has NEVER disconnected.

Check out this for a reasonable discussion of many wireless routers & APs:
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/content/view/86/106/

It is very easy to flash a router to DD-WRT and you'll likely be doing it way more than once, given the speed of development with new features, bugs etc. Unless you're really reluctant to do it yourself, I'd wouldn't pay someone else to do it. With the level of features and complexity that the various flash firmwares provide, don't dive into this if you want a "set and forget" device.

Also, since you are on the SF Peninsula (my home as well), you might consider picking it up at Fry's, Best Buy etc. That way, you have the benefit of local return if there are any problems.

Deleted-double post.

I have no problem flashing devices. It just seemed like a good price for the router and antenna combination. You do make a good point about ease of return if there is an out-of-the-box problem. The eBay guy would have it returned to Buffalo.

Could never get my Linksys WAP router to work for more than a day on my Dell (running XP) despite repeated calls to Dell and Linksys tech support (all at ICCs), visits to my local computer shop, and assistance from techy friends. Don't count on getting any useful tech support from Cisco a/k/a linksys ICC.

Then I bought an apple airport express. Within 5 minutes, I had internet access for my macbook on a wireless network. After another 15 minutes (windows is always more problematic), got the Dell running on the airport network as well. Also hooked up other computers from work, friends, etc. - no problemo.

Based on this experience, doubt I will ever purchase a linksys product again. Apple charges a premium, but it is a price well worth paying for those of us who expect to plug in the device and get it to work immediately.

The airport express is also a lot more compact than the other routers.

Looking To Replace Netgear Router After Poor Tech Support Experience - Premium Brands
 

Recently my Netgear WNR854T router died, and finally I got an invoice copy from CDW for the product. I called tech support, and reached what sounded like an off shore call center. The CDW invoice showed a serial number, which apparently is different than the serial number on the device itself. I did not have access to read the serial number on the device itself at the time of the phone call. The tech support representative was unable to even start a call because I did not have the exact serial number right there, although I had the model#. It turned out, anyway, that the Netgear router was just out of its 1 year warranty.

This got me to thinking that I don't want to deal with a company that off shores its tech support to low quality outsourced operations. As an example, I bought (and paid more for) a Lenovo X60S laptop, for among other reasons, the support is provided by US based IBM employees. I could have probably gotten a Dell or some other inferior brand for $500-1,000 less than I paid for the Lenovo.

It seems like Linksys also off shores support, I made a test call to their tech support department, and it sounded like an off shore call center.


Last night I called Buffalo to ask a question, and obviously I don't have a serial number. All I know from Amazon is the model is:
Item model number: WZR-AG300NH
I am calling
Wireless/Storage/Multimedia Support
24/7 US and Canada
866-752-6210

While I'm on hold, I'm noticing that the on-line support form does not even ask for serial number.

I got an American sounding guy on the phone in about 10 minutes, and he did NOT even ask me my serial number, just name and tel# and product model.

I asked him if this model supports UPNP, for example, for auto configuration of a device like a Slingbox, and if so how to enable and disable the UPNP feature.

He seems to be looking this up, but does not know off the top of his head. He asks if I will connect the device using an ethernet cable. I explain again sort of what UPNP generally is and is used for.

I'm going to google UPNP just to make sure I have the acronym right as he's been looking this up for like 4-5 minutes now. Yes its real:
http://upnp.org/

I see that Buffalo Technology is a member listed on the UPNP web site. By the way, it stands for Universal Plug & Play.

He is still (I guess) silently researching this, its been about 10 minutes now. He has literally not said a word in about 10-15 minutes and I guess I am on hold.

He comes back on the line, and starts giving me some unrelated information like that I can set up the Slingbox with a static ip address. I have to ask him 2-3 times again about UPNP, whether it has it, and how to enable or disable it.

He keeps putting me on hold, but he does not really say like he is going to put me on hold so I find out by trying to say something, and not getting an answer, so then I infer I am on hold :(.

I'm seeing in a review that it refers to this particular router as having the UPNP feature:
http://www.jiwire.com/buffalo-wirele...t-overview.htm

If this guy really has no clue about my question:
(A) He shouldn't have tried the old tech support trick of giving unrelated information; and
(B) He should have just said from the get go that he would have to research this and email or call me back. He needs to know what he knows, and what he doesn't know.

I'm still waiting its been about 20-30 mins at least now, so long I'm losing track of time.

He finally comes back and says the router has UPNP, but he does not think you can enable or disable the feature. Then there is some confusion on differences in the model I referenced above, and the WZR-G300N. While I was on hold I found the WZR-G300N manual on-line, and it looks like you can enable and disable UPNP in that router. But he does not think in the above referenced model from Amazon that you can enable and disable UPNP, he thinks the feature is always on with that particular model.

I asked the guy what the key differences are between the WZR-AG300NH and the WZR-G300N. He puts me on hold for another fifteen minutes, and then I get a fast busy singal as if he's hung up. He never appologizes for his lack of knowledge or poor phone skills. He had my phone# and never called back or left a voicemail and we had been disconnected, or more likely he hung up on me out of frustration with the kinds of questions I had.

I figure I'll try again with the day shift, so I call at about 9:30 A.M. I give the same phone#, and ask again about UPNP, and also whether the router has a quality of service feature and how to enable and disable this.

The guy goes in to what appears to be an emulation for the router firmware, and in about 1-2 minutes, he advises me that both features are under the Gaming section of the router configuration.

In the mean time, looking around on the net, it seems like ASUS may also offer quality router products? Someone recommended 2Wire, but I'm not sure those are sold directly to end users.

So basically Netgear provides very scripted off shore support? I don't know if the grass is any greener with companies like Linksys, DLink, etc.

Do people think that Buffalo, ASUS, others? are the highest quality premium brands in this product category? Essentially I'm looking for a 802.11N/draft router with gigabyte ethernet ports. It would be neat too if the router had a front end web registration interface (like at a hotel) for a hot spot, but thats more something neat than something I absolutely need. I did notice Buffalo has a 2 rather than 1 year warranty.

Until Buffalo settles the lawsuit with cisco, it may be hard to find buffalo products. The list of stuff they can not sell is two pages long, available here

http://www.buffalotech.com/files/Wireless_Item_List.pdf

I use this Dlink travel router when I am out-and-about. Works very well when in a hotel where they only have wired high speed access.

http://www.dlink.com/products/?sec=1&pid=346