Best 8 Port Wireless Router Solution

[ChrisThometz]

Aloha;

Need to replace an older linksys 8 port wired router with a newer, higher speed 8 port router with wireless. Thought it'd be easy, but Best Buy only has 4 port wireless routers. Only thing I see online is a DLink 8 port wireless router at Walmart for $60?

Can it possibly be that easy? Tell me I've died and gone to tech heaven? Sadly, I'm afraid there's far more to this tale...

Help, anyone????

Chris Thometz
ch.thometz@hawaiiantel.net

 

[john-b691]

Buy whatever router you like best and put a $20 switch behind it. Your uninformed feel everything needs to be wireless so that is what router manufactures make. You see post all over this forum complaining about wireless dropping and they sit in the same room as the router but won't use a cable.

 

[ChrisThometz]

Aloha and thanks for your reply.

Actually, this is for our small business. We prefer cabling, and have 8 current LAN hookups, which we will use for most stuff, which is why we want an 8 port router with wireless. My boss wants to be able to use his IPAD on the wireless part, and a few of us have IPhones and would also like to use wireless. I agree that a cable is better.

I guess I'm asking what the highest speed, most reliable router might be for this application...

I'd love to hear from anyone who's aware of the newest high speed routers.

Mahalo

Chris Thometz

 

[ChrisThometz]

Oh, and one other note. Checking around on the internet this morning, I found a link to CISCO support and talked to them. They recommend a Cisco 891W-AGN-AK-9 router, but it runs around $600 to $800.
I'm not sure we have the tech savvy to install something like this, and it's now seeming that getting a really fast 4 port router and adding an 8 port switch behind it is the way to go...

Anyone familiar with this Cisco router???

Chris

 

[bill001g]

The reason it is so expensive is that it is also a advanced firewall. It can run both ipsec and ssl vpn as well as load content filters (ie porn filters).

The wireless part has 2 physical radios not 1 like cheaper models that switches back and forth between channels or frequencies.

It has 4 poe ports on it for IP phones.

It also is a full blown router that can run routing protocols.

These are very nice routers but you are wasting you money if you do not need the features.

 

[ChrisThometz]

The reason it is so expensive is that it is also a advanced firewall. It can run both ipsec and ssl vpn as well as load content filters (ie porn filters).

The wireless part has 2 physical radios not 1 like cheaper models that switches back and forth between channels or frequencies.

It has 4 poe ports on it for IP phones.

It also is a full blown router that can run routing protocols.

These are very nice routers but you are wasting you money if you do not need the features.

Wow...

Thanks again for a hugely helpful reply!

That's kinda what I figured, but it seems like this will handle a larger volume of data throughput for wired and wireless comms... right? Don't really need the advanced firewalls and such, but will that complicate installtion? In other words, can I plug this in, set a basic password and use the router without going into a lot of setup fooforaw?

If not, any suggestion as to a good four port router and backup 8 port switch to buy?

Mahalo again

 

[bill001g]

It is a commercial router running IOS. It is best configured in line mode but there is a web interface to it. Not sure it runs that much faster.

The traffic between your devices will all run at maximum port speed on almost any router. The traffic to the internet is limited by the CPU ability to NAT traffic. Most routers have no issues running 50m which is more than most people ISP.

I forget exactly the models they change so fast. You will have no trouble with any of the linksys,netgear or even buffalo. They are pretty much the same performance wise differing only in features which you have to determine the value to you.

If you would go with a router with GIG lan ports it generally means it has a faster processor also. Dual band is nice but will buy you nothing unless you have 5g devices...then again there is little difference in price and maybe you get 5g in the future. Switches are even more standard. You want a simple unmanaged one again with gig ports just because there is not a lot of cost increase.

 

[ChrisThometz]

It is a commercial router running IOS. It is best configured in line mode but there is a web interface to it. Not sure it runs that much faster.

The traffic between your devices will all run at maximum port speed on almost any router. The traffic to the internet is limited by the CPU ability to NAT traffic. Most routers have no issues running 50m which is more than most people ISP.

I forget exactly the models they change so fast. You will have no trouble with any of the linksys,netgear or even buffalo. They are pretty much the same performance wise differing only in features which you have to determine the value to you.

If you would go with a router with GIG lan ports it generally means it has a faster processor also. Dual band is nice but will buy you nothing unless you have 5g devices...then again there is little difference in price and maybe you get 5g in the future. Switches are even more standard. You want a simple unmanaged one again with gig ports just because there is not a lot of cost increase.

Thanks so very much...

If you ever find yourself in Hawaii, drop me a email and I'll buy ya a margarita. You've been a huge help!

Thanks


Chris Thometz

ch.thometz@hawaiiantel.net