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#317772 - 05/01/2009 12:03 Decent wireless access point recommendations
andym
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
We have a Netgear WG602 in our studio for use with a couple of laptops and PDA's on set. We've never really been particularly happy with it, it constantly drops connections and refuses passwords which results in us power-cycling it every other day.

If you had up to a couple of hundred quid to splash out on a replacement unit, which one would you choose? We only use WPA2 and MAC address whitelisting on the Netgear presently.
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Cheers,

Andy M

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#317773 - 05/01/2009 13:04 Re: Decent wireless access point recommendations [Re: andym]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
I've been pretty pleased with my Buffalo WHR-HP-G54 router running Tomato firmware. For the most part, I don't play with the configuration at all and I almost never need to reboot it. (Right now, it has a 106 day uptime.)
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Bitt Faulk

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#317787 - 05/01/2009 18:08 Re: Decent wireless access point recommendations [Re: wfaulk]
andym
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
It's a city centre location, so the problem we have is the area is quite 'noisy' in RF terms, there's radio talkback and probably hundreds of people walking past with wlan-enabled devices. There are also half a dozen wireless networks visible in the same area.

So I'm wondering whether it's a problem in the radio side of it. I'm thinking of getting something designed for use in public places or Wifi hotspots.
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Cheers,

Andy M

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#317788 - 05/01/2009 19:43 Re: Decent wireless access point recommendations [Re: andym]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
Oh. Sorry; I misread.

I used to have the same problem at work until I got a Cisco 1130AG. Rock solid.
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Bitt Faulk

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#317789 - 05/01/2009 21:38 Re: Decent wireless access point recommendations [Re: andym]
CrackersMcCheese
pooh-bah

Registered: 14/01/2002
Posts: 2489
Originally Posted By: andym
It's a city centre location, so the problem we have is the area is quite 'noisy' in RF terms, there's radio talkback and probably hundreds of people walking past with wlan-enabled devices. There are also half a dozen wireless networks visible in the same area.

So I'm wondering whether it's a problem in the radio side of it. I'm thinking of getting something designed for use in public places or Wifi hotspots.


I have that same router out in the sticks. It does the same thing. Every few days it needs rebooted as the PCs lose the connection (wireless and wired). Never figured out why frown


Edited by Phil. (05/01/2009 21:38)

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#317790 - 05/01/2009 22:35 Re: Decent wireless access point recommendations [Re: CrackersMcCheese]
Shonky
pooh-bah

Registered: 12/01/2002
Posts: 2009
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
Whilst in no way a commercial grade router, I've been very happy with my two Linksys WRT54G units (one an AP, the other a client bridge) with the DD-WRT firmware on them. Does everything I need and they never need rebooting.

Bought a couple in my previous employer and immediately put DD-WRT on them. Never rebooted them either.

Just make sure you get a hardware version capable of running the full DD-WRT. The WRT54GL will guarantee that.
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Christian
#40104192 120Gb (no longer in my E36 M3, won't fit the E46 M3)

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#317791 - 05/01/2009 22:37 Re: Decent wireless access point recommendations [Re: Shonky]
Shonky
pooh-bah

Registered: 12/01/2002
Posts: 2009
Loc: Brisbane, Australia
Oh and to add - those WRT54Gs replaced some Belkins I got free with some Dell laptops. They in turn replaced a WG602 which did similar things to what you're seeing and needed constant reboots.
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Christian
#40104192 120Gb (no longer in my E36 M3, won't fit the E46 M3)

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#317795 - 06/01/2009 01:03 Re: Decent wireless access point recommendations [Re: CrackersMcCheese]
gbeer
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/12/2000
Posts: 2665
Loc: Manteca, California
Originally Posted By: Phil.

I have that same router out in the sticks. It does the same thing. Every few days it needs rebooted as the PCs lose the connection (wireless and wired). Never figured out why frown


There are some really sucky ethernet chips out there. The only and last linksys wr54g I had, would flake out after a certain number of MB's passed thru. Nothing, none of the 3rd party firmwares, helped. I binned it.
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Glenn

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#317815 - 06/01/2009 04:25 Re: Decent wireless access point recommendations [Re: andym]
Dignan
carpal tunnel

Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12341
Loc: Sterling, VA
I've set up several WRT54GL's with Tomato and they're the bee's knees.
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Matt

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#317895 - 07/01/2009 15:52 Re: Decent wireless access point recommendations [Re: Dignan]
andym
carpal tunnel

Registered: 17/01/2002
Posts: 3996
Loc: Manchester UK
Before blowing a load of cash I've decided to give DD-WRT a try. I had it on a Fonera at home but replaced it.with a Thomson all in one ADSL modem/router/ap recently.

I got a WRT54GL from our IT supplier and I've put the nokaid standard build on it. Will see how we get on.
_________________________
Cheers,

Andy M

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