Is d link a good router (read whole question)

Question

I need a wired router for my xbox bcuzz im not payin 100 dollars for an adaptar but i just got a laptop so i want wireless internet i heard d link is both a wired and wireless router and i want to know if it gives good connection sppeds and does it take any speed away from my internet. Also are their any other or better routers that are wireless and have ethernet ports

Answer 1

If you buy a apple router it is the n wireless connection and every other router is a g which makes it faster and has 1 port to hook your modem in and then 4 more ethernet ports even though it's for $180 it's very good I just got it a couple of weeks ago and it's easy to set up

Answer 2

All wireless routers I know of have at least a few wired LAN ports.  Here are my suggestions and the logic behind them for looking at routers and/or wifi, as well as connecting your xbox.

If you only care about internet, 802.11b (11Mbps) is plenty fast. They don't really sell these anymore but what they do sell is 802.11g (54Mbps) which replaces and is backwards compatible with 802.11b.  This is also what most built-in WiFi laptops and handhelds sold today use. I wouldn't get anything else because it's just a waste of money. Residential broadband internet is usually only 1-5Mbps so even WiFi-b is plenty fast.

If you plan to do file-sharing, you care about the wireless speed more so go with 802.11g (54Mbps) or the new 802.11n (108Mbps).  I should say I've never actually seen 802.11n in action but from what I understand it's compatible with all 4 standards (a/b/g/n) and claims to be wider-range.

I like the Belkin 54G router because it's the cheapest name-brand one I've found ($39 at most office stores) and I know it works (I've installed 3 of them) but the brand is really up to you.  Only one of those Belkins has gone bad, and Belkin replaced it for free.  I don't know if all routers include this but the Belkin one comes with a setup CD that guides you through plugging everything in correctly and automatically programs the router to work as well as guiding you through enabling security.

Put your wireless router as high up as you can and as far from electrical and metal things as you can, that'll give you the best coverage.  Try to put it in the middle of where you expect to be (usually the middle of the house).  If you have 2.4GHz cordless phones you may want to replace them with 5.8GHz, 900MHz, or the new DECT6.0 phones that won't cause interference.  Also, wireless video senders, or wireless cameras that run on 2.4GHz should be set to the farthest channel from your router (e.g. set video sender to 1 or A and put the router on channel 11).

You may look into a wireless bridge or game adapter instead of the xbox adapter.  It picks up the wireless and gives you a normal network jack.  The Belkin WURE (Wireless Universal Range Extender) can do this and it's $60 at Staples and has the added advantage of extending the reach of your wifi network at the same time.  If you don't want to get that and your router is close enough, just use a wire.

Make sure you lock down your network, that'll keep others from getting into it and stealing your bandwidth - slowing your internet down.  Also, it'll keep your wireless information secure so others' can't get your personal information.

1. Change the web-admin password of your router (even if it's wired this is good) so not anyone can get into the config page.

2. Change the default SSID (name) and don't use something that identifies you, your location, or your brand of router to outsiders (e.g. "Home", "Cox.net", "My Network", "Wireless", etc).

2. Enable WPA-PSK, WPA-PSK2, or if those aren't supported MINIMUM of WEP128. Refer to the manual or call the manufacturer for directions.

3. Don't hide the SSID. It just makes your life harder and it's easily found out anyways.

4. Don't bother with MAC filtering, if someone can crack your security they probably know how to spoof your MAC address which will circomvent the filtering.

5. Don't use static-IP, it just makes your life harder. Anyone with the slightest knowledge about networking knows how to use a static IP.

The reason you don't want to identify your router's brand/location/owner:

1. Default passwords and settings are available online. Knowing the brand makes it easier to bypass these.

2. Knowing where it is makes it easier to get a stronger signal while staying away. This gives the attacker an advantage of getting a strong signal and being hidden.

3. Knowing who owns it makes guessing your password easier. Most people use names, dates, and other personal info for passwords (bad practice) and if they know you they probably know the things you would use for a password.