Originally Posted by asawadude

Greg -

Over the years, I had SMC, DLink, and Linksys wireless routers and have changed them out as new models came out on the market. They are both good routers. I've never had an installation or failure problem with any, covering a total of 6 different routers at home and at work.

Both of the models that you posted are from 2003. If you are looking for the most up-to-date and robust security protection, you won't get them from these two models. You'll want to get 128 bit WEPS (adequate for home use) and WPA (adequate for small business) encryption. IEE802G routers which fine for home use, 802B is both slow and out of date. You'll also need to buy wireless cards of the same brand as your router to take advantage of any "Turbo" or "Speedboost" features, but you can mix and match brands and run at standard speeds. There are faster routers (802M or Mimo) routers, but the exact standards for this level of performance has not yet been set. Running a different brand card on these new routers causes the entire network to slow down, so it's best to stay away from the Mimo routers for now.

Netgear is typically more expensive of all the brands, but it is also the choice of tech heads because it's hackable. The installation menus are simple and they are reliable.

DLink had a bad reputation a few years back, but has made continous improvement to their products. Also they are very easy to install and are cheaper than Linksys.

Netgear routers are also robust and are around the same price as DLink, but the menus are much more complicated. Not a real popular brand.

Belkin was a low end brand, but has brought some competent products to the market. I have dealings with Belkin as a client. They are a pretty focused customer.

Anyways, if you want to keep it around the $40 range, take a look at the DLink DI-624 $40 and Netgear WRT54GS $60, or Belkin Wireless G Router $35. The Belkin model lacks WPA encryption, but it auto-detects your computer settings and self installs in 3 minutes and best of all, has a lifetime warranty.

I've seen all three on sale with rebates over the past few months, so keep on the lookout. Factor in the price of the cards too.

Hope this helps.

Regards, Mike