Experience with YOUR AP

biko · 09-27-2002

Hey,

I have been fixed on all the Orinoco products from day one, but now I´m starting to get interested on some of the more "low-end" routers.

Can all you guys please post some of your experience with SMC, Netgear, Linksys ... routers ?

My main interests are range and security. The review on cnet.com are not of great help, I think !
Any advice or experience is greatly appreciated !
Thanks a lot !
biko

astcell · 09-27-2002

I used Cisco and SMC. The SMC was on sale at CompUSA, $139 and it included an 802.11b card. It was no harder to program than the Cisco, and was seven times cheaper!

Chris_Schear · 09-27-2002

Please define, "low end". In price?

biko · 09-27-2002

Quote:

Please define, "low end". In price?

Yes, you´re right ! I meant the ones that you can get for around 100-120 on ebay or in stores (special offers). To my knowledge, that are 802.11b routers from Netgear, Linksys, SMC and more.

DigitalMDX · 09-27-2002

Quote:

Originally posted by biko
Can all you guys please post some of your experience with SMC, Netgear, Linksys ... routers ?

I have a Linksys BEFW11S4, Linksys WET11 and a D-Link 614+.
The Linksys is great, I really like it. The logging on it is really good when used with somthing like LinkLogger. The D-Link is nice because of its "advanced firewall rules" but the logging really sucks. It will send you an e-mail log, that's about it. The WET11 I haven't even plugged it in yet... hopefully soon. Linksys has a new router out, the BEFSX41, which has the advanced firewall rules and stateful packet inspection. However it uses SNMP v.2 which isn't compatible with Linklogger, however Linklogger has a beta version that is compatible. This is outside of the range of "low end" but give it a few months I'm sure the price will drop.
Take care,
Jay

quadricolour · 09-28-2002

I've got a Linksys BEFW11S4 as well, and it's great for the price (got mine new for $110). Really good range (I'm sitting outside right now 300 feet from the AP @ 11Mbit and I live in a forest), very simple to set up *basic* security (MAC filtering, 128b WEP, disable SSID broadcast). Haven't tried logging yet, will soon though.

mikesa · 09-29-2002

I have a Linksys BEFW11S4 (version 2).

It's firmware is seriously broken.

DHCP does not work when NAT is turned off (working mode = router).

RIP is broken, it will learn routes when it is told to only advertise them (serious security issue).

Some of the other settings are impossible to change, they always revert to default settings.

The documentation sucks - it is not at all clear what many of the settings actually do. Tech support doesn't appear to understand networking, and so is unable to explain things any better.

Linksys tech support is clueless - when informed of these issues, they expected me to do a hard reset, reload firmware, etc. OK, I spent MY time doing so, the problems still exist. They've supposedly escalated to "2nd level," but NOTHING has been done to fix these problems.

Linksys is NOT recommended due to poor quality control and tech support.

Wombat · 09-29-2002

I've used AP/Routers from both SMC and Linksys.

I use the SMC 7004AWBR at home. (I don't think they make it any more) It seems OK, but occasionally I have to power it off and back on again. It just seems to forget itself from time to time. It's a minor inconvenience. Then again, I have it out in the garage where the AZ summer temps can push above 120.

The Linksys I set up for my sister. I orginally set up my SMC, but it wasn't covering enough of the house (specifically my nephew wanted to play Counterstrike online). So I put in the Linksys and everything was hunky dorey.

The Linksys has the option of turning off the beacon so that programs like Netstumbler can't detect it, the SMC does not.

Just my 2 cents.

Echo465 · 09-29-2002

I have a DLink DI713P wireless router. It's pretty solid, but I do have to reboot it every month or so or performance starts dragging.

My complaint about it is the range. With only the antenna on the card (3Com XJack or Dlink DWL650), range inside the house is around 50'. Plus, I can barely pick up the signal from the driveway (30', 1 interior wall, 1 garage door).

I installed a Linksys router for a relative, and he had 100% Signal strength from the router to a computer using a Linksys USB NIC in his dining room (40', 3-4 interior walls). I apologize, but I do not know the model numbers of either of these items.

biko · 09-29-2002

Does anyone have any experience with the Netgear and Linksys routers in comparison ? Has anyone compared the range for example ?
Thanks
biko

subterphuge · 09-30-2002

I like Netgear's wired cards, but I'd stay away from their wireless stuff out of range concerns. The Linksys APs are solid and easy to configure via a HTTP-based interface. They work great for just normal gateway use and have really good range for a great price, which becomes quite apparent from an average war-drive. Definitely the best bang for the buck out there right now.

The buggy firmware can (and should) be upgraded on the Linksys BEFW11S4 which also gives you more options to lock down your router by DHCP Client limiting and/or MAC-address filtering on top of turning SSID broadcast off (which only affects Netstumbler, not other war-driving tools which can still deduce the SSID either by seeing it in active traffic (even with WEP turned on) or by spoofing traffic to get the AP to reveal its SSID that way.)

RDMac · 10-01-2002

You said low cost .... well I just paid £129 UK GBP for this Belkin AP/Router/Switch (about $201 USD !! )

'YOU' can get it for $69.99 USD !!
(you could buy them and sell them on ebay.co.uk !)

Be quick offer ends 10/31/2002

NAT firewall, IP Sec pass-through for remote access through VPN. DMZ hosting. DHCP. MAC protection, HEX or ASCII WEP. browser-based config, plug and go!

Works well with my Silver card with the built in twin antennas.

And for $69.99 (after mail rebate) you could afford to rip it appart and hack a pigtail.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...p?sku=B20-7050

biko · 10-02-2002

I just got a MR314 from Netgear (Wireless Router) and I am pretty stunned !
I compared it directly to an Orinoco AP-1000:

- Both of them don´t loose any signal strength with 128 encryption turned (I expected that from the AP-1000 but not from the Netgear)

- The signal strengths compared on my walk in and around the house, the Netgear performs AS WELL AS the AP-1000 ! It is even a little better in some areas !

I think thats pretty stunning because I got the Netgear for 70 bucks and the AP-1000 usually sells for around 500 ! plus the card....

09-27-2002	#1 (permalink)
biko Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Cambridge, MA Posts: 39	Experience with YOUR AP Hey, I have been fixed on all the Orinoco products from day one, but now I´m starting to get interested on some of the more "low-end" routers. Can all you guys please post some of your experience with SMC, Netgear, Linksys ... routers ? My main interests are range and security. The review on cnet.com are not of great help, I think ! Any advice or experience is greatly appreciated ! Thanks a lot ! biko

09-27-2002	#3 (permalink)
Chris_Schear Packetmonkey Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: WDM, Iowa Posts: 243	Please define, "low end". In price? __________________ Regards... http://packetmonkey.net

09-28-2002	#6 (permalink)
quadricolour Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Central Coast, CA Posts: 19	I've got a Linksys BEFW11S4 as well, and it's great for the price (got mine new for $110). Really good range (I'm sitting outside right now 300 feet from the AP @ 11Mbit and I live in a forest), very simple to set up basic security (MAC filtering, 128b WEP, disable SSID broadcast). Haven't tried logging yet, will soon though. __________________ "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." -Raul Duke

09-30-2002	#11 (permalink)
subterphuge /dev/war Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: On the Road, Where the WEP is Weak and the Signal is Strong Posts: 90	I like Netgear's wired cards, but I'd stay away from their wireless stuff out of range concerns. The Linksys APs are solid and easy to configure via a HTTP-based interface. They work great for just normal gateway use and have really good range for a great price, which becomes quite apparent from an average war-drive. Definitely the best bang for the buck out there right now. The buggy firmware can (and should) be upgraded on the Linksys BEFW11S4 which also gives you more options to lock down your router by DHCP Client limiting and/or MAC-address filtering on top of turning SSID broadcast off (which only affects Netstumbler, not other war-driving tools which can still deduce the SSID either by seeing it in active traffic (even with WEP turned on) or by spoofing traffic to get the AP to reveal its SSID that way.) Last edited by subterphuge : 09-30-2002 at 09:45 AM.

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09-27-2002	#2 (permalink)
astcell Stumbling Stumbler Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Southern CA Posts: 589	I used Cisco and SMC. The SMC was on sale at CompUSA, $139 and it included an 802.11b card. It was no harder to program than the Cisco, and was seven times cheaper!

09-29-2002	#7 (permalink)
mikesa Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 3	I have a Linksys BEFW11S4 (version 2). It's firmware is seriously broken. DHCP does not work when NAT is turned off (working mode = router). RIP is broken, it will learn routes when it is told to only advertise them (serious security issue). Some of the other settings are impossible to change, they always revert to default settings. The documentation sucks - it is not at all clear what many of the settings actually do. Tech support doesn't appear to understand networking, and so is unable to explain things any better. Linksys tech support is clueless - when informed of these issues, they expected me to do a hard reset, reload firmware, etc. OK, I spent MY time doing so, the problems still exist. They've supposedly escalated to "2nd level," but NOTHING has been done to fix these problems. Linksys is NOT recommended due to poor quality control and tech support.

09-29-2002	#8 (permalink)
Wombat Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Smalltown, AZ Posts: 82	I've used AP/Routers from both SMC and Linksys. I use the SMC 7004AWBR at home. (I don't think they make it any more) It seems OK, but occasionally I have to power it off and back on again. It just seems to forget itself from time to time. It's a minor inconvenience. Then again, I have it out in the garage where the AZ summer temps can push above 120. The Linksys I set up for my sister. I orginally set up my SMC, but it wasn't covering enough of the house (specifically my nephew wanted to play Counterstrike online). So I put in the Linksys and everything was hunky dorey. The Linksys has the option of turning off the beacon so that programs like Netstumbler can't detect it, the SMC does not. Just my 2 cents.

09-29-2002	#9 (permalink)
Echo465 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 10	I have a DLink DI713P wireless router. It's pretty solid, but I do have to reboot it every month or so or performance starts dragging. My complaint about it is the range. With only the antenna on the card (3Com XJack or Dlink DWL650), range inside the house is around 50'. Plus, I can barely pick up the signal from the driveway (30', 1 interior wall, 1 garage door). I installed a Linksys router for a relative, and he had 100% Signal strength from the router to a computer using a Linksys USB NIC in his dining room (40', 3-4 interior walls). I apologize, but I do not know the model numbers of either of these items.

09-29-2002	#10 (permalink)
biko Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Cambridge, MA Posts: 39	Does anyone have any experience with the Netgear and Linksys routers in comparison ? Has anyone compared the range for example ? Thanks biko

10-01-2002	#12 (permalink)
RDMac Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: UK Posts: 6	You said low cost .... well I just paid £129 UK GBP for this Belkin AP/Router/Switch (about $201 USD !! ) 'YOU' can get it for $69.99 USD !! (you could buy them and sell them on ebay.co.uk !) Be quick offer ends 10/31/2002 NAT firewall, IP Sec pass-through for remote access through VPN. DMZ hosting. DHCP. MAC protection, HEX or ASCII WEP. browser-based config, plug and go! Works well with my Silver card with the built in twin antennas. And for $69.99 (after mail rebate) you could afford to rip it appart and hack a pigtail. http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...p?sku=B20-7050

10-02-2002	#13 (permalink)
biko Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Cambridge, MA Posts: 39	I just got a MR314 from Netgear (Wireless Router) and I am pretty stunned ! I compared it directly to an Orinoco AP-1000: - Both of them don´t loose any signal strength with 128 encryption turned (I expected that from the AP-1000 but not from the Netgear) - The signal strengths compared on my walk in and around the house, the Netgear performs AS WELL AS the AP-1000 ! It is even a little better in some areas ! I think thats pretty stunning because I got the Netgear for 70 bucks and the AP-1000 usually sells for around 500 ! plus the card....