[LUNI] WiFi Access Point recommendations

[Jim Harvey]

Branko Kotur wrote:
> I'm currently using a Linksys WRT54GL and have replaced the firmware with 
> dd-wrt.  It works well and hasn't caused me any problems in over a year.  
> I've also installed several of these for various people/companies without 
> issues.  However, the $10 cheaper WRT54G (notice the lack of the "L") seems 
> to be a very problematic router.  The L model runs Linux.  The non L model 
> uses some other OS.  Otherwise, the 2 are almost identical (except more 
> memory in the L model).  I've seen many non L models go bad over the last 3 
> years or so.  You can get the L model for about $79.95 or so (depending on 
> where you buy).  Fry's in Downers Grove has them in stock.  I'm not sure 
> about Micro Center.  Otherwise, most online stores should have them.
> 
> If you really don't want to go with Linksys, I've heard good things about 
> Buffalo Tech routers, but I haven't used them yet.  I plan to buy one next 
> time I need one and test it out.  But I hear the stock firmware in the 
> Buffalo Tech routers are more powerful (feature wise) then the stock Linksys 
> firmware's.  dd-wrt also works on certain Buffalo Tech routers as well if you 
> don't like things stock. ;)
> 
> On Sunday 12 August 2007 6:42:53 pm Larry Garfield wrote:
>> So as I now have a worthwhile laptop, I am of course in the market for a
>> wireless access point.
>>
>> At the moment my home network uses an IPCop router on an old 266 MHz box. 
>> It works fine and I like IPCop's flexibility (except when DHCP seems to not
>> want to work for non-pre-configured leases), but gah the box is loud and
>> hot. Plus, from what I've seen a decent WiFi access point that is not also
>> a home router costs *more* than one that is also a home router (for reasons
>> that make sense to accountants, I'm sure).  So I figure I may as well
>> replace that while I'm at it and save space/heat/decibels.
>>
>> So what do people use/recommend for a home WiFi router/AP?  My experiences
>> with Linksys have been bad, but otherwise I don't know the market that
>> well. I'm looking for something that does 802.11g, and of course its web
>> configuration tools must be Linux (Konqueror)-friendly.  I also like
>> IPCop's ability to setup port forwarding ranges,  as I have ports forwarded
>> all over the place for various applications and games.
>>
>> WPA of course.  It will have to support both pre-configured and on-the-fly
>> DHCP, but I have my own DNS server instead of using it, so I do have to be
>> able to control that myself.  I figure 4 Ethernet jacks is about all I can
>> expect, but I have my own 8 port switch that everything plugs into anyway.
>>
>> I'm willing to spend more than el cheapo on it, but I don't run a
>> high-bandwidth anything at home so I don't want to spend an insane amount
>> of money on it (for whatever the definition of "insane amount of money" is
>> for a WiFi router at this point).

I'm running a generic Comp-USA 11G box with the router turned off. Don't 
know about WPA.  I have SBC DSL with a hacked Visara 1783 (hard drive, 
3com NIC added) running Smoothwall 2 as a front end. This box has NO 
fan, only the hard drive ticking tells you it's alive. It's about the 
size of a box of corn flakes.

The combination performs perfectly for me.
-- 
     Jim Harvey, Naperville, Ill.   Linux person - WB8NBS/9
            He who dies with the most software wins.