Intel 3945ABG and wireless router

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@Ifti123 wrote:

Hi all

I am new here, and although working often with computer networks, I am reletively new to wireless.

I recently purchased a Netgear WPNT834 wireless router, and every time I tried to connect wirelessly to it, it would reboot. I later found out that the router was not compatible with the Centrino 3945ABG internal wireless I have in my Dell Latitude (Netgear have also discontinued the router due to its problems!). Hence I promptly returned the item.

I am now unsure as to which wireless router I should buy?! Every user review I read on any wireless router results in issues!

I have a cable modem and hav ethe following requirements:

1. Must work with my Dell Latitude D620 3945ABG wireless adaptor.

2. Good range and speed (obviously!)
3. Since I am looking to purchase a network storage device to connect to the router via ethernet, I would prefer a wireless router with a USB2.0 storage port or 4 Gigabit ports (since my laptop also has a gigabit port and I dont mind plugging the laptop in via ethernet if transferring large files etc)

What are your recommendations and experiences with a suitable wireless router?

Many thanks in advance.

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If you want something that Just Works without any problems, go buy some enterprise-grade gear such as Cisco-branded equipment, or some of the specialty stuff like what www.demarctech.com sells, although demarctech primarily specializes in high-power ruggedized outdoor access point solutions.

For us mortals without the budgets for such things, I suggest two things:

1) With a few exceptions, avoid anything with flashy features advertising capabilities beyond 54 Mbps. There are some exceptions, for example the Netgear WPN824's phased array antenna makes it an excellent performer if you force it into 802.11g-only mode. This is what I use in my apartment and it rocks. (I use it routinely with my E1705's 3945ABG card.)
2) Buy from a brick&mortar store with a good return policy (Circuity City, Best Buy). They'll be more expensive, but when it comes to wireless, the ability to return it easily is worth every penny.

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@Ifti123 wrote:

Hi

I've had a look at the WPN824 but overlooked it assuming it wouldnt work - just like the router I have tried.

How much configuration would it require? Also do I need to force it to use 802.11g only for it to work with my Intel Centrino 3945ABG card? I don tmind doing this as long as it works well and gives solid performance.

What are the range and speeds like?

I may go for this if you can confirm it works with the 3945ABG card properly!

Many thanks for your response.

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In theory it should work with the 3945ABG without forcing 11g-only mode. I'm not sure as I forced 11g-only mode for other reasons ("Turbo G" mode is not nice to your neighbors and is very interference-prone) before I even bought my E1705.

In reality, I can say that I have been using a WPN824 for 8 months with only one minor problem (Small incompatibility between the router and my ISP's DNS system that is easy to work around. Specifically, instead of using the router as their DNS server each machine should be set to use your ISP's DNS servers directly, the Netgear DNS forwarders seem to have been broken by cable company upgrades since around April-May depending on your exact service provider.), and 5 months of that has been with an Intel 3945ABG router with no problems whatsoever.

My experiences has been that WRT54G-series routers are utter junk. A friend of mine used one for a few days and couldn't get his WRT54G to stay up for more than 10 minutes under even moderate loads, even when only connecting with wired connections. He tried an updated WRV54G at a friend's house and the thing wouldn't even communicate with the cable modem. If the friend of mine in question can't get it working, the hardware has SERIOUS problems. Others swear by them though.

In the end, you're basically only guaranteed to have good results with an enterprise-grade router like Cisco-branded or Intel-branded stuff which has no flashy "speedbooster" or "turbo" modes. Since such stuff is expensive, your best bet is to get your router from a place with a good return policy, as consumer-grade wireless gear is a minefield of problems. Go to your local Best Buy or Circus City, buy something from Netgear or Linksys, and test it out. If it doesn't work, take it back and get something else. Oh yeah, don't touch Belkin even with a ten foot pole.