All about wireless routers...

[oormila]

Hello!

I need a favour...
Am looking to buy a wireless router for my folks back home in India..
what are the things i should consider??

Does the model make a difference? I think not..but am not too well informed about it...If it does make a difference...well..then the laptop they have is an Acer!

What brand should i buy and about how much would it cost?? from where...fortress/broadway or wanchai comp centre or mongkong or shamshui po??

Sorry for being so dumb...
looking forward to your help..

[TaLL|dUdE]

linksys would be a good brand to get. the wrt54g would be one of the most popular one's. mong kok comp / wanchai comp / 298 / golden comp would be some good places to go.

http://buycomp.hkgolden.com/

check there under the networking section to get an idea as to how much they go for nowadays.

[PDLM]

I second the recommendation for Linksys (part of Cisco). The WRT54G comes in three versions: the standard one, the compact one and the travel one. The standard one has a slightly higher range because it has external antennas but it is bigger. The compact model has plenty of power for a normal apartment and still has 4 wired ports in addition to the wireless interface. The travel model has only one wired port, is a lot smaller, has a dual-voltage power supply, and seems to be significantly more expensive.

Last weekend I went through this (for a friend visiting from the Philippines and wanting to take it back there) and decided on the WRT54GC (the compact version). I paid $390 at one of the places in the Computer Centre in Windsor House. I guess I could have haggled/shopped around and got it a little bit cheaper...

(Note that the power supply is 220-240V only so if the place you want it to go in India doesn't have that you'll need to try to find a different power supply.)

[Nutta!]

I have the linksys router. I also have buffalo air station and a belkin (I collect wireless routers as a hobby........[not really ]).

The linksys I have had problems with. I think it may be faulty as the range is poor. It has difficulty transmitting through one internal wall. Having said that, all that I have heard about the linksys router is good. Their support is surprisingly good, and as such, we have identfied that my router is proabably faulty, and they have offered me a replacement.

Best router I have had is Belkin, which has an excellent range and really reliable. Maybe down on features, but it does what its supposed to do well.

[jayinhongkong]

I use a full size Linksys G router. No problems at all and setup was a breeze!

[Lammarite]

I bought a Buffalo G54 for my old man in the UK but once he got it it wouldn't work on the UK sockets, even with adapters. We ended up getting the Linksys but aren't too impressed with the range either.
I've also heard good things about the Belkin.
Either way, check compatability before you buy something from here, especially as India probably runs on teh same system as the UK. (The last comment was made as a true Colonialist, I have no idea whether it is true or not!)

[PDLM]

Remember that the range is at least partly a function of the antennas on both the router and the PC/laptop. It is possible to buy additional external antennas for the Linksys routers to boost this somewhat. It's also worth considering what you have on the other end of the link as well. I use a full-size Linksys WRT54G and on my desktop I have a Belkin USB-WiFi adaptor which comes with a longish cable, allowing me to position the transceiver for the best signal.

[oormila]

Thank you all so much...

So with the general consensus being linksys...would pick one up soon..maybe from Wan chai comp centre..

Regards,
Oormila