I need a new router.

[CSMatt]

My old router is flaking out on me, and I need to get a new one. While 5 minutes of Google searching can probably lead me to a good proprietary router, I would like one that uses free software so that I always know what it is doing. The last router was from my ISP and I never really trusted it that much.

If there are no excellent quality routers that use free software, I'll settle for a proprietary solution, but I need a good router. Any suggestions?

PS: I'm looking for wireless/wired routers (preferably with WPA2, but WPA is tolerable) that offer Internet connection sharing.

[smartboyathome]

Get a Linksys router, I have had one for a year now and it hasn't given me much difficulty (and I run comcast).

[rsambuca]

If you are looking for a wireless router, why not the Linksys WRT54GL? You can install the dd-wrt firmware on it.

[tech9]

Get a Linksys router, I have had one for a year now and it hasn't given me much difficulty (and I run comcast).

+1

They are good routers and fairly inexpensive.

[Lord_Dicranius]

If you are looking for a wireless router, why not the Linksys WRT54GL? You can install the dd-wrt firmware on it.

This is what I've done and it's worked flawlessly :)

[smartboyathome]

The WRT54GL is the model I use too.

[SunnyRabbiera]

I too use a linksys, its a safe bet.

[CSMatt]

I had heard good things about Linksys, and I heard that they run on firmware based on an embedded Linux kernel, but I wasn't sure. I'm pretty sure that Broadcom owns Linksys or that both are owned by Cisco, so I assumed that, going by the flaky Broadcom wireless support on free OSs, Linksys used a proprietary solution.

[rsambuca]

I had heard good things about Linksys, and I heard that they run on firmware based on an embedded Linux kernel, but I wasn't sure. I'm pretty sure that Broadcom owns Linksys or that both are owned by Cisco, so I assumed that, going by the flaky Broadcom wireless support on free OSs, Linksys used a proprietary solution.

After Cisco bought out Linksys, the chipset and firmware were changed on the WRT54G routers. The new ones were not hackable, and there was a huge public outcry over this. As a result, the WRT54GL, with the old chipset and firmware, was released. You can also use an old model from ebay, if you can get one. There were 8 models of the WRT54G, the first 6 are hackable to put on your own firmware.

[CSMatt]

Well I got the WRT54GL, but now I'm having trouble sharing the Internet connection from the old router. How do I do this? Wikipedia suggests that I use a crossover cable (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet_crossover_cable), but I'm not entirely sure how or if that would work.

[hkgonra]

Well I got the WRT54GL, but now I'm having trouble sharing the Internet connection from the old router. How do I do this? Wikipedia suggests that I use a crossover cable (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethernet_crossover_cable), but I'm not entirely sure how or if that would work.

Why do you want to share the connection from the old router if the old router is dying ?
Plug the new router into your modem and then plug your pc's into the new router.
The old router should be out of the picture if it is flaking on you.

[CSMatt]

Because the old router is actually a router/modem combo, and I don't want to throw it out until the modem part completely gives out. So far it has not quit recently so for now I just want to use the old router to connect to the Internet and connect all of the computers in the house to the new router.

And in any case I don't think that Verizon gives out modems to its residential subscribers, only router/modem combos, so the best I can probably get for a replacement modem is the Westell 6100, which would require a similar hookup.

[Crashmaxx]

Buy your own modem. We got a Linksys cable modem, hooked it up, called up Comcast and told them the MAC address and returned the old one. Now we don't have to pay to rent the one from them, which is about $5 less per month.

Otherwise, just hook a ethernet cable from the any of the old one's LAN ports to the new one's WAN port and that is it. Also best to setup the old one to forward all the ports to the new one, should be called a demilitarized zone. Or just turn off the old ones firewall all together.

[jrusso2]

If you are looking for a wireless router, why not the Linksys WRT54GL? You can install the dd-wrt firmware on it.

That combination is what I use and its great very reliable.

[gn2]

If you're in the UK, I would recommend a Netgear DG834G

[LookTJ]

I highly recommend buying a wrt54gl and flashing ddwrt onto it.

[fedex1993]

Get a Linksys router, I have had one for a year now and it hasn't given me much difficulty (and I run comcast).
well lets say i dont 100% recommend linksys routers one because i had a bad problem with the warnty well i have bene threw 6 wireless g routers in 2007. well i finally gave up and bought my self a net gear and it works awesomally good :)

[sunexplodes]

I've had NOTHING but problems with Linksys products, actually. I like the idea of being able to use OSS firmware, but man, no luck. In terms of wireless adapters, I'd get hardware conflicts, dropped signals, low signal when right next to the router, etc... And with the Routers, it'd be signal drops/low signal, trouble with port forwarding and general usage.. I've been using a $35 D-Link router for 6 months now and it's awesome.

[GSF1200S]

If you are looking for a wireless router, why not the Linksys WRT54GL? You can install the dd-wrt firmware on it.

+1- it seems to be a very good router and has done me fine for years. Simply the best for the money...

[LookTJ]

I've had NOTHING but problems with Linksys products, actually. I like the idea of being able to use OSS firmware, but man, no luck. In terms of wireless adapters, I'd get hardware conflicts, dropped signals, low signal when right next to the router, etc... And with the Routers, it'd be signal drops/low signal, trouble with port forwarding and general usage.. I've been using a $35 D-Link router for 6 months now and it's awesome.Linksys/Cisco stock firmwares really suck for some reason, that's why I use ddwrt :)

[CSMatt]

Buy your own modem. We got a Linksys cable modem, hooked it up, called up Comcast and told them the MAC address and returned the old one. Now we don't have to pay to rent the one from them, which is about $5 less per month.
I have DSL, not cable.


Otherwise, just hook a ethernet cable from the any of the old one's LAN ports to the new one's WAN port and that is it. Also best to setup the old one to forward all the ports to the new one, should be called a demilitarized zone. Or just turn off the old ones firewall all together.
I tried hooking them up that way but it didn't work. I didn't think to turn off port forwarding or the firewall though.

[Pekkalainen]

One more vote for the Linksys WRT54GL!
I bought it myself 1 month ago and I must say the firmware it comes with is rather unstable and hard to use.
I downloaded a firmware called Tomato firmware (Google is your friend) and in my newbieness bricked the router by trying to install it via the wireless connection #-o

So I had to use a program called tftp to recover it and it took about 3 hours of googling and working the terminal to get it back on its feet. After that I just plugged in the cable this time and used the Linksys firmwares update feature to install Tomato on it and since then its been rock solid and I would consider it to be my best purchase of 2007!

so to sum up:
Buy the Linksys WRT54GL
Install Tomato firmware on it using a wired connection
Live happily ever after!