After discovering that I have to
pay upfront to return my non-functioning cisco/linksys router even though it's still under warranty, I've come to the miserable conclusion that there is no decent wireless company. If someone could prove me wrong, that would be swell.
My experience with netgear was bad in 2008, but apparently netgear has adopted the same customer support method and become even worse. I had a problem with a crappy product. No QoS in the firmware and would easily time out. Not large enough to hold custom firmware. Plus it's covered in blue LEDs that don't actually represent anything. However, it's lasted a good 4 years, even though it has poor coverage in my house. So they replaced a crappy product with another crappy product. Problem wasn't solved, but the service was there. Now it looks like they are charging the same amount as cisco/linksys from their Indian call centers.
At this point in time I really just need reliability. I've got 2 netgear wireless access points, but the past 2-3 routers that have been used in the data closet have stopped working.
"Parliamentary inquiry, Mr. Chairman - do we have to call the Gentleman a gentleman if he's not one?"
We can't explain the universe, just describe it; and we don't know whether our theories are true, we just know they're not wrong. >Harald Lesch
So far I've only used AVMs. And they're pretty good out of the box but still AVM offers updated firmwares. Can't say anything about their customer support though because I never had a problem.
For devices that I use myself, so far I haven't seen any good consumer routers or wireless access points. I haven't used many, but every one of them so far has had issues (though an $80 Netgear wireless router that my dad uses seems to be working fine for now). The only thing that has worked well for me for either of those purposes is open source software.
I have a router-size x86-compatible computer running pfSense for my router (and used to be main wireless with the wireless network card in it, but the wireless is only a backup now). For wireless I have a TP-Link wireless access point, but it is running OpenWrt because the stock firmware is too unstable. I'd be willing to use a device running OpenWrt as a main router if I didn't already have something that works well, provided I had a device with more flash memory to install a couple packages for some of the things I use on pfSense and if I was using the web GUI from the current development version (which is easier to use than the current release version).
None.
My current Cisco is working fine now, so is my ancient wireless Cisco adapter I bought forever ago (like right when 802.11n came out for home stuffs).
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Your best bet is probably just going to be to google. I found this page:
http://reviews.cnet.com/best-wireless-routers/
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Unfortunately my Buffalo G54 is now no longer made.
So next best things:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833162033Or if you need gigabit on the ports:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833162031In the case of the G54, I've set up 3 in 3 different houses. They all had amazing range and speed, and I was very satisfied. All are still working just fine.
I should mention I'm using the Cisco listed in Lanth's link.
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