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Suggestions on WIFI equipment

joniejones
Newbie
Posts: 1
Registered: ‎08-06-2007

Suggestions on WIFI equipment

I have been with plusnet for some years now, and have also been running wifi at home for myself and my wife. The question is, what would you as a customer or client of plusnet use or shall i say what hardware make would you yourselves promote for wireless setup?
jonie
18 REPLIES 18
Liam
Grafter
Posts: 2,083
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: Sugetions on WIFI equipment

I'm a big fan of Netgear kit for Wireless, simply because I've used the DG834G a number of times before and it's never let me down.  Simple interface, easy setup wizard, and good reliability.
Having said that, the Voyagers we send out to customers seem to be of very high quality, though I've never used one myself.
jazz
Grafter
Posts: 240
Registered: ‎06-04-2007

Re: Sugetions on WIFI equipment

I use Netgear DG934GT and find it very reliable (had a wired Netgear before and that very reliable too).  It is easy to set up and use.  I also seem to have access to at least a couple of unsecured BT Voyagers operating in my neighbourhood but I've never actually used them!!!
arlehaven
Grafter
Posts: 67
Registered: ‎10-06-2007

Re: Sugetions on WIFI equipment

Hello joniejones,
I am currently using a BT1800HG supplied by Plusnet. It's simple, flexible, secure, and wireless.
Brilliant for the novice yet highly configurable for the expert. The 2WIRE interface is easily navigated with a link giving lots of info about your homenetwork. There are inbuilt parental controls which you can configure to keep the kiddies away from those unwanted sites. And a 24/7 online support from 2WIRE.
A great little piece of kit.
Agreeing with Liam, I too am a big fan of Netgear, have used and sold their kit for many years and for those of you who wish to extend their home network to every inch of the house they have an excellent wall plugged range extender - WGXB102 (Receive Wireless Internet Access from any Power Outlet in Your Home) No more blind spots.
Check out:
  http://www.netgear.co.uk/extra/wallplugged_range_extender_wgxb102.php ;
for more info.
Kelly
Hero
Posts: 5,497
Thanks: 380
Fixes: 9
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: Sugetions on WIFI equipment

I quite like Linksys kit, never really had any problems with them.
Kelly Dorset
Ex-Broadband Service Manager
Buzzons
Newbie
Posts: 6
Registered: ‎24-06-2007

Re: Suggestions on WIFI equipment

if you want all singing all dancing, then the Cisco 877w would be a good route, or just the Aironet products also from cisco (for just access points)
Else, linksys make good kit.
Look for PreN if you are buying new so that it will last for a good few years
zubel
Community Veteran
Posts: 3,793
Thanks: 4
Registered: ‎08-06-2007

Re: Suggestions on WIFI equipment

I swear by Netgear, having used the DG814, DG834G, DG834GT and now the DG834N both in the office and at home.
The only unit that ever had a problem was the original DG814, which Netgear swapped out next-day.
The UI is very simple, and according to my tame BT engineer Netgear kit generally "syncs ADSL on a long, wet piece of string.".
The latest model, the DG834N has absolutely fantastic coverage - the MD of our company used to have 5 'Wireless G' access points scattered around the attic of his "small mansion" to get coverage - this has been replaced by two DG834N's, coupled with PCI and PCMCIA 'N' spec cards which actually give him far superior coverage.
Barry
matt_2k34
Grafter
Posts: 1,300
Registered: ‎09-07-2007

Re: Suggestions on WIFI equipment

Use a cable ! 🙂 wifi is dirty...
But if you must use it any peice of kit will do.. i had good experiences will D-link and Linksys kit 🙂 (if you didnt know - Linksys is Cisco ;D)
how you got on ?
i dont use netgear kit for modems / wifi from bad experiences... mainly 2nd hand - altho switches they are great 🙂
chillypenguin
Grafter
Posts: 4,729
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: Suggestions on WIFI equipment

Quote from: Matt_2k34
(if you didnt know - Linksys is Cisco ;D)

In the same way that PlusNet is BT !
Chilly
Edward
Newbie
Posts: 8
Registered: ‎10-07-2007

Re: Suggestions on WIFI equipment

Speaking from personal and professional experience (I setup and maintain multisite networks and email servers) I would not recommend Linksys despite their being part of Cisco.
In my client base I have a mixture of Draytek, Netgear, and Linksys ADSL routers.  I had only six Linksys routers, and I say 'had' as the last one has now thankfully been scrapped due to failure. All six were unreliable, either randomly losing settings, the hub/switch failing, refusing to allow remote administration, requiring frequent rebooting, or ADSL chip failures.
Of the remaining Draytek and Netgear routers (more than fifty) I have only experienced two failures, both attributable to lightning damage (in rural areas with overhead cables).  I did have one DoA DG834GT but that was exchanged by courier the next morning.
matt_2k34
Grafter
Posts: 1,300
Registered: ‎09-07-2007

Re: Suggestions on WIFI equipment

Quote from: chillypenguin
Quote from: Matt_2k34
(if you didnt know - Linksys is Cisco ;D)

In the same way that PlusNet is BT !
Chilly

Hmm i think you knew what i meant 🙂 -- Linksys routers to me seem much more home-office / business type routers... i had to set one up for a neighbour they opened the box looked ath the instructions then " Grin  Smiley  Sad  Shocked  Shocked  Shocked  Huh Huh " followed.. and it was a bit of a pain to setup but since setup had no issues since 😄
WPA or WEP... both are crackable so even if you do "encrypt" stuff on your network it is still 'visible' .. Best way to do it (in my opinion) it to mac-filter out the only machines you want to allow in the router - BEWARE make a mistake in here and you could lock yourself out for quite some time (or for good) )
i *only* use wifi for the laptop we have,i wouldnt recommend wifi-linking desktops to routers.. lay a cable much safer - much faster.
Oh and wifi is really badly affected by weather 🙂 i recently learnt... *especially* thunder ...
Assos
Grafter
Posts: 5,880
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎05-04-2007

Re: Suggestions on WIFI equipment

On the topic of wifi, I go to uni in September and get broadband provided in my room in halls. Is there anyway I can take this and make it available over wifi, so I don't have to be chained to the desk to use it?
chillypenguin
Grafter
Posts: 4,729
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: Suggestions on WIFI equipment

How is the broadband proved in the hall?
I am surprised that it is not WiFi.
If it’s hard-wired Ethernet then in theory you could just add an Access Point. But the university may have containments policies for rouge Access Points.
Best think would be to check with the university IT department.
Chilly

matt_2k34
Grafter
Posts: 1,300
Registered: ‎09-07-2007

Re: Suggestions on WIFI equipment

Which uni you going too ? --- Good Luck ! 😄
Quote
am surprised that it is not WiFi.

Every Uni i have looked at has wifi where they offer broadband...
Take a poke in your brochure - it usually just has "wireless internet access" written somewhere - or a specific logo 🙂
Assos
Grafter
Posts: 5,880
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎05-04-2007

Re: Suggestions on WIFI equipment

Glocestershire, Park Campus in Cheltenham Cheesy Where have you looked at / what for?
As for wi-fi, only one Uni I looked at had it in Halls, the rest the halls just had wired internet. We've got wi-fi on campus in the library and SU bar though...