Small Business Router

[Guz]

OK, I've been tasked with finding a really small business wireless router.

The main points are:
1. A solid wireless Guest network (2.4 and 5 GHz). This is going into a salon and they want their clients to be able to use their phones, tablets, etc. without hitting their internal workstations/servers (3-4 machines total).

2. IPv6 support. Their ISP does support IPv6 and I want to use it and be future proof.

3. Port forwarding. I will be setting a web server on site. I will need to setup http/ssl forwarding to the server.

4. VPN support in. So I can (or future person) and VPN in and do maintenance from off site.

5. Stability. I need to it to be "set-n-forget" so I don't have to keep getting calls all the time about no internet access.

And of course, trying to keep the price reasonable.

So fire away!!

 

[tipstir]

OK, I've been tasked with finding a really small business wireless router.

The main points are:
1. A solid wireless Guest network (2.4 and 5 GHz). This is going into a salon and they want their clients to be able to use their phones, tablets, etc. without hitting their internal workstations/servers (3-4 machines total).

2. IPv6 support. Their ISP does support IPv6 and I want to use it and be future proof.

3. Port forwarding. I will be setting a web server on site. I will need to setup http/ssl forwarding to the server.

4. VPN support in. So I can (or future person) and VPN in and do maintenance from off site.

5. Stability. I need to it to be "set-n-forget" so I don't have to keep getting calls all the time about no internet access.

And of course, trying to keep the price reasonable.

So fire away!!

What's your bottom dollar amount or max range in price.
What size is your business or company?

Small
Medium
Large

The last number you have above on your list these device are not 100%, but if you have good power backup in place for power failure. Still devices might need to be power cycled now and then.

I am sure you have already looked on the SNB reviews and other brands to see what you needs are.

You have to weigh in what your are so VPN is a requirement. How many users are going to be using VPN. Any internal users use WiFi Gear, Tablets, Smartphones, desktops and laptops or other WiFi devices.

 

[stevech]

Zyxel, Cisco (not consumer routers), Juniper
are some I'd look at.

I strongly recommend getting a good non-WiFi router from one of the above. Then VLAN that to one or more WiFi access points. The router can isolate WiFi traffic and, e.g., route guests only to the internet and block their access to the company LAN, etc. This is common practice.

Also - what are you doing for user authentication? Do you have an LDAP or some such (as in MS Exchange server)? If so, make sure your router and clients support RADIUS and IEEE 802.1X.

These security oriented things are really important for even a small business, e.g., those with a fiduciary responsibility to the customers/clients. Some dolt in the parking lot can do a lot of perceived damage, if not real.

 

[Guz]

We're talking SMALL business. Literally there will be 4 computers on the network, 1 file/web server, and 3 client PC's.

The Guest network might have a dozen or so mobile devices (tablets, smartphones, etc.) active at a time. I just need to keep the guest devices separate.

The web server will have inbound http/https for clients so they can self book their appointments. So I have to be able to punch open those ports to the server.

 

[rastoma]

We're talking SMALL business. Literally there will be 4 computers on the network, 1 file/web server, and 3 client PC's.

Was it your idea to setup a web server or theirs? Just the electricity alone running 24/hrs a day is more than a basic webhosting package such as the Hatchling plan at hostgator.com or somewhere similar.

That's pretty silly for a 'salon' to have their own in-house web server. Even if it's being shared and used as a workstation, again, the power being used is more than a web hosting account. Just doesn't make sense.

 

[remixedcat]

rastoma, it could be for compliance reasons.

and to the OP, I highly recommend this router:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007M8SGW2/?tag=snbforums-20

and if you want to see how it did for me:
http://remixedcat.blogspot.com/2013/03/amped-wireless-r20000g-wireless-router.html

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Was it your idea to setup a web server or theirs? Just the electricity alone running 24/hrs a day is more than a basic webhosting package such as the Hatchling plan at hostgator.com or somewhere similar.

That's pretty silly for a 'salon' to have their own in-house web server. Even if it's being shared and used as a workstation, again, the power being used is more than a web hosting account. Just doesn't make sense.

It's not "silly" for a salon to do this, dunno if you take care of SMB networks at all....I do, have for the past 20 years. A lot of their (salon) scheduling software allows booking of appointments by their customers. This isn't some web server like a 1U rackmount server in a 42U cabinet with screaming fans on a OC-12 connection like you see in a data center running apache or IIS. Rather it's just one of the several Salon management software that most salons use.

And for the OP, coming from someone that supports SMBs for a living, get an edge firewall that does UTM duties (Unified Threat Management). The days of basic NAT routers protecting a business network are (should be) gone, extinct. Extra layers of protection are smart. The tiny bit of extra money you'll pay for a UTM appliance will return to you maintenance costs in spades. You can cut way down on geek squad calls to come clean some rogue fake alert/trojan from the computers, and help secure your https site better.
Tim recently reviewed this device...quite affordable
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/secu...sa550w-integrated-security-appliance-reviewed

 

[stevech]

OK, I've been tasked with finding a really small business wireless router.

The main points are:
1. A solid wireless Guest network (2.4 and 5 GHz). This is going into a salon and they want their clients to be able to use their phones, tablets, etc. without hitting their internal workstations/servers (3-4 machines total).

2. IPv6 support. Their ISP does support IPv6 and I want to use it and be future proof.

3. Port forwarding. I will be setting a web server on site. I will need to setup http/ssl forwarding to the server.

4. VPN support in. So I can (or future person) and VPN in and do maintenance from off site.

5. Stability. I need to it to be "set-n-forget" so I don't have to keep getting calls all the time about no internet access.

And of course, trying to keep the price reasonable.

So fire away!!

Most business do (or should do) a policy of using WiFi only for non-employee guests/contractors, and that access is hard-routed for Internet-only access, and with passwords that expire daily.

Employee WiFi access is often/usually not permitted, or is done with special routers that use the company's AAA (RADIUS) server to authenticate and run ALL data through an SSL tunnel.

That leads one to, IMO, a not inexpensive solution from Cisco Aironet (not Linksys) or Aruba.