Access Point Recommendation

[BostonDan]

Hi Everyone,

Can anyone provide recommend either a Wireless Access Point or a router that will be used as a Wireless Access Point with the following attributes:
1) WPA2-PSK encryption
2) Fastest 802.11G download speed (all wireless devices will be using 802.11G)
3) 802.11N support should I ever move my clients to 802.11N
4) I won't be using the router functionality at all.

I tried using the Wireless Charts, but I couldn't figure out how to determine 802.11G throughput of 802.11N devices.

In advance, I appreciate your suggestions.
Thanks,
Dan

 

[stevech]

11g air link speeds are defined by the 11g and 11n standards. The speed is the same for both.

Access points (APs) - best is to buy a purpose built AP. But a consumer router config'd as an AP is fine. Be sure to disable the DHCP server.

If you want 11n, I'd not spend the premium for 40MHz/300Mbps capability unless you wish to. Not much use in typ. residential use.

Opinion: Avoid D-Link and most Netgear. Belkin/Buffalo usually good. Linksys usually good but the new internal-only antenna products may be overpriced for what they do. For APs, I'd just get some $30 11g WiFi routers and be done with it for a year. You're not concerned with how well it does LAN to WAN routing/firewalling since it's an AP.
Then revisit the marketplace in a year.

Engenious APs- I've used their outdoor ones. They're good. Buy on Newegg. Probably same firmware for their indoor ones.

 

[Osamede]

My advice would be to forget the "future proofing" issue about N speed. Looks like you are not even sure if and when you will use that part - and by the time you do I am sure there will be some more progress you want to take advantage of. All you want is a router that is stable and works - you'll get acceptable 802.11 G speed out of almost anything half decent. Look at the Buffalo or Egenius products. Even the much maligned D-link can do decently enough for G speed requirement.Just get a cheap one and move on, you can probably get it done for 75 bucks max. For example
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833162031

Or for even less with some thing like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833168049
or this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124284

 

[BostonDan]

Thanks Stevech and Osamede,
I'm suprised to hear your comments regarding Dlink, Buffalo and Belkin. I would have thought Dlink would be a preferred brand and to avoid Buffalo and Belkin.

I currently have two Dlink DIR-655 routers, one being used as a wired router next to the modem and the other elsewhere in the house dedicated soley as an access point. So far, I've had not had any failures and really like the DHCP reservation table functionality.

I was hoping that upgrading the Access Point would speed up the wireless side of my network. It's fine browsing the web, but slow when working with pictures that I have residing on a NAS. When I connected with a wired connection, the speed is fine so I don't think the NAS is slowing me down.
Do you guys think that I'll see any speed difference if I swap out the DIR-655 access point with something else?
In advance and again- thanks very much. I appreciate the insight.

 

[Osamede]

Pictures typically means transferring a lot of relatively small files. Those kind of multiple transfers of small files typically dont go all that fast, in my expeirence, at least compared to say transferring a single large AVI or MKV of a movie.