WAN limit on router

[cajun]

I have recently upgraded my internet cable speed to 20Mbits/sec from 10Mbits/sec and saw NO increase in download speed. After spending alot of time troubleshooting I started thinking about my aging Linksys BEFSR41v2 router and found that it has a 10Mbit WAN limit. Obviously that was my problem. This thing has been rock solid for many years!

So now to my question. What is a good wired router that is rock solid and has decent download speeds. I know that decent download speed is subject and I don't really know what the minimum speed should be. My cable company is only offering 20Mbit for now. I have 5 computers (on average) on my home LAN and will be adding an IP network camera in a couple of days. I would prefer gigabit LAN speed but that is not a deal killer. I am not opposed to a router with fewer ports and uplinking a gigabit switch.

I liked the Linksys RVS4000 but the review by Tim mentioned slow download speeds. I also like the Linksys RV042 but it does not have gigabit LAN. I don't have experience with any other brands so I don't know what to expect from them.

So to summarize what I am looking for:
Rock solid
download speed at least 20Mbit
Need at least 6 LAN ports -or- an available uplink port for switch
Prefer gigabit LAN
Prefer cables plug into back of unit
Price preferable under $150 ($200 max)

Any advice or suggestions?

Thanks! I didn't think this would be such a long post....sorry

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Might want to check out the "Router Performance Charts" that this site has been building for a few years...
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/component/option,com_chart/Itemid,189/

What you've noticed..is the throughput of older generation routers....such as the early BEFSR series, and other routers that came out in the early days of broadband, barely had about 5-8 megs of throughput. Broadband was commonly 1.5..maybe 3 megs..back then. Todays faster broadband connections..mostly cable...with quite a few ISP offering bursting packages up above 10-20 and more megs....the old routers are bottlenecks.

Todays can handle more. The RV0 can handle what you have...you usually never need more than a 100 meg WAN port (if you do...man you are lucky!)

 

[scotty]

Looking at the router charts would be a good start.

One consideration would be something like pfsense (most popular / highly rated BSD firewall). It's a snap to set up, and offers a fantastic web-based configuration interface. It's as powerful and reliable as any PC you put it on, so even an old <1GHz box would be turned into a powerful unit. All you really have to do is add NIC's to your fancy (and hang a switch off one of them). Even new, you could build a 1.6ghz celeron based box for <$300. Just a thought, but pfsense is very powerful and offers most features of enterprise-grade routers and firewalls. Obviously with this you can do 100Mbit or GigE as you please.

 

[cajun]

thanks for the feeback and suggestions.

Scotty, I would definitely like to build a router but have serious space restrictions at this point. It does look like a very doable thing in the future when we move. I did look at the router charts and that is one of the things that confused me. Most of the faster transfer speeds (downloads) were for wireless routers which I don't need. I prefer the security of wired.

YeOldeStonecat, I do like the RV0 series but they do not have gigbit LAN which I would prefer. I forgot to mention that I will also be adding a NAS later this year which is another reason I prefer a gigabit LAN.

I guess the thing to do at this point is to add a 4 port router with 10/100 WAN and 10/100/1000 LAN and then buy a gigabit switch to uplink.

That brings me to another question....I noticed that the D-Link (DGL-4100)GamerLounge does not have an uplink port to connect a switch. Is that true?

 

[thiggins]

The reason why you see so many wireless routers in the charts is because we focus primarily on consumer and "prosumer" networking products and wireless is the predominant router purchased by consumers. You can always shut off the wireless.

The industry has been slow to move to gigabit in routers because for consumer routers, profit margins are thin and I'm told that gigabit switch chips still command enough of a premium over 10/100 that it is noticeable on the bottom line.
Not sure why "small biz" class routers haven't moved to gigabit other than perhaps the same margin factor and lack of customer demand. Once you go beyond a few clients you need a switch anyway and there are no Internet connections that require a gigabit port.

Todays routers and switches don't have dedicated uplink ports because all the switch chips they use are auto MDI/X, i.e. they automatically crossover if they need to on a port by port basis.

 

[cajun]

The reason why you see so many wireless routers in the charts is because we focus primarily on consumer and "prosumer" networking products and wireless is the predominant router purchased by consumers. You can always shut off the wireless.

The industry has been slow to move to gigabit in routers because for consumer routers, profit margins are thin and I'm told that gigabit switch chips still command enough of a premium over 10/100 that it is noticeable on the bottom line.
Not sure why "small biz" class routers haven't moved to gigabit other than perhaps the same margin factor and lack of customer demand. Once you go beyond a few clients you need a switch anyway and there are no Internet connections that require a gigabit port.

Todays routers and switches don't have dedicated uplink ports because all the switch chips they use are auto MDI/X, i.e. they automatically crossover if they need to on a port by port basis.

Thanks for the info Tim...I have found this site extremely useful....Keep up the good work.

I didn't realize that the newer routers would automatically crossover to allow me to connect a switch.

I am seriuosly looking at the DLG-4500 and DLG-4100....both look good

 

[thiggins]

I am seriuosly looking at the DLG-4500 and DLG-4100....both look good

Both are based on Ubicom chipsets and are pretty fast and solid routers. The auto-QoS feature might be helpful too in managing uplink bandwidth.

I use a DGL-4300 as my main router.

 

[cajun]

Both are based on Ubicom chipsets and are pretty fast and solid routers. The auto-QoS feature might be helpful too in managing uplink bandwidth.

I use a DGL-4300 as my main router.

oh I think the 4300 would be the best. The wireless might be handy down the road. Is it easy to completely turn off wireless on the router? I am a security nut.

After taking a little inventory it looks like only a couple of my main computers are gigabit so I can "uplink" the slower computers with my linksys 5 port switch and be set!

BTW, I will probably be bugging you guys later this year when I start researching NAS devices.

 

[thiggins]

Is it easy to completely turn off wireless on the router? I am a security nut.

Yep. See for yourself:
http://support.dlink.com/emulators/dgl4300/login.html

I really like that D-Link has online emulators for most of its products. Make my life easier in answering questions!

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

I guess the thing to do at this point is to add a 4 port router with 10/100 WAN and 10/100/1000 LAN and then buy a gigabit switch to uplink.

Just a point to ponder....if you are going to use a gigabit switch for your LAN...and uplink your router to that..there's not need to seek a router that has gigabit LAN....since the router will more than likely be used on an internet connection that is well below 100 megs. So this being the case....the RV042, if you like it, will fit your needs. Granted it doesn't have the QoS features...dunno if that's an issue for you or not.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Not sure why "small biz" class routers haven't moved to gigabit other than perhaps the same margin factor and lack of customer demand. Once you go beyond a few clients you need a switch anyway and there are no Internet connections that require a gigabit port.

For business networks...we do tend to prefer to separate the devices. While an "all in 1" device has a nice small neat appearance....there are advantages to separating the devices.

I'll always prefer a separate router...a separate switch, and a separate access point...not all in one.

Some reasons...
*The built in switch of a router..is usually a lower grade switch, won't stand up to heavy loads as well as a dedicated quality business grade switch
*Those occasional times the internet is down or finicky, or firmware upgrade, or some settings change the requires a full restart..and someone has to "reboot the router"...if all workstations and servers are plugged into the router..they suffer the network connection drop while the unit reboots. This interrupts workflow...gotta close Quickbooks, gotta close applications, etc. Separating router from switch...you can reboot the router....only internet is interrupted, local network productivity can continue.

Early on when those RV082 and RV016 routers came out...everyone was consolidating their network gear with these routers that had built in 8 and 16 port switches...and these drawbacks would surface.