Which b/g/n router to use with Apple

[scudpilot]

Does anyone know if there is any advantage to buying the very expensive airport extreme b/g/n router for $300.00 from Apple, or will any quality router do the same job? Want an N band router since I just bought a new wireless printer and I understand that it is faster with N. We have a MacBook, MacBook Pro, Compaq notebook and an IMac to use with the router. Thanks for any advice on brand or model. I currently use a D-Link b/g router.
Pete

 

[90lsteg]

You can save a lot of money by getting a Linksys wireless N router. I have one of these which works great for my iMac, MacBook Pro, MacBook, Motion Computing tablet and Fujitsu laptop.

Usually find them for less than $100.

 

[OVERKILL]

Well, you could always buy this

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833150073

 

[StevieC]

I have a bunch of Windows PC's, a linux box and an Apple Macbook Pro as well as an I-Phone and I-Pod touch in our apartment and they all run just fine on my Asus router.

Don't waste the money on an expensive Apple branded router, it's not needed.

Steve

 

[JHZR2]

Im running a $25 asus with DDWRT, and it is great. I even have a mac mini working through a wireless access point that takes it back to LAN. The speed, unless you do a lot of file transfer, is really only necessary if you have the WAN speed to back it up, IMO.

 

[wavinwayne]

I have a Macbook Pro, an iPod Touch, a Wii, and two Windows netbooks which all work fine with my Belkin G wireless router, that I paid $20 for at WalMart. If you must have an "N" router, I would suggest going to W-M and getting the cheapest Belkin N router they sell.

FWIW, as of today you can buy a re-furbished AirPort Express Base Station "N" router from the online Apple Store for $69.

 

[PandaBear]

The only advantage I've heard of buying the Apple router (whatever they call it nowadays, time capsule) is the additional features that has nothing to do with a router:

some sort of music protocol prioritization
some sort of auto backup
some sort of printer sharing

etc.

If you are happy with what you use right now, no need to buy the expensive apple stuff.

 

[Buffman]

I have the integrated wireless in my 2wire and has no issues with my mac connecting to it

 

[scudpilot]

Thank You for all the responses folks. I decided to just stay with my b/g router right now. Hooked up the printer and the wireless works great anywhere in the house.

 

[cryption]

I have 9 computers on my network.

2 PPC iMac
2 Intel iMac
1 Macbook
1 Acer netbook
2 custom built PCs
1 HP PC

Plus 2 iPhones, 2 DVRs, xbox 360, Roku netflix player

I use a belkin G router I got for $25 a few years ago and it's still truckin well. I don't get IP conflicts, and I can have everything connected without any problems, even when I have my friends and their laptops and iPhones as well.

Find a good deal on a name brand router and you will be fine.

 

[marcre]

I have a Time Capsule and I love it… Especially the ease of backups. But, any router will work as long as it says it's Mac compatible on the box.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: marcre
I have a Time Capsule and I love it… Especially the ease of backups. But, any router will work as long as it says it's Mac compatible on the box.


It shouldn't have to be "mac compatible". WiFi is a STANDARD.

http://www.wi-fi.org/

Quote:

To get where we are today, it has taken a great cooperation between thousands of companies, researchers, and engineers to develop products that work together seamlessly. In the mid-1990s, an international consortium of engineering experts from many technology companies began working together through an organization called IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, known as "I-triple E"), to develop industry standards for how these new wireless products should interact with each other. Out of that cooperation, the Wi-Fi Alliance® was born, and has taken those standards and developed test labs around the world to test and certify that products meet the standards of interoperability and security.

*snip*

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products are tested to ensure that they work with previous generations of Wi-Fi products that operate in the same frequency band. For example, the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 802.11g designation indicates a product has been certified to meet the standards for 802.11g, and will operate with devices Wi-Fi CERTIFIED for 802.11b or 802.11n (that support 2.4 GHz). This means that as you add new devices to your existing Wi-Fi network, you can be confident that they will work together well.

 

[cryption]

Originally Posted By: marcre
I have a Time Capsule and I love it… Especially the ease of backups. But, any router will work as long as it says it's Mac compatible on the box.


And many routers have a USB port you can connect an external hard drive to. Works like a time capsule, but under $100