Info needed about Wireless Routers

[ballaratdragons]

Here's a question for the Computer Gurus about Wireless Routers.

I have been using a Buffalo g54 Air Station for my wireless internet around the house, but today it died.
Kaput! Dead!

I need to get another Wireless Router so we can use all our computers on the internet and I can do my 'Live' broadcasts, but I don't know about all this stuff. Darren (Wombat) set this up years ago and I don't know anything about it.

I tried to look up Wireless Routers for sale but all I saw was Wireless Modem/Routers.
We don't need a Modem combined with a Router as we have to use the Telstra Modem that Telstra fitted.
We just need a wireless Router.

I found pages of them at Officeworks website but it's all Gibberish to me.
I don't know what I need or what all the Lingo means.

My other problem is cost.
I am only on a pension and can't afford one, but now I HAVE to buy one, so I can only look at the cheaper ones.

Can someone help me know what I need to buy tomorrow please?

[mill]

Pssst Ken i have one in tha shed gathering dust :)
I bring it to the club night on the 3rd of December if that is ok.

[ballaratdragons]

Thanks Martin, that is a very generous offer, but I need to buy one tomorrow.

Three of us can't use the one computer at the same time :lol:
and I can't broadcast from the PC that is hard-wired into the internet. I have to use the one out the back and it works wirelessly.
It's a rush job :thumbsup:

[acropolite]

Ken, It may just be the plugpack, dead is often simply the plugpack, if you have one of the correct voltage and polarity it would be worth a try. Other than that I bought a TP Link wireless N rouret just recently about $129, a very impressive feature set and easy to set up you wouldn't go far wrong with one.

[ballaratdragons]

I thought of that Phil

I have 9 volt and lots of 12 volt power supply's but the Buffalo uses a 3.3 volt 2 amp supply :screwy:

Rare as rocking horse poop. But thanks for the suggestion :thumbsup:

[tlgerdes]

Hi Ken,

We use one of these for our tradeshows, has been very reliable.

http://www.officeworks.com.au/retail/products/Technology/Networking-and-Wireless/Routers/Wireless-G/SYDIR600

@ $66 it is good value. Took me all of 5 minutes to learn how to set it up, but it might take you a bit longer :P

Not the lastest and greatest tech, but it is faster then your broadband.

It has one ethernet port that connects to your broadband modem, then 4 others for your "internal" network along with your wireless.

[tlgerdes]

Typical, DSE have the same D-Link product for $99, I have nothing but distain for them nowadays.:( They used to be such a good company.

[ballaratdragons]

Hey Thanks Trevor!

I will go into Officeworks in Ballarat tomorrow and get one. :)

I understand when you say "one ethernet port that connects to your broadband modem" and "your wireless" :thumbsup:
but "then 4 others for your 'internal' network" :shrug: :help:

Never mind, I'll read the instruction book if they still come with one these days. :)

[Barrykgerdes]

Hi

I use a standard "Netgear 624". It is connected to my main computer by a Lan cable which is also used for the initial set up and is my main local server.

I have a Lan connection to the computer in the garage.

Everything else is on the wireless circuit (including a couple of my Neighbours who can't get ADSL). I use the simple security of mac addresses which works OK for our neighbourhood.

The ADSL modem is connected to the input of the 624 via another Lan cable.

A couple of weeks ago I lost my ADSL for 48 hours. I pulled the Lan cable out of the ADSL modem and stuck it into my Next G Bigpond Elite Gateway that I use for internet at Wiruna switched it on and immediately had internet available on my systems.

I left it there for two days then tried the ADSL modem again. it was working so I just stuck the Lan cable back into it and it worked straight away back on the ADSL and turned my portable modem off.

What could be simpler than that!

Barry

[tlgerdes]

You probably dont need the 4 others, but they come standard anyway.

If your computer has an ethernet port, you can plug it into one of these other 4 ports. This is also needed to configure it.

[ballaratdragons]

That's a wonderful story Barry :thumbsup:

I didn't understand a word of it but it sounded good :lol:

Sorry but I don't understand computer talk so you lost me in the 1st paragraph and then it went downhill from there.

[ballaratdragons]

Yep, fully understand. Thanks :)



and now you've just lost me again.

[mithrandir]

Mine usually comes back in a couple of hours. In most cases it is Telstra working on the local loop or the ISP doing something with the DSLAM at the exchange. The ISP has their own ADSL gear.

I have 3G for such emergencies.

[Barrykgerdes]

Hi Andrew

Yes I get a few ADSL drop outs. They usually only last half an hour or so. The one I was refering to lasted two days. That's what prompted me to try the Next G modem I use at Wiruna.

Barry

[tlgerdes]

OK Ken,

I get the feeling you dont want a wireless router, you want a wireless access point.

Either way, that DLink box can be used for for either scenario.

As router acts as your internet gateway , ie traffic has to pass through it to get to the internet. I get the feeling your ADSL Modem as such is actually an ADSL Router. Do you have a model number for it?

You want to plug the Dlink device directly into your ADSL Router.

To configured the Dlink Wireless, you need to connect it directly to a computer via an ethernet cable (should be one in the box), you cant setup wireless security while you are connected to it wirelessly, you could end up with a circular problem if you miskey a value.

[ballaratdragons]

Yes, it is a wireless Router I am talking about.

I have no idea what all the other stuff you said means :lol: :shrug:
As I said, I don't understand computer jargon.

Anyway, the story is concluded.
I went to Officeworks today and the guy was very patient and helpful.
I think he saw my eyes glaze over when he started talking in that computer lingo like you all have in here.

To cut a long story short, I got the D-Link 'N300' DIR-615 Wireless Router.

The bloke assured me it will only take 5 minutes to get running as it is basically plug and play :)

5 minutes my R's.
After pulling my hair out and kicking my dogs and yelling at my son (poor bloke), 4 friggin hours later I rang the company only to be told there is a credit card charge of $40 for 'over-the-phone' technical assistance!

Stupid instructions told me (with a big sticker stuck over the input socket) "STOP! Do Not connect this device. Insert CD and Run Wizard First"

So, like a good lad, I ran the CD first.
The CD told me it cannot open coz the Device is not connected! :screwy:

I went to the written paper Manual which tells me I have to connect the device before loading the CD. the sticker on the Device tells me the opposite!

After over 4 hours of this crap, and other onscreen requests, and ringing them, I gave up. I plugged in the device, turned it on, it asked for a device name (I gave it one) then it said 'FINISH' so I clicked it. DONE!

It works without doing it THEIR way :rofl:

I am back on the net wirelessly and I don't care how it happened, but it happened :thumbsup:

:rofl: Bloody computers!

[DeanoNZL]

Well done Ken!:thumbsup:
To err is human, to really foul things up, you need a computer!

[ballaratdragons]

:rofl: ain't that the truth.

I think D-link need to re-write their instruction manual:

"Plug it in, turn it on, skip everything that appears onscreen, give the device a name ('Bruce' sounds good :lol: ) and then click 'OK'."
"If that fails, skip everything and just click 'OK'."
:rofl:

[tlgerdes]

Well I told you yesterday it would take you longer than 5 mins:rofl:

[ballaratdragons]

and I totally believed you coz I know exactly what I am like with computers :thumbsup:

So do some others in here :lol:
I am what you would call 'totally computer illiterate' :P

Even PHD doesn't like me.
I 'Push Here Dummy' and it yells back "NOOO, not there!!!!!!" :rofl:

[danielsun]

:rofl::rofl:

[erick]

Must remember to pull up outside your place Ken and steal a bit of internet bandwidth! :D

[alistairsam]

Ken
love your story. was laughing MAO...
i'm a computer engg and can totally see where you're coming from.
well , important thing is "YOU" fixed it. well done.

[alistairsam]

Ken

I suggest you get someone else to have a look at what encryption you're using. wep, wpa or wpa2.
sorry about the jargon, but its important to use wpa or wpa2 as a minimum.
it'll take all of 5 minutes to hack into a wep wlan. more jargon, sorry mate.

[ballaratdragons]

Well that was an exciting few hours!

Yep, that's all this piece of crap lasted!!!

It was playing up, then would drop out. Then connect again. This went on several times during the afternoon. Tonight it was running ok then just died!

Yep, died! No power, no nothing.
I connected the internet cable to this computer and went Googling and found that this seems to happen all over the world with this model.

How do they sell these products when they just die on people.

I will be taking this piece of rubbish back to Officeworks tomorrow (another $20 in petrol) and getting either a refund or a different Router.

Might try this one this time: http://www.officeworks.com.au/retail/products/Technology/Networking-and-Wireless/Routers/Wireless-N/SYWNR2000

It's over my budget but I need one that works, not a paperweight.

[erick]

A secret Alistair - they don't seem to worry about securing their wireless internet out there in Snake Valley.

ps. someone parked for five minutes outside someone's place sitting in the car playing with a laptop will have the whole town coming for a look.

[GrampianStars]

Ah! Ken
you need to hook up the lan cable (cat 5) to the router when setting up

[ballaratdragons]

Huh? It was connected.

Anyway, I went to Officeworks and replaced the D-link piece of crap with a Netgear N300 WNR2000 Router.

Installation was a piece of pearce.
Unlike the D-link, the instructions were very clear and simple.
The wizard was very basic and designed for twits like me :P
I even put security on it to keep Alistair happy :lol:

All working and all is good.

It even works faster than the old Buffalo, and the D-link (while it was working for its few hours :lol: )
It's like I just got superfast internet :thumbsup:

[erick]

:sadeyes: So I gotta pay for my own internet time when I'm at club site :D

[ballaratdragons]

:lol: Yeah

but for $50 a night I'll give you the password :rofl: