Wireless Routers

[BobH]

This should be a poll but the possible range of answers is too broad to set it up as one; so I'll just rely on you to respond.

If you use a wireless router, what brand and model number is it? . . . is it dual band? Does it have USB ports? What other features does it have? What problems - if any - have you experienced with it? Why did you choose the router that you have?

[HansV]

what brand and model number is it? Zyxel P-2812HNU-F1.
is it dual band? no idea.
Does it have USB ports? Yes, two.
What other features does it have? 4 Ethernet ports, 2 phone ports, 1 WAN port
What problems - if any - have you experienced with it? Once or twice a year it starts to act weird, and I have to reboot it; this always takes care of the problem.
Why did you choose the router that you have? It was provided by my ISP.

[BobH]

Brand: Netgear
Model: WNDR4300
It is dual band, 2.4 and 5 GHz
It has 1 USB port and 4 Ethernet ports in addition to the port dedicated to the cable modem for Internet access.
It supports shared wifi printers and files.
I bought it based on reported features and price point.

This router has never been satisfactory. It does not provide a sufficiently strong radio signal. A desktop system located less than 30 feet away gets only 2 or 3 bars indicating signal strength. Frequently, I have lost connection and had to reboot the cable modem and the router to reconnect. Within the last week, it has failed entirely. I've had this router about 6 months, IIRC, but it might be longer. Certainly, it has not performed as well nor lasted as long as it should have.

[Jay Freedman]

What brand and model number is it? ActionTec MI424WR rev.I
Is it dual band? No, 2.4 GHz only
Does it have USB ports? Yes, two, but only for charging (until unspecified firmware update, probably never)
What other features does it have? 4 Ethernet ports, 2 WAN ports (coax, Ethernet)
What problems - if any - have you experienced with it? None
Why did you choose the router that you have? It was provided by my ISP (Verizon fiber).

[Rudi]

What brand and model number is it? TP-LinkTL-WR1043ND

Is it dual band? Yes

Does it have USB ports? Yes (one)

What other features does it have?
Type: Wireless router
WiFi: 802.11 b, g, n
WiFi encryption: WEP, WPA, WPA2
MIMO support: Yes
Antenna: External (3 antenna(s), Detachable)
Ethernet: 10/100/1000 [Gigabit]
Integrated switch: 4 ports
Ports: 4 Ethernet ports

What problems - if any - have you experienced with it? None

Why did you choose the router that you have? It was the best router I could afford at the time of purchase and was recommended with research.

Link to Full Specs PDF.

I purchased it about 36 months ago...there may be better/newer models in the range available now...

[StuartR]

I use a BT Home Hub 5. It's dual band, with 802.11ac on 5GHz and 802.11b, g, n on 2.4GHz.
It supports various encryption algorithms, but I only use WPA2 (and would reject any device that doesn't support this)
4 x Gigabit Ethernet ports
3x3 internal MIMO antennas

I chose this because it had good reviews for its 802.11ac performance and I could get it for free by signing up for a 12 month commitment to my existing broadband contract

[MalcolmWalker]

I have had fabulous, trouble-free service from my router. The only attention it has needed is to power-off and power-on very occasionally when the connection has failed. Setting-up was very straight forward. The details are:

Netgear DG834N RangeMax NEXT Wireless ADSL Modem, Router
Constant connection to stream, download & transfer files
Simultaneous connect to multiple Internet services & online media
Speeds of up to 270 mbps
5-in-1: Modem, Router, Firewall, 4-port Switch, Wireless Access Point
No need for separate modem; plugs directly into ADSL line
As always, with NETGEAR's Smart Wizard™ installation
Touchless™ WiFi security easily 'locks-down' your network
Complies with Draft 802.11n specification
Works with existing wireless network devices (802.11g & b)
Purchased from Amazon UK in March 2009 and in use daily since then
Cost £101.86
Recommended by the proprietor of a local computer retail business.

[Timelord]

I ended up being forced to use the router that I now rent from my ISP (cable company). I purchased the exact same model myself but the company would not push down the firmware updates so it would not work. When they brought the rental out the first thing they did was push down the firmware updates and it works just fine. So, I have no idea about mine whatsoever as I refuse to get involved in the rental.

[jonwallace]

I use a Superhub 2 supplied by my ISP (Virgin). The router is a repackaged Netgear, it is dual band with a guest facility. It seems to have the same features as my Netgear WNDR4500 (N900) (that stopped working after a lightning storm) except that Virgin don't allow you to change the DNS settings and I think the USB port is inactive (my printer is ethernet). It seems reliable enough (I turn it off at night and turn it back on in the morning) and fast enough across both bands. I can wirelessly stream Lovefilm at HD to my PS3 quite nicely.