In the market for a new router - Linksys WRT54GS or GL?

[NYNY2244]

I plan on buying a new router to replace my aging netgear. From what I've read, the Linksys WRT54GL is a fantastic router with a lot of options for firmware customization. What I really need is just something that's going to stay reliable for me and not choke when there's a lot of stuff connected. At the moment, I have the following things using my Router:

PC - Wired
3 PCs - Wireless
Xbox 360 - Wireless
Wii - Wired(networking adapter)
Nintendo DS - Wireless

My current router seems to choke and slow down a bit if there's too much activity. Would the WRT54GL or GS be able to handle all this fine?

Bottom line, are the GL or GS good routers for me and between the two of them which one am I better off getting?

 

[Tarrant64]

The Linksys WRT54### has been around for a long time, and while it is a fantastic router I hear it isn't at the top of the line anymore. However, it's ideal for home users who just do basic tasks. The support is great, and with firmware updates it improves over time. Sometimes easy setup for security and just being able to "plug-in-and-go" mean more than maximum performance.

Dlink has been pumping out some outstanding routers. Although their price may edge towards being too expensive for many, their overall performance stats are great. They have some of the best throughputs overall for transfer speeds as well.

Do you have anything that supports 802.11 N? Do you do a lot of gaming?

Here's a link to a site that does comparisons between different routers and has a chart so you can visually see where some routers are at as far as performance goes:
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com...om_wireless/Itemid,200

From personal experience I went with a Dlink 4300 router(the wireless one, don't know why the exact model number escapes me right now). This is because I was into a lot of gaming and I wanted something that would take internet traffic from my PC and prioritize it above everything else. So when the SO is downloading her music or streaming from Yahoo I wouldn't see too much of a drop in network performance. There are, of course, many other possibilities with it as well.

 

[kevnich2]

Honestly, go the GL route and re-flash it with either DDWRT or tomato (I prefer DDWRT) and voila, you know how have the features of a much higher priced router. The hardware is good, it's the firmware that seems to be very buggy and error prone. I have literally gone several months without a reboot of my WRT54GL router.

 

[Twr1]

Go with the GL. The GS only works with micro DD-WRT, if it works at all.

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Supported_Devices

 

[JackMDS]

The GS is one of these things that you do not want to get even for free.

If you need features that are provided by DD_WRT go with the WRT54GL.

Otherwise if you are Not into Flashing get this, Zyxel 550 -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...181218&Tpk=zyxel%2b550

 

[imported_snikt]

I have a GL at home. I've flashed it using HyperWRT but had some problems. Re-flashed with the latest Linksys firmware and the GL has been flawless. After using HyperWRT for a week or two I realized I didn't necessarily need the extra features it provided that's why I flashed back to Linksys firmware. I've had months of uptime with the GL and the latest Linksys firmware. Just keep in mind the GL is still using G technology which is still popular, but N technology is emerging

 

[NYNY2244]

Originally posted by: Tarrant64
Do you have anything that supports 802.11 N? Do you do a lot of gaming?

The Xbox 360 gets used for a lot of gaming as does my PC, but the 360 using wireless G and my PC is wired. At the moment, all my devices are G so a N router probably wouldn't do me good.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I'll probably be ordering the GL sometime today. I've got a 20 off buy.com coupon along with a 10 dollar rebate they're offering, so I can get the router for about 40 dollars.

 

[kevnich2]

Wireless N Technology does you no good until the standard is actually ratified, and well, it could be several more years for all we know. Wireless G is the latest and greatest ratified standard and will be around for many many years to come. The problem with buying N now, it's not actually ratified so if you have company A router, there's no guarantee it's going to communicate well with equipment from company B. When things actually get certified for N in a few years, the gear now, most likely, will need to be replaced. There's a reason the big players (Cisco, Proxm, etc) are not doing anything with Wireless N, it's only the SOHO companies because it's all basically marketing, and it seems to be working based on the comments here about everybody buying the 802.11n gear when really, it doesn't exist yet.

 

[weovpac]

I have a GL with tomato and love it

 

[Dari]

which is better? WWRT or Tomato?

 

[JackMDS]

DD-WRT has more features.

Some people claim that tomato has better menus appearance. For a device that needs to be set, once in a Blue Moon by a computer enthusiast it is a funny excuse.

Whatever you choose it probably does not matter.

 

[Dari]

Originally posted by: JackMDS

DD-WRT has more features.

Some people claim that tomato has better menus appearance. For a device that needs to be set, once in a Blue Moon by a computer enthusiast it is a funny excuse.

Whatever you choose it probably does not matter.

The How-to guide is in German. Where can I download an English instruction guide for the firmware and the firmware itself?

 

[gasolino]

Originally posted by: JackMDS
The GS is one of these things that you do not want to get even for free.

Would you mind elaborating? I'd really like to get a GS because I have a big ol' Target gift card that I need to get rid of, and that's all they sell. I want to run DD-WRT. I've seen mixed things online about whether the newest version of the GS (7.0, I think?) works with DD-WRT, but I personally know someone who has been successful using an older version of the GS.

 

[JackMDS]

Welcome to AnandTech's Networking Forum.

The GS suppose to provide propriety Wireless Boosting.

Unfortunatly it does not work well and provides very very little results, if at all.

When come to Flashing with DD_WRT the GS is limitted as compare to the GL.

So, if you buy GL and Flash it, you can boost the Wireless through the new firmware and get the same Wireless as the gs.

In sum with the GL you get Boosted Wireless as well as features Not available with flashed GS.

If you do not want to Flash there are other Wireless Routers that are better devices than the GS and cost about the same.

 

[Goosemaster]

GL