Router recommendations needed

[halfadder]

What routers do you recommend for me with my 12 mbit cable modem? I think my 4 years old DLink router is just too slow to be useful anymore. When I plug my computer directly into the cable modem I get about 11.8 mbit from the Speakeasy Speed Test. But when I go thru the DLink router I only get about 7mbits. I have no use for wireless so a plain ethernet wired router would be ok no wifi features are needed now.

 

[nweaver]

pc + *nix based distro, such as Smoothwall, IPCop, etc.

 

[KenAF2]

The D-Link DIR-655 ($99 shipped from Frys.com) is the best consumer router on the market right now. See the benchmark results below:

http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/component/option,com_chart/Itemid,189/

The DIR-655 won every category by a large margin, except for the number of simultaneous connections. However, the new 1.3 firmware increased that from 120 to 180+, so it now matches or exceeds every other router in every category.

If you have wireless PCs across three or more floors, then you might want to buy two Buffalo WHR-HP-G54 and run them in bridge mode with the DD-WRT firmware. That will provide you with the best wireless coverage, but won't match the wired performance of the D-Link.