Going Wireless... (in Off-topic)

Because of recent changes in my internet style I've decided to go wireless...

I am going to have a few next-gen consoles hooked up (PS3, Wii) and of course this old comp ;-)

I just need to know what brand names I should look at, which to avoid, what kind of specs are "good" and maybe a recommendation from some one who is running wireless now.

Any help would be appreciated...

Thanx

What do you need?

I personally use Netgear WPN824 router.

"g" type router with 7 internal antennas.

I have my laptop and my xbox 360 hooked up wireless and very rarely lose signal.

I do have a large house (4700 sq. feet) and can get signal throughout the house and even outside by the pool without losing speed.

I would highly recommend this router.

If your looking at laptops to go wireless, basically any with a "g" card, either built in or via a PCMCIA port will do a fine job. I personally have a HP laptop that works great.

d-links the way to go.

I had a Linksys before, kept stop working

No matter what you use, you should likely setup a locked VPN based gateway machine rather than allowing the router access to the internet. Any consumer level router is going to be less trustworthy than a real computer running open software.

"Any consumer level router is going to be less trustworthy than a real computer running open software."

I'm using a Linksys WRT54GL running OpenWRT. Is this a "consumer level router" or a "real computer running open software"?
Anyway, real computers consume real electricity...

hah, bart for the win, I forgot people are making open setups for router hardware...

I have a Linksys and it works no problem... but anything from Linksys, D-link or Netgear will most likely work just fine.

I would suggest getting an 802.11 n router, especially now that the specs for official n are almost finalized. Faster, longer range, and backwards compatible with b/g.

I had my PC connected to the internet via a wireless receiver, and when I played Warcraft III: TFT online, I got horrible lag and dropped out of games quite frequently. I now have my router wired to my PC, and that problem is gone. Not sure if it'll affect PS3s Online gaming or Wii's, but just thought I'd share.

Thanks for the responses guys very helpful :-)

On another note I just plugged in my PS3 so see ya'll later...

GnuUzir, you still haven't told us what exactly you need?

Sorry bart I am not sure what you are asking?

You only said "wireless", without telling us if it's a wireless accesspoint, wireless router (with or without cable/DSL modem), wireless adapter (for which computers and operating systems?) or any combination of the above you need.

Don't get a 802n router until the specs HAVE been finalized, that is the key problem right now the specs have not been finalized. I wouldn't buy a car that ALMOST fit design specifications, and you shouldn't get a router made by impatient companies with a standard that, for some insane reason, has still not been finalized. Read more details here.

Personally I've got a D-link DI-634M, but I don't think there are custom open firmware updates for it yet. :(

Ok sorry for the newb-ness...

I have a cable modem, so I am looking for a wireless router...

and I am running XP on my comp

Hopefully that will do it...

Then a router like the Linksys WRT54 I have is fine. For the computer, you have a choice between a PCI and USB adapters for wireless. USB may be a preferred option for 2 reasons:
- No need to open computer to install it
- If you have problems getting a good wireless reception (because of the computer, or too close to a concrete wall), you only need to use an USB extension cord ;)

If the cable modem is not only a modem, but also a router (marketing speak: multi PC modem), you don't really need a wireless router, a wireless access point (which is marketing speak for a wireless-ethernet bridge) is already sufficient.