I just had cable modem installed in my new apartment now need to get a new wireless router. I'm having analysis paralysis in regards to making a decision. Not being able to move around my apartment with my laptop is actually becoming an annoying issue now. I'd like to purchase a new router by tonight or tomorrow morning online if it's cheaper. If it's going to cost the same as going to Best Buy, I can just pick one up tomorrow night on the way home from work.

So, what's the best good wireless router in the under $50 range? Or am I totally barking up the pricing wrong tree? It'll only be my computer and iPad using the connection as my roommate is opting to stay with our landlord's free wireless offering.

Thanks again folks.

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trisho.
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Official Card-Carrying Mother Earthin' Sl*t.

Trisho,

What kind of printer do you have? It can make a difference in your choice of routers. If the printer is wireless, the brand of router shouldn't matter. I will point out the connection wireless printers use to connect to a wireless network has proven flaky in my experience (and my brother's experience). Mine is an HP, his a Canon. We've both hardwired the printers via ethernet.

If you have a USB printer and want to use it on the network, go with Apple networking hardware, i.e. the new Airport Express or a flavor of Airport Extreme Base Station. I've never had good success putting a USB printer onto a wireless network via a non-Apple wireless router built-in USB print server. Never. It's one of the reasons I always make sure printers have both USB and ethernet. At least with Apple hardware, you have a fighting chance of it working well.

A printer that has ethernet and is designed to be network friendly out of the box should work fine with any wireless router.

Forgot to mention... I would not go with previous generation Airport Express be it new or refurb. They only have a single ethernet port and they are single band. The new model is dual band and has two ethernet ports. Two very significant differences that make it worth the price of admission over an older model.

Robert

P.S. I'm assuming you have a Mac laptop. If not, then all bets are off when it comes to putting a USB printer on the network.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/06/2012 02:00PM by Robert M.

I needed a replacement route last year on a moment's notice. I went to Walmart and bought the cheapest Netgear they had. Plugged it in and boom, I'm online. It's been working like a champ without a hiccup. I think I paid in the $30 range for it. It's on the main floor and we get a good signal upstairs, in the basement and in the garden.

Robert M, I don't have a printer so, that's not really a concern for me. Thankfully. It was weird when I realized I didn't need to take my printer out of storage when I moved last weekend. As in, "I don't need to print anything (at home) anymore".

Michael, what's the model on the Netgear you bought? I'm browsing around Newegg.com and Amazon...

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trisho.
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Official Card-Carrying Mother Earthin' Sl*t.

Trisho,

Some info on budget routers:

[www.consumersearch.com]

Seems they are typically single band 802.11n models with limited features. This may or may not be an issue for you. But, they are definitely in the under $50.00 range.

Don't forget to check out staples, officemax and office depot. You may be able to use a coupon to reduce the price of a router that much further or reduce the price of a dual band model to under $50.0 or in that general price range.

Robert

Quote
trisho.
Robert M, I don't have a printer so, that's not really a concern for me. Thankfully. It was weird when I realized I didn't need to take my printer out of storage when I moved last weekend. As in, "I don't need to print anything (at home) anymore".

Michael, what's the model on the Netgear you bought? I'm browsing around Newegg.com and Amazon...

It's a Netgear WGR614.

We're renting a furnished place now, and this is an issue for us.

G wifi generally has better range, but is slower.

N wifi generally is faster, but slower range. And then there are the n routers that use both 2.4 and 5 Ghz, and that use both simultaneously, and, and, and.

Our sponsor has some for under $60: [eshop.macsales.com]

You can find the d-link ones refurbished on ebay for maybe $30.....

netgear 614 works fine for me.

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If you want to fix our country, work with us in the states. statesproject.org

"Success isn't about how much money you make. It is about the difference you make in people's lives."--Michelle Obama

hi trisho!

i'd go AirPort ($) or an Asus router from NewEgg. NewEgg's free/cheap shipping from NJ is usually next day to nyc.

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$20--Just OK
[www.walmart.com]

$40-Pretty good dual band-just installed one for a client
[www.walmart.com]

I prefer Belkin over NetGear for the better customer support I have gotten.

Check with your Cable internet company also.

I've used a Netgear WGR614 802.11g router for years, but just upgraded to a WNR2000 300 Mbit 802.11n router. The new router was $50 at BB, but it's sometimes on sale for $45. I just switched to 25 Mbit Xfinity service, and was only getting 12.5 Mbps when connected wirelessly to the WGR614 using WPA2. After upgrading to the new router, I was getting the same speed as my wired computers - 25 Mbps. I'm getting slightly better range on the new router also. One other reason to get a Negear - lifetime warranty on the router (but the power adapter only has a 1 year warranty).

I don't know anything about either of them, but i found these:

[r20.rs6.net]

and

[r20.rs6.net]