AppleInsider › Forums › Mac Hardware › Current Mac Hardware › Getting a 3rd-party Wireless Router...recommendations?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Getting a 3rd-party Wireless Router...recommendations?

post #1 of 17
12/26/05 at 3:10pm
Thread Starter 
Well, my Airport Extreme is experiencing very weird issues...

Connecting wirelessly to the base station works perfectly, but I am unable to connect to the Internet even though the cable modem connected to the base station is plugged in properly and working.

Plugging in the cable modem directly to my iBook allows me to surf the Internet works fine. So I have come to the conclusion that something is wrong with the "router" end of the AE base station.

Since new AE base stations are rather expensive, I thought I could purchase a 3rd party wireless router/base station and save some money.

I know from others that 3rd party ones work, but some work better with Macs than others. So I wanted to know what you guys are using and if you had any recommendations.

Note: Keep in mind I am only planning to spend up to $100.
Mac OS X Leopard vs. Windows Vista
http://www.macvswindows.com
Reply
Mac OS X Leopard vs. Windows Vista
http://www.macvswindows.com
Reply
post #2 of 17
12/26/05 at 3:38pm
Linksys WRT54GL (The L is important. It menas that it's the Linux version).
Lots of third-party firmware that you can run on it for lots of options.
Join F@H
Reply
Join F@H
Reply
post #3 of 17
12/27/05 at 8:05pm
Thread Starter 
Does it come with some utility like an AE base station does for configuring things, or do you do this from your web browser via a local IP address.
Mac OS X Leopard vs. Windows Vista
http://www.macvswindows.com
Reply
Mac OS X Leopard vs. Windows Vista
http://www.macvswindows.com
Reply
post #4 of 17
12/27/05 at 8:56pm
On a PC yes. Just press a button on the front of the router and it kicks in SecureEasySetup - basically a automatic WPA config.

On the Mac it's browser based, but very straight forward.

Here's what it looks like once you get in and the options you have listed in the sub-tabs (I cropped out all the relevent settings for my router for obvious reasons):














I love the WRT54-series of routers.
Very reliable and affordable. Plus, the Sveasoft firmware opens up lots of possibilities.
Join F@H
Reply
Join F@H
Reply
post #5 of 17
12/27/05 at 9:48pm
Thread Starter 
what type of possibilities?
Mac OS X Leopard vs. Windows Vista
http://www.macvswindows.com
Reply
Mac OS X Leopard vs. Windows Vista
http://www.macvswindows.com
Reply
post #6 of 17
12/27/05 at 10:17pm
You can adjust the output power from 0 to 251mw (default is 28mw), manage bandwidth, prioritize VoIP or IM traffic, turn it into a repeater, gather statistics for load averaging, turn it into a public hotspot, do external logging - tons of stuff like this.

If all that is irrelevant to you, it's still a damn solid wireless router.
Join F@H
Reply
Join F@H
Reply
post #7 of 17
12/28/05 at 9:25pm
Thread Starter 
Hmmm...

Maybe I will give it a try. It's no doubt probably cheaper than buying a brand new Airport Extreme base station.
Mac OS X Leopard vs. Windows Vista
http://www.macvswindows.com
Reply
Mac OS X Leopard vs. Windows Vista
http://www.macvswindows.com
Reply
post #8 of 17
12/29/05 at 8:20am
Quote:
Originally posted by Michael_Moriarty
Hmmm...

Maybe I will give it a try. It's no doubt probably cheaper than buying a brand new Airport Extreme base station.

Once in while my airport extreme base station will stop working. Usually just restarting it by unplugging for a few seconds will fix the problem. Lot cheaper than a new router.
cylon
Reply
cylon
Reply
post #9 of 17
12/29/05 at 1:34pm
Can you hook up any other computer to your cable modem? Some service providers tie in the cable modem to the first MAC (your network card's "ID") address they connect to and refuse service to any other network device.

I forget if the Airport Extreme allows you to "clone" a computer's MAC address, but I would try that in addition to a hard reset of the Airport Extreme. It's very odd that any network device breaks down only halfway.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 17
12/29/05 at 6:56pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally posted by cylon
Once in while my airport extreme base station will stop working. Usually just restarting it by unplugging for a few seconds will fix the problem. Lot cheaper than a new router.

Already did that. I even pressed the little reset button to restore the base station to its factory settings.

The base station's router will function normal for about a day or two and then stop working for no reason.
Mac OS X Leopard vs. Windows Vista
http://www.macvswindows.com
Reply
Mac OS X Leopard vs. Windows Vista
http://www.macvswindows.com
Reply
post #11 of 17
1/1/06 at 10:42pm
I got the LinkSys router for my mom to work with her new Comcast internet connection in Michigan. The router worked well for me on my 1.25GHz Al PB. However, my brother's Ti PB couldn't connect wirelessly even with all the security turned off and just using straight DHCP. It did connect fine using Ethernet. Except for that one issue it worked fine.

I got it for about $30. If you watch DealMac or Deals on the Web at Macsurfer you can sometimes find deals like this. It was on sale at Amazon and there was a mail in rebate on top of the sale.

One odd thing I noticed on my PB was that the Network Control Panel sometimes showed that the airport card was not connected but that I did have an internet connection via a PCI-Express bus card. Odd. I've never seen that with any other wireless connection.
Unofficial AppleScript Studio Lobbyist
Reply
Unofficial AppleScript Studio Lobbyist
Reply
post #12 of 17
1/2/06 at 5:16pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally posted by nightshift
Can you hook up any other computer to your cable modem? Some service providers tie in the cable modem to the first MAC (your network card's "ID") address they connect to and refuse service to any other network device.

I forget if the Airport Extreme allows you to "clone" a computer's MAC address, but I would try that in addition to a hard reset of the Airport Extreme. It's very odd that any network device breaks down only halfway.

Interesting. I need to try that.

Edit: I can't seem to find anything to clone my MAC address on my Airport base station. There are options, but that's just for setting up WDS stations.

You see, the connection will work beautifully for about a day or two then stop. Connecting either my laptop or PC directlyto the cable modem will give me a solid connection. Which leads me to believe something is screwy with the base station.
Mac OS X Leopard vs. Windows Vista
http://www.macvswindows.com
Reply
Mac OS X Leopard vs. Windows Vista
http://www.macvswindows.com
Reply
post #13 of 17
1/3/06 at 5:42am
Routers freeze up sometimes. Solution is a reset of the router by switching the power on and off. Annoying but common.
"When I was a kid, my favourite relative was Uncle Caveman. After school, wed all go play in his cave, and every once and awhile, hed eat one of us. It wasnt until later that I discovered Uncle...
Reply
"When I was a kid, my favourite relative was Uncle Caveman. After school, wed all go play in his cave, and every once and awhile, hed eat one of us. It wasnt until later that I discovered Uncle...
Reply
post #14 of 17
1/3/06 at 7:32pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally posted by Telomar
Routers freeze up sometimes. Solution is a reset of the router by switching the power on and off. Annoying but common.

Remember, I did that already. In order to reuse the router again, you have to wait a full 24hrs before reconnecting it to the cable modem.

It's the strangest thing.
Mac OS X Leopard vs. Windows Vista
http://www.macvswindows.com
Reply
Mac OS X Leopard vs. Windows Vista
http://www.macvswindows.com
Reply
post #15 of 17
1/4/06 at 6:35am
Quote:
Originally posted by nightshift
Can you hook up any other computer to your cable modem? Some service providers tie in the cable modem to the first MAC (your network card's "ID") address they connect to and refuse service to any other network device.

Option 1: call your ISP and request that he device on your account be changed, if they refuse...read on

Option2: spoof the Mac address, have your router wam port spoof the PCs MAC on all packets and BINGO...
You can't quantify how much I don't care -- Bob Kevoian of the Bob and Tom Show.
Reply
You can't quantify how much I don't care -- Bob Kevoian of the Bob and Tom Show.
Reply
post #16 of 17
1/4/06 at 7:01am
  • e1618978
  • will burn in the Fiery Pit of Hell.
I had a number of Linksys routers, and none was as reliable as my current router - a Belkin pre-n. The Belkin has much better coverage as well - I don't have any dead spots like I used to with my linksys.
45 2a3 300b 211 845 833
Reply
45 2a3 300b 211 845 833
Reply
post #17 of 17
1/4/06 at 5:12pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally posted by a_greer
Option 1: call your ISP and request that he device on your account be changed, if they refuse...read on

Option2: spoof the Mac address, have your router wam port spoof the PCs MAC on all packets and BINGO...

Great tip, but how do you go about doing this using an Airport Extreme base station?
Mac OS X Leopard vs. Windows Vista
http://www.macvswindows.com
Reply
Mac OS X Leopard vs. Windows Vista
http://www.macvswindows.com
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Current Mac Hardware
AppleInsider › Forums › Mac Hardware › Current Mac Hardware › Getting a 3rd-party Wireless Router...recommendations?