Linksys Wireless 54G router choking bandwidth, replace w/Airport Express, some ?

aplnub

My Linksys WRT54G wireless 4-port router is behind a Westell 6100 DSL modem. When my iBook or MBP is connected to the modem directly, I see speeds about twice that of when connected behind the router.



Currently this is my setup:

DSL Line -> Modem -> Linksys Wireless Router -> Gigabit Switch



Proposed setup:

DSL Line -> Modem -> Gigabit Switch -> Airport Express





I am thinking about removing the Linksys router from the setup all together (in hopes of speeding of the connection for the wired computers) and using the Airport Express for wireless connections. However, I wanted to get some feedback on whether or not this is a good idea and to set me straight if I have misconceptions.





Linksys Pro's:

All computers are behind the router and Ithis is safer than being directly tied to the modem?



Linksys Con's:

Choking d/l and u/l speed on the computers (connected by CAT 5e) Wireless stuff don't count since current G standards are slow anyway.



I can't access my modem directly since Bellsouth is a giant prick and I have to set my modem up as a "bridged internet" device so it doesn't act as a router because I have a wireless 4-port Linksys ROUTER behind a one port modem/router. This really isn't a problem other than when something goes wrong (once a year or less) I have to walk down stairs to hook directly to it with one of my notebooks.





Airport Express Pro's:

It seems it can do everything the Linksys can do but instead of acting like a router, it can deliver iTunes to my stereo via ethernet and wireless access to the notebook computers without choking my speed since all the computers that are wired would be tied into the switch which would be tied directly into the modem.



I shouldn't need to hack my modem's setup to get internet to all the comptuers wired (refer to briged internet reference above and cuss bell south for giving us a one port modem that thinks it is a router, albeit a good little modem for sure). I could just connect the switch into the modem and increase u/l and d/l speeds.





Airport Express Con's:

Wired computers seem less secure this route?



Any help or opinions would be appreciated! TIA!!

talksense101

I use aiport express at home. I haven't seen any security issues with it. What makes you think the other computers are less secure? Airport express supports the current security protocols and if you turn of the radio broadcast, clients will have to know the computer's wireless name to connect to it. I have a DSL->modem->airport express->PC + Mac + occasional printer, stereo speakers.



Bandwidth will always be an issue depending on the range of the wireless devices and interference. You cannot expect a wireless router to give you the same performance that a direct connection to a modem will provide. Streaming music on the wireless network won't help with network performance. With your current setup, you could go from

DSL Line -> Modem -> Linksys Wireless Router -> Gigabit Switch to DSL Line -> Modem -> Gigabit Switch -> Linksys Wireless Router to improve performance of wired computers that are connected to the switch.

aplnub

I assumed having the switch plugged directly into the modem would make it that much easier for someone to intrude from the intenet side into my network computers. In essence, I would have to be sure that any computers connected via switch are properly locked down. Is this not the case? Help me here because I don't want to screw this up.



And when I reference bandwidth, I am referring only to the wired side of things.

talksense101

Get a hardware based firewall and plug it in between the modem and the switch. Nothing beats the throughput of a hardware firewall, it will surely keep the wired folks happy. Cisco has a few white papers on security and how to setup your network. The faster firewall throughput you require, the more money you need to spend.



http://www.cisco.com/en/US/netsol/ns...s_package.html