Wireless N router

[Funkmasterr]

I need to pick up a new router this weekend and wanted to see if anyone had solid recommendations. I've read around about a handful of different models, but reviews on this thing are tough as it's hard to pick valid issues out from issues caused by someone who doesn't know how to set a network up.

Here is what I want feature-wise:
-dual band
-USB port
-gigabit ports

I'd also like to not fuck around with downloading firmware independently from the interface, but that's not a deal breaker, I'm just lazy.

Several of the devices connecting to this network are down a floor and probably 30 feet over from where the router is, so I'm mildly concerned about range. I will say the DHCP on the linksys wireless g router I have now seems to work like shit, so that is a concern as well, as I don't know when a time will present itself that I feel like spending the time to filter shit by Mac address instead.

Really my main concern is the xbox/ps3. No amount of port forwarding/triggering, putting shit in dmz's or anything else I've tried has got my ps3 anything but Nat type 3, and I've read comments from people having these same results with $200 routers, which would piss me off.

I don't really care what it costs, and I don't need the user interface to hold my hand or set up shit automatically, I just want a all around badass router. FYI, I'm currently leaning toward the linksys e4200, but hesitantly.

[Aabidano]

Bought a NetGear WNDR3700 last week, dual radio a\b\g\n gigE LAN, etc... Very nice router w\ stock firmware. They appear to have gotten their shit together after a few years of crappiness. Haven't tried dd-wrt on it yet, don't really need to.

Dual radio is very nice, I've got a mix of 5Ghz-capable and 2.4Ghz-only stuff, last router was dual band but would only do one at a time. 5Ghz does much better in my environment, get a consistent 300Mb\s connection with no disconnects as opposed to 2.4's Ghz flakyness do to something one of my neighbors is running.

The old router (~3 year old LinkSys 320N) was getting unstable, not sure what was happening but it seemed like a heat issue and I was tired of screwing with it.

[Winnow]

Bought a NetGear WNDR3700 last week, dual radio a\b\g\n gigE LAN, etc... Very nice router w\ stock firmware. They appear to have gotten their shit together after a few years of crappiness.

I happened to catch Netgear during their few years of crappiness you mentioned. I have a Netgear WNR3500 which is a decent N router with gigabit overall but it has one major flaw. If you're using dynamic IP (which most people have), the router resets every 12 hours. It's just long enough to boot you off of any online MMO you happen to be playing. It's impossible to fix via firmware. Netgear ended up releasing a new modem instead. The only thing I can do is reset my modem around 4pm so it resets every 4am and 4pm when I'm typically not online.

I could use static IP but then whenever my IP changes, I'm shit out of luck if I'm at work remote connecting to my PC,,,and for some reason, when I do use static IP, my IP changes often...when I use dynamic, it never changes unless power failure, etc. Go figure.

I'm in the market for a router since Netgear completely fucked up their hardware on my model. I'm a little gunshy about buying anything else Netgear. That's a pretty fucked up mistake on their part.

[Aardor]

That bug you mentions makes me want to kill people on a weekly basis.

[Aabidano]

That bug you mentions makes me want to kill people on a weekly basis.

That's not a bug, just a shitty design choice

Netgears' crapfest ran from ~2004 to sometime last year, I shouldn't have made a blanket statement that they're past it. Takes years for this stuff to clear, my employer is still releasing "new" products I helped design 6+ years ago (pretty cool from my perspective).

Anyway, the WNDR3700 and 3700v2 which has more flash are both nice systems. Going to return mine for a v2 once I find one as some of the early v1s have a weak 2.4Ghz transmitter. The issue won't crop up running stock software but I don't want to screw with it later.

[Drolgin Steingrinder]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... -_-Product

http://www.amazon.com/Cisco-Linksys-E20 ... 973&sr=8-1

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... ear%203700

[Winnow]

Reading through the comments for the WNDR3700 v2 on Newegg, I'll definitely be looking elsewhere.

[Funkmasterr]

After reading countless reviews on newegg, I went for the linksys e3000. So far so good, has all the features I want, and I'm impressed by the range of the signal!

[Kluden]

I bought one of those netgear wnr3500's refurbed for 20 bucks. It works like a charm. I don't get booted offline, so not sure what the problem is others have.

[Winnow]

I bought one of those netgear wnr3500's refurbed for 20 bucks. It works like a charm. I don't get booted offline, so not sure what the problem is others have.

hmm, perhaps they fixed it! There was a v2 that came out.

[Kluden]

Sure, sure, but why not send yours in then, is all I'm saying! Of course they fixed it, but the silly UFO lights on the top don't all work, so I'm thinking that was the part that get sent in for! I of course switch off the little buggers. Send your shit in for repair!

[Funkmasterr]

I'm still having issues with xbox live, and it's Infuriating me. If I leave the network settings automatic, it says my Nat is open, but I'm having issues that indicate otherwise (can't join party, can't join games). If I try to set up a static ip and use port forwarding or try putting the xbox in the dmz, it stays strict as well. I'm about to fucking lose it here....

[Kluden]

both wired and wirelessly?

[Funkmasterr]

Wired isn't a option for me, so I haven't tested it out :/

[Kilmoll the Sexy]

I have 3 words for you: D-Link Extreme Gaming. The beauty of it is that you can set your Xbox or PS3 to a preferred IP without setting it static and still can open all the ports you want. Even when they were having lots of issues with getting groups into games on BlackOps, I could generally get a party of 5 in reliably and full groups fairly regularly.