Best Router?

[giles]

My internet connection keeps dropping, especially if I take the laptop 20 ft or so from the router.

I could blame the broadband supplier (plusnet) but I think I'll try a new router first.

Has anyone bought one recently? I'm going cross-eyed trying to work out which is the best.

[Phoenix .]

I am with Plusnet and have the Thomson router, never had a problem with it, I have my PC and router on my desk and my laptop is in the kitchen running wireless.
I must say though, that since taking their offer of BB @ 2.75 per month for 12 months, and signing up for unlimited usage, my BB speed has increased, so I am not complaining.

[fred]

Doesn't sound like its your ISP.
Could be the router, but could also be the wireless card in your laptop. Do you have any other wireless devices?
If it is the router, and it is supplied by the ISP, tell them you want a new one, or you'll cancel with them.

[giles]

Thanks for the responses. It's in a block of flats, so interference may be an issue - would explain why I'm doing worse than you Phoenix .. I'm sure plusnet would give me a new router if I signed up for another year fred but I don't want to do that in case it turns out to be their fault after all.

We have two laptops, ipad, visiting sons with various gear, and all are inclined to drop the connection.

[Super-Shiny]

Jan 3, 2014 18:44:58 GMT giles said:

We have two laptops, ipad, visiting sons with various gear, and all are inclined to drop the connection.

Think you can rule out hardware problem then, have you contacted plusnet, might be a problem in your area.

EDIT: With all this bad weather so many things are probably going wrong down the line somewhere.

[djs]

I had the same idea last September.

I bought a stonking Asus router off a mate for a pint of IPA. Top notch.

Set it up, got excited. Made no difference.

SO, I phoned up my ISP, told them the one I had was a) broken or b) a pile of steaming poo. They sent me a new one.

- - -

Oddly enough, this is what my mate had done. Hence £94.99 wasted in Argos.

[Mev]

recently upgraded the wireless card in my laptop as it was the cheapest option first rather than buy a new router. So glad I did as i'm now getting my full speed 130mbs so the router was fine all along. It may be worth looking at the card first.

[Deleted]

I thought you were into woodworking and was about to recommend the Trend TK11

[lairey]

I was having a similar problem with my old sky broadband router. It turns out that we just had too many things trying to use it (2 or 3 laptops, 2 phones and sky box), as I had only signed up for another 12 months 2 weeks before to get half price, they sent me their new home hub and just signed me up again for 12 months, so only another 2 weeks in reality. It solved the problem and now everything works great

[GunJack]

if it's wifi interference, use inSSIDer on the lappy to see if you need to change channels on your router - always going to be an issue in flats. InSSIDer will show you any active wifi networks in range of the lappy so you can change your channel accordingly...

download.cnet.com/inSSIDer/3000-18508_4-10848357.html use the direct download link on the upper left of page, just below the big green download now button

[testdruif]

Yeah, it might be worth looking into the amount of available networks around you (with netstumbler for example www.netstumbler.com/downloads/)

You'll see a number of wireless networks with their channel anywhere from 1 to 13 (if it's g networks).
So you'll have to check which networks have a strong signal and on which channel they are and then put your wireless network on a different channel.

[john321]

This or some thing similar would do, www.maplin.co.uk/p/maplin-300mbps-universal-wi-fi-range-extender-a24lf

[djs]

Jan 4, 2014 6:38:52 GMT GunJack said:

if it's wifi interference, use inSSIDer on the lappy to see if you need to change channels on your router - always going to be an issue in flats. InSSIDer will show you any active wifi networks in range of the lappy so you can change your channel accordingly...

download.cnet.com/inSSIDer/3000-18508_4-10848357.html use the direct download link on the upper left of page, just below the big green download now button

InSSIDer is one of the few free apps I use on a windows PC. All the rest of it (the normal stuff) is more trouble than it's worth.