Router Advice

doppelganger9 · 05-06-2007, 12:32 PM

hey all. i just bought myself a second desktop and of course i want to connect it to my dsl line. but when i call bellsouth i find out they want to charge me $100 for the router plus $5 a month for the service. also, the computers would be on opposite ends of the house, which would mean i would have to run ethernet cable across the house. i did consider going wireless but with 2 desktops, and a 3rd coming soon, i dont want to have to buy 3 wireless pci cards. also, since i do alot of downloading keeping my optimum speed is a big priority. im not really interested in networking the computers together (i.e. for file sharing) i just want to have them all connected to the internet.

so should i give in and pay BS or should i just go buy a router myself for $50-60?
if so any advice on a good router?
and are there any alternatives to running ethernet cable across the house besides going wireless?

thanx again from a greenhorn

**8210GUY** · 05-06-2007, 12:52 PM

I don't understand your isp's pricing, a one off for the router I get, but $5 for the service ? surely your already paying for the service ?

But assuming there is no special encryption in the router that it must have to work with them you should be free to buy any router you want, I'd suggest Netgear personally, but do make sure about this encryption.
I say this because I recently bought a top of the range Netgear router, and when I changed isp 6 weeks later I was told I couldn't use it, I was forced to use the one they supplied because it had the encryption required to use it with them, so in my case there was no choice, so make sure your not going to be caught out by something like this, otherwise I can't see what would stop you just buying your own one.

doppelganger9 · 05-06-2007, 12:59 PM

yeah 100 bux for the router (wired or wireless) and 5 bux a month for having 'Home Networking Plus' criminal aint it (if i went wireless they would charge me apprx $43 per wireless pci card as well)

but thanx, 8210GUY, for bringing up a good point. does anyone know if Bellsouth/ at&t routers have any special encryption i might have to worry about?

johnwill · 05-06-2007, 02:33 PM

Try to arrange to borrow a router and do some tests. You can buy inexpensive broadband routers for peanuts, so this can be a pretty cheap experiment. Here's one for $20: http://3btech.net/ddi4wibrrofo.html

05-06-2007, 12:32 PM	#1 (permalink)
doppelganger9 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Miami Posts: 9 OS: XP	Router Advice hey all. i just bought myself a second desktop and of course i want to connect it to my dsl line. but when i call bellsouth i find out they want to charge me $100 for the router plus $5 a month for the service. also, the computers would be on opposite ends of the house, which would mean i would have to run ethernet cable across the house. i did consider going wireless but with 2 desktops, and a 3rd coming soon, i dont want to have to buy 3 wireless pci cards. also, since i do alot of downloading keeping my optimum speed is a big priority. im not really interested in networking the computers together (i.e. for file sharing) i just want to have them all connected to the internet. so should i give in and pay BS or should i just go buy a router myself for $50-60? if so any advice on a good router? and are there any alternatives to running ethernet cable across the house besides going wireless? thanx again from a greenhorn

05-06-2007, 12:52 PM	#2 (permalink)
8210GUY TSF Enthusiast Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 1,566 OS: xp Pro	Re: Router Advice I don't understand your isp's pricing, a one off for the router I get, but $5 for the service ? surely your already paying for the service ? But assuming there is no special encryption in the router that it must have to work with them you should be free to buy any router you want, I'd suggest Netgear personally, but do make sure about this encryption. I say this because I recently bought a top of the range Netgear router, and when I changed isp 6 weeks later I was told I couldn't use it, I was forced to use the one they supplied because it had the encryption required to use it with them, so in my case there was no choice, so make sure your not going to be caught out by something like this, otherwise I can't see what would stop you just buying your own one.

05-06-2007, 12:59 PM	#3 (permalink)
doppelganger9 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Miami Posts: 9 OS: XP	Re: Router Advice yeah 100 bux for the router (wired or wireless) and 5 bux a month for having 'Home Networking Plus' criminal aint it (if i went wireless they would charge me apprx $43 per wireless pci card as well) but thanx, 8210GUY, for bringing up a good point. does anyone know if Bellsouth/ at&t routers have any special encryption i might have to worry about?

05-06-2007, 02:33 PM	#4 (permalink)
johnwill Manager, Networking Forums Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: S.E. Pennsylvania, US Posts: 32,581 OS: XP-Pro, Vista, Linux Blog Entries: 1	Re: Router Advice Try to arrange to borrow a router and do some tests. You can buy inexpensive broadband routers for peanuts, so this can be a pretty cheap experiment. Here's one for $20: http://3btech.net/ddi4wibrrofo.html __________________ If TSF has helped you, Tell us about it! or Donate to help keep the site up! Microsoft MVP - Windows Desktop Experience