Router died

[BReeves]

Yesterday my D-Link DSR-150 router died, right at a year ago I bought two of the durn things off eBay for $50.00 each. Installed the 2nd one this morning and everything is back working. Had had issues with a previous Linksys router and why I bought a back up when I bought the D-Link. Now I'm without a backup router, if this one dies I'm off line except for a laptop connected through my phone.

Wondering if I should just look for another D-Link or something else? Need an 8 port wired router and really do not care to spend more than ~$100.00. I am on wireless internet and don't think a gigibit router would really buy me anything over a 10/100. Couple computers and my wired laser printer are only 10/100 as well as the three wireless routers I am using for access points.

What do the experts say?

 

[SoonerP226]

I haven't really looked at cheap home routers recently, but I don't think you're going to save much (if anything) by going 10/100 over gigabit. You might open up your options a bit if you look for a router and a separate switch, rather than looking for a router with a built-in 8-port switch.

 

[BReeves]

Only thing that I would be saving is I have saved the configuration settings from the D-Link which makes it easy to swap in a new one if I go back with the same router. Just hook it up and load the saved configuration rather than fumbling through all the settings trying to find stuff that needs changing.

 

[BobbyV]

I gave up buying the cheaper routers after buying several of them.

Decided to spend the money on a Nighthawk.

Very happy I did.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Cowcatcher]

Last router I bought was a Porter Cable I've been tickled with it. I don't do a ton of woodworking but it suits my needs.

 

[k4ylr]

Time to go enterprise. I'd snag an Edgerouter from Ubiquiti and grab a small TPLink or Netgear Switch. Bonus points for POE switches so you can run something like a Unifi AP without needing a separate power run.

I gave up on big-box routers and went with an Edgerouter, UAP-AC Lite and a 16 port POE Netgear switch. Now I just need to run my ethernet in the attic instead of having my house look like the 1900s with high lines stapled everywhere.

 

[ConstitutionCowboy]

Last router I bought was a Porter Cable I've been tickled with it. I don't do a ton of woodworking but it suits my needs.

I was going to recommend that he check on the motor's commutator brushes. But, alas...

 

[NightShade]

Personally I would look at the ubiquity unifi line. The USG is about 130 and acts as the gateway/router. Grab a poe switch for sure if you go this route and then a couple of the Unifi access points. The other item that is recommended is the cloud key.

It's more expensive than a router but what you gain is huge especially if you are used to deadspots for wifi in the house. They also have camera's that I recently learned can be used and the cloud key will control as well but I think you need the plus version for that. You can then take your old router and access points and stash them away for a rainy day.

There is a little work to set things up but the USG will last forever and you can easily swap out access points later on when a new standard comes about or add another one to expand your wifi bubble. You are also getting into enterprise grade equipment so they will last a lot longer and be very stable as well as secure. If I was to build a brand new network out today for myself this is the way I would go. I may pay a little bit more than just buying a netgear r8000 like what I have as an AP but figure that I am also using OpnSense on a Xeon computer and the cost is pretty close. The only thing I would have to keep in my setup is the 10G switch that I am using.

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[BReeves]

Thanks for the info but at 75 I am not planning on upgrading anything or learning a bunch of new technology, just happy to keep what I have working as long as I can. Also any thing associated with "Cloud" turns me off, I don't want anything of mine stored in some cloud. Just a buzzword for someone else's server.. No thanks I'll keep it on my computers and do my own backups.

 

[Glock 40]

I would run the current one till it dies and not worry about it. If it dies you can have a new one in 24 hours from Amazon or buy locally.