Wi-Fi Router for Pacenet Broadband

[terence_fdes]

Hi,

I need a Wi-Fi Router/modem for my Pacenet Broadband connection for home use only

Whenever anyone needs to access the net at my home using Wi-Fi - we need to power up the PC & keep it running (which is a waste of resources).

requirement:-
My pacenet speed is 2Mbps day/4Mbps night.
Range needed: upto 40 feet & thru walls also
Budget : Not more than 2k
Mostly Always-On
Brands : dunno which is best & VFM (Asus, Netgear etc). In the past I have used D-Link ADSL modems & both times they gave up after 2-3 years leaving me frustrated at the expense (that was way back when I used MTNL)

This is my existing scene pacenet broadband Cat5 > PC (((( Gigabyte GC-WB300D PCIe card )))) iBall Tablet / 2 Cell phones

What type of Wi-Fi router should I be looking at ? I am a total noob at this & totally confused with the routers/modems that I see ?

For the PC - Would this be the best connection (as I am not sure whether to depend on Wi-Fi for my net use)
Pacenet cat5 > Wi-Fi Router > RJ45 > PC

Do any of these also function as a download option for torrents ?
What also happens to my existing Gigabyte Wi-Fi card?

My RIG is an i7-3770k

Thanks
Terry

tagging @vivek.krishnan

 

[blr_p]

I need a Wi-Fi Router/modem for my Pacenet Broadband connection for home use only

If you're getting a cat5 coming in from pacenet, then you don't need a modem, you just need a wifi router.

If you ever get an ADSL connection in the future, then you just purchase a modem and connect it up to the wifi router.

Range needed: upto 40 feet & thru walls also
Budget : Not more than 2k

How many walls ?

you can cover 40 feet if you can place the wifi router in between. Where you place the router is essential to getting max distance within budget.

upto two walls will work, any more will not. This means the router covers a radius of 20 feet plus two walls.

Mostly Always-On
Brands : dunno which is best & VFM (Asus, Netgear etc). In the past I have used D-Link ADSL modems & both times they gave up after 2-3 years leaving me frustrated at the expense (that was way back when I used MTNL)

I would say 3 years is about the avg life of a wifi router that is left mostly on regardless of the brand.

This is my existing scene pacenet broadband Cat5 > PC (((( Gigabyte GC-WB300D PCIe card )))) iBall Tablet / 2 Cell phones

For the PC - Would this be the best connection (as I am not sure whether to depend on Wi-Fi for my net use)
Pacenet cat5 > Wi-Fi Router > RJ45 > PC

Do any of these also function as a download option for torrents ?
What also happens to my existing Gigabyte Wi-Fi card?

My RIG is an i7-3770k

cat5 > wifi router

wifi router > cat5 pc

wifi router )))) iBall Tablet / 2 Cell phones

You don't need the wifi card in the pc if its located close to the router, just connect it up with a wire. Otherwise it uses its wifi card to connect up to the router.

What type of Wi-Fi router should I be looking at ? I am a total noob at this & totally confused with the routers/modems that I see ?

This depends entirely on intended usage. If its basic web browsing that is one thing. If you want to start streaming movies that is another.

 

[terence_fdes]

thanks @blr_p
1] No streaming purpose. So I would just need a wi-fi router then ?
2] Range: 1-2 walls & 20-30 feet
3] Will not-ever be going back to ADSL - unless MTNL reduces their tariff's by 75%

Can the device also be used for torrenting ?

I watch full HD movies only & for that my PC is connected to my LED TV thru HDMI

 

[blr_p]

1] No streaming purpose. So I would just need a wi-fi router then ?

Yes

2] Range: 1-2 walls & 20-30 feet

1 wall upto 20 feet is best for tablet + 2 cellphones as these are low power clients.

2 walls with a higher powered client like pc or laptop.

The main constraint here is your Rs.2k budget. A little extra (~Rs.1k+)will get you to two walls + mobile clients.

See my earlier post here to get an idea. Think of Location C as 1 wall, Location D as two walls.

Can the device also be used for torrenting ?

Where do you want the torrent app be located ? In the router or on another PC or NAS.

I watch full HD movies only & for that my PC is connected to my LED TV thru HDMI

Presumably that PC has movies on its internal HDD or wired up to an external HDD ?

 

[vivek.krishnan]

If a N150 router, go for the TP LINK 740N. Comes to 900 at Shopclues, I believe. N300, below 2K, dunno of any.

 

[blr_p]

Will a N150 get through two walls ?

Some can. Thing is I've not got any benchmarks for the 740N.

Range has all to do with the power amps used.

From what i've seen those N150 given out free by ISPs barely make it across two 11 inch walls. Six inch walls will be easier.

 

[d6bmg]

Any N150 router for 2K will suffice.

 

[nick2012]

Rtn13u for 2.6k locally
If u need only router

 

[blr_p]

Yeah, i think that would be better than a N150 for not much more.

 

[terence_fdes]

Rtn13u for 2.6k locally
If u need only router

Thanks for all your inputs thus far (I am slowly trying to understand & digest everything)

This thing is really geting on me. Is it true that the "lifespan" of these devices is just 2-3 years?

And please also mention the brand (sorry...as I had warned you guys, I am a NOOB at networking & it's confusing when you guys just throw off random model codes)

Now the said model Asus RT-N13U on FK it's Rs 3130/- ....however I am worried about the negative comments make my so many folks out there (is it true?) Is this model also IPv6 compatible ?

Also - On this section the Sticky (that has run into 64 pages WOW) - is it the same model ?

 

[vivek.krishnan]

The N13U is a damn good model. As for IPv6 AFAIK, using DD-WRT its possible to do it, dunno on stock firmware.

The only minus I can think of is that it is not GbE capable

 

[dafreaking]

Now the said model Asus RT-N13U on FK it's Rs 3130/- ....however I am worried about the negative comments make my so many folks out there (is it true?) Is this model also IPv6 compatible ?

Also - On this section the Sticky (that has run into 64 pages WOW) - is it the same model ?

I just ordered this from eBay for 2900..

 

[blr_p]

This thing is really geting on me. Is it true that the "lifespan" of these devices is just 2-3 years?

If you noticed i used the term 'average'. This is a BS term.

Its a way to make everybody equal. Is everybody equal ? No.

If we ask what is avg life expectancy, there will be exceptions. My grandparents lasted into their 80s when the avg life expectancy in the country was a good twenty years lower.

If you run that router 24x7x365 which is what torrenting will require then that's the kind of life you can expect. You might get a year or two more. You might not. But you better put it on a UPS so that it has a nice regular voltage. If there is a schedule you can turn the wifi radio on/off at regular intervals, as the radio does not need to be on all the time.

3 years from now, we will be talking about 'ac' routers. That's the next step up from the present 'n'. So if it goes you can replace it with better at more or less the same price. Course you would need ac clients to make full use and the router would anyway be backwards compatible for existing clients.

Ten years ago routers cost ten times more and lasted longer but they also did ten times less.

Now the said model Asus RT-N13U on FK it's Rs 3130/-

Ask around locally. It isn't difficult to beat flipkarts prices if you find a shop or two that advertises ASUS on its calling card. If that's not possible, then ask around, the shops that give the better prices for the brand concerned usually have a close relationship with the distributor. These guys you can squeeze for a better price.

....however I am worried about the negative comments make my so many folks out there (is it true?) Is this model also IPv6 compatible ?

The keypoint is the hardware is capable for your needs. Good signal with range. This is actually the hardest question to answer when choosing a router because everybody's house is different.

So what about those negative comments, they fall into two categories.

- cannot download torrents reliably with the PC switched off.
- defective products, all replaced under warranty.

For reliable torrenting you may have to flash this router. This might be tricky for you to do by yourself. Maybe somebody local can help you out with that. You may even get them to sell you their router second hand already modded if its within warranty. Thing is if it fails shortly after you'd have to recvert back to stock to redeem the warranty so don't know how you would do that.

If your torrents use is basic you might get away with stock if the correct port#s are forwarded. You will have to specifically ask people that own the N13 about their experiences with stock firmware to get a better idea. Vivek what do you think ?

I don't think Asus will spend too much time bug fixing the torrent side of things because they know people will load dd-wrt on it, its more effective to concentrate on bug fixing their routers that cannot be modded in this way.

As for IPv6, i'm not sure when it is we are going to be moving towards it. If its offered it will be optional and certainly not mandatory. Just see how long its taking for HD broadcasts to become std here when its supposedly the norm in other countries. IPv6 never figured as a deciding factor for me.

Also - On this section the Sticky (that has run into 64 pages WOW) - is it the same model ?

Yes, it about people that have loaded an alternative firmware thus voiding the warranty. What you want to do is run the device with stock firmware for a couple of months. If it fails then that is the most likely time for it to do so. Make it past that initial stage of the bathtub curve and you are good to go on a modding adventure.

 

[terence_fdes]

Thank you so much @blr_p

You really have put things across so succintly. I guess I will take some time to decide on the pro's and cons of the wi-fi router per-se. If I have to buy it, then it would be this same model next month.

One querry - suppose I get the dd-wrt thingy going for torrenting - does it work with a 500GB/1TB usb portable drive (or smaller capa flash drives only)

Otherwise I already have the Gigabyte Wi-Fi PCIe card on my system (which performs very, very well ..... no problems about range anywhere in the house). There are ONLY 2 problems with this card
1] I got to power-up my entire system & keep it running - for Wi-Fi to be accessed by other devices.
2[ For some strange reason - It simply refuses to save the password (for WAN Ppoe / Virtual Router). I have to manually feed it each time I power on my rig.

I do not ever forsee more than 1-3 hours of wi-fi usage (for the tablet) for each time/session. So I'd rather continue using the Giga card on my system for my wifi needs. The power usage (Reliance Energy units consumed ) would still be lower/manageable each month as compared to shelling out 3k for the router. What do you think ?

(I can see @vivek.krishnan laughing his lungs out ...... because the most expensive wi-fi router in town - My RIG - is just kept ON for wi-fi purpose ONLY at times)

 

[blr_p]

One querry - suppose I get the dd-wrt thingy going for torrenting - does it work with a 500GB/1TB usb portable drive (or smaller capa flash drives only)

This should work. If you get into heavy torrenting (10+ simultaenous torrents) then things might slow down.

Otherwise I already have the Gigabyte Wi-Fi PCIe card on my system (which performs very, very well ..... no problems about range anywhere in the house).

I found this curious given that its just a pci-e card going twenty feet through two walls. Then i looked at your link and realise it comes with two free standing, external antennas and is actually dual band capable (!) How much did this gigabyte card cost ? The N13 i expect to give you similar wifi performance.

There are ONLY 2 problems with this card
1] I got to power-up my entire system & keep it running - for Wi-Fi to be accessed by other devices.

Right, this is the major downside with going with this card. Tying this card to the i7 was not the best of ideas in your case. This gigabyte card strikes me as a solution in search of a requirement. In an office i can see the utility, on for 8 hrs a day. But wifi routers will be cheaper.

2[ For some strange reason - It simply refuses to save the password (for WAN Ppoe / Virtual Router). I have to manually feed it each time I power on my rig.

You might want to post this on the gigabyte help forums for the card. It might be a setting or a bug.

I do not ever forsee more than 1-3 hours of wi-fi usage (for the tablet) for each time/session. So I'd rather continue using the Giga card on my system for my wifi needs. The power usage (Reliance Energy units consumed ) would still be lower/manageable each month as compared to shelling out 3k for the router. What do you think ?

It strikes me that you do not need a wifi router but rather just a low power consumption torrent downloader of sorts. Your gigabyte card already serves your wifi reqmts adequately.

@varkey is the best person here to answer that question.

 

[terence_fdes]

MY REPLIES ARE IN ALL CAPS

This should work. If you get into heavy torrenting (10+ simultaenous torrents) then things might slow down.


I found this curious given that its just a pci-e card going twenty feet through two walls. Then i looked at your link and realise it comes with two free standing, external antennas and is actually dual band capable (!) How much did this gigabyte card cost ? The N13 i expect to give you similar wifi performance.

REPLY: I PURCHASED THE i7-3770K & THE GIGABYTE MOTHERBOARD AS A COMBO DEAL FROM THEITWARES IN SEPT 2012 FOR 38K - THE WI-FI CARD "GC-WB300D" IS PART OF THE MOTHERBOARD PACKAGE- "GAZ77X-UD5H-WB-Wi-FI". THE 2 FREE ANTENNAS ARE FOR BLUE-TOOTH 4.0 & WI-FI ....... EXCEPT FOR THE PASSWORD BUG? THIS CARD IS SUPER FANTASTIC WITH CONNECTIVITY & SPEED

Right, this is the major downside with going with this card. Tying this card to the i7 was not the best of ideas in your case. [AS I SAID IT CAME WITH THE MOBO ] This gigabyte card strikes me as a solution in search of a requirement. In an office i can see the utility, on for 8 hrs a day. But wifi routers will be cheaper.


You might want to post this on the gigabyte help forums for the card. It might be a setting or a bug.
REPLY: I TRIED BUT NOTHING ELSE HAPPENNED

It strikes me that you do not need a wifi router but rather just a low power consumption torrent downloader of sorts. Your gigabyte card already serves your wifi reqmts adequately.
REPLY: RIGHT & WRONG ...... AS I SAID, WHEN I AM NOT AT HOME & MY DAUGHTER/WIFIE JUST WANTS TO SURF OR USE THE TABLET .....THEY NEED TO POWER ON THE PC. TORRENTING IS JUST A MINOR REQUIREMENT

@varkey is the best person here to answer that question.
REPLY: OH DEAR ..... I DID USE VARKEY'S SOLUTION, AT LEAST I TRIED FOR A WEEK THE CONFIG OF THE DEVICE WENT OVER MY HEAD - THE SEAGATE GO-FLEX 24x7 etc .... LATER GAVE UP & SOLD IT TO ANOTHER (HAPPY) BLOKE ON TE

So where do I stand ....back to square 1

 

[nick2012]

Thanks for all your inputs thus far (I am slowly trying to understand & digest everything)

This thing is really geting on me. Is it true that the "lifespan" of these devices is just 2-3 years?

And please also mention the brand (sorry...as I had warned you guys, I am a NOOB at networking & it's confusing when you guys just throw off random model codes)

Now the said model Asus RT-N13U on FK it's Rs 3130/- ....however I am worried about the negative comments make my so many folks out there (is it true?) Is this model also IPv6 compatible ?

Also - On this section the Sticky (that has run into 64 pages WOW) - is it the same model ?

Yes compatible and you can get 1 locally at 2.6-2.7k
Even it can be your download box..

 

[vivek.krishnan]

Well @blr_p and @terence_fdes

Terry had a GoFlex Home NAS which he sold to @viralbug. Inspite of me offering him to get it up and running for him, he just decided to sell that! I am using one that I bought from @varkey (We bought at roughly the same time) and it still works marvelously aside from the one of case where it needs to be restarted (hardly once in a month).

As for the torrenting + flashing, Terry, just give it to me. Ill flash it to DD WRT and get it done, with the torrenting part added too.[DOUBLEPOST=1365790784][/DOUBLEPOST]Oh, and about IPv6, would suggest not to worry. If you do need IPv6, with a script in DD WRT, it can be added.

 

[terence_fdes]

Well @blr_p and @terence_fdes

Terry had a GoFlex Home NAS which he sold to @viralbug. Inspite of me offering him to get it up and running for him, he just decided to sell that! I am using one that I bought from @varkey (We bought at roughly the same time) and it still works marvelously aside from the one of case where it needs to be restarted (hardly once in a month).

As for the torrenting + flashing, Terry, just give it to me. Ill flash it to DD WRT and get it done, with the torrenting part added too.[DOUBLEPOST=1365790784][/DOUBLEPOST]Oh, and about IPv6, would suggest not to worry. If you do need IPv6, with a script in DD WRT, it can be added.

Thanky bro.... You are a true pal. I owe you a Mc Vada-Pav with a 5 tankard's of Ustaad's Beer

 

[blr_p]

Interesting, there is some history here that i was unaware of.

Terry had a GoFlex Home NAS which he sold to @viralbug. Inspite of me offering him to get it up and running for him, he just decided to sell that!

Presumably varkey already did what you are about to do.

As for the torrenting + flashing, Terry, just give it to me. Ill flash it to DD WRT and get it done, with the torrenting part added too.

Result will be different this time ?

If he wants the wife & daughter to access the web then he has no choice. If he wants torrenting as well then this comes as a bonus in one box. Will be interesting to see how the range of the N13 compares with the existing gigabyte. Do let us know, Terry.

Note to self: beware of 'combo deals' they seem to be stacked in the vendors favour.