Recommendation for a good router, now that PC World no longer sell Netgear DG834G

I see that PC World have recently stopped selling the Netgear DG834G
wireless router.

This is the router that I have always recommended to my customers because
I've found it easy to configure, reliable and with good logging of errors if
anything goes wrong.

What would people recommend as a replacement for the DG834G. Minimum spec
is:

- ADSL (as opposed to cable) - ideally capable of working up to 8 Mbps
- Wireless G, with WPA security; additional speed beyond 54 Mbps is probably
not essential
- logging of errors and startup messages (LCP is coming up, CHAP
authentication success/failure etc), statement of ADSL carrier strength
(attenuation and SNR), ideally with the ability to send a daily log by email
- 4 Ethernet ports
- price around £60-£80

In the absence of the DG834G, I bought a Linksys WAG54GS for a customer and
I notice that it has no error logging, so diagnosing of any ADSL connection
failures would be very difficult with this router.

I believe that Dlink routers (eg the G604) don't have logging either.


I know that mail-order companies such as www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk still sell
the DG834G and DG834GT, but I need to be able to buy over the counter,
because I don't want to get into the situation where:

- I have to wait in all day for a courier to deliver to my address

- I have to get the customer to place the order for delivery to their house,
with the problem of trying to guide them through an online site over the
phone or via a slow dial-up line at their house



I looked at some of the routers that PC World now sell, and there were
several Netgear models that I couldn't even find on Netgear's site so I
can't check the exact spec and features - I wouldn't trust the spec as
quoted on PC World's site!

Martin Underwood wrote:
> I see that PC World have recently stopped selling the Netgear DG834G
> wireless router.
>
> I know that mail-order companies such as www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk still sell
> the DG834G and DG834GT, but I need to be able to buy over the counter,
> because I don't want to get into the situation where:

Comet would appear to sell it still ?

<http://www.comet.co.uk/cometbrowse/category.do?categoryId=784&pageNum=2>

On Thu, 24 Aug 2006 13:08:00 +0100, "Martin Underwood" <a@b> wrote:

>I see that PC World have recently stopped selling the Netgear DG834G
>wireless router.
>
Dabs claim to have them in stock fort £66.57.

Always used to be happy with Dabs but understand they were bought out
by BT earlier this year - so "let the buyer beware"!!!!

PhilBee wrote in
(E-Mail Removed):

> On Thu, 24 Aug 2006 13:08:00 +0100, "Martin Underwood" <a@b> wrote:
>
>> I see that PC World have recently stopped selling the Netgear DG834G
>> wireless router.
>>
> Dabs claim to have them in stock fort £66.57.
>
> Always used to be happy with Dabs but understand they were bought out
> by BT earlier this year - so "let the buyer beware"!!!!

Yes, but I'd need to order by mail order, with the problems of having to
stay in for the courier to deliver. If only couriers would deliver to Royal
Mail sorting offices when they fail to deliver to the real address, so I
could collect the goods from there at a time that suits me.

Comet is a possibility. I'm sure I could also still find small independent
shops that still sell it, but at a much higher price.

"Martin Underwood" <a@b> wrote in message
news:44eda699$0$3579$(E-Mail Removed)...

>
> Yes, but I'd need to order by mail order, with the problems of having to
> stay in for the courier to deliver. If only couriers would deliver to
> Royal Mail sorting offices when they fail to deliver to the real address,
> so I could collect the goods from there at a time that suits me.
>

Use a supplier that uses Royal Mail to deliver. Plenty do.

That way you cam pop the card into the PO whenever convenient.

CJM

"CJM" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
|
| "Martin Underwood" <a@b> wrote in message
| news:44eda699$0$3579$(E-Mail Removed)...
|
| >
| > Yes, but I'd need to order by mail order, with the problems of having to
| > stay in for the courier to deliver. If only couriers would deliver to
| > Royal Mail sorting offices when they fail to deliver to the real address,
| > so I could collect the goods from there at a time that suits me.
| >
|
| Use a supplier that uses Royal Mail to deliver. Plenty do.
|
| That way you cam pop the card into the PO whenever convenient.
|
| CJM
|
|

In fairness I've never had an issue with missing a courier.
Initial City link are fantastic around here (used by www.ebuyer.co.uk) if they
miss you they often come back later or try again the next day.
All couriers have been ok for me to collect and have had opening hours that piss
all over royal mail who never answer the phone or stay open past 13:00 around
here.

Buying from places like PC World may be convenient, but you'll always pay more
and be at the mercy of their bullshit! Take a look at ebuyers site, you can read
reviews from real buyers who tell it like it is. It's not like Amazon where they
filter off most of the bad reviews!



--
Posted via NewsDemon.com - Premium Uncensored Newsgroup Service
------->>>>>>http://www.NewsDem

Martin Underwood wrote:
> In the absence of the DG834G, I bought a Linksys WAG54GS for a customer and
> I notice that it has no error logging, so diagnosing of any ADSL connection
> failures would be very difficult with this router.
>
> I believe that Dlink routers (eg the G604) don't have logging either.

The G604T does have logging - both to its own internal (transient) log
and to a remote syslog machine, should you wish.

Of course that's now discontinued too, although I assume the replacement
(DSL-G624T) will have similar functionality.

Geoff

Pier Danone wrote in
44edb8a4$0$5989$(E-Mail Removed):

> "CJM" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>
>> "Martin Underwood" <a@b> wrote in message
>> news:44eda699$0$3579$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>
>>>
>>> Yes, but I'd need to order by mail order, with the problems of
>>> having to stay in for the courier to deliver. If only couriers
>>> would deliver to Royal Mail sorting offices when they fail to
>>> deliver to the real address, so I could collect the goods from
>>> there at a time that suits me.
>>>
>>
>> Use a supplier that uses Royal Mail to deliver. Plenty do.
>>
>> That way you cam pop the card into the PO whenever convenient.

I don't think Dabs or BroadbandBuyer use Royal Mail, though I could be
wrong. I agree: it's something to check for.

> In fairness I've never had an issue with missing a courier.
> Initial City link are fantastic around here (used by
> www.ebuyer.co.uk) if they miss you they often come back later or try
> again the next day.
> All couriers have been ok for me to collect and have had opening
> hours that piss all over royal mail who never answer the phone or
> stay open past 13:00 around here.

The only time I ordered from Dabs, I waited in all day for the courier (they
could only say that it would "definitely" be some time between 8AM and 5PM)
and then had to go out to an appointment. According to the card that he
left, the courier finally arrived at 7PM, long after the latest predicted
time. Ironically the nearest depot for that courier was only a mile or so
from where I was that evening - if only I'd known, I could have arranged for
him to leave the equipment there for me to collect.

I emailed to arrange delivery for the following day (which meant cancelling
another day's calls to customers) and he didn't turn up at all that day.
However he did arrive at 6:30 AM the day after ;-)

After that experience, I vowed never to rely on couriers again.

Unfortunately many couriers won't deliver to a neighbour, even if the
neighbour signs for the package. Sometimes they will deliver to a local post
office - but they charge extra for doing so.

> Buying from places like PC World may be convenient, but you'll always
> pay more and be at the mercy of their bullshit! Take a look at
> ebuyers site, you can read reviews from real buyers who tell it like
> it is. It's not like Amazon where they filter off most of the bad
> reviews!

I've found that with the order-in-advance discount, PC World are
surprisingly competitive, by the time you've taken into account the delivery
charge for mail order.

I can't wait in *any* day. So being able to collect from a PO is invaluable
to me.

If I can get the delivery re-directed to work or to a relative's address I
do so, but many companies wont allow that.

CJM

"Martin Underwood" <a@b> wrote in message
news:44ed969c$0$3602$(E-Mail Removed)...
>I see that PC World have recently stopped selling the Netgear DG834G
>wireless router.
>
> This is the router that I have always recommended to my customers because
> I've found it easy to configure, reliable and with good logging of errors
> if anything goes wrong.
>
> What would people recommend as a replacement for the DG834G. Minimum spec
> is:
>
> - ADSL (as opposed to cable) - ideally capable of working up to 8 Mbps
> - Wireless G, with WPA security; additional speed beyond 54 Mbps is
> probably not essential
> - logging of errors and startup messages (LCP is coming up, CHAP
> authentication success/failure etc), statement of ADSL carrier strength
> (attenuation and SNR), ideally with the ability to send a daily log by
> email
> - 4 Ethernet ports
> - price around £60-£80
>
> In the absence of the DG834G, I bought a Linksys WAG54GS for a customer
> and I notice that it has no error logging, so diagnosing of any ADSL
> connection failures would be very difficult with this router.
>
> I believe that Dlink routers (eg the G604) don't have logging either.
>
>
> I know that mail-order companies such as www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk still
> sell the DG834G and DG834GT, but I need to be able to buy over the
> counter, because I don't want to get into the situation where:
>
> - I have to wait in all day for a courier to deliver to my address
>
> - I have to get the customer to place the order for delivery to their
> house, with the problem of trying to guide them through an online site
> over the phone or via a slow dial-up line at their house
>
>
>
> I looked at some of the routers that PC World now sell, and there were
> several Netgear models that I couldn't even find on Netgear's site so I
> can't check the exact spec and features - I wouldn't trust the spec as
> quoted on PC World's site!
>
It may not be fashionable, but the BT Voyager 2500V and their Business Hub
[a 2-wire product] are excellent routers with all the features that you
require together with Post Office delivery.