Wirelss DSL Modem/Router - how to find matching products?

I would like to get a wireless DSL modem/router to which I will connect two
laptops wirelessly, an XBOX by wire and possibly a server by wire in the
future. I want the router to be an all-in-one unit that can plug straight
into the ADSL filter on my phone line.

I would like to scour the market for my options and best prices but do not
know what the best search terms would be to uncover this all-in-one box
solution. I understand that the box needs to perform the function of a DSL
modem but it seems to me that it is not always easy to tell whether this
aspect of functionality is included in the various routers on the market.
Often the word "modem" is not included in the product title and it seems
that the device may, or may not, include this functionality.

Is there a magic solution to this or do I have to pour over the detailed
specs and descriptions of each product to see if it meets my needs? e.g. if
I type "wireless DSL router" into an Amazon search I get 8 matches. If I
type "wireless DSL modem router" (adding the word "modem") then there are
only one match. Can this be right? Are seven of the products really of no
use to me. Short of reading every description I do not see how I can tell.
Surely something as glaring as this should be more obvious. Please help me
understand what search terms I need to use - or is there a different/easier
way to go about this?

Thanks,
Tim.

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http://www.zionmedia.co.uk

These people stock most of the main makers of the kit you are after and have
a full tech spec for all of the kit they sell. Their prices look competitive
as well.

The main players in the wireless/modem/router area seem to be the Draytek
Vigor 2600We and the Netgear DG824M. Both have ethernet and wireless
networking options and both are well recommended, they both have hardware
firewalls which is desirable these days.
They have very similar specs.
The wireless side is the 802.11b spec which is a max 11Mb xfer over the
wireless side, this is more than quick enough for ADSL (standard ADSL is a
max 512Kb)

I personally use the NetgearDG824M, with a couple of Netgear WA111 USB
access cards, it was easy to set up and get going.

You could check out the reviews on www.adslguide.org but they are not really
keeping up to date with the hardware available.

One more thin you might want to consider high quality microfilters as well
they can be found here www.adslnation.com they are more expensive but are
noticeable more reliable and sorted my noisy phone line problem.



"Tiny Tim" <_(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:bl9b1n$9hvgo$(E-Mail Removed)...
> I would like to get a wireless DSL modem/router to which I will connect
two
> laptops wirelessly, an XBOX by wire and possibly a server by wire in the
> future. I want the router to be an all-in-one unit that can plug straight
> into the ADSL filter on my phone line.
>
> I would like to scour the market for my options and best prices but do not
> know what the best search terms would be to uncover this all-in-one box
> solution. I understand that the box needs to perform the function of a DSL
> modem but it seems to me that it is not always easy to tell whether this
> aspect of functionality is included in the various routers on the market.
> Often the word "modem" is not included in the product title and it seems
> that the device may, or may not, include this functionality.
>
> Is there a magic solution to this or do I have to pour over the detailed
> specs and descriptions of each product to see if it meets my needs? e.g.
if
> I type "wireless DSL router" into an Amazon search I get 8 matches. If I
> type "wireless DSL modem router" (adding the word "modem") then there are
> only one match. Can this be right? Are seven of the products really of no
> use to me. Short of reading every description I do not see how I can tell.
> Surely something as glaring as this should be more obvious. Please help me
> understand what search terms I need to use - or is there a
different/easier
> way to go about this?
>
> Thanks,
> Tim.
>
> --
> Please reply to newsgroup or remove leading underscore from email addy.
>
>

aj wrote:
> http://www.zionmedia.co.uk
>
> These people stock most of the main makers of the kit you are after
> and have a full tech spec for all of the kit they sell. Their prices
> look competitive as well.
>
> The main players in the wireless/modem/router area seem to be the
> Draytek Vigor 2600We and the Netgear DG824M. Both have ethernet and
> wireless networking options and both are well recommended, they both
> have hardware firewalls which is desirable these days.
> They have very similar specs.
> The wireless side is the 802.11b spec which is a max 11Mb xfer over
> the wireless side, this is more than quick enough for ADSL (standard
> ADSL is a max 512Kb)
>
> I personally use the NetgearDG824M, with a couple of Netgear WA111 USB
> access cards, it was easy to set up and get going.
>
> You could check out the reviews on www.adslguide.org but they are not
> really keeping up to date with the hardware available.
>
> One more thin you might want to consider high quality microfilters as
> well they can be found here www.adslnation.com they are more
> expensive but are noticeable more reliable and sorted my noisy phone
> line problem.

Thanks for the reply. I'm actually looking for 802.11g networking stuff as I
want to be able to stream video from my (yet to be purchased) server to a
laptop in the bedroom or garden.

I'm generally aware of the brands available, including Draytek, Netgear,
D-Link, Linksys, Belkin, BT, Solwise, Buffalo, USR/3COM etc. but it's
actually finding the right product in each manufacturer's range that is the
struggle.

e.g. this bundle looks ideal for me as a starting point as I currently only
have one laptop and the XBOX to connect at the moment -

http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...=49355&_LOC=UK

or if the above doesn't work......

http://makeashorterlink.com/?U41232B06

But I can't tell from the information available here or on Buffalo's website
(probably coz I'm being thick) whether the router will do all that I need or
if I need a separate ethernet DSL modem in addition. My fear is that I do
but I'm struggling to tell. It is the same thing with various other products
from other manufacturers too. The specs for range/speed look particularly
impressive for this kit but it isn't much use if it won't meet my needs.
Price is an important factor in the overall choice of solution.

Cheers,
Tim.

Not really suitable unless your ADSL Modem has a CAT5 (RJ45) output...

Most (?) Of the ADSL Modems seem to use USB out to the PC - this makes it
hard to connect a router....

The solution is an ADSL Modem/Router; these usually have an ADSL Modem and 4
x CAT5 10/100 ports for the LAN.

As mentioned by other posters the Draytek Vigor and Netgear models are fine,
as are D-Link DSL-504 http://www.dlink.co.uk/310.htm , Linksys BEFSR41
http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...cid=29&prid=20 and
others....

You can get a wireless version of most of the above BUT IMHO it is better
(though not cheaper) to get a seperate WAP;
this is because....

1. the best place for the Modem/Router (near PC crate/phone socket)
will not be the best place for the WAP (high up in the centre of the area to
cover).

2. the Modem router will have lots of cables at the rear - the WAP will
have just CAT5 + DC Power making positioning/mounting easier and much
tidier...

3. you can but the modem/router first and get a WAP later if needed.

Guy


>
>
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...=49355&_LOC=UK
>
> or if the above doesn't work......
>
> http://makeashorterlink.com/?U41232B06
>
> But I can't tell from the information available here or on Buffalo's
> website (probably coz I'm being thick) whether the router will do all
> that I need or
> if I need a separate ethernet DSL modem in addition. My fear is that
> I do
> but I'm struggling to tell. It is the same thing with various other
> products
> from other manufacturers too. The specs for range/speed look
> particularly
> impressive for this kit but it isn't much use if it won't meet my
> needs.
> Price is an important factor in the overall choice of solution.
>
> Cheers,
> Tim.

That's what I feared. I have a USB modem now and I want to get a one box
replacement that will perform all the functions of modem/router/wap at
low(ish) cost and with the least number of cables and power supplies
floating around.

I appreciate the pros of separate modem/router and wap but a single unit
will suit me better. The whole thing is going in the living room right by
the TV, hi-fi etc and I already have an 8-way suppressed power supply
completely filled with plugs. By the time I add a media-server and a
router/wap things are going to get a bit ridiculous.

At the end of the day I also want to keep overall cost down and I figure an
all-in-one box should accomplish that better than individual components. 54g
should give me the performance I need and I just need something that works
well now, without bothering with lots of future upgrade/expansion that I
shan't need.


Bigguy wrote:
> Not really suitable unless your ADSL Modem has a CAT5 (RJ45) output...
>
> Most (?) Of the ADSL Modems seem to use USB out to the PC - this
> makes it
> hard to connect a router....
>
> The solution is an ADSL Modem/Router; these usually have an ADSL
> Modem and 4
> x CAT5 10/100 ports for the LAN.
>
> As mentioned by other posters the Draytek Vigor and Netgear models
> are fine,
> as are D-Link DSL-504 http://www.dlink.co.uk/310.htm , Linksys
> BEFSR41
> http://www.linksys.com/products/prod...cid=29&prid=20
> and
> others....
>
> You can get a wireless version of most of the above BUT IMHO it is
> better (though not cheaper) to get a seperate WAP;
> this is because....
>
> 1. the best place for the Modem/Router (near PC crate/phone
> socket)
> will not be the best place for the WAP (high up in the centre of the
> area to
> cover).
>
> 2. the Modem router will have lots of cables at the rear - the
> WAP will
> have just CAT5 + DC Power making positioning/mounting easier and much
> tidier...
>
> 3. you can but the modem/router first and get a WAP later if
> needed.
>
> Guy
>
>
>>
>>
>
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...=49355&_LOC=UK
>>
>> or if the above doesn't work......
>>
>> http://makeashorterlink.com/?U41232B06
>>
>> But I can't tell from the information available here or on Buffalo's
>> website (probably coz I'm being thick) whether the router will do all
>> that I need or
>> if I need a separate ethernet DSL modem in addition. My fear is that
>> I do
>> but I'm struggling to tell. It is the same thing with various other
>> products
>> from other manufacturers too. The specs for range/speed look
>> particularly
>> impressive for this kit but it isn't much use if it won't meet my
>> needs.
>> Price is an important factor in the overall choice of solution.
>>
>> Cheers,
>> Tim.

--
Please reply to newsgroup or remove leading underscore from email addy.

"Tiny Tim" <_(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:bl9jig$9i6fa$(E-Mail Removed)...
> That's what I feared. I have a USB modem now and I want to get a one box
> replacement that will perform all the functions of modem/router/wap at
> low(ish) cost and with the least number of cables and power supplies
> floating around.
>
> I appreciate the pros of separate modem/router and wap but a single unit
> will suit me better.

There are currently very few "All in One" 802.11g routers available with
built in ADSL modem.

At the moment the "All in One" solutions available are mainly based on the
slower 802.11b standard.

However, several of the manufacturers have announced plans to release
802.11g "all in one" solutions - they should start to appear within the next
month or so.

For instance http://www.draytek.co.uk/products/vigor2600g.html

Though Ebuyer now seem to be advertising one which seems like a good deal:
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...duct_uid=52244
and cheaper than I would have thought.

Regards
Sunil

Sunil Sood wrote:
> "Tiny Tim" <_(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:bl9jig$9i6fa$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> That's what I feared. I have a USB modem now and I want to get a one
>> box
>> replacement that will perform all the functions of modem/router/wap
>> at
>> low(ish) cost and with the least number of cables and power supplies
>> floating around.
>>
>> I appreciate the pros of separate modem/router and wap but a single
>> unit
>> will suit me better.
>
> There are currently very few "All in One" 802.11g routers available
> with
> built in ADSL modem.
>
> At the moment the "All in One" solutions available are mainly based
> on the
> slower 802.11b standard.
>
> However, several of the manufacturers have announced plans to release
> 802.11g "all in one" solutions - they should start to appear within
> the next
> month or so.
>
> For instance http://www.draytek.co.uk/products/vigor2600g.html
>
> Though Ebuyer now seem to be advertising one which seems like a good
> deal:
>
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...duct_uid=52244
> and cheaper than I would have thought.
>
> Regards
> Sunil

Good spot! That looks absolutely perfect. Now the next question(s) - Who has
one and what is the performance like? Styling looks good enough to sit
discretely in one corner of the living room but is it any good? I have read
a few negative comments about some Netgear stuff here. But I guess you could
say that about most products except possibly the Draytek stuff, which is a
bit pricey for my tastes.

--
Email is munged. Remove leading _ for email reply.

Tiny Tim wrote:
> Sunil Sood wrote:
<snip>
>> Though Ebuyer now seem to be advertising one which seems like a good
>> deal:
>>
>
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...duct_uid=52244
>> and cheaper than I would have thought.
>>
>> Regards
>> Sunil
>
> Good spot! That looks absolutely perfect. Now the next question(s) -
> Who has
> one and what is the performance like? Styling looks good enough to sit
> discretely in one corner of the living room but is it any good? I
> have read
> a few negative comments about some Netgear stuff here. But I guess
> you could
> say that about most products except possibly the Draytek stuff, which
> is a
> bit pricey for my tastes.

p.s. I wasn't asking anyone to find me my solution; I was trying to
understand what the correct generic term would be for these all-in-one
devices - or hasn't one been invented yet - so that I would know what search
terms to enter into a pricing search engine, or retailer's product search
field.

Would it be "wireless modem router" or "wireless dsl router" or "wap modem
router" etc. etc. There just doesn't seem to be a product category available
on retailer websites to isolate the all-in-one devices and I find that
bloody irritating! A lot of home DSL users, like me, will be coming from a
starting point of a USB modem and will surely want an easy all-in-one box to
replace their crap old USB modem and extend their connection around the
home. Or am I the only one? :-)

--
Email is munged. Remove leading _ for email reply.

At the risk of having a conversation with myself I looked a bit further on
the Ebuyer website and found two similar Netgear products.......

Netgear DG834G 54 Mbps Wireless ADSL Firewall Router for £88.12 including
VAT
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...duct_uid=52244

Netgear DG824M ADSL Wireless Gateway Router With 4 X 10/100mbps Switch for
£111.45 including VAT
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...duct_uid=44047

Can it really be that a 54Mbps all-in-one is £23 cheaper than the old 11Mbps
technology from the same company? Is there something lacking in the cheaper
unit that is not immediately obvious? Both are
modem/switch/wap/firewall/router. Is this the bargain of the year?

If anyone has any views please reply soon as I think I might snap one up
before they realise their pricing error ;-)

(p.s. I note that neither includes the word "modem" in the product title but
the devices do include modem functionality)

"Tiny Tim" <_(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:bl9lpq$9cr30$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Sunil Sood wrote:
> > However, several of the manufacturers have announced plans to release
> > 802.11g "all in one" solutions - they should start to appear within
> > the next
> > month or so.
> >
> > For instance http://www.draytek.co.uk/products/vigor2600g.html
> >
> > Though Ebuyer now seem to be advertising one which seems like a good
> > deal:
> >
>
http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/produ...duct_uid=52244
> > and cheaper than I would have thought.
> >
>
> Good spot! That looks absolutely perfect. Now the next question(s) - Who
has
> one and what is the performance like? Styling looks good enough to sit
> discretely in one corner of the living room but is it any good?

The DG834 does seem very cheap compared to its predecessor as you point out
in another post.

I am not sure if you will find anyone who has one yet though - they are very
new and are not yet even mentioned on Netgear's UK web site - though I think
their French site has a manual (in French!).

To be honest until today I hadn't realised that any of the manufacturers had
released their 54G all in one solutions - I thought they were all a month or
so away... - though I see Ebuyer also has one from Belkin for sale. (again
very new so nothing apparent on their web site even)

I am considering getting one too..

Regards
Sunil