Just wondering what you guys with Optus cable broadband are using as a wireless router as we just bought a laptop with wireless in it and want to be able to go online.



Had a look at the optus website as the guy in the store said we should check what optus use first.



the list is heaps long and me knowing not much about wireless, is after something that will work on al bands can have more then one thing running off it as another laptop may be bought.



Easy to setup and able to be secure so noone can go stealing our bandwidth.





Thanx



SSS_Hoon

I don't know what products they sell, what I do know is that they'll only support ones that they do sell. The service center monkys follow a call script and generally dont know anything outside of what theyre reading. SO perhaps have a look at http://whirlpool.net.au/ for better advice.

i had a look on the optus website and there was heaps that they support.

And me knowing nothing about wireless and what is what is clueless LoL.

SSS_Hoon

Correct me if I'm wrong: You have an Optus Cable Broadband connection set-up at home, and want to connect to the internet through wi-fi on your notebook.
If that's the case, any router will do really. I usually recommend D-Link or Netgear to customers, as they're both in the best, D-Link arguably taking the lead.
I'd personally recommend the D-Link DI-624/DI-624+ or the DI-624S (click here).
I've had the DI-624+ for over 7 years still going good (after approx. 10 major drops.)

(edit: placed hyper-link)

DI-524UP is the router Im using.

Makes for simple connection - its easy to secure and as a bonus none of the pcs need to be connected to the printer cause the router has an inbuilt printer server.

We use the Netcomm NB6Plus4W. It's pretty solid, you can change the username and password which is a bonus, and there's a few more security features as well. Wireless and 4 ethernet ports are useful too.

^ gotta be honest never quite understood having the ability to change the username and password - other than to lock out itchy fingers on your local network. Cause if your wireless is secure they cant connect to the network to log into your router any way?

Personally having had Netcomm and D-Link at home and Netcomm (currently) at work I think the D-Link is a better unit but the Netcomm has a better user interface - BUT the D-Link has more and better options in the way of site filters and parental control etc. The D-Link is way easier to configure for VPN as well

Any router will do. The only difference will be the user interface.

Some routers may have a longer range than others, but if you are using the laptop from the next room in your house for example then that doesnt even matter.

Well thats from my experience anyway.

^ pretty much

Oh one thing try get a router which you can change the antenna on that way you can upgrade the antenna. I know at mum and dads house when I upgraded the antenna they went from having one "bar" of signal that would drop out all the time to having 2 bars continuously. It cost about $30 for an upgrade antenna from jaycar - whilst theres better out there it was a cheap and simple fix which wouldnt have been possible if my router didnt allow for the antenna to be changed

ended up getting a Belkin N router and works a treat, getting connection speeds upto 150mbps at the other end of the house so all good.

ONly one problem i have found so far is that if the laptop is turned off, then turned back on, the laptop will find the router but only connect to local wont conect to the internet. I have to disconnect from the network and then reconnect so that it will connect to the internet.

SSS_Hoon

all my D-Link routers have died (ADSL and cable), now I use Billion, had no problems in 3 years.

Linksys seem to work well also.