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Cheap ADSL Holds Up 802.11n Router Design

Posted by kdawson on from the wouldn't-mind-an-isp-price-plunge dept.

sholto writes "Ever wondered why you can't find the perfect 802.11n router? You know, the one with dual band, great range, USB print server and storage? Australian ISPs used to give away modem routers to consumers with expensive ADSL plans, but competition has forced them to drop the plans' prices so low they can't subsidize the boxes any more. D-Link Australia says R&D into N routers is now becalmed in a Catch-22."

3 of 268 comments (clear)

  1. Its the ISPs fault? by nukem996 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Is it really the ISPs fault? Most people I know bought there own router and connected it to the modem supplied by their ISP. I'm still on my old Linksys WRT54G with Tomato on it because its the best thing out there. I'd buy a new 802.11n router in a heart beat if it supported gigabit lan and wan, dual band, external antenna(s), OpenWRT support, and a USB port or two would be nice but not really needed. I really don't think its to much to ask but last I looked no company makes one.

  2. Re:AirPort Extreme by ActionDesignStudios · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The proprietary software to configure the AP is a pain, but it runs just fine with Wine on Ubuntu 10.04 (one caveat, it didn't show up on a network scan, I had to specify it's IP manually). I have mine in bridged mode off of a Cisco ASA5505 and it works much better than anything I've tried. I can certainly attest to its reliability. It's worth the extra cash to not have to reboot your AP every week (Like my WRT54G running Tomato).

  3. D-Link=Garbage. AEBS=Full of Win. Sholto = Shill by Weedhopper · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I've gone through so many bad experiences with D-Link equipment over the years that I will never buy any equipment from D-Link ever again. I will go out of my way to get people I know to replace these craptacular pieces of shit every chance I get.

    I've had D-Link PCMCIA cards, routers, modems, etc and every single one of them is an overheating piece of garbage. It's like no one in the company has ever heard of heat management.

    OTOH, I set up an Airport Extreme Base Station at my parents' house last year. It has all of the features Sholto says you can't find (Dual band-N, great range, USB print and storage, etc) and does it without needing to be reset every ten fucking days. Care to venture a guess the uptime this AEBS, D-Link? 16 MONTHS. I'm usually pleasantly surprised when D-Link crap can make it 16 days without needing a reset.

    I suppose I have to give the old Linksys WRT-54 units their props.