Choices
-- Wireless routers with Internet
connection sharing, networking and firewall features are an alternative
to Wired routers or
Networking
Software. Wireless routers are actually wired
routers with wireless access points built in so you can have wired
and/or wireless at the same time. Another choice is a wireless router
with a built-in DSL or cable modem, see the bottom of this page for
examples. Finally, you can consider a hardware/software security combo
box to connect and protect your home network, see our
Broadband Gateways page for more information.
Security -- Wireless routers are
not as secure as hard wired. If you want wireless
and security, read the security articles on this page and be prepared to spend
some time setting up the security features of your wireless network. To make
this easier, look at wireless
utility software.
Testing
-- We recommend that you test the firewall features of a wireless router after installation
and setup using an online service like
Security Space.
Firmware -- Router
vendors offer updates for their firmware to add new features and to resolve problems
found by their customers. After installing a new router, check for updates.
Prices
-- For current prices, see our custom Wireless Router Price List
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Cheap
Wireless Routers, Oliver Rist, PC Magazine, June 18, 2008 --
Linksys, Netgear, SMC & Trendnet
Dual-Band Routers, Oliver Rist, PC Magazine,
June 3, 2008 -- Apple, D-Link, Linksys & Netgear
Wireless Router Reviews,
Consumer Search, updated June 2008, a summary of 26 reviews of 37
products -- D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit Router,
ConsumerSearch.com, best wireless router overall, TRENDnet
TEW-631BRP 300Mbps Wireless N-Draft Router -- Best value wireless
router, Linksys WRT54GS Wireless-G Broadband Router with
SpeedBooster -- Best basic router
D-LInk KIR-655 A4 Quick Review, Tim Higgins,
Small Net Builder, February 10, 2009 -- "Its good wireless
performance, stable operation, gigabit switch, high routing
throughput and automatic uplink QoS continue to make it
the go-to draft 802.11n router."
Note:
The optional
Secure Spot 2.0
security package available directly from D-Link adds parental controls,
safe surfing/searching, remote management, anti-virus/antispyware
protection with McAfee® technology, internet usage time scheduling and
activity reporting, web-managed firewall, access control for Internet
usage, application control (blocking and scheduling), spam control and
identity protection.
Packet Protector is a
Linux distribution for wireless routers, built on top of OpenWrt.
The goal of the project is to transform a router into a
unified threat management device.
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