Wireless Routers: Reviews

Updated May 2009

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Best wireless router overall

D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit Router

Reviewers agree that D-Link DIR-655 is the fastest wireless router you can buy today. It is designed for better throughput on bandwidth-hogging online games, downloading and VoIP. Reviewers love the feature set, which… includes fast Gigabit Ethernet support. The downside, some reviewers say, is that setup is more cumbersome than necessary. The D-Link wireless router is based on the Draft 2.0 802.11n agreement -- the most recent wireless standard certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance. The D-Link DIR-655 wireless router works with Windows XP and Vista, and Mac OS 10.4 and higher.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Information Week: InformationWeek tests six Draft 2.0 N routers, including the D-Link DIR-655. Real-world testing is solid and relevant. Don ...

Arstechnica.com: ArsTechnica reviews four Draft-N wireless routers, with testing in a challenging home environment. Test results vary from other ...

CRN.com: This is another superb roundup of four wireless routers, although these models have subsequently had firmware upgrades. The ...

Amazon.com: The D-Link DIR-655 is the subject of about 600 user reviews at Amazon.com, 75 percent of which are either four-star or perfect ...

Small Net Builder.com: SmallNetBuilder.com has the most comprehensive, technical and complex review of the D-Link DIR-655. Speeds are good in testing, ...

PC Authority (Australia): PC Authority compares seven wireless routers in this roundup. Testing is good but not quite as thorough as the above sources. The ...

Wi-FiPlanet.com: This review is greatly enhanced with screen shots. Ellison tests the D-Link DIR-655 with the recommended network card. The combo ...

PCMag.com: PCMag.com also conducts a roundup review of several models. The D-Link DIR-655 has great short-range speeds, but a complex ...

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Best value wireless router

TRENDnet TEW-631BRP 300Mbps Wireless N-Draft Router

*Est. $80 Compare Prices

We found many favorable reviews of the Trendnet TEW-631BRP wireless router. It is very similar to the well-regarded D-Link DIR-655 but not as fast. It includes the same user-controllable technology as the DIR-655 to give… priority to online gaming and other high-bandwidth activities. Reviewers say this wireless router performs very well in gaming. However, it lacks a Gigabit Ethernet port for wired devices (you can still connect wired devices through slower 10/100 ports). It is compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux systems.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

CRN.com: CRN.com reviews four Draft-N wireless routers in this roundup. The TEW-631BRP is recommended in the conclusion because it is the ...

Bit-tech.net: U.K. technology website Bit-tech.net tests four wireless routers for online gaming in this objective, balanced comparison. ...

Techgage.com: Techgage offers the newest review of the Trendnet TEW-631BRP. Screenshots nicely illustrate the setup process, and no serious ...

PC Authority (Australia): PC Authority compares seven wireless routers in this roundup. Its testing is good, but not as thorough as that found in some ...

Computer Active: Computeractive magazine's review is very light on test detail. Editors say the Trendnet router is easy to set up, fast, and has ...

Amazon.com: There are about 40 user reviews here for the Trendnet TEW-631BRP wireless router. The majority give it high scores for value, but ...

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Best basic router

Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless-G Broadband Router

*Est. $50 Compare Prices

The inexpensive Linksys WRT54G2 is a mostly superficial redesign of the popular WRT54G. Because it's based on the older 802.11g (Wireless-G) standard, it's not quite as fast as, nor does it have the range of, 802.11n… (Wireless-N) routers. But the WRT54G2 is reliable, based on proven technology that is still compatible with most computers and hardware. More important, reviewers concur that the WRT54G2 is easy to set up and secure. Like the Trendnet TEW-631BRP, it has 10/100 Ethernet ports instead of high-speed Gigabit Ethernet. Linksys Easy Link Advisor software is compatible only with Windows XP and Vista; however, Linksys says that its Setup Wizard will also run on Mac OS X 10.4 and 10.5. Users comment that Linksys routers do work well with Apple's operating system.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

PC World (Australia): PC World describes the Linksys WRT54G2 as "one of the best options on the market" for those who don't need the speed and range of ...

Hardware Tech Review.com: A relatively new site, Hardware Tech Review has reviewed about half a dozen wireless routers over the past year, including some ...

NewEgg.com: Because professional reviews of the Linksys WRT54G2 are hard to come by, user reviews are more meaningful. In about 150 Newegg ...

Amazon.com: Amazon.com has more than 400 user reviews of the Linksys WRT54GS. Its average score is four stars (out of a possible five). ...

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Amazon Marketplace

for $53.25

Apple AirPort Extreme *Est. $175

3 picks by top review sites.

D-Link DIR-855 *Est. $275

3 picks by top review sites.

Linksys WRT610N Simultaneous Dual-N Band Wireless Router *est. $145

3 picks by top review sites.

Belkin N1 Vision *Est. $200

2 picks by top review sites.

Belkin N+ Wireless Router *Est. $100

2 picks by top review sites.


	Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station (Gigabit) MB053LL/A from Amazon.com New: $158.87 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	D-Link DIR-855 Xtreme N Duo Dual Band Draft 802.11n Media Router from Amazon.com New: $249.99 In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	Belkin N1 Vision Wireless Router (F5D8232-4) from Amazon.com New: Too low to display In Stock. Average Customer Review:


	Belkin Wireless N+ 802.11n Router (Black) from Amazon.com New: $85.39 In Stock. Average Customer Review:

Wireless Routers: Reviews

Best wireless router overall

Best value wireless router

Best basic router

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