Hi,
For the last 6 weeks Obi connected with Google Voice has worked with overall great success!
Can someone recommend a tried and true, excellent wireless router with good range, and known to have excellent success with Obi? Is it advisable to get a model that works with Tomato to perhaps boost signal?
My current wireless router has wireless connectivity problems (drops the signal every hour or two), though works great with Obi. So, I need a new one.
#1) Criteria: No hum or interference with Obi
#2) Good Wireless range: like to set up a work desk in my yard when the weather is nice.
*) if it has bells and whistles like a USB port that works with both mac and pc, that would be a nice bonus, but not a priority.
In the past i've gone the route of "cheap" and had great luck. In the past 2 months, I purchased 3 wireless routers from cheap to steep and had problems with all of them - hence the post.
Current Router: Monoprice ($20)
Works well with good range, but intermittently drops wireless users throughout the day. Sometimes takes 5 minutes or much longer to reconnect.
Next try: Belkin N750
Had voltage leak on Ethernet ports creating a loud hum on Obi; also the UBS port worked intermittently for an external/shared drive for PCs, but Mac could not connect at all.
Next try: D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N
Worked fine with Obi, but had very low range. There were places where I lost this signal where the other 2 routers still had 50-75% (bars). The usb port didn't work for mac or pc (their justification for the higher cost of this model)
I had all 3 of these routers at the same time to test between them and thus far none meet the simple needs. Hoping that someone here may have a good suggestion and save the headaches of going through another 3 or more models.
Thank you very much!
Stephen
I'm confused about what sort of USB interface you're looking for. There are controller interfaces (flat connector "type A") and device interfaces (square connector "type B"). A computer has type A connectors; storage devices, printers, cameras etc. use type B.
A modern router would typically have a controller interface; it could act as a print server, or you could connect a disk drive whose files would be made available over the LAN or perhaps over the Internet. There is no way to directly connect a computer to such an interface.
Older routers and modems sometimes had a device interface; a computer could be connected and get Internet access. These days, that is not very useful, because nearly every computer has Ethernet, so you could connect it to one of the (usually 4) router LAN ports. A major advantage of Ethernet is that cable lengths of up to 100 meters are supported. Most Internet devices that lack an Ethernet interface (tablets, smartphones, etc.) don't have a USB controller interface, either, so they must connect by Wi-Fi. There are a few exceptions such as Macbook Air; IMO the best way to get a wired network connection is to use an inexpensive USB-to-Ethernet dongle.
Hi Stewart,
I'm not looking for USB interface and wish I had left this part out - it was noted only as "nice" as a bonus. IF a wireless router had this and it actually worked, then it would be a nice bonus as i have 5 computers in my home office and it might enhance filesharing (eg, i don't want a dedicated file server).
Many of the higher end new wireless routers claim to offer the ability to connect to printers and hard drives via USB. The two models noted below advertise this "feature" but it doesn't work. The reviews suggest that this is a common problem.
So, if we can leave out the USB part, I am in urgent need of finding a reliable wireless router that
a) works well with Obi
b) has good signal strength
c) doesn't intermittently drop the wireless signal 10 times a day
Thank you,
Stephen
Netgear WNDR3700v1 with Gargoyle firmware.
Asus RT-N16 + Tomato firmware (Teddy Bear' mod with USB support)
http://www.linksysinfo.org/index.php?threads/tomato-nd-usb-mod.28249/