Opinions and advice on adsl2+ wireless router

I'm looking to upgrade my netgear dg834g. I'm having problems where the connection pauses for some seconds, before loading a page.

I won't be upgrading to fibre anytime soon, so that isn't an issue for me. I currently don't have any ac devices, but I will soon be upgrading my 802.11b laptop.

I've been looking at combined modem/router/wireless models, but I'm not sure if I should make the shift to separates. Getting a separate modem seems like such a fuss, and for 12mb is it worth it?

I've been looking at the ASUS DSL-N66U, but I'm thinking it's a bit too over spec'd for my needs.

It's frustrating. Everything's about the shift to fibre, but I want something up-to-date and good for adsl2+.

Any tips?

Edited by deleted (Tue 01-Jul-14 22:26:45)

Are you sure it isn't just your laptop/browser getting clogged up with all the Microsoft updates, (particularly the Windows updates and security fixes), and the tendency for websites to pull in so much from multiple sources now?

I've always found that once I've had a machine a couple of years web browsing slows dramatically, however much house-keeping I do on it.

My latest is really slow rendering on IE 11 that started a couple of days ago. I meant to try comparing with Firefox but soon after I went to it I got interrupted and forgot .

It's something that happens on all devices. Ipad, Nook, phones etc. It was happening at Coms, and I was hoping the switch to Zen would fix things. But no.

Have you tried a factory reset on your Netgear? Any router can get screwed up now and then and need that.

(If you have any configuration changes you've made you need to backup the ini file first or else you will need to redo them afterwards).

With it already powered up and sync'ed, press the end of a straightened-up paperclip gently but firmly into the reset hole and hold the button inside down for 5-10 seconds. Lights will start flashing, so then remove the paperclip and wait for it to start up as normal.

Not guaranteed to work, but great if it does.

I've tried everything. Reset the router and changed the splitter, but it's still the same. I've spent the day on my old router, which is v2 of the dg834g. The current one is v4. And it's noticeably better, though not as fast as it should be.

The v4 may just be gone. But there's quite a lot of wireless around here. When I look to connect, I'm given 14 other options. I do get the full speed of my 12mb when downloading, but I want something that strengthens the connection, so it's quicker when loading pages.

I think the main issue is going to be you 802.11b device which will slow everything down.
You say you want something that strengthens the connection. I've found all routers have given me a very similar range coverage despite the claims. The main thing is that 802.11b is EXTREMELY slow, G is acceptable but N is really the minimum I would recommend.

I think going from 802.11b to N will be a huge improvement in itself.

As for a new router I would get an all in one device that's either N or AC ready.

Who is your ISP? The ISP supplied ones are usually pretty good. BT give out a dual band router now which I am using and is pretty flawless. Never locks up or needs a reboot.. The Sky hub also is very reliable and doesn't need rebooting in my experience. So if you're with a major ISP considering asking them for a router if that works out cheaper

Are you sure your laptop is wireless b? I am thinking it is possibly G and you've made a mistake. A b device would be very odd in this day and age.

Edited by ukhardy07 (Thu 03-Jul-14 01:38:45)

You haven't mentioned whether you have tried the Quiet Line Test, bearing in mind that the exposed phone lines can and do deteriorate.

The state of your line will affect the achievable speeds, whether ADSL or VDSL.

In reply to a post by paperclip:

The v4 may just be gone. But there's quite a lot of wireless around here. When I look to connect, I'm given 14 other options. I do get the full speed of my 12mb when downloading, but I want something that strengthens the connection, so it's quicker when loading pages.

Before you spend any money, it's well worth optimising what you have. You then have a baseline to work from.

Fire up a Google search and enter 'inssider free'. Download and install it and check where your device, and the WLAN channel it's using sits in relation to the other WLAN's around you. If you can, change your wireless channel to be as far away from the others as possible. It used to be the case that channel 6 was the most popular. I'm seeing channel 11 as the most popular these days with seemingly all the ISP supplied wireless routers using that channel.
As you've said you can achieve full line speeds with download throughput, your line is probably in a good state and it could be that the Netgear you're using is just giving up. It's certainly not unheard of.
Does your current router report 'remote vendor id' in the line stats? That could be useful for eeking out as much throughput and stability from your line as possible, through chipset matching. If you can provide those details, we can recommend a router with matching modem chipset.
I think it's fair to say that it's often the case that the router we choose is over specced for what we'd use it for. In my experience, the complexity of using these devices doesn't change, it's just the price tag that's higher. This can be mitigated by buying used though. Essentially, you're buying a device as it's been proven to work well in a number of scenarios. So although it may cost a little more and offer more than you need, it's a safe buy that could keep you in good stead for the future.

Paul

This is lots of good advice from everyone. Thanks. I'll be doing the suggested testing over the next few days.

eckiedoo, when I do the Quiet Line Test, is it best to leave the phone in the filter, or put it directly into the socket?

ukhardy07, I'm with Zen, and I'm on a pretty old laptop. I'm still using vista.

You should have the, preferably analogue, wired phone connected directly to the test socket on your master socket.

Paul