09-13-2007, 09:17 PM
Wow, interesting responses.
FWIW, I have not rebooted MY $30 (after rebate) Buffalo (which acts as a repeater) in 3+ months (when I bought it) and I hardly consider my network "cobbled together crap" as it does not go down; this is the same level of of uptime that I like to put into my client setups, as I am batting (off the top of my head) 14 for 14 putting in Buffalo routers and having very satisfied customers. I would not put in a system that I would not use, as I would not charge them to repair my errors and that costs me money (as in my time).
As far as configuring DD-WRT, I can do that in my sleep and set it up so that I can remotely administer the box in the event that they are having trouble. I also set up a PDF walk-through as a cheat-sheet to look at specific settings that would affect them. Each of my clients have different needs (obviously) so if I think that going into the admin page would cause a deer-in-the-headlights experience, I would set up the most user-friendly setup possible.
Before throwing out statements like "Professionals don't do that", what professionals do is make sure who you are helping get what they need, whether it is a Apple router (if they have a newer 802.11N machine and like to modify settings) or one that can be tweaked to fit the need. I am setting up a WRT54GL next week for a client where they would like to surf on the other end of a long house, at the furthest point away from the router (of course). I am cranking up the router range and restricting access to just her machine (very easy to do in DD-WRT).
As far as the off-the shelf requirement, I can get a Buffalo at my local Circuit City at any time for $50 (less with possible rebates) and within 5 minutes have a very secure (WPA2, long password, no SSID broadcast, MAC lockdown), very customizable network with a good range. My clients appreciate me saving them money and getting them up and running quickly and unless something physical happens to the router (like knocking off a shelf or a power surge, which could happen to any router) I don't need to worry about it going down.
All I was asking was if it works for you, why pay more? The Apple router has advantages, no doubt, but so do routers with DD-WRT. It never ceases to amaze me that people get caught up in price vs. function argument; just because it is expensive does not necessarily make it better in all cases. DD-WRT is VERY solid and the price is right.
FWIW, I have not rebooted MY $30 (after rebate) Buffalo (which acts as a repeater) in 3+ months (when I bought it) and I hardly consider my network "cobbled together crap" as it does not go down; this is the same level of of uptime that I like to put into my client setups, as I am batting (off the top of my head) 14 for 14 putting in Buffalo routers and having very satisfied customers. I would not put in a system that I would not use, as I would not charge them to repair my errors and that costs me money (as in my time).
As far as configuring DD-WRT, I can do that in my sleep and set it up so that I can remotely administer the box in the event that they are having trouble. I also set up a PDF walk-through as a cheat-sheet to look at specific settings that would affect them. Each of my clients have different needs (obviously) so if I think that going into the admin page would cause a deer-in-the-headlights experience, I would set up the most user-friendly setup possible.
Before throwing out statements like "Professionals don't do that", what professionals do is make sure who you are helping get what they need, whether it is a Apple router (if they have a newer 802.11N machine and like to modify settings) or one that can be tweaked to fit the need. I am setting up a WRT54GL next week for a client where they would like to surf on the other end of a long house, at the furthest point away from the router (of course). I am cranking up the router range and restricting access to just her machine (very easy to do in DD-WRT).
As far as the off-the shelf requirement, I can get a Buffalo at my local Circuit City at any time for $50 (less with possible rebates) and within 5 minutes have a very secure (WPA2, long password, no SSID broadcast, MAC lockdown), very customizable network with a good range. My clients appreciate me saving them money and getting them up and running quickly and unless something physical happens to the router (like knocking off a shelf or a power surge, which could happen to any router) I don't need to worry about it going down.
All I was asking was if it works for you, why pay more? The Apple router has advantages, no doubt, but so do routers with DD-WRT. It never ceases to amaze me that people get caught up in price vs. function argument; just because it is expensive does not necessarily make it better in all cases. DD-WRT is VERY solid and the price is right.