Posts: 5,658
Threads: 1,088
Joined: Mar 2022
Is there a reason why I should not buy the Linksys WRT54GL or the Buffalo router that is $30 or $25 after rebate at CircuitCity each week? I am helping a client out who wants to set up a wireless network and asked about the Apple Airport. He will go with what I say, and I am thinking that I can set up 2 Linksys WRT54GL models that have, as far as I can tell, these advantages:
- Cheaper (2 Linksys for $100 after rebate vs $160 + for 1 Apple)
- QoS configurable - for his VOIP setup - this has helped me out with sound quality TREMENDOUSLY
- Fine-tuning of range to eliminate dead spots
He won't care about the USB sharing, as he has 2 NAS drives and a network printer already. Also the gigabit networking is nice but, IMHO, the speed is not a huge jump vs. 10/100.
Ideas?
Posts: 37,101
Threads: 2,599
Joined: May 2025
Reputation:
0
Absolutely not.
Yesterday I remotely helped a client restore settings on an old buffalo that loses them when reset. Its pretty freakin' cool to be able to do that. And pretty freakin' cool that it ran for some six months without a reset. (although the router will be replaced) Hell, just to have the same interface on a number of different routers is worth it alone.
>>Also the gigabit networking is nice
Just use a separate hub.
Posts: 37,101
Threads: 2,599
Joined: May 2025
Reputation:
0
>>Nothing worse then screwing over a client by cobbling together crap.
What makes it cobbled together crap? Have you used it?
Posts: 12,924
Threads: 470
Joined: Feb 2010
Reputation:
0
[quote mattkime]>>Nothing worse then screwing over a client by cobbling together crap.
What makes it cobbled together crap? Have you used it?
Absolutely I have used it. I use them at home and a test site.
I love it, I love the flexibility.
But to my clients it is cobbled together crap.
They pay good money for a stable, easy to maintain network.
I am not going to jeopardize my clients business by playing "TechBoyz" games.
BGnR
Posts: 37,101
Threads: 2,599
Joined: May 2025
Reputation:
0
>>But to my clients it is cobbled together crap.
I guess your clients are more impressed with logos and branding than results.
I'm not sure why you'd want a client changing their network config anyway.
Posts: 12,924
Threads: 470
Joined: Feb 2010
Reputation:
0
[quote mattkime]>>But to my clients it is cobbled together crap.
I guess your clients are more impressed with logos and branding than results.
I'm not sure why you'd want a client changing their network config anyway.
No sorry, my clients are actually interested in results.
But the reality of life is that I am not available 24/7 to take care of minor power/network outages that happen in the real world.
In fact the medical center where I do support had their power out for three days.
I could not hang out for three days and wait for the power to come back on and reset the network.
My client is pretty savvy about this stuff and when the power came on he was able to get the network up and running.
I came in later and fine tuned the network for him.
They were happy, I was happy.
Has absolutely nothing to do with branding, nor logos.
It has to do with price/performance, why pay me $250 an hour to cobble together something that when it breaks it can't be replaced in a few minutes?
I have heard that you can make ethernet cables with zip ties and pixie sticks!
You can save maybe ten bucks and waste 80 hours by doing that!
When you run a shop where you have to support over 5,000 clients worldwide you appreciate off the shelf hardware and standards.
BGnR
Next time you go get your car fixed ask your mechanic to not use the brake pads that are actually made for your car.
They can probably put something together for you.
Posts: 37,101
Threads: 2,599
Joined: May 2025
Reputation:
0
>>Next time you go get your car fixed ask your mechanic to not use the brake pads that are actually made for your car.
Your analogies don't apply here. Maybe you need to sell expensive hardware to justify your hourly rate.
If it work, it works.
In my experience, the least reliable part of a dd-wrt setup is the electricity supply to your building. But nobody is going to fault you for going for the most expensive item in its class.
Posts: 33,936
Threads: 1,272
Joined: May 2025
i didnt reset my $25 netgear router in years and years. and if i would have had to, i would have called it a POS and threw it out the window...
replaced it with a newer g model over a year ago, and i have never reset it either...
and gigabit smokes 100bt everyday of the week and twice on sunday -- but slow NAS drives might make that point moot, since they probably only have 100bt anyway...
