Which 3G Router?!?

fattestman

I've moved into a new house (which is rather old) and getting affordable internet is a bit of an issue. I've gone through a few options and the one that's best for me is keeping the O2 broadband I have and sharing it using a 3G router. I haven't got a lot to spend (who has at the moment?!?).

I've been looking on dabs.ie (http://www.dabs.ie/Product/Compare?CompareList=77RW%2C763Y%2C729K%2C65T1&CategoryId=0&q=3g%20router) and have narrowed my search down to a few options but I simply haven't a clue which to pick. If someone who knows what about routers and the like had a look at the four options I would really, really appreciate any advice you can give.

The options are:

TP LINK 300Mbps Wireless N 3G Router
Edimax 150Mps Wireless 3G Router
Edimax Wireless 3G Broadband Router with Print Server
Zoom 3G Wireless-N Desk Top Router

We don't want to any gaming or any real downloading (a bit of music that's about it), we just want something we can use to surf the web.

A big thanks to anyone with any advice to offer.

jor el

There isn't much in the price, so pick one that supports your modem, that would be the most important thing.

fattestman

Yeah, but what's delaying me is that some of them have built-in RAM and some don't. Would that make much of a difference?

jor el

The RAM/ROM are needed if you put a custom firmware on it, like OpenWRT. Apart from that, I don't know what difference it would make. You probably don't need it.

fattestman

Great, that's all I needed to know.

Thanks a million for your help!

William Powell

You might already have everything you need as one more option which I've just set up is to use Windows own Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) on an old XP based PC. Really anything that will run XP will do it and system with a 1GHz PIII, 256MB RAM and 20GHz HDD + network card works fine. You'll need a switch/hub for a wired connection and a wireless router if you don't want wires. Set up this ICS PC as a headless work station (once set up allow a remote desktop connection) and you can put it anywhere in the house you can get a decent signal and administer it from any connected PC.

fattestman

Thanks for your reply William, it's a good one to know. For now, I'm going with the Zoom modem, but that Internet Connection Sharing trick is definitely going to come in handy at some stage.

Thanks again for your help lads.

watty

However that is rubbish from a security point of view. A decent router also provides proper firewall. The built-in Windows Firewall is useless.

William Powell

watty wrote: »

However that is rubbish from a security point of view. A decent router also provides proper firewall. The built-in Windows Firewall is useless.

I keep hearing that but not yet from anyone who has ever been able to tell me they have hacked the built-in Windows Firewall.

I'm quite sure it can be done but the number of people saying its rubish massively outwiegh the number people that can genuinely hack anything.

watty

rule 1 of Internet.

Don't connect a Windows Box direct to it unless you are a security expert.

Of course most Mobile connections are not "true" Internet connections but go via Transparent proxies and block most inward connections.

Also a PC is 90W to 400W.
A router is typically less than 8W excluding modem.

A router can be under €90

A router has 4x ethernet ports and proper WiFi Airpoint. Windows by default has no "airpoint" Infrastructure mode, only Client or Ad hoc.

There are things an old Windows PC is useful for. A Router is not one of them. If you must use an old PC as a router then put either Clark Connect (Centos based Linux) Router (free) or OpenWrt (x86 PC version does exist).

ICS is a rubbish solution, it's only useful as a temporary test or something.

Anything running on the PC or inside your network, with no password (potentially visit a website) can do what it likes with Windows firewall. With a router you put a proper password and nothing can change the Firewall, DHCP or DNS settings.
A Router/Firewall has decent DHCP with static MAC <-> IP assignments, decent DNS forwarding/cache and musch other useful stuff.

fattestman

For the record (and the benefit of anyone else who may stumble by this thread), I got the Zoom one and it works a treat!

Thanks for all your help folks!

slowlydownwards

Ordered the same model from amazon slightly cheaper, was DOA, expecting replacement. There seems to be a lot of positive comments on it. One thing to note is that it only has one LAN port.

fattestman

I'm cool with one LAN port but because I ain't using any.

I am wondering how I'm going to keep an eye on my usage though. Previously, when I used to put the modem straight into the computer I could obviously keep an eye on the usage using the O2 software. How do I ensure I don't go over my 10GB now though? There are six devices that might be using that connect in any given month,

slowlydownwards

log into o2.ie > view my account > broadband

Mr Keek

I'm looking at the same Router as OP, the Zoom 3g Router found here, http://http://www.dabs.ie/products/zoom-3g-wireless-n-desk-top-router-65T1.html

I see on the specs page that Data transfer rate is 150mbps on it. So if my mobile broadband gives me 7MB at best of times, will i only get 1.5MB broadband if it's being routed through this over WiFi?

Sorry now if it's a basic question. I was born without that part of the brain and i'd hate the thought of paying for 7mb and only gettin 1.5mb through this yoke!

Thanks lads

William Powell

Mr Keek wrote: »

I'm looking at the same Router as OP, the Zoom 3g Router found here, http://http://www.dabs.ie/products/zoom-3g-wireless-n-desk-top-router-65T1.html

I see on the specs page that Data transfer rate is 150mbps on it. So if my mobile broadband gives me 7MB at best of times, will i only get 1.5MB broadband if it's being routed through this over WiFi?

Sorry now if it's a basic question. I was born without that part of the brain and i'd hate the thought of paying for 7mb and only gettin 1.5mb through this yoke!

Thanks lads

You or the advertising are getting confused over the difference between Bits and Bytes, small b (bits) and large B (Bytes)

Normally data transfer rates are measured in the smallest individual unit of data the BIT (a single 0 or 1), file sizes are normally measured in BYTES which are made up of 8 bits (as in 01010101) .

Your (mobile) broadband max speed will be 7.2 Mbps (note the small b meaning bits) and the modem Data Transfer rate is 150Mbps again small b for bits so nothign to worry about ...... apart from the chances of getting 7.2Mbps on mobile broadband being slim

The usage limits are however measured in Bytes as in for example a 10GB a month limit.

fattestman

If it's any help to you in making your decision I just did a speed test using the Zoom modem connected to an O2 dongle.

Here are the results:

http://www.speedtest.net/result/1089152053.png

I'm using Firefox, by the way.

ubuntulinux

http://www.intellinet-network.com/en-US/products/8837-wireless-300n-3g-router

Go Harvey go.... stock this,works really well.:)

slowlydownwards

ubuntulinux wrote: »

http://www.intellinet-network.com/en-US/products/8837-wireless-300n-3g-router

Go Harvey go.... stock this,works really well.:)

Nothing on their website. How much is it?

ubuntulinux

The Intellinet was 99euro,maybe cheaper now in the sales.Harvey Norman will definitely give you a discount on it from my own experience:).