Has my Wireless Router bit the dust?

[MrGreg]

If I just use it for browsing the internet and some online poker, do i really need to buy one of those "higher end models" This last one served me well for about 4 years.

Nope, you will not notice any different with a high end router. You're gonna want something reliable at a reasonable cost. I have gone through a lot of cheap routers (trendnet and dlink) and was pretty much always disappointed in the end with performance/reliability. I did a fair amount of research and narrowed it down between an Asus and a Buffalo router. I chose the Asus because it was about $20 cheaper and I didn't need the extended range of the Buffalo. If you don't mind following a few steps, I still highly recommend the Asus and loading it with Tomato ND. It's been rock solid for me, and I've read nothing but good things about it.

 

[cycopath25]

Nope, you will not notice any different with a high end router. You're gonna want something reliable at a reasonable cost. I have gone through a lot of cheap routers (trendnet and dlink) and was pretty much always disappointed in the end with performance/reliability. I did a fair amount of research and narrowed it down between an Asus and a Buffalo router. I chose the Asus because it was about $20 cheaper and I didn't need the extended range of the Buffalo. If you don't mind following a few steps, I still highly recommend the Asus and loading it with Tomato ND. It's been rock solid for me, and I've read nothing but good things about it.

How much did you pay? Which exact model is it?

 

[MrGreg]

How much did you pay? Which exact model is it?

This one:
Newegg.com - ASUS WL-520gU IEEE 802.3/3u/3x, IEEE 802.11b/g Wireless Router with All-in-One Print Server/ DD-WRT Open Source support - Wireless Routers

If you don't mind sending in a $10 rebate, it's $35, which is what I paid for it. If you wait and watch for it to go on sale, you can save another $5 or $10, but it sounds like you need a new router now.

If you are planning on just using the stock firmware, this one may not be the best. But after loading tomato, this is about the best you'll get under $50.

 

[MrGreg]

This was the other router I considered getting:
Newegg.com - BUFFALO WHR-HP-G54 IEEE 802.3/3u, IEEE 802.11b/g Wireless-G High Power Router and Access Point - Wireless Routers

It looks like the price came down a little bit from when I was looking. Also runs tomato and ddwrt if you are interested in that stuff. If I remember correctly, this one has a built in amp so you can boost the range with the 3rd party firmware. It's supposed to be a really good router.

Otherwise, if you want to just use the stock firmware, this is a good bet as well:
Newegg.com - LINKSYS WRT54GL IEEE 802.3/3u, IEEE 802.11b/g Wireless-G Broadband Router - Wireless Routers

It runs linux (hence the model name GL) and is a very stable router. It's a bit more expensive though. I bought this a couple years ago for my in-laws...I wanted to get them a good stable router so I didn't have to do tech support, maintenance, etc.