Which router for a house full of Macs?

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Which router for a house full of Macs?

20 posts & 16 voices | Started 2 years ago by Onzadog | Latest reply from Onzadog

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Onzadog - Member

While the ipod touch hooks up anywhere in the house without issue, the mac book pro isn't so reliable (although newer). We thought it was the MBP at fault and the Airport bit has been replaced. However, it didn't cure the problem. When we try and run the iMac via airport, it also fails intermittently.

So, either it's a settings issue between g and n type devices that I just can't find or the old Netgear DG834G is letting us down.

Which dual band router (with modem) works well with Apple products? I don't want a Time Capsule as I've been scared off by the tales of them over heating at 18 months. Bit disappointed the Netgear has only lasted 2.5 years.

Posted 2 years ago #
M6TTF - Member

Netgear 834gt here, been faultless for me and my macs and iPods

Posted 2 years ago #
peteimpreza - Member

Well we have a Time Capsule and a Netgear router giving us two networks in our Mac househould. The Time Capsule is over two years old and has never missed a beat. The router nearer 4 years.

Perhaps not much help to you but we have had no problems with third setup and would recommend it to others.

Posted 2 years ago #
oxnop - Member

I just use a wireless router that orange gave me about 3 years ago.

My MBP, iPhone and touch all connect with no issues. But my MBP phone and touch won't connect to a brand new netgear router at my parents house.

Posted 2 years ago #
geoffj - Member

I've had problems with Macs and Netgear routers. Don't know why, because old school NETGEAR switches are bombproof. Swapped to a linksys router and the problems stopped. Weird, but defo issues IME.

Posted 2 years ago #
grumm - Member

I had some initial setup issues with my Netgear router and my Macbook but it's been fine since. There was a weird fix of putting a $ in front of the password IIRC.

Posted 2 years ago #
mAx_hEadSet - Member

I ran two aiport expresses in a WDS config feeding from an ethernet adsl modem and that worked fine for more years than I care to remember. With 3 desktop macs 2 laptops an iphone and an ipod touch as well as the odd visitor i upgraded to a Time Capsule which backs up the laptops and with the airport expresses gives me a considerable coverage into the garend and every room, with regular and strong signal for all wanting to use it

Posted 2 years ago #
aracer - Member

So you're telling us the Macs don't "just work"?

Posted 2 years ago #
MrSmith - Member

So you're telling us the Macs don't "just work"?

and you are inferring P.C's do?

Posted 2 years ago #
allthepies - Member

If connecting over wireless or ethernet then the router brand/model shouldn't make any difference whatsoever :scratcheshead:

Posted 2 years ago #
grumm - Member

So you're telling us the Macs don't "just work"?

Surprisingly enough - not everything is always completely perfect with everything on a Mac. They are however generally much more reliable, better designed and more pleasant to use than a PC system.

Posted 2 years ago #
Talkemada - Blocked

Yeah, there is a weird issue with Netgear routers and Macs, i can only assume it's in Netgear's router software, as other routers I've used have been fine.

I just plug my Mac in via cable anyway, no issues at all!

Posted 2 years ago #
sniff - Member

Try manually assigning addresses to your devices - that seems to help as our iPhones we're always knocking out the Macbook. After doing that it now works fine on a Netgear router.

Posted 2 years ago #
apidya - Member

I had a Time Capsule and it over-heated. I got a free replacement from Apple, but I'm going to replace the drive with a cooler running 'green' one before using it again.

IMO a better option to the Time Capsule is the Apple Airport Extreme Basestation. It's the same thing but without the hard disk. however, you can plug in a USB hard drive and have all the functionality of the Time Capsule (with a bit more wiring), and none of the over-heating. Also the cost of an Airport Extreme and a USB hard drive combined is comparable to the cost of a Time Capsule (maybe £20-30 more)

If you want to do this, get an Airport Extreme, plug it in next to the router and disable the WiFi on the Netgear. Connect the two with a network cable and then the Netgear should basically work only as a modem.

Depends how confident you are with all this stuff really. I didn't find it very difficult at all.

Posted 2 years ago #
Onzadog - Member

Am I right in thinking that it could be the difference between g and n type devices? The router is g as is the touch. The macs are n type which I guess drop down to g to work with the router. Would that dropping down cause a problem?

Posted 2 years ago #
allthegear - Member

I think there might be issues between Netgear routers and Macs. I ditched my router and bought a time capsule, draytek 120 adsl modem and MobileMe. The combination is fantastic - I always have automatic access to the discs and printers connected to the router, even when elsewhere on the Internet, including my 3g stick if I'm down the garden out of signal range.

If you go this way and need to discuss setting up, just drop a line.

Rachel

Posted 2 years ago #
allthegear - Member

Oh, and it was the power supply in the old time capsules that overheated. Now fixed.

Posted 2 years ago #
podman - Member

I'm using a second-hand Draytek Vigor router that I've had since ADSL was introduced to my area... In May 2003. I think in all that time it's crashed twice, I've not had a single compatibility issue with it or any of the devices connected to it over the years, it's very configurable and generally brilliant.

It's getting on a bit, it was one of their first 802.11g routers, and I've now got a few N devices but I'm not intending on upgrading it yet. I was thinking of getting a Time-Machine for N, but reliability issues have put me off, I just use wires between machines moving a lot of data. It's the only thing on the network that hasn't changed in that time (including switches), which means something!

Posted 2 years ago #
grievoustim - Member

I have a mac/ ipod touch and my work PC all running off a netgear router - the work PC connects via a cable though

I did have problems with the Mac loosing its connection and getting an error message when run at the same time as the PC and/ or ipod

I solved this problem by setting up the router to recognise the Mac and always assign it the same IP every time - and never give that IP address to any other device. No problems since then

Posted 2 years ago #
Onzadog - Member

Sounds like it could be worth a try. Can someone tell me more about this business of assigning a fixed IP? Not sure what it is or how to do it.

Posted 2 years ago #

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