[SumitB]

If the wireless range matters to you, avoid the BSNL routers! Their range sucks :(

I would also avoid Netgear and DLink for wireless. My brands of choice would be the Linksys or the Buffalo. They both beat the competition when it comes to range even for stock firmware. Buffalo is cheaper of the 2 brands (the base model) and range may be about 5-10% better (WHR-54GS vs WRT54G).

If you are willing to be brave, you can hack it and use the open source 3rd party firmware and it will beat the best in business. Look it up on http://www.dd-wrt.com or OpenWrt

[rsjaurr]

I agree with bill.I got quite a few items from US in the last 3-4 yrs and none have had any problem.Only last month i got a lisksys router for abt $52and its been working without any problem.

Voltage fears are exaggerated here.If u dont like 110v then just buy an adapater here whose output matched with original adapter.

Alternatively if ur adsl modem has a pcmcia slot [my bsnl modem has] then u can just buy a card something like this.

[Jaggu]

am using a linksys which my friend got from US, got it for 35$ and i spent another 100 rs for step down transformer for indian volt

[JayD]

Im using netgear wireless router for the past few months with n problems, cost me 2xxx. I think the routers from US will be in th 'a' band wheras, we in india use th b/g band. If ur system supports all 3, its fine, but else stick to b/g.

[MC Mayank]

hehehe did I mention I know darn little about telecom

So looks like I should stick to a computerwarehouse sort of a place here in bangalore and get it for roughly 2100/- ? (netgear I think was the brand that was mentioned earlier)

[rsjaurr]

Originally Posted by JayD

Im using netgear wireless router for the past few months with n problems, cost me 2xxx. I think the routers from US will be in th 'a' band wheras, we in india use th b/g band. If ur system supports all 3, its fine, but else stick to b/g.

lol..this is not true.
There is nothing like which country/region uses which band.
Have a look at this online store.This is American store and they have all types of routers.

[bill1182]

a / b / g are data transfer speeds

a = 108 mbps

b = 11 mbps

g = 54mbps

it has nothing to do with region. Just check if router is compatible to all a/b/g standards. It will then work with any laptop or desktop (with wifi card installed).

[crkishore]

1. Most laptops these days mention what kind of wireless card they ship somewhere on the laptop itself.

2. bill, 11a and 11g are both 54mbps as per the standard. if you can get 108mbps in 5GHz, then there is no reason why you wouldnt get it in 2.4GHz, unless you are accounting for the fewer channels in 2.4GHz in some way.

3. i would say that for typical internet usage at home, you wouldnt require more than 11b(max 11mbps) assuming you have 2mbps internet connection. the "throughput" you would get out of 11mbps is as much as 5mbps, much above your internet bitrate. i cannot comment if you are using it for some "real-time" application though. even then, i can roughly say that 11b would suffice.

4. regarding the region restrictions which some of you mentioned, it is partly true. atleast a couple of years back, it was illegal to use 5GHz in india as the spectrum wasnt thrown open. if you were living anywhere near a airport or a military base, you "could" have ended up taking many innocent lives by using a 5GHz wireless router.
the only issue with the 2.4GHz band is that it is "shared" with other equipment in your house like the micro-owen, cordless phones, etc. so just keep that in mind.


and lastly, for your actual question, there isnt much difference these days if you buy these stuff in USA or in india. there is equal probability that you would or wouldnt have any issues []. believe me, linksys, netgear, buffallo, dlink, etc. "almost" perform almost the same when compared correctly, and in most cases it wouldnt usually mean anything for someone who wants to just browse internet at home.

[tsk1979]

All wireless routers(cheapest to best) can provide 2Mbps actual without any problems. This is the maximum speed you will be getting here in India.
So a netgear 54Mbps router which costs 40$ in the US costs around 2000rs in India.
So its not worth getting something from US, better buy it from India itself where you get warranty support etc., etc.,

If you are getting a deal where you get a router for 16-17$ go for it, otherwise buy from india

[kuttapan]

Network Guru's Please advise -

Would an ADSL modem + wireless router like Linksys Linksys by Cisco Wireless-G ADSL2+ Gateway WAG54G2 work with BSNL broadband? i.e Remove the current UTStarcom's UT300R2U and use the WAG54G2 as modem+wireless router? I am worried about the compatibility to BSNL broadband.

Or is it better to get something like - Cisco Systems RangePlus WRT160N 4-Port Wireless-N Broadband Router?

[SirAlec]

Ofcourse it will work. you just need to remember you user name, password and IP address if you are using the higher costing static IP lines.

But on second thought why do you need to buy a wifi router with modem integrated. Since you already have a modem just buy a wifi router. You will save about 2k. use your exisiting modem, hook it with a wifi router with cat 5 patch cable (included).

[kuttapan]

Thanks you, Sir ALec.

WRT160N is IEEE 802.11n capable, and I have a laptop which has a network card that says IEEE 802.11n (draft) - Now what is this draft? Does it mean it is not the full monty?

802.11n should work with my current ADSL modem(UTStarcom's UT300R2U) right? Are they even related?

[deep_bang]

n is the new wireless standard.
The others are:
b - 10mbps
g - 54mbps
n - (100 Mbps I think).

So basically, n means much faster.
BUT, a few months back when i got my router, there were a lot of concerns of the correct "n" standard. There were many variants in the market and the general concencus was that not all N routers were fully compatible with N receivers.

Others who have been in touch with networking may know better.

Also keep in mind that for browsing the internet, 54mbps is fast enough as your bandwidth itself is likely to be around 2 to 3 Mbps. So, N does not help you unless you are having a home network and want to transfer a lot of data between your PC's.

Having said that, Linksys is propably a good buy as you get good support and also new firmwares that may fix issues you may get.

PS: Is the UTStar you mentioned just a DSL modem or is it a DSL + wifi router? If it is just a DSL modem, then the question of whether your laptop's 802.11n will work with your UTStar does not arise.
Hope that helps!

[anandtheleo]

Originally Posted by kuttapan

Thanks you, Sir ALec.

WRT160N is IEEE 802.11n capable, and I have a laptop which has a network card that says IEEE 802.11n (draft) - Now what is this draft? Does it mean it is not the full monty?

802.11n should work with my current ADSL modem(UTStarcom's UT300R2U) right? Are they even related?

Hi,

I use this modem, bought by my brother in Circuit City. I have a Dataone connection and the modem is UTStarcom 300R2U, it works like a charm. (Touchwood).

I have connected my desktop, laptop(Toshiba) and my ipod touch to it. The range is excellent.

[Thad E Ginathom]

I think the 'n' standard can manage up to 300, so much faster than a cable, assuming transmission/reception is not subject to major obstacles. Oh, and also assuming that you cable isn't Gigabit ethernet of course

It comes at a price, though. If I remember rightly, my D-link wireless router, and the D-link laptop adapter for compatibility, totalled about 11,000!

It is still a draft standard, isn't it? So best to stick to one manufacturer, and, ok, a bit of a gamble I suppose.