Question: What's the best router?

Can anyone tell me what the best router to run a server on a cable modem is? I'm using a Netgear RT311 and I am having a lot of players lose their connections. I believe this is directly related to my router's performance.
Can anyone help me before I waste some more hard earned cash?

Thanks

I'd personally say it is due to your cable modem. But if you want a better router, purchase a Linksys BEFSR41. Linksys has some rock solid stability with these SOHO routers.

Originally posted by LoadedDice
I'd personally say it is due to your cable modem. But if you want a better router, purchase a Linksys BEFSR41. Linksys has some rock solid stability with these SOHO routers.

Linksys sucks, SMC barricade si way better

Since you can spend any amount of money you want for a router, perhaps you should include how much you are willing to spend...

(Linksys sucks)

$200 to $400?

You don't have an old 486 laying around that you could install Linux on for next to nothing? I've been using a 486DX4 (100mhz) to firewall/route to three PC's (the UT server is one of them) and serve mail, web, ssh. If you're not familiar with Linux, look at some of the floppy based firewalls. Smoothwall, Clarke Connect and several others will do just what you want for free (and with little effort). The performance of these old discarded machines is superb in this application. With the floppy based distro's, you don't even need a harddrive!


unreal://216.231.173.166:7777

What about Netopia?

The Netopia R9100 can be purchased for less than $400. R910 can be had for $180 (R9100 is 8-port hub, R910 is 4-port hub)

http://www.netopia.com/en-us/equipment/pro...r910-r9100.html

Buy R9100:
http://www.ecost.com/ecost/shop/detail.asp...ail,ECOSTNEXTAG

Buy R910:
[http://www.ecost.com/ecost/shop/detail.asp?dpno=928843

Another option is the Zyxell Zywall 10 for around $260. Zywall 10 is stand-alone router with no built-in switch or hub. Needs an external switch or hub for more than one computer.

http://www.zyxel.com/product/security/zywall10.htm
http://www.zyxel.com/support/supportnote/z...aq/prod_faq.htm

Buy:
http://www.provantage.com/scripts/go.dll/-s/fp_59981

Both these routers have similar functions. The differences are (that I know of/care about):

The Netopias have cpu monitoring function, mutliport hubs (not switches).

The Zywall has lower cost, faster cpu, easier to set up (Netopias are notorious for strange menu titles and functions). more advanced NAT function (many external IP to many internal IP). For example, I was instructed by Netopia to kill the firewall function in order to set up multi-NAT for the Netopias.

I have owned both. The Netopia has an output of router cpu usage. This is convenient for monitoring how much overhead you have to work with. Once the router cpu usage gets above 95%, you have big trouble. I used it in my server connection and (to the best of my memory) found no problems until you have 9-10 players and two spectators with MaxClientRate of 7000 and MaxTickRate of 30. A safe operating range was around 8 players and two spectators at the above settings. I guess you don't really need the cpu usage monitor. Once the router cpu is maxed out, the pings go to hell and it is obvious.

The Zywall 10 has a 50 MHz processor (vs the 33 MHz processor in the Netopia R9100) so it may give better performance. I have not tried it with my server yet, nor compared these two routers one-on-one. I am using the Zyxel for my gaming computer and other computers I have. I have not seen any TCP/UTP P/L with either of these routers unless the cpu is overloaded.

Another unit for consideration is the Zywall 50 for around $600.

http://www.zywall.com/zywall50.htm

Buy:
http://www.provantage.com/scripts/go.dll/-s/fp_59981

My recommendation is (between these two) is get the Zywall 10 and an external switched hub if you need it. The Zywall 10 is a more modern unit, is more user friendly, and may perform better than the Netopia. The Zywall 50 offers better performance (faster processor) than either of the above units for more money.

These are just two I've had experience with. There are alot of routers out there in this price range. If you don't care about some of the firewall functions these have, there are alot of Internet Gateway routers in the $100 range. I wouldn't count on being able to run a server through the cheaper ones though.

I have used the Linksys BEFSR41, the Netgear 314 (Zyxel 314) and the above two. Only the Zywall 10 and the Netopia R9100 had a chance of working with a UT server behind them.

Please note that I do not consider running a server in the DMZ as running it behind a router. Since the DMZ is unfiltered, this defeats the purpose of the firewall router. The server must then be software protected. Have to have some kind of firewall.

Well, I got tired of trying to work with a router. So I just brokedown and paid for the second IP address for the server. No one is getting dropped. And to conserve bandwidth for when I play and installed two more network cards and play through the LAN. Seems to work real well.
Cheaper than a router. Thanks for the help.

Z