Simplify your laptop buying
Top wireless-N routers that won't break your wallet
Dong Ngo,
Senior Assoc. Technology Editor
October 13, 2009
I recently found out via e-mails that a lot of people still have the impression that Wireless-N routers are expensive and that's why they still have wires running all over their homes, or they stick with the old Wireless-G router. No more excuses! Now you can have one without digging a hole in your wallet. These are CNET's top-rated routers that cost (significantly) less than $100. Time to move on.
| Product name | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $34.99 to $76.84 | $78.99 to $91.45 | $29.99 to $99.99 | $47.99 to $55.95 |
| CNET editors' rating |
|
|
|
|
| Average user rating | ||||
| Review date | August 13, 2009 | August 20, 2009 | July 21, 2009 | July 24, 2008 |
| The Bottom Line | At a very affordable price, the D-Link Wireless N Router DIR-615 makes a great entry-level Wireless-N router and would satisfy most situations where a wireless network is needed. | The Netgear Wireless-N Router WNR2000 is a no-frills budget wireless-N router, with excellent range and a handy and comprehensive Parental Control feature. It's a good fit for those who just need a simple wireless network and the ability to control access to the Internet. | The Linksys WRT160N Wireless-N broadband router has consistent performance, good range, a helpful software application, and a good set of networking features. Its lack of Gigabit and USB support are the only major knocks against it. | The TP-Link TL-WR941ND Wireless N router is a simple wireless N router with a friendly price. If all you require is a basic network and you have a mix of 802.11N and b/g clients, it does the job for cheap. |
| Similar Products | Compare more products | Compare more products | Compare more products | Compare more products |
| Features | ||||
| Remote Management Protocol | HTTP | HTTP | HTTP | HTTP |
| Compliant Standards | IEEE 802.3 IEEE 802.3u IEEE 802.11b IEEE 802.11g Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Protected Setup IEEE 802.11n (draft 2.0) | IEEE 802.11b IEEE 802.11g Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Protected Setup IEEE 802.11n (draft 2.0) | IEEE 802.3 IEEE 802.3u IEEE 802.11b IEEE 802.11g IEEE 802.11n (draft) | IEEE 802.1x IEEE 802.11b IEEE 802.11g IEEE 802.11n (draft 2.0) |
| Features | NAT support VPN passthrough Parental control Content filtering Firewall protection Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) Auto-uplink (auto MDI/MDI-X) Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) | Info unavailable | DHCP server MIMO technology VPN passthrough Auto-negotiation Firewall protection Auto-sensing per device Auto-uplink (auto MDI/MDI-X) Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) | DMZ port DHCP server NAT support URL filtering MIMO technology VPN passthrough Dynamic DNS server Firewall protection IP address filtering MAC address filtering Virtual server support Auto-uplink (auto MDI/MDI-X) |
| Form Factor | External | External | External | External |
| Data Link Protocol | Ethernet IEEE 802.11b IEEE 802.11g Fast Ethernet IEEE 802.11n (draft 2.0) | Ethernet IEEE 802.11b IEEE 802.11g Fast Ethernet IEEE 802.11n (draft 2.0) | Ethernet IEEE 802.11b IEEE 802.11g Fast Ethernet IEEE 802.11n (draft) | Ethernet IEEE 802.11b IEEE 802.11g Fast Ethernet IEEE 802.11n (draft 2.0) |
| Device Type | Wireless router + 4-port switch (integrated) | Wireless router + 4-port switch (integrated) | Wireless router + 4-port switch (integrated) | Wireless router + 4-port switch (integrated) |
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 4.6 in x 7.6 in x 1.2 in | 7 in x 5.1 in x 1.4 in | 8 in x 6.3 in x 1.3 in | 7.9 in x 5.5 in x 1.1 in |
| Frequency Band | 2.4 GHz | 2.4 GHz | 2.4 GHz | Info unavailable |
| Product Description | D-Link Wireless N Router DIR-615 - Wireless router | NETGEAR Wireless-N Router WNR2000 - Wireless router | Linksys Wireless-N Broadband Router WRT160N - Wireless router | TP-Link TL-WR941ND - Wireless router |
| Weight | 11.2 oz | 14.1 oz | 9.9 oz | Info unavailable |
| System Requirements | Apple MacOS X 10.4 Microsoft Windows Vista Microsoft Windows XP SP2 Microsoft Windows 2000 SP4 | UNIX Linux Apple MacOS Microsoft Windows Vista / 2000 / XP | Microsoft Windows XP Microsoft Windows Vista | Info unavailable |
| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications |
| Buying choices |
|
|
|
|
- Reviews & advice
- Site map
- Editorial policies
- Meet the editors
- How we test
- Forums
- Internet speed test
- Popular topics
- Apple iPhone
- Apple iPod
- Cell phones
- Dell
- GPS
- LCD TV
- CNET sites
- CNET Site map
- CNET TV
- Downloads
- News
- Reviews
- Shopper.com
- More information
- Newsletters
- CNET Mobile
- Customer Help Center
- RSS
- CNET Widgets
- About CNET
-
TOP PRODUCTS FROM TOP BRANDS
