[ltp] Slightly OT: best router with 2915ABG?

[Jiang Qian]

Hi All:
This is slightly OT but people are savvy here. I'm thinking about 
getting a new wireless router. The wireless card is Intel 2915ABG on a 
T43, running ubuntu with custom 2.6.15 kernel and driver version  1.1.2.  

Since this card doesn't support marketing stuns like Turbo G, RangeMax 
etc. I guess I'll get a wireless G, to share internet connection between 
desktop and T43.  I have the following concerns:

1. Interference. I live in urban area with a jungle of AP around, and I 
heard 802.11g is particularly prone to that. So the AP/router probably 
want to have good tolerance of interference from nearby AP. Since my 
apartment is not too big, range is not as important.

Of course the router should not drop connection on me. Sometimes I got 
dhcp lease mysteriously dropped, any way to debug this?(iwconfig show 
wireless signal is fine).

2. Wireless speed. My current AP an old Netgear MR814v2, 802.11b, craps 
out at 650KBps(with 128 bit WEP on). This is 5.2Mbps, that's less than 
half of the design speed.  

I know I shouldn't have illusion about reaching full 54Mbps, but any 
*actual* download/upload speed figure, *with encryption(WEP or WPA) on*, 
is very welcome.

3. Routing speed. I sometimes want to transfer files using Samba between 
my wife's machine and T43. Hers is a thinkcentre with Gigabit connected 
to router. I'm willing to connect my laptop to wired port of router for 
transfer, but again the transfer speed craps out at 6.5MBps, which is 
52Mbps, only half of designed 100Mbps.

So any data on wired port routing is greatly appreciated, too.

BTW, since my laptop also have Gigabit ethernet, I'm tempted to buy an 
router with Gigabit port built-in. This expensive toy, Dlink DGL-4300, 
is the only one I found, is that worth the money(about USD 129 on 
amazon).

Any information/tips are most welcome. If there's a demand, I can 
compile a set of recommendations/benchmarks and send to the list.

Thanks in advance.

Jiang