looking for good router without wireless capability to update ungainly network

[new_to_networks]

Hi,

I'm very new to networking ideas and am looking for some advice.

Our current network depends on 6 airports in DHCP mode to distribute IP addresses to 15-20 desktop computers and a varying number of laptops. Clearly, this is an inefficient way to do things and the network goes down regularly. Someone (who is now unavailable to ask for help) suggested that we add a router without wireless capability to act as the DHCP server service. The problem is, most of the routers I can find on the market all have wireless capability. Could anyone suggest a good router without wireless capability, or at least point me in the direction of good sites to look at? I would really appreciate it!

And, I realize that the router versus switch question is answered in the FAQ, but I was wondering what exactly a network backbone switch was, and how it differed from a regular switch or router.

Thank you very much!

[YeOldeStonecat]

As you step into business grade routers...most of those are without a wireless feature. It's usually home grade routers which bundle wireless in with them. For business environments...certain you want at least business grade hardware.

On the entry level..Linksys/Cisco makes an RV0 series of routers...I love them...fast, solid, stable, good VPN functionality, multiple WAN ports. DLink also makes a similar model.

Step up a notch..Sonicwall, Watchguard, Cisco, ZyXel, 3COM, Netopia, Multitech

Up another notch...Juniper, or build your own linux distro router on your hardware.

If you have 6x access points....I'd get an access point setup which is designed to be managed centrally, DLink has some SmartAP series....HP Procurve, Cisco...all designed to be setup to blanket a large area and be managed together from a single tool.

[GenericSetup]

I have 2 of these units and they work great for me. No problems like the home router units and
you can get 24/7 support from Cisco Engineer instead of someone reading from a script like Linksys home models from Cisco.

CISCO CISCO871-K9 10/100Mbps Integrated Services Routers for Small Offices 870 Series 1 x 10/100Mbps WAN Ports 4 x 10/100Mbps LAN Ports - Retail

$429.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833120012

These integrated services routers allow small offices to operate secure concurrent services, including firewall, VPNs, and wireless LANs, at broadband speeds. Easy deployment and centralized management features make the Cisco 870 Series ideal for:

* Small offices or teleworker sites as part of an enterprise network
* Small and medium-sized businesses for secure WAN and wireless LAN connectivity
* Service providers to offer business-class broadband and wireless LAN services to their customers

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/products/ps6200/index.html

We run dozens of clients off of them around the World and not a lick of a problem.

NOT as easy to setup as a home router though.

[Gabushna]

Just a warning, the cisco routers are virtually impossible to hack! so do no forget your username and password!

[ErikD]

Just a warning, the cisco routers are virtually impossible to hack! so do no forget your username and password!

Umm, Cisco has instructions for password recovery posted on the support section of their website. A bit time consuming, and requires some downtime but pretty easy to do.

[new_to_networks]

Thank you very much for the recommendation!
I'm now considering either the LynksisRVS4000 or the RV082...depending on whether or not we want to upgrade to gigabit.

[YeOldeStonecat]

Thank you very much for the recommendation!
I'm now considering either the LynksisRVS4000 or the RV082...depending on whether or not we want to upgrade to gigabit.

Recommend using a separate switch for your network....get a gigabit switch..uplink it to your router. The RV0 series is much more robust than the RVS series.