need help picking new wireless router

[bigougit]

I just got a laptop with built in wireless and know absolutely nothing about it. I managed to figure out that my old wireless router only let me view the internet at 11mbps so I'm going to purchase a new one, It needs to have decent range and also hook up to 4 computers

I have an HP Pavilion dv9035nr media center notebook

its specs concerning internet are:

Modem       56 Kbps*
*Capable of receiving 56 Kbps downloads. However, current regulations limit download speed to 53 Kbps.

Networking       Built-in 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 connector)

Wireless Networking       Built-in Intel® PRO/Wireless 3945ABG network connection (802.11a/b/g)

I wan't a wireless router that will allow it to use its full potential, and I also plan to use it for gaming.
I have DSL internet connection that runs through my cabel also so it can go pretty fast.

thanks.

[Raptor]

I have a Linksys WRT54G Wireless G Broadband router(Click) which was easy to set up and has more options than the average router including some diagnostic tools such as Ping and Traceroute. (Which are completely irrelevant if you ask me, but heck..)

If you want a simple and cheap solution, I'd recommend a E-tech Wireless 54 Mbps ADSL/Cable router(Click) which is very easy to set up and seems to do a decent job..

I would recommend against using an Asus router, those have way too many options and it is very easy to get confused if you're not experienced with WLANs.

[unlovedwarrior]

i have the same router as u raptor

[bigougit]

thanks, thats the one I was considering. But is that all the faster my laptop can go? and what does the "Built-in 10/100/1000 Gigabit Ethernet LAN (RJ-45 connector)" mean?

[unlovedwarrior]

its onboard (on the mobo) that way you can connect to the net through cat5 cable

[Calum]

The built in Ethernet is a network port, somewhere you can connect a network cable to so you can connect to a wired network
As for the speed, your internet is almost certainly slower than 54mbps, and your laptop's wireless will have a max sped of 54mbps
The fastest devices available offer up to 125mbps but internet connections don't go that fast yet

[bigougit]

oh, thanks. also, do you know anything about an express card/54 pc card slot?  is it just new? because I can't find anything that will fit in it besides my tv tuner

[unlovedwarrior]

i think its just for that but im not sure

[bigougit]

my internet on all my desktops goes 100mbps so I guess my internet connection is close to 125mbps.

I hope my laptop is just really new, I couldn't even find information about the processor or a review of the laptop lol

[Raptor]

my internet on all my desktops goes 100mbps so I guess my internet connection is close to 125mbps.

I hope my laptop is just really new, I couldn't even find information about the processor or a review of the laptop lol

Your Internet connection is no where near 125MBps. Your LAN could be, but this is highly doubtful as they are theoretical speeds and never apply for Wireless. Wireless can go up to 56MBps, however, due to interference it is much lower than that.

Your Internet (WAN, not LAN) connection may have a download speed of up to 20MBps, depending heavily on what ISP and packet you have chosen. In case you ask; it is not possible to fully utilitize all of the speed promised by your ISP .... If you want to learn more, go to How stuff works (Click)

[Calum]

oh, thanks. also, do you know anything about an express card/54 pc card slot?  is it just new? because I can't find anything that will fit in it besides my tv tuner

Express card is a replacement for PCMCIA, built on the PCI-Express bus
It theoretically supports much faster speeds and is pretty new
However, not many devices support it yet (your tv tuner is obviously one of the few)