A coupla days back I sent out an SOS, asking anyone if they've come across a stable router that performs well under heavy network load. The response were not very encouraging. The most stable connections are apparently when a PC directly connects to the modem. Sadly, that defeats the entire purpose of Internet sharing using a home network!
After some more research, I've discovered this:
1. All home routers suck monkey balls. Doesn't matter if they're D-Link, Aztech, Belkin, Linksys or Netgear.
2. The best home routers are PCs which have been re-configured to work as a router. Grab some old PC, dump in Linux and some software (IPCop seems to be decent) and you're now a proud owner of a DIY router. Problem is, this kind of routers use up helluva lot more electricity than the normal box routers.
3. For good stability and performance, get a business level router. Doesn't matter if they're D-Link, Aztech, Belkin or Netgear. I removed Linksys from the 'cos I'm pissed off at the stupid router. Division of Cisco my arse...I'm NEVER buying any gadgets based on brand name again and I'm NEVER touching another Linksys product.
Based on my findings, I've decided to get the Netgear FVS318. It's a VPN capable firewall/router with an 8-port switch and 1 WAN port, 200MHz processor with 2 MB flash and 16 MB RAM. It should have plenty juice! On the bright side, with this router I can actually VPN to my home network from anywhere in the world, as long as I've access to the Internet. Way cool!
In summary, if you're an avid downloader who opens up thousands of simultaneus connections (read: BitTorrent), please expect your tiny, pathetic home router to die. Grab a router targetted to SOHO instead.
You can check it out the router I'm buying at the Netgear website: http://www.netgear.com/Products/VPNandSSL/WiredVPNFirewallRouters/FVS318.aspx
For those who feel that looks matter when buying a router, here a picture of the router.
