Any good Wireless Routers compatible with Vista?


Recommended Posts

I had an old Linksys wireless router, but since it's an old router, I had some compatibility problems with it. So, I bought the Netgear WNR834B, which is Vista compatible according to Microsoft's site. Now, the problem is, the router keeps on freezing. I just read some reviews and other people have the same problem with this router. I tried researching for other better routers but people always some sort of complaint about them. I even read the reviews on the newer Linksys routers and there are a ton of complaints on them. I guess they don't make wireless routers like they used to. But, I know there has to be some good wireless routers out there that's compatible with Vista. Can anybody recommend me any?

This is something I never understood. A router thows out a network (and Internet) connection over either a wireless or wired connection. Where does the OS come into this, as the router should be 100% independant. Surely the OS on the receiving PC needs only know how to use an Ethernet or wireless connection?

Yes, but the Netgear router I bought is freezing and my connection drops. I have to reboot the router in order to get the internet to work again. I never had this problem with my old Linksys ones. But according to reviews, the newer Linksys have that freezing problem now. So my question is: does anyone know a Vista compatible wireless router that works well and doesn't hang/freeze?

A vista compatible router? I think that's just marketing, really. If you're experiencing connections being dropped, it's not Vista's fault.

What is so hard to understand about my question? It isn't Vista's fault. The Netgear router is freezing! The freezing has nothing to do with Vista. The router just sucks. I am looking for a router that performs better and doesn't freeze. Any recommendations?

Best router there is.. Put on DD-WRT

Linksys WRT-54GL

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16833124190

I have had mine for almost 3 years... maybe one reboot in that time?

Oh wow! That's a bit outdated, if you ask me. I was looking for something a bit faster than that.

Oh wow! That's a bit outdated, if you ask me. I was looking for something a bit faster than that.

It's not outdated.

Its 802.11G.

How much faster do you actually need? If you are looking for a draft N, then your limited . Its hands-down the best 802.11G router on the market, which unless you plan on transferring gig's of data over your network, its plenty fast for the internet

Heres this 802.11n router with DD-WRT

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16833124085

Not sure on it, but DD-WRT is the best firmware to date

There is actually such a thing as a Vista compatible router. It's due to the way Microsoft re-wrote the TCP/IP stack, and the traffic scaling it does. Some older routers have problems forwarding these packets.

What I would suggest is if your router is marked as being Vista compatible, download the latest firmware for the router from the manufacturers website and update it from a non-Vista machine. If the problem persists, then you might have a hardware fault in the router. In this case, just return it and ask for a replacement and tell them the reason you want one is that it hangs and needs a power cycle to get working again.

It's not outdated.

Its 802.11G.

How much faster do you actually need? If you are looking for a draft N, then your limited . Its hands-down the best 802.11G router on the market, which unless you plan on transferring gig's of data over your network, its plenty fast for the internet

I'm not denying that it's the best router. I have a similar one. I'm not sure what model it is. When I get home, I can check. But I had a similar one and it was really good, but it wasn't Vista compatible.

I'm not denying that it's the best router. I have a similar one. I'm not sure what model it is. When I get home, I can check. But I had a similar one and it was really good, but it wasn't Vista compatible.

Theres no such thing as "vista compatible"

It works. I've used my laptop with vista at a friends that has first gen 802.11B equipment and it works just fine.

Its just marketing.

If you get DD-WRT on any router, it will handle the way MS changed the IP packets in Vista even faster

There is actually such a thing as a Vista compatible router. It's due to the way Microsoft re-wrote the TCP/IP stack, and the traffic scaling it does. Some older routers have problems forwarding these packets.

Bingo!! That was the exact problem my older Linksys router was having. That is why I bought the Netgear, but now it's not a TCP/IP issue. This time, the router is just crashing.

Bingo!! That was the exact problem my older Linksys router was having. That is why I bought the Netgear, but now it's not a TCP/IP issue. This time, the router is just crashing.

If its a 802.11G linksys router, put DD-WRT on there. That will solve your problem

Oh wow! That's a bit outdated, if you ask me. I was looking for something a bit faster than that.

Lmao outdated? I don't think so. That router NEVER gives me any problems, but if you insist on something that's "faster" rather than stable, then be my guest. lol

Here's a list of "compatible" routers, and here as well.

Lmao outdated? I don't think so. That router NEVER gives me any problems, but if you insist on something that's "faster" rather than stable, then be my guest. lol

Here's a list of "compatible" routers, and here as well.

Just because it's "stable," it doesn't mean it will work on every computer. My laptop from work doesn't work on my older "stable" Linksys router because the router is so old. That's another reason why I bought that junky Netgear router.

And that list is not what I was looking for. I already saw those. Many of them have bad reviews and I believe them too because I had bad experience with the Netgear one. What I'm asking for is Vista compatible routers that perform well. Does anybody here have a Vista compatible router that performs well on their computer that they can recommend? Seriously! Is my typing gibberish or what? Why is everyone misunderstanding my question?

Edited by xraffle
Just because it's "stable," it doesn't mean it will work on every computer. My laptop from work doesn't work on my older "stable" Linksys router because the router is so old. That's another reason why I bought that junky Netgear router.

And that list is not what I was looking for. I already saw those. Many of them have bad reviews and I believe them too because I had bad experience with the Netgear one. What I'm asking for is Vista compatible routers that perform well. Does anybody here have a Vista compatible router that performs well on their computer that they can recommend? Seriously! Is my typing gibberish or what? Why is everyone misunderstanding my question?

I feel like I'm taking to a brick wall :argh:

If you want a draft 802.11n, be prepared for problems here and there as there isnt a set standard yet. The linksys one I linked above got pretty good reviews and can have custom DD-WRT firmware. Almost all stability issues comes down to firmware problems.

Stop reading the damn reviews on everywhere BUT newegg. If you check the link the WRT54G router I posted had tons and tons of 5-star reviews, and as other members here have said it is the best router to date.

The WRT-54GL IS VISTA COMPATIBLE, just like pretty much every other router. (check the link above). Install the custom DD-WRT firmware on it, and your set. No worries.

Your old Linksys router may be 802.11a or something. There is no reason why your laptop should not even work on it as 802.11G is backward compatible with 802.11B and vice versa. You are falling for a marketing ploy with the "vista compatibility"

Your old Linksys router may be 802.11a or something. There is no reason why your laptop should not even work on it as 802.11G is backward compatible with 802.11B and vice versa.

Well my laptop doesn't work with my older Linksys router because it doesn't work with old routers. It works with the Netgear one I got, but the router crashes, so that router is no good. This is why I believe the reviews now. Those reviews I saw about Netgear turned out to be true.

Well my laptop doesn't work with my older Linksys router because it doesn't work with old routers. It works with the Netgear one I got, but the router crashes, so that router is no good. This is why I believe the reviews now. Those reviews I saw about Netgear turned out to be true.

hahaha. Thats like saying my laptop doesn't work with USB1.1 devices

Probably because it is different technology or something, like 802.11a as I had said. THat or your setting something up wrong

many coffee shops use 802.11b and many people connect just fine with this "old" hardware.

No piece of hardware is going to have perfect reviews. Hell look at the xbox 360's. My original launch console is working just fine. No RROD or anything

This is painful to read...

Buy a WRT54GL & flash it with custom firmware (Tomato my preference over DD-WRT, as it is prettier :) )

If you want draft-N, I would suggest an Apple Airport Extreme.

No such thing as Vista compatible. Wi-Fi certified, however...

I dual boot XP and Vista with my 54GL using Tomato firmware. No issues at all. A firmware upgrade may be all you need to get your old router working. Or, you say it won't connect. Do you have your new laptop to connect using some sort of authentication (WPA, WEP, WPA2) that your older Linksys router does not support? The 54GL will work with Vista.

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Posts

    • Hello, Were you using a product or service from one of the companies affected by the Klue data breach?  See https://klue.com/blog/an-update-on-recent-klue-security-incident for the company's public statement.  That blog post does not list affected customer. From looking around at reports, I created this list: Gong HackerOne Huntress Insurity Jamf LastPass OneTrust Recorded Future ReliaQuest Salesforce Snyk Sprout Social Tanium It is likely there are other companies affected as well. Regards, Aryeh Goretsky  
    • SpaceX reportedly plans a Starlink mobile service for U.S. consumers by Karthik Mudaliar SpaceX reportedly wants to sell mobile phone plans directly to consumers in the United States as part of a wider expansion of Starlink. According to a report from the Financial Times, SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell discussed the plan with investors during the company’s recent IPO roadshow. The company is also said to be considering building a terrestrial mobile network to complement Starlink’s satellite coverage. The plan is quite different from how Starlink currently operates in the U.S. mobile market. SpaceX already provides satellite connectivity for T-Mobile’s T-Satellite service, but T-Mobile remains responsible for the subscription, billing, and customer support. A Starlink-branded mobile service would give SpaceX control of the customer relationship instead. It could also turn the company from a partner of traditional mobile operators into a direct competitor. T-Mobile also began testing its Starlink-powered satellite service in early 2025. The beta was initially limited to text messaging and was also available to some AT&T and Verizon customers. The service has since expanded to support limited data access through selected apps, including WhatsApp, Google Maps, AccuWeather, and AllTrails. It is designed to provide a connection in areas where normal cell towers are unavailable, rather than replace a conventional mobile network. However, if SpaceX actually has a plan to serve nationwide, it needs to do more than just satellite networks and actually support on-ground operations. It can also partner up with existing carriers and become a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO). With that said, SpaceX has already spent heavily to support its mobile ambitions. Just last year, the company agreed to acquire wireless spectrum licences from EchoStar in deals worth a combined $19.6 billion. EchoStar's spectrum includes AWS-4, H-Block, and AWS-3 frequencies that could be used for both satellite and terrestrial communications. According to a SpaceX securities filing, the Federal Communications Commission approved the transaction in May 2026, although it is not expected to close until late 2027. There's no official statement by SpaceX for now. Pricing, availability, and other details remain unknown. Source: Financial Times
    • We had no idea as kids how much time and energy it took to be an adult 😅
    • The Trump administration doesn't want you to use OpenAI's GPT-5.6 without its approval by David Uzondu Image via @realDonalTrump (X) As OpenAI prepares the release of its next model, GPT 5.6, the White House has instructed the company to limit the distribution of the software to a small group of government-approved partners instead of the general public, as it has done with previous releases. According to The Information, OpenAI Chief Executive Officer Sam Altman sent an internal memo to staff on Thursday explaining that the federal government will approve access "customer by customer" during an initial preview phase. Altman noted in the communication that this restrictive rollout is "not [their] long-term model" for software deployment, and the company plans to work toward a "more sustainable" distribution method later. CNN said that both OpenAI and the Trump administration view the capabilities of GPT 5.6 on the same level as Anthropic's Mythos and that government officials intend to "collaborate with frontier AI labs to develop shared approaches for addressing the challenges of scaling this technology." The latest restriction comes just weeks after the US Commerce Department decided to restrict Fable, a version of Mythos with extra safety "guardrails" to prevent users from exploiting software vulnerabilities. Not long after the release, though, researchers at Amazon found a way to bypass these restrictions, prompting an aggressive response from federal authorities. The government ordered Anthropic to cut off access for non-US citizens located outside the US, non-US citizens living inside the US, and incredibly, even Anthropic's own foreign-born employees. Anthropic now appears to be building a workaround to resolve this compliance block with an update to its Privacy Policy that introduces a category called "Verification Data" to handle KYC and Digital IDs. This setup could mandate digital identity checks to filter users by nationality, requiring a government-issued ID and facial biometric data. Who knows? Maybe in the future, you would have to scan your US Passport or State ID to prove your citizenship before you are allowed to chat with Fable 5 (or any other model).
  • Recent Achievements

    • Week One Done
      xvvxcvv earned a badge
      Week One Done
    • One Month Later
      xvvxcvv earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Enthusiast
      Xonos went up a rank
      Enthusiast
    • Conversation Starter
      Admir earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • First Post
      The_Focal_Point earned a badge
      First Post
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      400
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      170
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      127
    4. 4
      neufuse
      69
    5. 5
      Xenon
      66
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!