We recently bought a notebook computer and that inspired me to do the logical: buy a router and set up a little handy-dandy home network. Because we bought an older, cheaper notebook (essentially for word processing and internet access), it didn’t come with built-in wireless capacity, we also had to buy a USB wireless adapter.
First stop: Google’s Froogle service. I found a nice deal: less than $60 for both the adapter and router. At that price, probably not the best quality in the world, but I wasn’t trying to set up an industrial-strength wireless network here.
It turns out, they applied BMG Music’s business model: sell things (at least initially, in BMG’s case) at less-than-market price, but make up for the losses by charging inflated shipping and handling costs.
In this case, ridiculously inflated costs. Shipping from California, the retailer’s cheapest shipping option: FedEx, at $41. UPS Ground cost a mind-blowing $71! Overnight service was $278!!
Newegg is one of the best places online to find deals on this kind of thing — I almost always order from them and they are speedy.
Beware bottom-of-the-barrel routers, though; I have had to replace three in two years because, in order:
Router one (D-Link): Wireless-G option inexplicably failed, leaving me surfing at approx. 300 baud.
Router two (Linksys): Overly sensitive to interference, constantly requiring resetting of the wireless feature
Router three (Netgear): Mangled random packets transmitted over SSL.
I now have a relatively inexpensive Zyxel router that’s worked flawlessly without a single failure for a year.