Question : Looking for a good (highly rated) home wired/wireless firewall router

I realize the answers I receive will be highly subjective but hopefully you can backup your opinions with a website review or two.

The reason for this query is that I recently replaced my trusted Netgear MR814v2 with a Buffalo Airstation Turbo G (MHR-HP-G54). I purchased the Buffalo based on a web review (I can no longer find it!) and it was a huge mistake!  In case anyone is interested..... here is a review I wrote about this unit:

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I purchased this unit based on the review of another Buffalo product but now I see that was a mistake. Although the unit chassis and packaging are very nice, the workings of the unit made me less than overwhelmed!

Where do I begin? Aside from stating this is the worst wireless device I have ever worked with (out of about 40 or so).

To begin with, the user setup is arduous because just about any setting change automatically causes the unit to reinitialize (anywhere for 15 seconds but often around 30-40 seconds). Because of this it will take you five times longer to set this unit up. It would seem more logical to configure this unit FIRST and then reset it.  

The port forwarding interface is primitive and non-intuitive. But as long as you can assume correctly it is usable (hint: for a consecutive series of open IP ports you may use a dash (e.g. 4409-4420).

User interface and help is riddled with spelling and grammatical errors. This unit was  obviously poorly translated.

For some reason I could not enter an admin password with a letter combined with 6 numbers. But I could use all lettered or all numbered passwords.

Finally and the "final straw" I discovered the unit had locked up and required a power recycle after 4 days.

If you are a shallow person and you go for looks more than substance, this is the unit for you. :-)

For now, I will stick with my trusted 2 year old Netgear MR814v2 until I find a better 802.11g replacement.  

Perhaps I should stick with Netgear?
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So for under $150.00 what do you folks recommend with the following features:
- port forwarding (flexible and capable of handling about at least 20 rules);
- DMZ;
- stateful inspection (but I guess they all do this now) dito on DHCP;
- Wireless G (and b compatibility);
- external antenna capable.

I am currently considering the following products:
D-Link DGL-4300 wireless 108G router
D-Link Pre-N MIMO
Linksys Wireless-G Broadband Router WRT54GP2
Netgear WPN824 RangeMax
SMC Barricade g SMC2804WBRP-G - wireless router

Can you recommend any of the above or do you have a different recommendation?

Thank you

Answer : Looking for a good (highly rated) home wired/wireless firewall router

OK, here's the deal- debates aside, there's a need for a good answer here. There are a lot of choices- many of which will be pretty good. I consult, and of course that means everybody I know thinks I should help them solve all of their wireless problems, as well. Net result- most of the mainstream brands for these boxes are pretty good, though they will all make a few models that are stinkers as well. However, for what you are talking about here, I'll pick one in particular: The Linksys WRT54G series, specifically the WRT54GS.
   All of the devices that we are talking about here are basically simple computers that can have a lot of the same issues that any computer can have- and need to be updated, especially if you are going to use them as a box that is maintaining your security. You need a decent radio system in a wireless router, but most of what you need is good software- providing the features you list reliably and securely. THAT is where the "linux" issue comes into play here.
  The WRT54G (and -GS) are doing their job with the Linux OS, which means there is a large group of people who  support it, simply because they are familiar with that OS, and like it. As an Open-Source system, its inner workings are transparent to those who are interested and have studied it, so anybody can fix problems or add enhancements- and they do.
  This particular router has had a long life because of the high interest in it from Linux afficianados, so it has had quite a bit of time to get most or all of the bugs out. The "GS" model has a faster processor and more memory, giving you more flexibility in using it. The radio is of reasonable quality, and works quite well for household use. But here's the important part, again- it's a small Linux computer, and this has generated widespread interest. You don't have to rely only on Linksys to support you and provide features. Many others have produced alternate firmware that allows this router to be a VPN provider, work as a group with other wireless routers, support wireless VOIP, etc - and you can pick and choose which feature set you want.
   With most other wireless router/AP/Firewall devices, you are pretty stuck, though some may have similar possibilities. Try googling "WRT54G Firmware"- even as a phrase, it gets about 51,000 hits. Have a look at the www.sveasoft.com for examples of the many possibilities- all excellent performers with all of the original features, and more added in. Their firmware is free for the previous releases, or you can subscribe for $20 annual subscription. Look at linksysinfo.org. Check out the "WIFI-BOX" project on sourceforge- another WRT54G firmware project.
   The point really isn't that it runs linux- it's that this is a good, solid piece of hardware that has immense flexibility because of the Linux support. I recommend the slightly more expensive WRT54GS because its additional memory and speed open up possibilities down the road. Sitck with the older style, flat, blue-and-black model, not the newer "Travel" router. Most of the newer, silver-colored models are more difficult to connect an external antenna to. Coverage with this model should be adequate in most homes, but if you need to upgrade it, that's where you need to go- get a better antenna. I used one of these on a link about 3 miles long, with the right antenna.
  Hope some of this helps, and Good Luck!