Need help with the best gaming Router for a Cyber Gaming Cafe

[Lastresort]

Hello Everyone,

A brief intro about my Gaming Cafe,
1. # of PC's I am currently running a gaming cafe with 100 computers.
2. ISP 100mb Fiber Optic DSL connection
3. Switches 5x 24 pin "unmanaged switches" from Cisco (SG100-24)
4. Router E4200 Linksys-Cisco
5. Cables Cat6
6. Ethernet port Built in motherboard (P67A-UD3 - GB - P8P67-LE - Asus)

Problems we face are usually major lags in League of Legends especially. Also the shop sometimes faces internet disconnections. It might not be the router but i want to cancel the probability of the router being a cause.

kindly inform me which is the best suitable "wired router" as wireless is not needed, for the cafe.
my plan is to change the switch to management and configure the routers with portforwarding(QOS) by game category.

your cooperation is extremely appreciated.

thanks !

 

[RealBeast]

The ASUS RT-N56U has excellent routing performance and throughput for a relatively inexpensive router and you can ust turn the wireless radios off. HERE is some information on that router and you can search their database for others.

With that many machines on the network, you may want to consider adding a second DSL connection with a dual WAN router, or perhaps your ISP has a faster connection plan. Your current is 100Mbps up and down or 100Mbps down and some lower up speed?

 

[choucove]

You're using 100 computers, but you are wanting to utilize a home wireless router for your primary router? There is your problem. Most home wireless routers are designed to offer service for about ten devices. More than that and you are greatly overworking what the device is designed for.

If you have 100 computers, there should be some sort of a controlling server set up to help manage all of this (domain controller) and you should have a business-class router and, most likely, a firewall set up to actually do the routing and network access control for your network. I would recommend for cost effectiveness looking into a firewall router all together in the same hardware unit. Personally I have used Sonicwall with great success. I know others for this sort of setup would also recommend Cisco ASA devices, Fortinet, or Sophos firewalls. But a standard consumer router is just not going to handle that many simultaneous connections and that amount of throughput.

 

[sg4rb0]

If it were me, I'd buy a Cisco 1921. Most of these shitty home routers you guys are looking at will have a throughput of like 20-50Mbp/s. Although the router says it has Gb ports, the maximum throughput you will get will NOT be more than 20-50Mbp/s because of the throughput capabilities on the ASIC's inside of it. I'm 100% certain of it. The max throughput of a Cisco 1900 series router is around 100-120 Mb/s. There will not be any lag if you buy one, I'm sure of it. If however, that ASUS RT-N56U performance is what these guys have tested it as (http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-reviews/31436-asus-rt-n56u-black-diamond-dual-band-gigabit-wireless-n-router-reviewed?start=1), I guess this router would be okay, since it can do 862Mbp/s, which is around 107MB/s, which is ideal for your 100MB fibre connection.

Cisco routers are a lot more controllable with QoS too, and I do mean a LOT. However, QoS will not very likely help you here unless you are running gaming servers at your work place. If you are, then QoS will certainly help.

If you live around the Birmingham area and you need help with this, send me a private message and I am happy to help further.

If you are still confused about throughput, look at the specs of your current unmanaged switches in the link below:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/switches/ps5718/ps10863/datasheet_C78-582017.html

Notice it has 48Gbps ports, HOWEVER the forwarding capacity is only 4.8 Gbps, so you have a 10-to-1 contention ratio. Which is fine cos you are never gonna use more than like 100meg on each switch

 

[Lastresort]

The ASUS RT-N56U has excellent routing performance and throughput for a relatively inexpensive router and you can ust turn the wireless radios off. HERE is some information on that router and you can search their database for others.

With that many machines on the network, you may want to consider adding a second DSL connection with a dual WAN router, or perhaps your ISP has a faster connection plan. Your current is 100Mbps up and down or 100Mbps down and some lower up speed?

It will be fluctuated from 50mbps to 70mbps but not constant...

 

[Lastresort]

If it were me, I'd buy a Cisco 1921. Most of these shitty home routers you guys are looking at will have a throughput of like 20-50Mbp/s. Although the router says it has Gb ports, the maximum throughput you will get will NOT be more than 20-50Mbp/s because of the throughput capabilities on the ASIC's inside of it. I'm 100% certain of it. The max throughput of a Cisco 1900 series router is around 100-120 Mb/s. There will not be any lag if you buy one, I'm sure of it. If however, that ASUS RT-N56U performance is what these guys have tested it as (http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-reviews/31436-asus-rt-n56u-black-diamond-dual-band-gigabit-wireless-n-router-reviewed?start=1), I guess this router would be okay, since it can do 862Mbp/s, which is around 107MB/s, which is ideal for your 100MB fibre connection.

Cisco routers are a lot more controllable with QoS too, and I do mean a LOT. However, QoS will not very likely help you here unless you are running gaming servers at your work place. If you are, then QoS will certainly help.

If you live around the Birmingham area and you need help with this, send me a private message and I am happy to help further.

If you are still confused about throughput, look at the specs of your current unmanaged switches in the link below:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/switches/ps5718/ps10863/datasheet_C78-582017.html

Notice it has 48Gbps ports, HOWEVER the forwarding capacity is only 4.8 Gbps, so you have a 10-to-1 contention ratio. Which is fine cos you are never gonna use more than like 100meg on each switch

I want a clarification whether cisco 1900 series have port forwarding, QOS services and we have 10/100mbps switch's does it make any conflict in the network sharing

 

[Lastresort]

You're using 100 computers, but you are wanting to utilize a home wireless router for your primary router? There is your problem. Most home wireless routers are designed to offer service for about ten devices. More than that and you are greatly overworking what the device is designed for.

If you have 100 computers, there should be some sort of a controlling server set up to help manage all of this (domain controller) and you should have a business-class router and, most likely, a firewall set up to actually do the routing and network access control for your network. I would recommend for cost effectiveness looking into a firewall router all together in the same hardware unit. Personally I have used Sonicwall with great success. I know others for this sort of setup would also recommend Cisco ASA devices, Fortinet, or Sophos firewalls. But a standard consumer router is just not going to handle that many simultaneous connections and that amount of throughput.

Cost is not an issue we can afford from 3000$ to 5000$ for a built in firewall, Dual WAN, 100/1000mbps support and portforwarding for gaming and QOS.

 

[sg4rb0]

If it were me, I'd buy a Cisco 1921. Most of these shitty home routers you guys are looking at will have a throughput of like 20-50Mbp/s. Although the router says it has Gb ports, the maximum throughput you will get will NOT be more than 20-50Mbp/s because of the throughput capabilities on the ASIC's inside of it. I'm 100% certain of it. The max throughput of a Cisco 1900 series router is around 100-120 Mb/s. There will not be any lag if you buy one, I'm sure of it. If however, that ASUS RT-N56U performance is what these guys have tested it as (http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-reviews/31436-asus-rt-n56u-black-diamond-dual-band-gigabit-wireless-n-router-reviewed?start=1), I guess this router would be okay, since it can do 862Mbp/s, which is around 107MB/s, which is ideal for your 100MB fibre connection.

Cisco routers are a lot more controllable with QoS too, and I do mean a LOT. However, QoS will not very likely help you here unless you are running gaming servers at your work place. If you are, then QoS will certainly help.

If you live around the Birmingham area and you need help with this, send me a private message and I am happy to help further.

If you are still confused about throughput, look at the specs of your current unmanaged switches in the link below:
http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/switches/ps5718/ps10863/datasheet_C78-582017.html

Notice it has 48Gbps ports, HOWEVER the forwarding capacity is only 4.8 Gbps, so you have a 10-to-1 contention ratio. Which is fine cos you are never gonna use more than like 100meg on each switch

I want a clarification whether cisco 1900 series have port forwarding, QOS services and we have 10/100mbps switch's does it make any conflict in the network sharing

Yep, 100% confident. I've worked in an ISP delivering these routers to small and medium sized business. We remotely managed them, and I've configured port forwarding many times. You have an incredible amount of flexibility with it compared to any home router.

I've always configured them from the command line, which isn't that hard in my opinion. I do believe there is a graphics user interface you can use called an SDM though, but most people configure these products from command line.

Here is an example of the command line in use. This guy has port forwarded ports 25, 443, 80, 110

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/data-center/configure-static-nat-for-inbound-connections/

 

[choucove]

The Cisco 1921 is a nice business-class router. I know they also can include firewall services with the addition of specific licensing, if that's something that you are needing. Cisco 1921 routers might be a little more complex to get set up and running than some other routers or firewalls like the Sonicwall, but they are definitely going to offer you the performance you need.