Help Me Replace This Shit Router

Hello all. Up until recently I've had an old wireless G Linksys WRT54G2 V1 router, but then my mom's boss gave us a secondhand Belkin N150.I've been using the N150 for a few months now and I have never been more disappointed in a piece of hard/software. The functionality just isn't there.

The port forwarding GUI is not user friendly and the actual port forwarding itself does not work. The wifi connectivity isn't horrible but then again I have a fairly small one story house. The UNPN setting does not open up the NAT type and the only way (theoretically) that the router even offers to fix a strict NAT is putting your system on the DMZ (which I tried earlier and, big surprise, it doesn't work.)

So what I'm asking is, can someone recommend a good and cheap ~$60 range router with good functionality? I'm mostly looking for something with very good port forwarding, and no strict NAT problems. Also, I haven't looked into DD-WRT much, but if you feel it may go well with a piece of hardware feel free to recommend that too. 

I will be asking for the new router for Christmas and it has to be fairly cheap because we are not very well off.

Thanks in advance ~ Tas

I'd say find something you can flash a custom firmware on. Like dd-wrt, openwrt or tomato.

Can you recommend any good routers in that range that you know for a fact support DD-WRT? I don't know much about it so I'll have to do some research

 

http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Supported_Devices

There you go 

Your 54g  is probally the best budget router until they burn out in my opinion .. I recently switched to the Asus routers and I'm pretty happy. I have one where it sits in the sun all day and will cut out a few times when its was about 114 outside  .. 

 

wrt for life! my dad bought one of those a six or seven years ago. still runs today.

Asus router with a gig switch. (RT-N16) stock firmware is not so bad. (minus the USB drive ftp exploit. That asus only fixed after it was made widely  public. AKA a large list of IPs posted and a file written to drive vulnerability. 
Stock almost all Asus network devices support dd-wrt.(great marketing if you ask me) 

What about the Linksys WRT310n? Does that seem like a good router considering it's a part of the wrt line of routers? It's perfect in terms of price... Would I be good with that in terms of functionality or should I still find something to flash with dd-wrt?

 

actually the RT-N16 looks great!... I am now mainly considering this one, and If i'm not satisfied with the firmware I can always flash it with dd-wrt..Thanks for the recommendation!

not a big fan of the internal attenas, but should work if you flash it with dd-wrt. thats a critical step. so much better than stock firmware. may disable some things, but still better

Decided against it after all because waayyy to many complaints of often dropped connection, probably caused by the internal antennas. I'm probably going to go with the Asus RT-N16 as it looks very well rounded, has great reviews, and is dd-wrt compatible.