Wired routers are (and may always be) more reliable than wireless.
There's no possibility of drop outs, the speeds are better... etc.
Wireless does have the adavntages of freedom and a very large number of possible clients.
But most wireless routers also include wired ports.. So there's not much sense in getting a wired router anymore unless you don't want to pay the extra 15 bucks for wireless connectivity.
From my experiences, different brands of routers will behave differently according to how your setup is. Some offer more range, some offer enhanced security and features while others may give more reliable performance or any of the above in combination.
I have found that Linksys makes (in general) a poor wireless router for stability and range, but usually offers good features for the price.
I have found that Dlink has been fairly consistent with a decent quality product. But the range on many of their products is lacking.
I have found Netgear to be a mixed bag stuff. In general, good range, features but half of their wireless routers I've tried seem unreliable. The other half have worked great.
Microsoft makes a decent home wireless router. The range seems average, the features are fairly good and I can't say I've experienced any problems with them.
What I I don't have experience with is 3com or any other products not listed here.. Except Airlink, which is very cheap.
I haven't had any reliability problems with Airlink equipment, but I've found their wireless routers to be lacking in range and features. Of course, Airlink products are generally very cheap.