There are a few unknowns from your question. If you just want another SOHO wireless/router combo, then Linksys is a adequate product, but so is Netgear, D-Link, etc...
All of these products will try to address issues with software/firmware updates, so your hesitance to update the firmware on existing Linksys is questionable. The other products will at some point in time have to be updated as well due to some issue or another.
Your comment that "other people rely on this connection in terms of this signal staying on" might infer that you have enough people to saturate the device (which is not a hard thing to do with SOHO level equipment). If this is the case, then you will do the same to other manufacturers equipment as well in that level.
Two to three heavy users can overutilize a SOHO device and bring it to it's knees very easily. If you have more than that, I would be looking at commercial level small business equipment. The main point of contention would be the wireless and I would look at a dedicated wireless access point and not a combo product. Many manufactures have very good products that won't break the bank for the small business level including 3COM, HP, D-Link, Orinoco, etc...
You should be looking at a product that will end up costing somewhere around $200.00-$250.00 give or take.
Hope I could help.
