You might want to look at the elf ranger racial substitution levels from Races of the Wild. It depends on yuor favored enemy - if it is orcs, undead or servants of Lolth (which includes monstrous spiders) then the subtitution levels are worth it. You go to a d6 instead of d8 at the the substitution levels but gain extra damage against the favored enemy and at 4th level can get an elven hound as an animal companion (which is not a useless companion).
Just a thought.
Just a thought.