[Ferra]

I am using a cheap $20 linksys N router at home now.
It works mostly, but whenever I max out my torrents DL speed, it would lose connection (about 2.5MB/s, I basically have to cap my DL speed at 2MB/s)
Transferring files between computers on wifi is also painfully slow for whatever reason. (300K/s)

So I am looking to replace it with something more permanent.
Don't mind spending around $200 if it is worth it. But honestly, beside speed, I think stability is more important. (i.e. you don't have to restart it every few weeks)
Which brand is typically known to be the most stable? (linksys, TP-link, DLink, Asus, Netgear, etc)

Right now, I am looking at these 2 routers in particular:
Amazon.com: D-Link Systems AC1750 High Power Wi-Fi Gigabit Router (DIR-859): Computers & Accessories (http://www.amazon.com/D-Link-Systems-AC1750-Gigabit-DIR-859/dp/B00PVCZI40)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BUSDVBQ?psc=1
Both are about $100cad. TP-Link doesn't have QoS(not even sure if I need it), the Dlink looks good except some review says it doesn't do well with long ethernet cable (which I might end up using)

Any other recommendation?
And is it worth it to go with a more expensive router like Asus RT-AC87, Netgear AC1900, etc if I plan to use it for a long time? Is there much benefit with the expensive router for an average user?

[Mr.HappySilp]

From what ppl say D-link routers are really shitty now. Netgear or TrendNet are good. Mind I have a linksys one from a few years ago and is great. Cost around $160 though.

[lilaznviper]

would avoid dlink at all cost. i have several cisco rv routers running and they are great. also asus RT line is pretty good as well.

[Preemo]

Rockin' an ASUS RT-AC66U. Dual core powered router that handles all sorts of simultaneous streams and online gaming. No slow downs here. Handles my downloads at 12MB/s flawlessly.

[underscore]

I picked up an ASUS RT-N65U on sale for $85 about a year and a half ago and I love it, I haven't gotten into the settings or QoS much but it handles all my torrenting, streaming, LAN nights (up to 8 PC's all running modern online games) and anything else I've thrown at it without a hitch. I've reset it maybe 3 times since I got it which is a huge improvement over my old router that had to be reset weekly.

[Bender Unit]

I am about to order this one to replace my Belkin N750
Check it out.
On Sale + Promo Code

TP-LINK Archer C7 Wireless AC1750 Dual Band Gigabit Router, 450Mbps on 2.4GHz + 1300Mbps on 5Ghz, 2 USB Ports, IPv6, Guest Network - Newegg.ca (http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833704177&_ga=1.98746846.172100000.1450944948)


Reviews:

http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-wi-fi-router/

[TOPEC]

make sure u get a router that can be flashed with aftermarket firmware like DDWRT or tomato

[Mr.Money]

go with ASUS,also got one with aftermarket firmware...no problems with it.

[Jer3]

I am about to order this one to replace my Belkin N750
Check it out.
On Sale + Promo Code

TP-LINK Archer C7 Wireless AC1750 Dual Band Gigabit Router, 450Mbps on 2.4GHz + 1300Mbps on 5Ghz, 2 USB Ports, IPv6, Guest Network - Newegg.ca (http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833704177&_ga=1.98746846.172100000.1450944948)


Reviews:

The Best Wi-Fi Router (for Most People) | The Wirecutter (http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-wi-fi-router/)

just got this router for my new place but haven't set it up yet. reviews are quite solid and seems the best bang for buck.

my house at the moment is running a n66u and its been pretty good thus far except the range could be a bit better (2 floor house).

[Great68]

I just replaced my 5 year old Linksys that went corrupted with a Dlink DIR-880L. I'm pretty happy with it, gets really good reviews online.


D-Link DIR-880L review - Router Reviews - TrustedReviews (http://www.trustedreviews.com/d-link-dir-880l-wireless-ac1900-router-review)

D-Link DIR-880L review: A good, basic 802.11ac Wi-Fi router (http://www.techhive.com/article/2453937/home-networking/d-link-dir-880l-review-a-good-basic-802-11ac-wi-fi-router.html)

[!LittleDragon]

I stopped buying off the shelf "routers" a long time ago. They never met my needs. They're a router, a switch and a wireless access point mashed into one. No matter which one I bought, I'd have to reboot it weekly...

Currently running pfSense on an old PC for a router, a Netgear 48 port switch and Ubiquiti Unifi access points. It's not for most people but it's rock solid, the only downtime is power outage and router updates. pfSense lets me run cool things like proxy caching and virus scan every packet that comes in.

[Soundy]

+1 whatever you choose, make sure it supports an aftermarket firmware. DD-WRT will give you all that stuff like QoS, PXE, etc etc. My house is rigged up with Asus all around - RT-N16 for the main unit and RT-N12s for extenders, all running DD-WRT (plus one UniFi AP).

A whole separate PC for a router is nuts for a home setup - that's a lot of extra power consumption for something so basic, unless you get a micro-PC of some kind to do it.

[!LittleDragon]

It's not like I'm running it on an old P4... lol... this small form factor Dell runs a whole 15 watts on the current load.

The switch I decided on because I kept running out of ports on those 4-8 ports that I kept buying. Doesn't help that so many devices these days need connectivity for updates. Pretty much every piece in my home theater needs connectivity. Figured I'd buy a 48 port and be done with it.

[underscore]

I grabbed a 24 port unmanaged switch off Kijiji or someplace for cheap to gain more ports, but I don't see any need to manage another PC just for routing.

[TOPEC]

It's not like I'm running it on an old P4... lol... this small form factor Dell runs a whole 15 watts on the current load.

The switch I decided on because I kept running out of ports on those 4-8 ports that I kept buying. Doesn't help that so many devices these days need connectivity for updates. Pretty much every piece in my home theater needs connectivity. Figured I'd buy a 48 port and be done with it.

op was asking for recommendations on routers, i highly doubt he has the knowledge to set up a pc strictly for routing internet. if he did, he wouldnt be asking here in the first place

[!LittleDragon]

What's there to manage? It's been more hands off than the home routers I've had that I had to constantly reboot. The only moving part in there is a fan that may die in 10 years.

[!LittleDragon]

op was asking for recommendations on routers, i highly doubt he has the knowledge to set up a pc strictly for routing internet. if he did, he wouldnt be asking here in the first place

Yes he did and I recommended pfSense. If he's got the old hardware laying around and knows how to boot off a USB stick then it's FREE. If he doesn't know how to do that why would people think he knows how to install aftermarket firmware?

[banana200]

Yes he did and I recommended pfSense. If he's got the old hardware laying around and knows how to boot off a USB stick then it's FREE. If he doesn't know how to do that why would people think he knows how to install aftermarket firmware?


Sorry to hijack the thread. !LittleDragon, do you know any websites that gives a good tutorial on how to set up pfSense? I looked into it a while back, but couldn't find any good tutorial on how to set it up, and it seems a bit complicated. If there's straightforward tutorial, I would love to set one up myself as well for more control.

Thanks

[!LittleDragon]

Sorry to hijack the thread. !LittleDragon, do you know any websites that gives a good tutorial on how to set up pfSense? I looked into it a while back, but couldn't find any good tutorial on how to set it up, and it seems a bit complicated. If there's straightforward tutorial, I would love to set one up myself as well for more control.

Thanks

Not sure other than the official forums. All I did was burn the ISO, booted, installed to SSD and assigned the NICs. Took less than 15 mins to get it functioning as a basic router which is what most people need. I didn't hit the forums until I needed to do my NATing and package installations. The install and basic setup is pretty straight forward.

[Soundy]

Or, you know...go to NCIX, drop $60 on a decent mid-grade b/g/n router... Bring it home, open the box, plug it in, good to go.

[!LittleDragon]

And potentially be back at square one with a cheap router? lol

I'm not saying to down this route, I'm saying give it a shot if you have spare hardware. It's free... I was all set to buy a high end home router because I was tired of rebooting my DIR-655 all the time. I setup an old box as my router while I decided on which router to buy. It worked so well that I kept procrastinating on buying a router. After 6 months of no reboots, I said forget buying a router and replaced my test box with a used SFF PC for $100.

Mind you, at the time this happened I already had the switch and 3 AP's in place. The wireless was disabled on my DIR-655 so I just needed something that can route that amount of traffic without crashing all the time. If a 3 in one is what's needed then spend good money on one and hope the wireless covers the property it needs to. Just don't go through 5 different routers like I did before deciding to go for a separated solution.

[Soundy]

Did you build your own car out of parts from the wrecker as well?

[John]

I would recommend an Asus router of some sort. I have 4 of them and they all seem good. I wouldn't recommend a D-link, since I find they are not as "smart" as an Asus, and they are likely to have more bugs. I feel the D-Links hasn't kept up with the advances that Asus has brought to the market.

From the replies on this thread it seems that most people would never build a router out of an old computer. The "built" router will take up a lot more space, use more electricity and make noise. I think this is project is something for a true "geek" and not for a normal user.

I would personally never flash an Asus router with aftermarket firmware unless it had a feature that I needed. Asus does a fine job, and they will have better QC than some guy at home. The Asus routers are already designed for enthusiasts, and has pretty well every setting an enthusiast would need. I have flashed several aftermarket firmware that were worse than OEM.

I think the router market has become "fashion" lately, with new high end router with more and more antennas, and higher prices popping up every day. Like all high end products, there is rapidly diminishing returns. The sweet spot is probably at under $100.

I would personally recommend an Asus RT-N56U.

[twitchyzero]

Asus does a fine job, and they will have better QC than some guy at home. The Asus routers are already designed for enthusiasts, and has pretty well every setting an enthusiast would need.

i disagree


I think the router market has become "fashion" lately, with new high end router with more and more antennas, and higher prices popping up every day. Like all high end products, there is rapidly diminishing returns. The sweet spot is probably at under $100.

agree
i'd buy whatever is the cheapest router that supports rMerlin
About | Asuswrt-Merlin (http://asuswrt.lostrealm.ca/about)

[Soundy]

I would recommend an Asus router of some sort. I have 4 of them and they all seem good. I wouldn't recommend a D-link, since I find they are not as "smart" as an Asus, and they are likely to have more bugs. I feel the D-Links hasn't kept up with the advances that Asus has brought to the market.

The solution to that is DD-WRT - looks and functions exactly the same on both. At my old place I had a WDS mesh network set up with my RT-N16 and three DIR-615s.

[!LittleDragon]

Did you build your own car out of parts from the wrecker as well?

No, a consumer vehicle met my needs. A consumer router did not.

[!MiKrofT]

Asus RT N66U for me here. Been running it for 2 years pushing tb's of data. It stays up for months at a time. The only time it reboots is when I'm doing a firmware update. I just bought an AC68U to replace it. That being said there's plus' for both methods.

[DaFonz]

Netgear R7000 is on sale at amazon for $150.

Review here:
Router (http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/tools/rankers/router/result/1234-netgear-r7000-nighthawk)

Otherwise if you want cheaper, the TP-link C7 are going for about $80 at various places.

[TOPEC]

No, a consumer vehicle met my needs. A consumer router did not.

and what makes u think a consumer router does not meet HIS needs?

[DragonChi]

You could say that you could buy a car too. But building one is much more fun. Isn't it?

[Soundy]

You could say that you could buy a car too. But building one is much more fun. Isn't it?
When I was in high school, I remember a motorcycle machine addressing the topic of building vs buying a bike, particularly the claim that building was cheaper. They chose a particular bike (a Kawasaki 400 street bike of some sort, if memory serves) then priced out every. single. part. down to the last washer. The cost of parts alone was something like $14,000; retail cost of the bike was under $6,000.

[!LittleDragon]

and what makes u think a consumer router does not meet HIS needs?

He has one, if it didn't meet his needs, he wouldn't be looking for another one. Try a free solution before spending money on something that may not even solve the problem. For all we know, a stronger or 5ghz wireless access point will do it for him.

[Soundy]

He has one, if it didn't meet his needs, he wouldn't be looking for another one. Try a free solution before spending money on something that may not even solve the problem. For all we know, a stronger or 5ghz wireless access point will do it for him.

"Free" assumes he has a spare fully working PC laying around...

[asian_XL]

Guys, I am looking for a new AC router as well, that will handle my new 500M internet, new dual-bay Synology, and 600sq-ft home traffic.

My current setup is a Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH (N router w/ DDWRT) + Synology DS111 that I have been using for the last 4 yrs, it's time to upgrade. I don't torrent or game that much anymore, mostly youtube, run the LeTV apps, and jerk off over the RS Porno thread lol. I am thinking Synology RT1900ac, but isn't that overpowered?

Will 3+ antennas really necessary for cell phones? Any other recommended routers that will fit my situation.

[underscore]

"Free" assumes he has a spare fully working PC laying around...

And a switch, and wireless APs, and a bunch of Cat5/6, and surge protectors, and space...

[Soundy]

Guys, I am looking for a new AC router as well, that will handle my new 500M internet, new dual-bay Synology, and 600sq-ft home traffic.

My current setup is a Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH (N router w/ DDWRT) + Synology DS111 that I have been using for the last 4 yrs, it's time to upgrade. I don't torrent or game that much anymore, mostly youtube, run the LeTV apps, and jerk off over the RS Porno thread lol. I am thinking Synology RT1900ac, but isn't that overpowered?

Will 3+ antennas really necessary for cell phones? Any other recommended routers that will fit my situation.
More antennas doesn't automatically mean better performance. In most cases the benefit is mainly for the router's reception, not transmitting.

[!MiKrofT]

Guys, I am looking for a new AC router as well, that will handle my new 500M internet, new dual-bay Synology, and 600sq-ft home traffic.

My current setup is a Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH (N router w/ DDWRT) + Synology DS111 that I have been using for the last 4 yrs, it's time to upgrade. I don't torrent or game that much anymore, mostly youtube, run the LeTV apps, and jerk off over the RS Porno thread lol. I am thinking Synology RT1900ac, but isn't that overpowered?

Will 3+ antennas really necessary for cell phones? Any other recommended routers that will fit my situation.
Almost nothing has 3x3 antennas as standard. Some phones have 2x2. That being said I've never seen synology make routers before so I'd probably go with one of the more common ones like Asus AC68U, Netgear R7000, maybe the Archer C7. At least you can load custom firmware on those. Also that being said you probably won't get much benefit unless you upgrade your wireless devices to AC as well.

[TOPEC]

And a switch, and wireless APs, and a bunch of Cat5/6, and surge protectors, and space...

and hes gonna say u can buy those cheap on craigslist...

funny how both the dragons got each others backs...

[freakshow]

You could say that you could buy a car too. But building one is much more fun. Isn't it?

It could be more fun if he was a router enthusiast who went on routerscene.net, constantly scoured the 'craigslist router good buys' thread and tinkered with the innards of his router in his spare time

[DragonChi]

WHAT?! This isn't routerscene?! That earthquake sent me to the wrong site, I swear.

and hes gonna say u can buy those cheap on craigslist...

funny how both the dragons got each others backs...

I like to play devils advocate. ;)

[Ferra]

I ended up getting the TP-Link Archer C7 when it was on sale for $80 at dell.

- No longer gets drop connection when I download at >2.5Mb/s
- File transfer between computers on the network is much faster.

One thing tho, I am getting 23-28ms latency on speedtest.net. (wifi)
is this normal? I think I used to get 12-20ms ping with the old crappy router.

[Mr.Money]

^^...turn off QOS..that might be slowing down the response time.

[asian_XL]

should wait 802.11ad routers to come out

[Zapper]

^ If you think like that, you will probably never buy anything. IMO wireless N was able to satisfy the needs of most people. Anything beyond that is a bonus.

[asian_XL]

^ true, but if it is only few months away, then I will stick with my current N router until it is available.