Routers... How Much Tech Do I Need

[olbriar]

I'm in the mood, and it's certainly time, to upgrade my internet connection. I just purchased a new modem and I'm now looking at routers. It's been so long since I last shopped that I don't even know what I'm looking at.
The new modem is a Motorola MB 8600 which will far out preform my current ISP's plan. I can foresee that plan being upgraded soon to accommodate my migration to more streaming entertainment. My current router can't handle my current plan much less an upgrade. Looking towards the future, what should I be shopping for?
I'd like to keep the cost under $150 with my ouch factor being around $200. Currently I have two PCs, two TVs, two printers, two phones.... you get the clue it's just the wife and I? The router will see the normal pressure of two habitual users. Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[olbriar]

@MoodyBlues The Linksys you linked in the purchase thread looks promising. I want to over buy so I'm looking for more tech. It likely won't pay dividends but I don't want to be short of the mark a year or two from now. I was looking at a D-Link AC1900 model Dir-878

 

[olbriar]

WAN and LAN I presume? Or are you just a WiFi household?

If you do the WiFi thing, is one enough or do you also need an extender?

Just home WiFi. I live in a standard 3 bed bungalow and have never been short of coverage

 

[ocnbrze]

i have the netgear nighthawk ac1900 i bought mine when it was brand new and paid $250 for it this a really good deal on amazon.

my friend just bought this one d-link ac1750, after reading this review:https://www.cnet.com/reviews/d-link-ac1750-wi-fi-router-review/ he likes it so far.

 

[olbriar]

This Asus is a bit over your target, but it’s rock-solid, has been out for a few years (so it’s well-tested and highly-rated and is a brand I have grown to like and trust. It has lots of features you’ll probably never use, but the solid connections and rare latency make it a solid choice. (I think it was about three bills when it was released, so it’s come down a lot.)

https://www.amazon.com/Dual-band-Dual-core-AiProtection-Compatible-RT-AC86U/dp/B0752FD3XJ

That said, WiFi 6 is out there and if you can make do for a few months you’ll probably find something in your price range and they will, of course, be backward-compatible. I mean since you said you wanted more tech than you need. Plus when you start to acquire WiFi 6 stuff you’ll be able to leverage it.

I appreciate your input! I'll give your recommendation serious consideration. I just glanced at your link and will have to return for a more thorough look. It piques my interest... it's sharp looking and has a lot of followers it seems. Thanks again.

 

[svim]

My go-to for info when buying gadgetry is Wirecutter, try perusing through their 'best router' suggestions:
https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-wi-fi-router/
Even if you don't want to get any of their suggestions, the best part is of their reviews is the amount of detail they provide as far as how they determine what they find to be optimal for different scenarios, and from a point of view on you, the reader. This allows you to make your own choice for what best meets your needs and expectations, not what someone else thinks is best for their themselves.

 

[olbriar]

i have the netgear nighthawk ac1900 i bought mine when it was brand new and paid $250 for it this a really good deal on amazon.

my friend just bought this one d-link ac1750, after reading this review:https://www.cnet.com/reviews/d-link-ac1750-wi-fi-router-review/ he likes it so far.

Also right up my alley. Thanks my friend. I'll give it some serious consideration. Appreciate the review link as well.

 

[olbriar]

My go-to for info when buying gadgetry is Wirecutter, try perusing through their 'best router' suggestions:
https://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-wi-fi-router/
Even if you don't want to get any of their suggestions, the best part is of their reviews is the amount of detail they provide as far as how they determine what they find to be optimal for different scenarios, and from a point of view on you, the reader. This allows you to make your own choice for what best meets your needs and expectations, not what someone else thinks is best for their themselves.

Thanks svim. I've read their reviews before... a great source.

 

[DonB]

I have just changed my router, I too was in search of something better, I router I had for the past 4 year was the Costco Netgear Nighthawk, R6700 AC 1750. was good for a few years, then Wifi speeds kept dropping daily, and had to reboot every morning, to reset the WiFi speeds.

After much research, I decided to look for a different brand, one with better support, so I reluctantly to go to TP Link, I have always been a Netgear or Linksys person myself, so I was on the fence. I must say it's been a few months now and I am very happy with the current router and especially happy with the support they give, and you will always get online support even after warranty expires.

The router I bought was the TP-Link Archer C4000 Tri-Band Wi-Fi, I purchased it from Costco online as they were the cheapest I could find, I paid $149.00 delivered, I believe if you have a Costco account, I think it's on sale now for $129.99

Olbriar, hope this helps

Features:

• Tri-Band Wi-Fi (1625+1625+750 Mbps)
• 1.8 Ghz Quad-Core 64 Bit CPU
• Parental Control Features
• Multi-User MIMO Technology
• Wi-Fi RangeBoost, Built-in VPN
  
  
  

 

[Unforgiven]

I have the Nighthawk R8500 and get Wifi on my whole yard (1 acre) with no extenders, but it is discontinued.

 

[Unforgiven]

I've bought more routers than I should have, and in part that's because I tried to save $20 bucks or some similar piddling amount, and then dug in my heels and kept fighting with the darn thing until I eventually gave up and bought another.

Yeah, I've learned you can't skimp on the router. With the number of devices connecting, the increased bandwidth each device is using, and the larger range I need covered, I'm not getting away with a $100 router solution.

 

[olbriar]

I've never experienced any problems with coverage in my small house. I do lose connection now and then to my cooker on the patio. It is less than thirty feet from my router but it's outside and around a bricked corner. Line of sight passes through two brick walls. Not a major concern but it would be nice to keep the connection. Bandwidth is a bigger concern. I get by with my current setup but barely. The more TV we (wife) streams the worse it will be.
And as you are aware, my net navigation is far from stellar. My present equipment is old... time to upgrade.

 

[Unforgiven]

I've never experienced any problems with coverage in my small house. I do lose connection now and then to my cooker on the patio. It is less than thirty feet from my router but it's outside and around a bricked corner. Line of sight passes through two brick walls. Not a major concern but it would be nice to keep the connection. Bandwidth is a bigger concern. I get by with my current setup but barely. The more TV we (wife) streams the worse it will be.
And as you are aware, my net navigation is far from stellar. My present equipment is old... time to upgrade.

Yeah, I ask some buddy's when its time to get a new router because they aren't so simple anymore. The last one was north of $400 when I got it, but it was night and day from the $40-120 routers I had been cycling through and trying to get extenders working, and since it's been great for the 3+ years I've had it I'm probably ahead of the game financially.

Seriously, I have 1 acre of land of which about 3/4 is cleared for mowing. My house sits roughly 1/3 of the way back, I can mow my entire lawn and stream SiriusXM on WiFi the whole time. On the old crap I couldn't get WiFi throughout my house or in my shed, now I have it 60 feet beyond my shed.

 

[olbriar]

I have just changed my router, I too was in search of something better, I router I had for the past 4 year was the Costco Netgear Nighthawk, R6700 AC 1750. was good for a few years, then Wifi speeds kept dropping daily, and had to reboot every morning, to reset the WiFi speeds.

After much research, I decided to look for a different brand, one with better support, so I reluctantly to go to TP Link, I have always been a Netgear or Linksys person myself, so I was on the fence. I must say it's been a few months now and I am very happy with the current router and especially happy with the support they give, and you will always get online support even after warranty expires.

The router I bought was the TP-Link Archer C4000 Tri-Band Wi-Fi, I purchased it from Costco online as they were the cheapest I could find, I paid $149.00 delivered, I believe if you have a Costco account, I think it's on sale now for $129.99

Olbriar, hope this helps

Features:

• Tri-Band Wi-Fi (1625+1625+750 Mbps)
• 1.8 Ghz Quad-Core 64 Bit CPU
• Parental Control Features
• Multi-User MIMO Technology
• Wi-Fi RangeBoost, Built-in VPN
  
  View attachment 147104

I never gave Costco any consideration as a shopping option. I do have a membership and I will give them a chance at my business. Thanks!

 

[svim]

As others have pointed out, don't cheap out on a good router. Look at it as an investment, not an expense. A good router will not only provide better WiFi coverage but wired networking benefits, along with better security for your LAN. Also, the manufacturers tend to stop supporting lower end models a lot earlier, if at all, so get a brand-name router that is going to be supported properly.

 

[olbriar]

As others have pointed out, don't cheap out on a good router. Look at it as an investment, not an expense. A good router will not only provide better WiFi coverage but wired networking benefits, along with better security for your LAN. Also, the manufacturers tend to stop supporting lower end models a lot earlier, if at all, so get a brand-name router that is going to be supported properly.

I've had a couple of Netgear modems. The only brand I have used actually. They have been rock solid through their use. Luckily, I've never required any support. I went for many years with a hub instead of a router. Grandfathered in, my ISP honored their original contract I signed and I took full advantage of the five IP address they allotted. As time passed they made it harder to keep those unique addresses and the more WiFi needs I had. I put my first router on one address and kept the other addresses but let them slowly drift off one by one until I now only have one address... imagine that. It was a fun cat and mouse game we played for many years.

Sorry for the story... old men ramble. I do want to get as close to the leading edge as possible with my router purchase. I'm not ball and chained to a brand though Netgear has served me well. I'd like to hold my purchase under the $200 mark. I can spend more but I question if I'll take advantage of the extra tech in my small dwelling and two person pressure scenario. I really appreciate all of the input and suggestions. I'm so behind the current market offerings that no matter what I buy will be a vast improvement.

 

[DonB]

As I mentioned, I've mainly always used Netgear products, I have simply realize that I've never been ecstatic about their support, which is why I decided to try the TP Link, and so far no regrets.

If you still want to go the Netgear way, Costco have many of those, they also have a good deal, in the warehouse on a Netgear Highthawk, you may want to test out, and if you don't like, you can always return with no issue before the 3 month mark. This one is in stock and on sale $50 Off.It's a Tri band router which will serve you great.

Their Nighthawk editions are usually really good.

Specs below

NETGEAR Nighthawk X6S AC3600 Tri-Band WiFi Router
The NETGEAR Nighthawk X6S AC3600 Router with Tri-Band WiFi delivers fast combined WiFi speed up to 3.6Gbps with MU-MIMO for simultaneous streaming to more devices.

• AC3600 WiFi with up to 600 + 1300+ 1625Mbps wireless speed
• Tri-Band WiFi avoids interference & optimizes network performance
• Multi-Gig Internet Support - Aggregate two Gigabit Ethernet ports to get more than one gigabit internet, where supported
• Link Aggregation - Ability to aggregate two Gigabit LAN ports for faster file transfers
• MU-MIMO capable for simultaneous streaming of data to multiple devices
• Smart Connect intelligently selects the fastest WiFi band for every device
• High-performance antennas for better WiFi coverage & faster speeds
• One (1) USB 3.0 for faster streaming, backup and easy access to your stored media
• Compatible with Amazon Echo/Alexa
• Circle Smart Parental Controls - Easily manage content and time online on all connected devices

 

[ocnbrze]

anybody considered google nest or other mesh networks? i don't really need to extended my network save for when i'm outside my porch or front yard...it gets kind of slow. google nest seems to get great reviews so far.

plus i just saw this review for Ubiquiti AmpliFi Alien Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Router:

 

[MoodyBlues]

Damn! This thread really took off! I have a lot of reading to do.

 

[olbriar]

Damn! This thread really took off! I have a lot of reading to do.

My fellow man have come to my rescue. Thanks to all and to future contributors. I received, installed, and configured my new modem today. With my savings for the returned rental modem I upgraded my current service with my monthly savings. No savings to be gleaned but three times the up and down speeds of my old plan at less than a dollar a month charge. Now the router replacement is a must. It has a choke hold on my speed. It was incapable of delivering the speeds of my old plan... it certainly will fall short of the new. Now I, too, have to do some serious reading and make a decision.

Please continue to contribute to this thread. Even though I'm buying today, this thread may well help another member in the future.

 

[ocnbrze]

My fellow man have come to my rescue. Thanks to all and to future contributors. I received, installed, and configured my new modem today. With my savings for the returned rental modem I upgraded my current service with my monthly savings. No savings to be gleaned but three times the up and down speeds of my old plan at less than a dollar a month charge. Now the router replacement is a must. It has a choke hold on my speed. It was incapable of delivering the speeds of my old plan... it certainly will fall short of the new. Now I, too, have to do some serious reading and make a decision.

Please continue to contribute to this thread. Even though I'm buying today, this thread may well help another member in the future.

cool beans, let us know what router you ended up getting.

 

[olbriar]

cool beans, let us know what router you ended up getting.

I pulled the trigger on the Asus AC2900 that @rootabaga so kindly suggested. I weighed all of the suggested options and tried to compare them. Price was not a deciding factor for all of the suggestions were within the window I advocated. After giving myself a headache trying to make a wise purchase, I purchased the only router suggested that was also on the recommended list for my new plan by my provider. So much for comparing specs.
Knowing so little about what I was buying, I take comfort knowing it was recommended by someone here and on my providers list. It is not enough router to handle their top tier plan but I will cross that bridge if I ever feel the need for more speed.

The new ISP plan boasts 300mbps downloads and 30mbps uploads. My current router is rated at 100mbps. Before the modem and plan upgrade my downloads were in the low 90s and uploads right around 10. With new modem and plan my downloads remain the same but my uploads are consistently hitting 32mbps. I expect that to improve a great deal when the new router is in the loop. We will find out Sunday.

 

[DonB]

Kool, let us know who you like it and how i performs, this is a great thread to have for all in the future, so we still should all be continuing to contribute to it. It'll be something we'll be happy to go back to and check if or when needed.

I pulled the trigger on the Asus AC2900 that @rootabaga so kindly suggested. I weighed all of the suggested options and tried to compare them. Price was not a deciding factor for all of the suggestions were within the window I advocated. After giving myself a headache trying to make a wise purchase, I purchased the only router suggested that was also on the recommended list for my new plan by my provider. So much for comparing specs.
Knowing so little about what I was buying, I take comfort knowing it was recommended by someone here and on my providers list. It is not enough router to handle their top tier plan but I will cross that bridge if I ever feel the need for more speed.

The new ISP plan boasts 300mbps downloads and 30mbps uploads. My current router is rated at 100mbps. Before the modem and plan upgrade my downloads were in the low 90s and uploads right around 10. With new modem and plan my downloads remain the same but my uploads are consistently hitting 32mbps. I expect that to improve a great deal when the new router is in the loop. We will find out Sunday.

 

[olbriar]

I’m humbled that you gave salt grains to my suggestion and glad that it was also in the recommended list from your ISP. (In retrospect, that really should have been my suggestion, to see if the ISP has recommendations and start from that list.)
I’m any event I am sure you’ll be satisfied with your purchase and it should serve you for a good many years.

I would also recommend a small UPS to power both the router and modem. The cleaner power and stability will be a boon and should add longevity to the devices, and of course you’ll have internet for your phones if the power is out.(Not to mention the incessant beeping to remind you that there’s no power!)
Enjoy the weekend!

All were good solid recommendations and greatly appreciated. I cleaned up the office a few years back when I upgraded the original electric service to my old house. I ran two designated 20 amp circuits to my office and both have an UPS between the outlets and equipment. Outages as well as spikes were common here and I was tired of the consequences.

 

[olbriar]

^^^ Wise man...

Learned from experience man is more like it.