Router Recommendations

Hi folks,

I am in need of a new router for my home. Its a rental home, so its not like I can run wires etc all over the place. Its a ranch style home, so the problem is that the connection for the cable modem and router is on the far end of the house. However the other end of the house where the bedrooms are, the signal on all devices is weak and/or drops.

I currently have a Netgear (no external antennas) so thinking to get one with ext antennas hoping for better range.

I have heard many good things about this router here. Looking for some thoughts on this model (or the newer one mentioned on the Amazon page on that link).

I am open to other makes and models but it must have great range for a ranch style home.

Many thanks.

 

I would've recommended that same router. I don't own one, but I've lots of good reviews on it.

 

You think its still ok? I see there is a newer one. Not sure if its worth the extra cash.

Thanks for your reply.

 

The newer model supports 802.11ac (draft). It might be nice for future proofing, but I suspect you will just be using 802.11n for a while anyways.

 

Yeah most likely 802.11n. Any other thoughts on improving range etc other than purchasing this router?

 

I am happy with my router change a couple of years ago. However, the average person would not do what I did because of cost.

I went with an entry level Business Router (Wired). At the time the router cost around 180 USD. Currently there is a wireless version of the same router for around 200 USD. My target in router selection was reliablility (Any router can fail.). Prior to purchase, the router's manufacturer pointed out that the router did not automatically support UPnP unless you manually configured UPnP. I have not need for UPnP.

 

I've never looked into the subject but I've seen wireless "repeaters" aka "range extenders" aka "range expanders".

 

Thanks guys. All ideas are welcomed!

 

Anything but Linksys.
Out of the box they are a PITA to set up, at least that's my experience with a couple of them.

 

I really like D-Link Routers, they always work for me.

You want reliable, I say go with a D-Link router.

 

I got my first DrayTek router now, and I will absolutely get another DrayTek router when it's time to upgrade.
I really really love it.

 

If you have or can find from friends/family an older router that is not needed anymore you can use it as a repeater/extender.
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/do...nts-as-repeaters-to-extend-wireless-range/141

ps. Having a router with great range does not mean that your other devices/clients can connect/reach it, unless they also have the same range. If their range is smaller they will see the router but won't be able to connect. So instead of for going for new router + new wifi devices, is better to use an extender.

Panagiotis

 

I've used Linksys, D-Link and Netgear and found all just as easy to setup and use, and all worked fine for their intended purpose. Like many things in life, those we are familiar with already tend to be easier to use - until we get used to something different.

Do note, however, that the client (your computers) antenna type and orientation can have as much to do with wireless performance as the router's, if not more because PCs tend to sit down low near the floor, and notebooks don't sit still.

Also, it is not just distance that matters, but the number of floors, ceilings, and wall in between, as well as the construction of those barriers, and the wiring and metal pipes inside them.

So I would make sure you have decent wireless adapters for your computers too - preferably with external antennas, such as one of these.

Also, if you have mixed devices on your network, that is, some 802.11g and some 802.11n or ac, for example, you will want a "simultaneous" dual band router like this. Otherwise, your router may toggle down in performance to allow your slower devices to keep up, bottlenecking your faster devices.

That said, a range extender may work, but if me, I would see if I could run Ethernet from a closet on one end of the house, through the attic or crawl space to the other end of the house. Since most better routers today have integrated 4-port 10/100/1000Mbit/sec Ethernet switches too, and since Ethernet is inherently safer than any wireless network, that is how I would go. Then no worries about signal degradation or RFI/EMI, or nosy neighbors seeing my network.

 

If you live by the online scan stealth tests, D-Link routers might not be for you. D-Link routers I've set up thus far aren't fully stealthed. And I'll not be getting hooked up in a debate regarding stealth vs. Non-stealth discussions. However one thing is not appealing to me with a non-stealthed router, the router itself could be overwhelmed that much easier.

 

If you running a desktop computer, and if your desktop is fairly modern, it likely came with Wireless card. People still find it appealing to have no wire, even though their Router is sitting on-top of their computers. I do most of my important work on a nice desktop with a big screen, but laptops and netbooks and whatever can hook up to a nice big external display anyways. My three year-old desktop has a wireless card, and I have had that disabled since the very beginning. I should really just hall that thing out and throw it on the side of a highway.

Joking aside, because I wouldn't litter.

I use cat-6 small piece of wire, since my router almost on-top of my desktop. You can buy any length of thin cat-6 wire, so flat and you can put it under the rug and run it across the room. You wouldn't even know that it was there if you hadn't been the one to put it there.

 

Trooper,
Do yourself a favor. Buy the RT-N66U and follow the instructions for installing Tomato by Shibby. You will not be disappointed. This is the best home-grade router/firmware combination on the market (in my opinion).
Here is a link to Shibby:
http://tomato.groov.pl/
Shibby is from Poland (I believe), but don't let the language difference scare you off. He does speak a little English although that's not really important. This combination is really powerful. You can run a VPN server, bit torrent client, media server, and much more and all internally within the router. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a PM. Oh, and if you end up getting it and liking it, I also recommend giving Shibby a donation for his efforts since he graciously creates and maintains this firmware for free. Good luck!

 

I think we are splitting hairs with the stealth issue and it is controversial because there is much discussion as to whether a router reports a port is stealthed or closed matters at all - in terms of security and security is what we are talking about.

The fact of the matter is, there is no evidence stealth is more secure. The difference is simply that a "closed" port sends a response to the sender that the port is closed or inaccessible while a "stealth" port doesn't send any response. It does not, in any way, mean the port is more or less vulnerable, or easier to hack.

That said, stealth ports on any D-Link router. And regardless, badguys go for the easy pickings. Unless the badguy has a personal vendetta against you specifically, and is actively targeting you specifically, they will not waste time and move on down the street. Just having any router, even the most basic, provides a HUGE and very significant layer of security over a direct computer-to-gateway (typically the modem) connection.

And of course, you still need a local firewall on each machine anyway so a hacker getting past a router port does not mean he has access past your computer ports.

I would not discount D-Link over this. If this were a security issue, the word all over the Internet would be to avoid D-Link routers - and that is not happening.

 

Overwhelmed and breached is two different things.

 

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Decided to get the Asus. Ordered it today on Amazon. Will report back on feedback once I have it and its setup.

 

I upgraded my router today, surprisingly went with an ASUS brand over my favorite D-Link brand.

All I can say is....WOW!

ASUS Routers are AMAZING!, I'm glad I bought one.

Enterprise grade security, great features, very customizable, sleek looking, extremely fast and really easy to set up.

Overall, worth the money

 

I just set up my new RT-N66U last night. Nice router so far (and very slick admin GUI), though I didn't buy it for the specs but for the supportability. It seems to be a very popular router, with a lot of superuser support behind it on the forums.

I found this N66U specific forum: http://forums.smallnetbuilder.com/forumdisplay.php?f=40

Make sure you update the firmware; the one I got was made in 2012 and came with an old firmware (3.0.0.3). I downloaded 3.0.0.4 directly from asus.com -- I had read issues with the built-in updater not detecting the latest firmware correctly (I didn't even try), and I also went with .270 instead of the latest (.354) which is still officially considered "beta" and I read some people have issues with it; .270 sounded more stable, but have a read through the smallnetbuilder forum.

If you go the custom firmware route, look for the somewhat defacto firmware "Asuswrt-Merlin" (though I have not tried it). Apparently it's the firmware closest to the original, and the builder (Merlin) works with Asus and many of his improvements eventually make it into the official firmware. However, I've read that the official .270 firmware (.354 beta notwithstanding) is usually solid enough to use unless you run into issues or need the extra functionality of the custom firmware.
http://forums.smallnetbuilder.com/forumdisplay.php?f=42
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wireless/wireless-reviews/31963-asuswrt-merlin-reviewed

 

Good to know guys. The router will be here this week. Probably wont get time to set it up until the weekend though.

Thanks for the information on the firmware upgrade. I normally do the same, unless of course there are known issues.

Cheers!

 

Which one?

 

The Asus I posted in my first post. It came in two days ago, have not had time to set it up yet.

 

Hi,
I'm trying to buy a router too, but the ASUS router is not officially for sale in our country, so it costs way too much. (because of the import tax)
Can anyone recommend me a router that is cheaper and realiable just like the ASUS router?
Recommending by the brand name is also okay. (e.g. D-Link, Buffalo, NETGear) I'll try to find the model by myself, or can you also recommend me a model too?
Thanks.