Asus GT-5300 for Orbi?

[chrismsales]

I’m on my second ASUS GT-5300 and now the second one is doing the same thing as the first one did, just basically bricking and not connecting to my modem at all. I’ve tried resetting it to no avail. ASUS replaced the first one under warrant and while this one is under warranty as well, I’m tired of messing with this thing. What stinks is that I’m limited to what I can trade it in for at Best Buy under my Geek Squad warranty so it’s down to a NG X8 or X10 or a Linksys.

I’m also considering the Orbi 50 as I’ve read some good reviews on here but wondering if it will handle all of our devices using the tri-band Wi-Fi network. We have about 30 smart devices running on the 2.4 band and then multiple TVs and laptops/gaming consoles and mobile devices running on the 2 5Ghz channels. I have the second 5G channel running just the TVs since we do not have cable and we stream everything.

I have my office (office VPN/ VOIP phone) and one tv running on hard wire but that’s not an option in the rest of the house so something with good range for the rest of the upstairs bedrooms and downstairs is important.

Will the Orbi or eero Pro handle this type of heavy workload? I’m just looking for something more stable than the GT-5300...its not worth the constant hassle.

Thanks!

 

[Trip]

Given your immediate options, I'd switch platforms to Netgear, if for no other reason than utilizing a different vendor's networking stack to connect through your modem, which for whatever reason is not playing well with the Asus. If you still can't get a connection, then I would swap out the modem, too. Then you've ruled out all points of failure on your end, at least assuming none of the new stuff is faulty (highly doubtful that anything would be, that many times over).

As for Orbi or Eero Pro vs a single all-in-one, much will depend on layout. If you've got a relatively central location for the main router/AP and your square footage and materials allow for good signal out to the edges of desire coverage, then you may not gain much by going with a whole-house product. If more range is clearly necessary and the layout is central then Orbi may be your best bet, as it functions in "hub-and-spoke" topology, where all satellites connect via a single link back to the base. If 2 or more hops may be required, Eero may be a better option, as it is more of a true "mesh", allowing for multi-hop links back to the base AP(s).

Hope some of that helps!

 

[Testscript]

I recommend that you use AP separately from the router, to have the most stable connection and stop using the Router/AP combos for home and buy the router and AP separately for enterprise.

Router: EdgeRouter 4 (ER-4)
https://www.ubnt.com/edgemax/edgerouter-4/

AP: UniFi nanoHD (UAP-nanoHD)
https://unifi-nanohd.ubnt.com/ (Wi-Fi Users: 200+ Users)


Try AP Demo "UniFi Controller software":
https://demo.ubnt.com/manage/site/outlets (Dashboard)
https://demo.ubnt.com/manage/site/outlets/settings/site (Settings)



Video about the Router:

Video about the AP:

 

[psychopomp1]

OP, if you want a router like the ROG GT-5300 but without the bugs, go for the Linksys EA9500V2. The Linksys has the same internals as the ROG and its firmware is rock solid which is why Linksys don't need to release firmware updates every 2 minutes. On the downside its firmware isn't as feature rich as Asus' models' (eg no VPN server/client options). I've had my EA9500V2 for 10 months now and its the best router I've ever used for wifi range and coverage

 

[chrismsales]

Given your immediate options, I'd switch platforms to Netgear, if for no other reason than utilizing a different vendor's networking stack to connect through your modem, which for whatever reason is not playing well with the Asus. If you still can't get a connection, then I would swap out the modem, too. Then you've ruled out all points of failure on your end, at least assuming none of the new stuff is faulty (highly doubtful that anything would be, that many times over).

As for Orbi or Eero Pro vs a single all-in-one, much will depend on layout. If you've got a relatively central location for the main router/AP and your square footage and materials allow for good signal out to the edges of desire coverage, then you may not gain much by going with a whole-house product. If more range is clearly necessary and the layout is central then Orbi may be your best bet, as it functions in "hub-and-spoke" topology, where all satellites connect via a single link back to the base. If 2 or more hops may be required, Eero may be a better option, as it is more of a true "mesh", allowing for multi-hop links back to the base AP(s).

Hope some of that helps!

Thanks for the reply, I ended up getting asus support to help reinstall the firmware today and things are back to normal. One thing I can say is that they are easy to get on the phone when needed, just wish I did not need them as often on a $400 router.

I went up to Best Buy and purchased an Orbi50 system over the weekend but was not very impressed and will be taking it back. The way they combine the SSID’s caused major headaches with all our smart devices that only work on a 2.4Ghz channel. I was able to create a workaround by creating a Guest network using my old 2.4 SSID settings but it was a pain still.

The modem (Arris Touchstone CM3200 DOCSIS 3.0) is only a year old so I’m pretty sure it’s not the modem but I guess it could be a faulty modem.

 

[chrismsales]

OP, if you want a router like the ROG GT-5300 but without the bugs, go for the Linksys EA9500V2. The Linksys has the same internals as the ROG and its firmware is rock solid which is why Linksys don't need to release firmware updates every 2 minutes. On the downside its firmware isn't as feature rich as Asus' models' (eg no VPN server/client options). I've had my EA9500V2 for 10 months now and its the best router I've ever used for wifi range and coverage

I wish I could but Best Buy doesn’t offer that model, only the original version, and I have to trade out for something there unless I want to spend money out of pocket. I’m envious of a router that runs stable for more than a few weeks at a time.

 

[chrismsales]

I recommend that you use AP separately from the router, to have the most stable connection and stop using the Router/AP combos for home and buy the router and AP separately for enterprise.

Router: EdgeRouter 4 (ER-4)
https://www.ubnt.com/edgemax/edgerouter-4/

AP: UniFi nanoHD (UAP-nanoHD)
https://unifi-nanohd.ubnt.com/ (Wi-Fi Users: 200+ Users)

Never thought about that route and not sure if I have the know how to set something like this up. I’m guess that each AP would have to be hard wired in the ceilings as well, right?


Try AP Demo "UniFi Controller software":
https://demo.ubnt.com/manage/site/outlets (Dashboard)
https://demo.ubnt.com/manage/site/outlets/settings/site (Settings)



Video about the Router:

Video about the AP:

 

[Trip]

Good to hear you were able to recover the Asus (on presumably the latest firmware?). Sounds as though the cable modem is fine, then.

As for uptime, near-100% is achievable in home setups. In my opinion, it's best done with discrete components: a solid wired router, dedicated switch(es) if needed, and dedicated wifi gear. Each run separately, focusing on what each does best. I prefer small business or higher level gear, only mixing in SOHO products that are confirmed stable beyond any shadow of a doubt. Granted, my standards are high and I have zero patience for stuff that doesn't "just work" basically all the time. Most SNB setups are probably a bit less "intense".

In regards to UBNT as @Testscript mentioned, that's a good example, however it must be mentioned that EdgeMax and even UniFi are not plug-and-play. Anyone only accustomed to Asus, Netgear, Linksys and the like will find themselves having to watch some videos, read some wiki's, and learn up a bit in order to get everything all configured.

ADD: A side note on UniFi. It's definitely a step up in features from SOHO stuff, and it's often a money-saver for businesses versus enterprise gear, but as with many things, it still has its fair share of bugs (everything does) and there are some gotcha's that are good to be aware of, like how there is still no embedded controller option (really Ubiquiti?). You still need to install it on a local or cloud machine (and Java along with it... yay! *puke*) or purchase a CloudKey, to do the setup. Pundits will be quick to point out that just buying and pluggin in a CloudKey isn't that big a deal, and after setup, the controller doesn't need to be running for things to just work, but if you want to do any re-config, it will have to be connected and accessible, as opposed to most any whole-home product (Orbi, Eero, etc.), other small-biz products like TP-Link Omada, or big-boy stuff like Aruba Instant (granted, Aruba is WAY more expensive). In each of those, the controller is embedded into each AP, which makes setup easier and doesn't require an extra failure domain. So just something to think about before you go off assuming UniFi must be the greatest thing since sliced bread. It certainly is in many ways, but not in every way. Just my opinion of course.