Best 2.4 GHz router with storage?

[SunrisePro]

First, I'm happy to have found SNB - this is the first time in years of router shopping that I've had so much info to guide me. Our current router (a Netgear R6100) craps out 1-2x a day so we're looking for a reliable replacement.

Here's our needs, Part 1: due to a Lenovo laptop, we have to use a 2.4ghz bgn network (replacing the laptop is not an option). All laptops and tablets need to be on the same networks for the kids & their friends to play local games. We have multiple streams of Netflix and/or Youtube running all day long, with the kids playing Minecraft online as well. We can have up to 6 devices in use at a time.

Part 2 is that we've got a hard drive connected to our current router as a household file server and for media playback on our smart tv. The hard drive is fairly recent; we'd been using Serviio or Plex to play files off one of the computers but it was never reliable. I thought it might be better to go from the router/USB-to-tv than laptop-router-to-tv.

Part 3 is that we are on Fios and I loathe their router. It's basically being used as a modem and it's network is hidden.

It seems like I need a combo of good 2.4ghz performance and storage performance.

I see that the R6100 (not sure why I chose it, could be that I didn't want to pay for the R6300 at the time) is a poor performer, with a Fat32 Read/Write at 10.5/7.8 and 2.4ghz throughput at 106. (I had never known these numbers even got measured until I found SNB; I'm guessing that the 2.4ghz throughput will help me compare).

Coming here from a Wirecutter article, I was looking at the TC-Link Archers and the Netgear R7000 (which I can get at Costco for $140, minus a usb port). I'm now surmising that USB 3.0 Fat32 read performance may be important for us but after the R6100 performance, we should be able to triple that at minimum.

The question is how fast does it need to be and how does 2.4ghz performance fit in? The R7000 seems to be the overall recommendation and it's fat32 read of 57 is waaaay better than what we have now - but maybe it's worth it to try the Linksys WRT1200 & it's fat32 read of 95?

otoh for 2.4ghz throughput the R7000 is 135 while the WRT1200 is 116. And in the review of the Linksys WRT1900 it notes that it does really well with reading off the USB while the network is in heavy use. My head is swimming - I know way more about routers than I ever wanted to know.

Budget-wise I'd prefer to keep it un $150 but if a $200 router means I won't be interrupted twice a day to reboot it, I'll go for that. If I'm leaning towards anything, it's the WRT1900 because it's the one review I read that noted that simultaneous wireless and storage performance was very good.

 

[thiggins]

First, you should be looking at NTFS performance, since FAT32's largest volume is 32 GB and max file size is 4GB.

Also remember the storage charts are in MBytes/sec and Wireless Charts are in Mbits/sec. So multiply MBytes/sec by 8 to properly compare to wireless throughput in the chards.

Your wireless connection will usually limit your ability to access the full storage performance, even with 802.11ac unless your device is very close to the router (same room). You'll get best throughput via Gigabit Ethernet.

When you say your current router "craps out" a few times a day, what happens? If the problem is due to too many active 2.4 GHz neighboring networks, a new router probably isn't going to solve that.

 

[htismaqe]

As Tim noted, if you are having 2.4Ghz issues due to neighboring networks, a new router probably won't help you. Have you done a scan to see how many neighbors you have?

 

[netwrks]

First, I'm happy to have found SNB - this is the first time in years of router shopping that I've had so much info to guide me. Our current router (a Netgear R6100) craps out 1-2x a day so we're looking for a reliable replacement.

Here's our needs, Part 1: due to a Lenovo laptop, we have to use a 2.4ghz bgn network (replacing the laptop is not an option). All laptops and tablets need to be on the same networks for the kids & their friends to play local games. We have multiple streams of Netflix and/or Youtube running all day long, with the kids playing Minecraft online as well. We can have up to 6 devices in use at a time.

Part 2 is that we've got a hard drive connected to our current router as a household file server and for media playback on our smart tv. The hard drive is fairly recent; we'd been using Serviio or Plex to play files off one of the computers but it was never reliable. I thought it might be better to go from the router/USB-to-tv than laptop-router-to-tv.

It seems like I need a combo of good 2.4ghz performance and storage performance.

I see that the R6100 (not sure why I chose it, could be that I didn't want to pay for the R6300 at the time) is a poor performer, with a Fat32 Read/Write at 10.5/7.8 and 2.4ghz throughput at 106. (I had never known these numbers even got measured until I found SNB; I'm guessing that the 2.4ghz throughput will help me compare).

Coming here from a Wirecutter article, I was looking at the TC-Link Archers and the Netgear R7000 (which I can get at Costco for $140, minus a usb port). I'm now surmising that USB 3.0 Fat32 read performance may be important for us but after the R6100 performance, we should be able to triple that at minimum.

The question is how fast does it need to be and how does 2.4ghz performance fit in? The R7000 seems to be the overall recommendation and it's fat32 read of 57 is waaaay better than what we have now - but maybe it's worth it to try the Linksys WRT1200 & it's fat32 read of 95?

otoh for 2.4ghz throughput the R7000 is 135 while the WRT1200 is 116. And in the review of the Linksys WRT1900 it notes that it does really well with reading off the USB while the network is in heavy use. My head is swimming - I know way more about routers than I ever wanted to know.

Budget-wise I'd prefer to keep it un $150 but if a $200 router means I won't be interrupted twice a day to reboot it, I'll go for that. If I'm leaning towards anything, it's the WRT1900 because it's the one review I read that noted that simultaneous wireless and storage performance was very good.

Just an FYI.. The 7000 that Costco sells is for Costco only. Not the same 7000 platform as you would buy at a big box electronic store. There has been only two firmware releases for that platform.. It's cheaper for a reason..

 

[SunrisePro]

Thanks for the replies & advice so far

@thiggins & @htismaqe: I'd have to reformat the drive for that, right? I haven't used NTFS in years. Will I have any issues copying files from a fat32 computer to the shared NTFS drive? Apologies for the noob questions, more kids = slacking in the home IT dept.

I did not think we had too many competing wifi networks - we live in a neighborhood of single story homes on maybe .20 acres each. When I do speed tests in the house when no one was using the internet I get close to what we are supposed to be getting (50/25 iirc). I download Acrylic and saw the typical networks I see when trying to connect:

The top network is mine. The second network is also mine - it's the Fios router we're not using (always had problems with it using DLNA with the tv, thus the Netgear; I forgot to add that to my post & will do so now). The next 3 are neighbors, two of which are from one dual band router. I'm guessing that we are ok in this regard.

I don't think interference from us should be an issue. We have a microwave and mobile phones and I've never noted a connection between microwave use & router issues.

What happens when the router craps out is that every device loses connectivity. This happens whether the hard drive is connected to the router or not. It does seem that when it happens that at least 4-5 people are using the internet at the same time (we're a household of 6). Restarting the router = everyone is back online.

The hard drive is connected to the Netgear and the TV is 12 feet away. The farthest computer from the router is ~30ft away and through some walls. Because we used Serviio/Plex until recently, I hadn't considered using the 5ghz radio for the tv; I'll give that a try before buying a new router.

@netwrks: Ah, very good to know. Much thanks for apprising me of that.

 

[thiggins]

Microwave ovens can seriously stomp on 2.4 GHz. So see if there is a correlation with outages.

When all devices lose "connectivity", do they remain connected to the router and lose internet connection or disconnect from the router, which remains connected to the internet?

Either way, sounds like trying another router is worth a shot. You can continue to use FAT32 for your drive, just know the limitations. Drive format doesn't affect file copy. Windows handles both.

 

[htismaqe]

I agree that it sounds like a new router may help.

While it's true that Windows handles FAT32 and NTFS (as well as FAT16 and EXFAT) it's highly unlikely you're running a modern Windows variant on a FAT32 formatted drive. Unless you have a 10-year old XP machine you're using, it's likely NTFS.

In any case, Windows handles both natively so you won't have any trouble copying back and forth.

 

[SunrisePro]

I doubt there's correlation between the microwave and the router as I would have put 2+2 together by now. Still, I'll see if I can make the issue happen with the microwave on purpose.

When we have connectivity loss, everything loses connectivity to the router. I don't know if the router is still connected to the internet or not (I'm guessing it is) but the only way to get back on the network is to reboot the router.

I just checked - the drive is formatted NTFS (my bad, shows how long in the tooth I'm getting).

If we try a new router, what would you guys recommend based on the few that I mentioned? Do you feel that faster NTFS read/write performance will be a benefit (I assume it means that the router's cpu works better for that feature)?

 

[htismaqe]

I'm a big fan of the WRT1900AC. It has the best overall 2.4Ghz performance and range of any of the routers I tried, most likely because of having 4 antennas vs. 3 in the other big brand AC1900 routers.

If you're wanting to save a few a few bucks, the WRT1200AC has similar features and storage performance is excellent.

 

[thiggins]

Since you already have an AC router, you've achieved most of the performance gain from trading up from an N router.

The WRT1200AC suggested by htismage will give you the best bang for the buck for USB storage throughput.

 

[SunrisePro]

Thank you gentlemen - I will decide between the two. Any others I should consider or are those the right ones for our situation?

 

[SunrisePro]

I believe I have conclusive proof that it's not due to use or demand - the router just crapped out with 2 kids on Youtube and me working (email, loading web pages, no video); the connected storage device was not being accessed at all. The microwave had been on 5-7 minutes *before* we were all disconnected.

Methinks I should choose & order a new router today!

 

[L&LD]

Reading the above thread I don't see how you came to those conclusions?

A microwave may not have an effect immediately depending on the relative location of all the affected devices (including itself and any further outside interference). Did you do the same test close to the same time of the disconnection without the microwave in use?

While three users is not intense by any means, it is a fair load on the router with two kids on youtube (multiple tabs?) and yourself just browsing the 'net.

A new router may still prove to be the answer here. But I would be inclined to track down the issue a little more conclusively than where you're at now.

I would do some or all of the following before pronouncing the main hardware as defective. The last thing you want is to spend money and time and find that you're facing the same or similar issues because of other factors.

• Try a new ac adaptor (wall wart) for the router to check for adequate power being delivered as it needs it.
• Can you connect an AC power plug to the USB drive? Or power it in any way other than the routers USB port?
• Blow out with compressed air all dust and debris from the router and even try a small external USB fan to see if it is temperature related.
• Unplug all USB devices on the router (and do a hard reboot; pull the ac power plug, wait a couple of minutes and then apply power again) and see if the disconnects continue.
• With all the USB devices still unplugged, flash the latest firmware. Even if it is the one already installed.
• After flashing, reset the router to factory defaults and manually and minimally setup the router again to secure it and connect to your ISP.
  • I would even repeat this step again (it has been known to help others with router glitches); reflash the router and reset to factory defaults followed by a manual and minimal setup.
  • Do NOT use any previously saved .cfg file to setup the router again.
• I would also recommend you use new (unhidden) ssid's for both bands at this point too.
  • I would also ensure that the ssid and passwords use strict / simple alphanumerics and with no special characters.
• I would test each control channel on both bands for an extended period (24 hours or more) regardless of what programs like inssider (or similar) may suggest. The things that affect a wireless network are seldom taken into account by such utilities.
• If you can live without the USB drive for a day or two, test without it first.
• If the router is stable without the drive, add it a day or two later and see if the issues start again.
• Make sure you test with and without the microwave in use (within the same, half hour period).
• Make sure you don't share your wireless passwords freely with your kids or neighbors (at least during your tests) - one or two extra clients might be putting the extra load on your network.

I'm sure the above is not a complete list of trouble shooting steps, but that is where I would start to at least try to pinpoint the issues you're facing.

Knowing what caused the problem is greater than simply fixing it with new hardware.

But I also recognize the allure that new hardware has too.

 

[SunrisePro]

Thanks @L&LD. The microwave is about 20ft from the router with a direct line of sight. I will try running it a couple of times today and see if it affects the connectivity. Frankly I'm creeped out at the possibility that the microwave could affect something a few minutes after it's off, I'm just imagining invisible waves floating through the house curdling our innards.

3 users is not that much in our house of 6 - we have done fine before with 5 people using Youtube or Netflix at once and someone else accessing the connected storage to watch a movie on the tv via DLNA. That makes me think that it's not the power strip, assuming that a router uses more power as it itself is used more.

I had updated the router firmware a month ago, when it initially started crapping out; the USB drive was *not* in use at that time. I did not see an improvement after that. The passwords in use are alphanumeric only.

Since the router started crapping out pre-USB drive, I don't believe the drive is at fault. This whole thing reminds me of other old routers that just start crapping out more and more frequently until they're so irritating they need to be replaced. Suckily, this router lasted barely a year (an older Netgear of mine lasted 3+ years, including a year in the tropics abroad). I've bought cheaper routers in the past few years (never breaking $100) and none have lasted more than a year (in different houses too). Maybe it's time to pony up for quality.

Of all the suggestions so far, the microwave is the one that I need to test. It's use is fairly random and if the effect on the router is not immediate (unlike a breaking a circuit), I may have missed the connection.

 

[L&LD]

I suggest you re-read your post and then re-read mine again.

Don't assume - test, instead with as close to a scientific method as possible.

The hardware does seem to be giving up the ghost, but I would still question any and all interactions with ancillary equipment like the microwave, to the wall wart and even question / test the power strip too.

I did have a customer who kept replacing components (motherboard twice and a hard drive) on a business computer (three times in less than two years). I asked who was testing the system for him when it failed and he said; himself. When it failed for the fourth time I happened to be there (and yes, you guessed it) I suggested we take the whole system to be checked by techs and it was the power supply that was killing his components one by one in that system.

In your case, a new router may still be the way to go. Even if a simple or inexpensive solution is found for your existing equipment. Finding the root cause will help with any future hardware upgrade too.

 

[sfx2000]

PAIR principle...

Probe
Analyze
Investigate
Repair (or Remediate)

 

[SunrisePro]

Frankly, I know way more about routers than I ever wanted to know. It's not something I really want to spend time on so being super scientific - and the time it involves - is out of the question. It's cheaper for me to buy a router than to lose billable time

I just tried a microwave test - it was on for 4 minutes while 3 computers are watching HD Youtube vids and the tv is accessing a file on one of the laptops via dlna. It's been almost 5 minutes since the microwave stopped and the router hasn't crapped out yet.

And in a fine new development, the TV can't see the connected storage but tablets or laptops can. I'm sticking a fork in the router (after it's unplugged, of course ).

PS I'm going to get a new power strip too.

 

[SunrisePro]

Speak of the devil - a 3rd laptop was booting and was not online during this test. I connected it to the wifi and *boom* the router crapped out. This was 10min after the microwave stopped but almost instantaneous with the connection to the network. It may be super scientific but it sounds like the router would be at fault here (at the risk of assuming)...

 

[L&LD]

SunrisePro, the gremlins are strong in your neck of the woods.

I would take the position that the router is not at fault here (by default), I would assume the 3rd client has some issue first.

Does this 3rd laptop travel? Does it also have disastrous effects on other routers or networks? Specifically, is it infected by a virus?

I'm just chuckling that two people can see the same event and have opposite initial conclusions.

 

[sfx2000]

Speak of the devil - a 3rd laptop was booting and was not online during this test. I connected it to the wifi and *boom* the router crapped out. This was 10min after the microwave stopped but almost instantaneous with the connection to the network. It may be super scientific but it sounds like the router would be at fault here (at the risk of assuming)...

I have seen where a faulty WiFi client adapter has crashed AP's - so worth investigating there..