Best 2.4 GHz router with storage?

[SunrisePro]

Usually this 3rd laptop (the Lenovo Y510p that's limiting us to 2.4ghz) is already on the network when issues occur. It doesn't travel much and this hasn't happened before (to my knowledge). It's also clean (or should be if regular scanning is occurring as configured). This is a rare instance where we might have witnessed a cause and effect.

Most of the time when the router craps out, everything is already connected. I'm more annoyed that the tv can't see the connected drive while it's visible from laptops/tablets. Restarting the router a couple of times did not resolve that - and it's not an issue that can be connected to the microwave or a faulty wifi adaptor. I'm going to order a a new router before doing any more troubleshooting.

 

[L&LD]

Well, it is your cash after all. Just hope that a new router will buy you no further trouble shooting for a while at least.

Curious what new router model you'll try first?

Usually this 3rd laptop (the Lenovo Y510p that's limiting us to 2.4ghz) is already on the network when issues occur. It doesn't travel much and this hasn't happened before (to my knowledge). It's also clean (or should be if regular scanning is occurring as configured). This is a rare instance where we might have witnessed a cause and effect.

Most of the time when the router craps out, everything is already connected. I'm more annoyed that the tv can't see the connected drive while it's visible from laptops/tablets. Restarting the router a couple of times did not resolve that - and it's not an issue that can be connected to the microwave or a faulty wifi adaptor. I'm going to order a a new router before doing any more troubleshooting.

 

[thiggins]

It's cheaper for me to buy a router than to lose billable time

Go buy a router. Just make sure you can return it. Doesn't hurt to have another troubleshooting tool. Just realize it can send you down a different set of ratholes!

 

[SunrisePro]

@L&LD: just based on 2.4ghz & storage performance I'm looking at:

• Linksys WRT1900ac (discussed above)
• Linksys MaxStream AC2600
• Asus RT-AC3200 (not sure I want to spend that much)
• Asus RT-AC87U

@thiggins: Definitely hoping to avoid another rabbithole!

 

[L&LD]

The only ones I might be wary of is the AC2600 and the RT-AC87U.

For storage performance the WRT1900AC seems to be the one (if you don't have access to an RT-AC68P from a Best Buy near you).

Whatever you decide, it is worth to also buy the RT-AC3200 to compare to too. You'll be in test mode anyway, this will let you compare what a few dollars more can offer in your specific environment.

Keep us in the loop with whatever you find. Ty!

 

[SunrisePro]

Thank y'all! I just read the reviews at SNB and narrowed down to the 1900AC & the AC2600. I really don't want to spend for the RT-AC3200 and the RT-AC87U does seem a hair sketchy (plus it was implied somewhere that Asus lags on firmware updates, iirc).

The AC2600 seems to have this MU-Mimo thing that I haven't even heard of that I definitely won't be using. So I'm leaning towards the 1900AC - it's been around for a while and we have a good idea of how storage use & 2.4ghz performance work together.

 

[htismaqe]

Yeah, you don't want the AC2600, too many potential issues not to mention the currently unrealized potential of MU-MIMO.

The AC1900 class routers are well-proven at this point. The WRT1900AC is a great router, IMHO.

 

[SunrisePro]

I definitely prefer a reliable, known quantity to new hotness

 

[thiggins]

DO NOT BUY a 4x4 router at this time, especially any first-generation AC2350/AC2400 class models using Quantenna 5 GHz. They are still science experiments and you get no benefit from them without MU-MIMO clients.

AC1900 is the sweet spot. Don't overspend because you may want to trade up to MU-MIMO in a few years when MU-MIMO clients are in the wild

 

[SunrisePro]

I ordered the WRT1900AC yesterday, along with a new surge protector. And I woke up this morning to no internet, had to reboot the router :/

 

[SunrisePro]

Wondering if anyone can help me or point me in the right direction regarding a media server issue I'm having with the WRT1900AC...

 

[sfx2000]

Wondering if anyone can help me or point me in the right direction regarding a media server issue I'm having with the WRT1900AC...

Samsung Client Problem - not server... straight from Samsung...

 

[sfx2000]

Google can help solve just about anything... just need to know how to ask it

 

[sfx2000]

DO NOT BUY a 4x4 router at this time, especially any first-generation AC2350/AC2400 class models using Quantenna 5 GHz. They are still science experiments and you get no benefit from them without MU-MIMO clients.

WRT1900ac is a 4*4 router - three spatial streams, but it's a four radio AP on the Tx/Rx side - and it's one of the more robust AC1900 class routers that I've found...

But I agree - anything beyond AC1900 class, better to wait a bit...

 

[SunrisePro]

@sfx2000 - thanks for that info but it's not actually true, at least not for my model TV (EH-something or the other). When I connect a thumb drive or hard drive directly to the TV, pause/FF/rewind/time search are all there. If it wasn't I wouldn't have been surprised at missing them when using the Linksys' dlna

I take it from the lack of response to my other thread that I'm up a creek in this regard? I really don't want to get another router if I could avoid it. Or maybe I could see if I turn the media server off and just try accessing it as a shared hd?

 

[htismaqe]

Connecting a drive directly to the TV does not use DLNA, therefore it doesn't suffer from the same limitations.

I'm confused. Did this work previously with a drive connected to the R6100? The R6100 actually uses DLNA and IMHO, Netgear's implementation is not very reliable. I'd be really surprised if the R6100 was able to do this but the WRT1900AC can't.

 

[System Error Message]

I think i'll chip in because i remembered that there were some consumer routers before that had esata ports before AC wifi came out. You might want to look since they were premium products from either asus, netgear, linksys and such. Their slower CPU means that they perform much slower for SAMBA if sharing files is important.

if you get a router with a dual core ARM it could be fast enough but it depends on drivers and firmware quality too. Many 1900AC routers have that except for tp-link and non premium brands.

 

[SunrisePro]

@htismaqe - yes, when I accessed external storage connected to the R6100, FF/Rewind/Time Skipping were all possible. And the reliability was indeed crap, which is why I looked for a new router.

Linksys replied to my question about this on Amazon and noted that the router does not support these functions, which is a real head-scratcher. I have a way better router than my old one that in one respect is completely inferior.

Since DLNA is important to us, I need to figure out if this can be resolved or I have to find another router. I'm not averse to trying open-source firmware if needed, I just can't believe that a router with better specs & features can't pause or FF video.

 

[htismaqe]

Here's something interesting:

http://www.supportforum.philips.com/en/showthread.php?2734-Fast-forward-supporting-media-servers

It appears to actually be something about client detection. You might look at OpenWRT since you would have far greater control over configurations with it. However, setting it up to work may be a fair amount of learning...

 

[SunrisePro]

Ah @htismaqe - that link rang a bell. I found (somehow) a twonky config area at http://10.144.196.101:9999/. And Comment #5 in the link you shared shows a screen that I am able to access. I will try changing the device type and see if it helps!