Best range (AC) router for USD100 or less

[pelangi]

Hi all,

I am looking at an AC router that might help me with the coverage at home. I have experienced bad coverage since I moved in years back. I have tried few different routers from different brand and none of them helped. I have also used external higher gain antenna but still it didn't help.

One of the router I tried was an industrial grade (old) Cisco router and it didn't help either. It is probably just something in the construction in the house that prevent the signal.

Currently I start looking at AC routers and am tempted to try again. Have been looking at TrendNet AC1200, Linksys EA6500, TP-Link Archer C7. I am just not sure which one will give me the strongest penetration. Any feedback? I currently use Wireless-N TP-Link router and an improvement on the speed is good but I need the coverage more than anything. Thanks.

 

[stevech]

802.11ac is not going to change coverage significantly, assuming what you have now is not faulty.

the best cure for weak signal areas (either to client or from client) is adding a WiFi access point (AP).

 

[pelangi]

Thanks for your reply stevech. Could you please elaborate what you meant with to vs from client.

By adding ap I think it can be done only wired. What's my option without having to run cable? I heard adding repeaters doesn't really help because repeater will basically halve the speed?

 

[jegesq]

Technically, a repeater will cut the wireless side of the connection in half; it doesn't degrade the connection the same though with devices that are connected to it through the repeater's gigabit Ethernet ports (in that sense a repeater is just like a bridge). But if your concerned about dropping internet speeds, I suppose it all depends on what you're ISP provides. In my case, I run an AC66 as a router and I have another one set up as a repeater in a downstairs room; since we have speeds of 320+ download and 21+ upload, and I don't get "halved" speed from the repeater's wired or wireless. Wired, I get around 280/21, and wireless it's around 180/21 (for some reason, the upload isn't affected at all). I don't know if my situation is anomalous (in that it seems to defy the laws of physics), but honestly, my speeds are not "halved" at all using a repeater, and of course, it avoids having to run Cat5e cable from the router to the second unit (in which case it would be an AP, not a repeater). I don't know how the ASUS router's manage this but I get great speeds from both the router and the repeater.

 

[thiggins]

What's my option without having to run cable?

http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wire...best-way-to-get-whole-house-wireless-coverage

 

[stevech]

Thanks for your reply stevech. Could you please elaborate what you meant with to vs from client.

By adding ap I think it can be done only wired. What's my option without having to run cable? I heard adding repeaters doesn't really help because repeater will basically halve the speed?

Halving speed is fine IF you have a good strong WiFi signal permitting WiFi connection rate speeds far beyond the speed you get from your ISP. Example: WiFi signal excellent. COnnection speed in WiFi is, say, 150Mbps. That is WiFi speed and corresponds to a net-of-overhead speed of half that, 75Mbs.

WiFi repeater cuts the net yield to 1/2 of 75Mbps or about 37Mbps. If your ISP provided speed (down) is 37 or less, it would be OK to use a repeater.

WiFi repeaters (WDS) aka unwired range extenders are awful. Unreliable, esp. if mix of vendor names.

Run that cat5.
Just can't?
Use MoCA if there is a tv coax in a room in/near the weak signal. MoCA is ethernet over TV coax. In lieu of cat5 cable.
Same as MoCA is IP over AC power wiring. HomePlug/HPNA. See forum section on these two alternatives.

AP in weak signal area is the usual solution. Will work.

 

[CaptainSTX]

Don't give up on running an Ethernet cable. An electrician with the right skills and tools can run wires in places you wouldn't believe with little or no damage to walls, floors and ceilings.

Ethernet until the come up with some new technology will always be probably the fastest and certainly the most reliable way to get data from point A to B.

 

[pelangi]

Hi all, thank you for your helpful responses. It sounds like I should not avoid running cat5 around the house. I would like to avoid that because of the cost but in the end I might end up spending the same for trying out routers.

 

[htismaqe]

Hi all, thank you for your helpful responses. It sounds like I should not avoid running cat5 around the house. I would like to avoid that because of the cost but in the end I might end up spending the same for trying out routers.

You might spend MORE. Cat6 cable is extremely cheap. I bought 50', pre-terminated, last week for $11.

 

[stevech]

and there is "flat" cat5 cable. Simplifies use of baseboards, under carpet, etc.