Looking for a router for the next 10 years - need advice for $200 budget

[ElonMusty]

Any home router starting under $100. The simpler the better. If more than one routers is needed - Amazon eero, Google Nest Wifi, TP-Link Deco. Easy button solution and works well for non-tech people.

Oh boy, I realized I did not say my opinion is based on an existing functional wifi5/AC router being in the house. If this is true, in my opinion, there is no need for these types of families to spend extra money upgrading to wifi6/AX. They can maintain until there is a need for a new router, or the existing one stops working.

I updated my response to @L&LD.

 

[L&LD]

@ElonMusty, there is a need for a new WiFi 6 or better router now, or, very soon. WiFi 5 routers are effectively EOL.

Be sure the WiFi 5 hardware they have is still supported and is running current (patched) firmware.

 

[ElonMusty]

@ElonMusty, there is a need for a new WiFi 6 or better router now, or, very soon. WiFi 5 routers are effectively EOL.

Be sure the WiFi 5 hardware they have is still supported and is running current (patched) firmware.

Yes!

The duration of support from Asus on models like the AC68U has ruined all of us!!! Factor in the great work of SNB legend john9527, that at one point, allowed many of our wifi5/AC routers to live well past the EOL date of Asus, it is clear to see why OP @stepinstone started this tread. He wants another 10 years of buying the router once and applying firware updates. Me too actually. lol.

@L&LD, I have a question, please do not take this as me antagonzing you or the others pushing hard for wifi6/AX. If I have my old wif5/AC router double NAT'd behind my ISP device, are not my security risk relatively low? Can I not lean on the team of IT and security professional working for and supporting the gateway provided by a multi-billion dollar ISP?

So even if I were running the EOL fork of john9527 behind my ISP device, a hacker that was bord enough to target me would have to get through the ISP and my personal home router. Considering the large combination of ISPs paired with wifi5/AC routers, is this a realistic threat case? Especially when home and commercial routers that are supported and not EOL have made the news for being hackable, here are a few examples from searching ars Technica:

“Cisco buried the lede.” >10,000 network devices backdoored through unpatched 0-day

An unknown threat actor is exploiting the vulnerability to create admin accounts.

arstechnica.com

Backdoored firmware lets China state hackers control routers with “magic packets”

The modified firmware used by BlackTech is hard to detect.

arstechnica.com

300,000 MikroTik routers are ticking security time bombs, researchers say

Device owners have yet to install patches for 3 high-severity vulnerabilities.

arstechnica.com

FBI tells router users to reboot now to kill malware infecting 500k devices

Feds take aim at potent VPNFilter malware allegedly unleashed by Russia.

arstechnica.com

Again, asking to learn not to be an @ss.

I appreciate any feedback.

 

[L&LD]

No, your questions are welcome.

In a double-nat situation, where the main/first router is fully supported, up-to-date, and has the latest security patches it needs (and, you trust all that is happening), then there is no downside running an older firmware, on older equipment.

To be clear, here, I'm pushing more to using fully patched/currently supported firmware/hardware than pushing WiFi 6.

 

[Tech9]

If this is true, in my opinion, there is no need for these types of families to spend extra money upgrading to wifi6/AX.

You are correct. If they already have Wi-Fi 5 router - keep using it. Not supported anymore? Not a big issue. Hacking efforts of a home router are waste of time and it's behind another firewall. Someone desperate has to hack both the ISP router and the one behind it. Highly unlikely.

 

[rgnldo]

To be honest, my experience with Asus routers over the years has been the best possible. The support they still provide for AC68U and AC86U is impressive. Not to mention the free licenses with QoS and AiProtection, and the large Addons community. I was disheartened by the possibility of discontinuation with the new generation of 3006.xx firmwares.

 

[rgnldo]

Anticipating this shift, I've been using these routers as Access Points, managing them via an Intel NUC with 2.5gb, running OPNsense. I'm transitioning this management to a VPS with BRUME 2.

 

[rgnldo]

And you sound like her husband!