Looking for a Wireless AC AP...not router

[ziggo0]

I'm in the market for replacing my wireless access point. As it sits routing it done via pfSense, and I've got a Buffalo Wireless N router acting as an AP right now. I'm primarily serving up video media to my wife's PC, anything from low bitrate stuff to higher bitrate bluray rips and it does work fine but it can be flaky. She has an Asus PCE-AC68 in her PC...my other wireless devices are mixed N & AC - which aren't as important. I'm looking for something to provide the best throughput...I've got no issue with installing aftermarket firmware to get the most out of my hardware, infact I prefer it. I'm very hesitant because a lot of these reviews show almost every piece of hardware has a down fall that I'm not happy with....speaking in strictly an AP only, what would you guys suggest? Again it doesn't have to do routing...just provide my small home with high speed wireless.

Thanks!!!

 

[lama]

Linksys LAPAC1200, LAPAC1750
TP-LINK EAP 320 (Announced, still not available)

There are others as well.

 

[Trip]

Without knowing your budget, for standalone I'd look into EnGenius, perhaps the new ECB-1750, or if you're not Apple-averse, the newest Airport Extreme base station. For mesh on a budget, perhaps Ubiquiti's UniFi AC stuff.

 

[stevech]

Likely cheaper to re-purpose a WiFi router to be an Access Point. Easy to do.

 

[nikleb]

Ziggo0,

I think I am on a similar quest:
http://forums.smallnetbuilder.com/showthread.php?t=20602

 

[jegesq]

Yikes...just looked at the MSRP for the EnGenius ECB-1750...$320 for just an AP/Bridge with no routing?!! Um, that's a bit steep, even for a 3x3 dual band device.

I agree with Stevech: just repurpose a newer, less expensive router (you can get most AC1750 routers for about half the cost of the Engenius device), and run it in either AP or Bridge mode, or even better (in my estimation), you can do what I'm doing and use one of the upper-end AC mid-priced Asus routers (i.e., the AC66 or AC68, but not the AC87 because it's pretty expensive) and run it in "repeater" mode. I have two RT-AC66u's and use one as a routerand the other as a repeater. This is way cheaper and much more flexible and efficient than paying for a standalone AP, IMHO, especially if you want good AC speeds in a dual band device. But then for someone like you who is doing routing and firewall with pfSense, perhaps you'll want to build your own AP from scratch (just kidding).