Need a fast router for streaming movies in a 2BHK home at budget price

[nithin]

Last 3 weeks in life has been miserable due to recent wifi router purchases from Amazon and Flipkart.

At home, I have an 80 Mbps internet speed from ISP (Ookla speed test after connecting the ISP RJ cable with Surface Pro 6 )

I have already tried following routers that gave speeds as highlighted below when connected with a single device in 5 GHz band :


TP-Link Archer c60 16-18 Mbps
Netgear R6220 - 70 Mbps
TP-Link Archer c7 14-16 Mbps
Asus AC58U gives max 22 Mbps

As you could see, all these routers are amongst the best reviewed and popular ones in online websites, that boasts above 800 Mbps speed in the 5GHZ band. From my experience, only Netgear stands out pretty well in terms of the speed transmitted, however, it had an even bigger problem with random disconnectivity issues: I have experienced the same issue as highlighted here: https://www.google.com/search?q=netgear+r6220+random+internet+disconnected&gl=US

Today after 3 weeks, I am not sure which router I can trust and buy from Online which could at least give speeds like Netgear.

Please note: For Asus & TP-link, I did connect with their support team also who had no other solutions than advising for return. Their final solution did come after multiple rounds of troubleshooting and painful customer support interaction as well.

So, in short, life has been made miserable by these routers. I would really want to purchase one router that can work well and give good speed, at least a 50-60 Mbps. Is this really unachievable at a budget price under 100$? Which one would you recommend?

 

[rk8531]

Last 3 weeks in life has been miserable due to recent wifi router purchases from Amazon and Flipkart.

At home, I have an 80 Mbps internet speed from ISP (Ookla speed test after connecting the ISP RJ cable with Surface Pro 6 )

I have already tried following routers that gave speeds as highlighted below when connected with a single device in 5 GHz band :


TP-Link Archer c60 16-18 Mbps
Netgear R6220 - 70 Mbps
TP-Link Archer c7 14-16 Mbps
Asus AC58U gives max 22 Mbps

As you could see, all these routers are amongst the best reviewed and popular ones in online websites, that boasts above 800 Mbps speed in the 5GHZ band. From my experience, only Netgear stands out pretty well in terms of the speed transmitted, however, it had an even bigger problem with random disconnectivity issues: I have experienced the same issue as highlighted here: https://www.google.com/search?q=netgear+r6220+random+internet+disconnected&gl=US

Today after 3 weeks, I am not sure which router I can trust and buy from Online which could at least give speeds like Netgear.

Please note: For Asus & TP-link, I did connect with their support team also who had no other solutions than advising for return. Their final solution did come after multiple rounds of troubleshooting and painful customer support interaction as well.

So, in short, life has been made miserable by these routers. I would really want to purchase one router that can work well and give good speed, at least a 50-60 Mbps. Is this really unachievable at a budget price under 100$? Which one would you recommend?

You are from India? Well no router under $100 price cap would offer close to 80MBPS on an 80MBPS broadband line.

Still I would recommend a few-

1. Linksys EA7500
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B019WAQMVY/

2. Netgear R7000
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B00F0DD0I6/

I would recommend Linksys EA 7500 because it has 1.4GHZ processor and is MU-MIMO supported.

 

[rk8531]

This one is in your budget and will work without any issues.
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B00Z0V2NQ8/

 

[nithin]

This one is in your budget and will work without any issues.
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B00Z0V2NQ8/

Thanks. How about random disconnection issues as I faced with R6220 model of netgear. Would I be risking my time again with another netgear model.

 

[nithin]

Th

You are from India? Well no router under $100 price cap would offer close to 80MBPS on an 80MBPS broadband line.

Still I would recommend a few-

1. Linksys EA7500
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B019WAQMVY/

2. Netgear R7000
https://www.amazon.in/dp/B00F0DD0I6/

I would recommend Linksys EA 7500 because it has 1.4GHZ processor and is MU-MIMO supported.

Thank you for suggesting these models. These seems to be expensive for my requirements. To answer your question, yes I am from India. Also I partly disagree with your views. As I mentioned I did get 60-70 mbps speed for 80 mbps connection from Netgear R6220 model that I purchased. Moreover, before all these online purchases, I had a D Link 842 model router which my previous ISP provider setup for free for a 80 mbps connection. I was able to get around 45-50 at least on an average basis, however the party lasted only till a month back, as I had to change the provider and return it. Also, both these models come under 50$ infact. Only reason I don’t want to invest on the same D Link model is because it is now in end of sale. Moreover , I couldn’t find a D Link router in any of the top 10 router listings by ratings, reviews or videos. Hence ended up with trying TP link , Netgear and Asus.

 

[rk8531]

Thanks. How about random disconnection issues as I faced with R6220 model of netgear. Would I be risking my time again with another netgear model.

You won't find a better router under $100. If you want a trouble free Broadband just go Netgear R7000. It's the most sold router in Netgear's arsenal.
R7000 and R6400 are almost identical.
R7000 has a 1000 MHZ dual core CPU whereas R6400 has 800 MHZ dual core CPU.

In short R7000 is slightly faster than R6400. I have used R7000 for almost 2 years before upgrading to Netgear R7800 and it worked flawlessly from signal strength to connectivity. Everything worked flawlessly.

 

[rk8531]

Th


Thank you for suggesting these models. These seems to be expensive for my requirements. To answer your question, yes I am from India. Also I partly disagree with your views. As I mentioned I did get 60-70 mbps speed for 80 mbps connection from Netgear R6220 model that I purchased. Moreover, before all these online purchases, I had a D Link 842 model router which my previous ISP provider setup for free for a 80 mbps connection. I was able to get around 45-50 at least on an average basis, however the party lasted only till a month back, as I had to change the provider and return it. Also, both these models come under 50$ infact. Only reason I don’t want to invest on the same D Link model is because it is now in end of sale. Moreover , I couldn’t find a D Link router in any of the top 10 router listings by ratings, reviews or videos. Hence ended up with trying TP link , Netgear and Asus.

R6220 has a single core 880 MHZ mediatek processor. While R6400 has dual core 800 MHZ broadcom processor. In short, you get less lag spikes and videos won't buffer much with R6400 compared to R6220 if there are more than two users using the network at the same time. Just try running a YouTube stream and gaming at the same time on R6220, you would understand what I mean.

 

[psychopomp1]

You won't find a better router under $100.

Oh yes you can! The Phicomm K3 is basically the cheaper version of Asus RT-AC88U priced at ~ $50. Not to be confused with the K3C which uses Intel radios and isn't as good as the K3.

OP, Amazon US are selling the Phicomm K3 for $60 and deliver to India. Its a superb router ( i have one) & arguably the best value for money router out there.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078WS7PHB/?tag=snbforums-20

 

[sfx2000]

You won't find a better router under $100.

For his needs - yes, he can...

I know of a few directly supported QCA devices that'll do 100Mbps just fine... and most of them are less than $50USD.

 

[nithin]

R6220 has a single core 880 MHZ mediatek processor. While R6400 has dual core 800 MHZ broadcom processor. In short, you get less lag spikes and videos won't buffer much with R6400 compared to R6220 if there are more than two users using the network at the same time. Just try running a YouTube stream and gaming at the same time on R6220, you would understand what I mean.

Ok. the point is I was infact the most happiest with Netgear R6220 with speed parameters. Now that you have shown the basic differences between R6220 and R7000, and also its now shipping from Flipkart at a special price of 69$ . I guess its a great deal. But I really don't want the random disconnection issues as I faced with R6220 model with a PPPoE connection. Would it be a common problem in Netgear or is R7000 better due to a different processor ?

Because I am already seeing some worrying posts about the same problem with R7000 as well.

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Nighthawk-WiFi-Routers/R7000-Internet-drop-out-issue/td-p/1215527

 

[sfx2000]

I would really want to purchase one router that can work well and give good speed, at least a 50-60 Mbps. Is this really unachievable at a budget price under 100$? Which one would you recommend?

https://www.gl-inet.com/products/gl-ar300m/

Surprisingly enough, WAN-LAN and WLAN-WAN performance on this little device is more than sufficient - peaks out on all interfaces at 100Mbps...

Wireguard client/server, Stubby/Unbound for DNS over TLS... openwrt under the hood with a very good N300 class wifi radio.

For $40 USD, checks off a lot of boxes.

 

[rk8531]

Ok. the point is I was infact the most happiest with Netgear R6220 with speed parameters. Now that you have shown the basic differences between R6220 and R7000, and also its now shipping from Flipkart at a special price of 69$ . I guess its a great deal. But I really don't want the random disconnection issues as I faced with R6220 model with a PPPoE connection. Would it be a common problem in Netgear or is R7000 better due to a different processor ?

Because I am already seeing some worrying posts about the same problem with R7000 as well.

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Nighthawk-WiFi-Routers/R7000-Internet-drop-out-issue/td-p/1215527

Just blindly go for it. R7000 has no issues. Still if you do face any issues with R7000, then that comes from Netgear's default firmware. Luckily, R7000 is also most supported by many other opensource firmwares viz.
1. DD WRT
2. Advanced Tomato
3. xVortex Merlin firmware ( the most stable among all)
4. Fresh Tomato
R7000 is the most suitable router for your needs.

 

[nithin]

Co

For his needs - yes, he can...

I know of a few directly supported QCA devices that'll do 100Mbps just fine... and most of them are less than $50USD.

Could you suggest some ? I shall check availability in India. But please do note that I did try couple of TP link archer products and an ASUS model already in the range of 60-70 $ , however the speeds they provided even with a 5 GHz band was not even 10 % of what they are marketing. I was never getting above 16 Mbps and neither could their support team could tell what was the problem than concluding these are defective products. However in terms of stability they were top notch. Never I had a disconnectivity issue with TP link and ASUS, but to me, if it can not provide at least above 50 mbps speed for an 80 mbps connection, I don’t consider it worth the investment. So I really need a product that will work without much hassles for streaming in amazon fire tv, and Laptop/mobile browsing

 

[rk8531]

Co

Could you suggest some ? I shall check availability in India. But please do note that I did try couple of TP link archer products and an ASUS model already in the range of 60-70 $ , however the speeds they provided even with a 5 GHz band was not even 10 % of what they are marketing. I was never getting above 16 Mbps and neither could their support team could tell what was the problem than concluding these are defective products. However in terms of stability they were top notch. Never I had a disconnectivity issue with TP link and ASUS, but to me, if it can not provide at least above 50 mbps speed for an 80 mbps connection, I don’t consider it worth the investment. So I really need a product that will work without much hassles for streaming in amazon fire tv, and Laptop/mobile browsing

The recommended routers aren't available in India. If you import them, you have to pay the custom duty of around $30 or more.
In short if you are getting R7000 for $70 that's a much better deal.

 

[nithin]

The recommended routers aren't available in India. If you import them, you have to pay the custom duty of around $30 or more.
In short if you are getting R7000 for $70 that's a much better deal.

Just blindly go for it. R7000 has no issues. Still if you do face any issues with R7000, then that comes from Netgear's default firmware. Luckily, R7000 is also most supported by many other opensource firmwares viz.
1. DD WRT
2. Advanced Tomato
3. xVortex Merlin firmware ( the most stable among all)
4. Fresh Tomato
R7000 is the most suitable router for your needs.

Does it mean , even if it has all the issues of connection drop out mentioned here in below couple of links, shall I still be able to switch the firmware and make it working ? How safe is changing manufacturer firmware , does it void the warranty ?

I am confused and I have the special sale offer going on for another 5 hours to finalise the purchase

In one of the below links R8000 is suggested as stable which is now available for 113 dollars at a special prize today. But unfortunately saw the same internet drop out issues mentioned about the same as well


https://www.davidlimonline.com/blog...he-netgear-r7000-router-running-fw-1096010260

https://www.davidlimonline.com/blog...6410264-for-r7000-early-reviews-not-promising

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Ni...ar-R7000-drop-internet-connection/m-p/1685199

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Ni...t-connection-after/m-p/1673921/highlight/true

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Ni...Netgear-Nighthawk-R7000-Problems/td-p/1681002

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Ni...nternet-regularly-every-few-days/td-p/1238469

 

[ColinTaylor]

3. xVortex Merlin firmware ( the most stable among all)

This firmware is illegal and should therefore not be used. There will be no support for it in these forums.

 

[rk8531]

Does it mean , even if it has all the issues of connection drop out mentioned here in below couple of links, shall I still be able to switch the firmware and make it working ? How safe is changing manufacturer firmware , does it void the warranty ?

I am confused and I have the special sale offer going on for another 5 hours to finalise the purchase

In one of the below links R8000 is suggested as stable which is now available for 113 dollars at a special prize today. But unfortunately saw the same internet drop out issues mentioned about the same as well


https://www.davidlimonline.com/blog...he-netgear-r7000-router-running-fw-1096010260

https://www.davidlimonline.com/blog...6410264-for-r7000-early-reviews-not-promising

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Ni...ar-R7000-drop-internet-connection/m-p/1685199

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Ni...t-connection-after/m-p/1673921/highlight/true

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Ni...Netgear-Nighthawk-R7000-Problems/td-p/1681002

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Ni...nternet-regularly-every-few-days/td-p/1238469

R8000 is a tri band router and is an upgrade over R7000. It also has a Dual Core 1 GHZ CPU and and offload processor for each band. R8000 is also supported by Fresh Tomato and DD WRT.

If there are no hardware issues with your router then issue is with Netgear's firmware. If your routers works without any issues then you don't have try these open source firmwares like Fresh Tomato or DD WRT. After a while the router manufacturer stops supporting the router with regular software patches. So, in short the stability issues arising due to bad software coding can be corrected by using a more updated Opensource Firmware like DD WRT and Fresh Tomato.
Buy R7000 if you don't have more than 20 clients connected to internet at the same time. R8000 just offers one additional 5 GHZ band over R7000. Everything else is just same.

 

[nithin]

R8000 is a tri band router and is an upgrade over R7000. It also has a Dual Core 1 GHZ CPU and and offload processor for each band. R8000 is also supported by Fresh Tomato and DD WRT.

If there are no hardware issues with your router then issue is with Netgear's firmware. If your routers works without any issues then you don't have try these open source firmwares like Fresh Tomato or DD WRT. After a while the router manufacturer stops supporting the router with regular software patches. So, in short the stability issues arising due to bad software coding can be corrected by using a more updated Opensource Firmware like DD WRT and Fresh Tomato.
Buy R7000 if you don't have more than 20 clients connected to internet at the same time. R8000 just offers one additional 5 GHZ band over R7000. Everything else is just same.

Thank you but i have made up my mind especially seeing a serious problem with Netgear routers having a internet drop out issue. The link below highlights that there is even no solution to this problem .

https://www.reddit.com/r/googlehome/comments/asqysq/netgear_r7000_dropping_wifi_disable_competing/

Even though I am tempted to go for it due to the sales offer, I think I need to wait for somebody to suggest for a Stable router with performance. Hope such a router can be found in India

Also very curious why TP link Archer c7 and c9 even though markets above 800 mbps speed is able to give only under 16-18 mbps. Is there something which is missing out or are these defecting products sold online .

 

[sfx2000]

Could you suggest some ? I shall check availability in India. But please do note that I did try couple of TP link archer products and an ASUS model already in the range of 60-70 $

Might also consider the AC1200 class GL-Inet B1300 - again, OpenWRT under the hood, OpenVPN/Wireguard client/server...

https://www.gl-inet.com/products/gl-b1300/