Oh no! Another advice request thread! :)

[ckpcg]

Hey all,

I know how it goes with these forums so I'll try to be brief and to the point. I'm currently running an old Linksys WRT54GP2, which we purchased many years ago for the built-in Vonage adapter. We now have a separate Vonage box; the Linksys has never worked all that well, and we've put up with it for years anyway, but it is really showing its age at this point.

I only have four priorities for a new router:

1. Stability. The Linksys constantly loses connection to the Internet and then re-establishes it, which is highly annoying. I want something reliable, above all else.
2. Connectivity. My son's PC is fairly distant from the current router -- though not that far, it's an average-sized house -- and I want better throughput and latency.
3. Reasonable cost. I'm fine paying $100 or so, but not $200.
4. Gigabit. Not as important as the others but if I'm getting a new box I might as well get modern Ethernet.

I'd like something reasonably modern so I don't have to do this all again in a couple of years, but I don't care about the very latest and greatest high-throughput speeds or fancy features.

I've read some of the threads here. There's a sticky talking about a Ubiquiti product that sounded great but it seems to be obsolete now. There are a couple of Ubiquiti products on Amazon, but they seem quite inexpensive and that makes me wonder if they have the same sort of power output, and there are some dodgy reviews.

Also looked at some of the Amped routers, which seem like good, high-powered products. But again here, seems like mixed reviews.

In fact, I can't seem to find any router without a fair number of bad reviews. I suppose that could just be "error between chair and keyboard" to some extent. Again, all I want is something that works well, has good power and that I won't have to constantly tinker with.

Anyway, any advice you might have to help me navigate this maze would be appreciated. Thanks.

ETA: We're in a low population area so interference isn't a big issue.

 

[thiggins]

Wireless routers in general have one of the highest problem / dissatisfaction rates of any electronic product. Part of it is the nature of wireless. Part of it is the unrealistic expectations set by marketing departments trying to eke out market share.

The best advice I can give you is:
- Pick a price point
- Check the Router Ranker for a concise performance ranking
- Buy from a retailer with a liberal return policy

Wireless router radio design has come a long way from the days of the WRT54G. But so has complexity. Routers today provide higher wired and wireless speeds but also run hotter. To combat this, don't go for the fastest and latest stuff and if you want Gigabit, put it in a separate switch (this keeps heat out of the router).

More advice here:
5 Tips For Buying A Future Proof Router

Good luck

 

[stevech]

Very good advice.

I'd add: The brands you see on retail shelves are NOT the only ones to consider. They're the ones most heavily marketed, and paying for shelf space. (I'll not list brand names).

Last few years, most of what I buy is from Newegg. Fast. Good prices. Carry most stuff. User reviews helpful if you toss out the highs and lows and goofballs. Good return policy.

 

[ckpcg]

Appreciate the replies. I'll continue to do my homework, and the rankings are useful, thanks. The reliability / quality issue continues to be my greatest concern, but as you say, it's somewht of a shot in the dark.

 

[cheenachatze]

Amazon has the WD My Net AC1300 for $95. You'd be shocked how much faster it is than your current router.

 

[stevech]

Wow. I didn't know that WD is selling WiFi routers. I'd be wary of a spot-market WD router. But that's just me.

 

[thiggins]

Wow. I didn't know that WD is selling WiFi routers. I'd be wary of a spot-market WD router. But that's just me.

They have been for over a year.
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wire...4-wd-my-net-n900-hd-dual-band-router-reviewed
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wire...wd-my-net-ac1300-hd-dual-band-router-reviewed

 

[RMerlin]

And they are designed by the same company who designed the DLink routers that have been recently found to have an old backdoor in them: Alpha Networks.

 

[ckpcg]

Hi again,

So based on reviews here and the best customer satisfaction info I could find, I went with the TRENDnet TEW-811DRU. Unfortunately, it appears to have been a poor choice -- it is both less stable and much slower than my 8-year-old router. On one of my son's computers, which regularly connects at 54 Mbps to my old Linksys, it would never connect at above 6.5. It also kept intermittently changing from a solid connection to "No internet available".

Do I just have a lemon, or should I try a different brand/model?

Thanks.

ETA: Always had good luck with WD hard drives so maybe the AC1300 is worth trying. Or really, any other specific suggestions welcomed. I've done my homework but I could use a bit of tutoring.

ETA Again: Just tried a firmware update; seems about the same.

 

[thiggins]

You could be running into a compatibility issue. Try an N600 router if you want dual=band. Linksys refurbs are cheap and you have 30 days to try and return.

 

[ckpcg]

Thanks Tim. This is supposed to be backward compatible with N, and I wanted AC to give me a bit of future-proofing so I don't go through this all over again in a few years.

Should I really just go down to a straight N router?

 

[thiggins]

Thanks Tim. This is supposed to be backward compatible with N, and I wanted AC to give me a bit of future-proofing so I don't go through this all over again in a few years.

Should I really just go down to a straight N router?

Lots of things in life are "supposed to be" a certain way, but aren't.

Is the problem limited to just one computer? If so, you can try changing the adapter on it.

 

[ckpcg]

Thanks for the quick reply.

There are two machines, neither really seem to work much better with the new router, and one's a laptop with built-in wifi.

We have little in the way of local options for electronics, but there's a Netgear N300 on sale at Staples for $45. Would it maybe be a good idea to try one of those and "future-proof" by saving the money to buy another cheap router in a few years?

OTOH the N300 is also 5 years old and I'm not sure it really makes a lot of sense to buy a device that's already near obsolescence.

 

[stevech]

. Would it maybe be a good idea to try one of those and "future-proof" by saving the money to buy another cheap router in a few years?
.

I'd say yes, it's a good idea to buy an 11n WiFi router and wait on 11ac for a year or so, assuming you don't want to just tinker with 11ac and your 11ac capable client devices (assuming you have some).
I suggest shopping on Newegg.com before choosing a retailer like Staples.

 

[ckpcg]

Thanks. I normally buy from Amazon or Newegg but was feeling impatient.

 

[thiggins]

N routers are not obsolete. If you don't have AC devices or plan to have any for a few years, spending $40 or so on a basic N300 router is a smart way to go.

 

[stevech]

N routers are not obsolete. If you don't have AC devices or plan to have any for a few years, spending $40 or so on a basic N300 router is a smart way to go.

I agree!! Early adoption of new standards is good recreation for experimenters!

Were it not for new IEEE/WiFi standards, the vendors would saturate the market and see declining sales revenue!