Replace my Asus N16 with... ????

[Colin Pastuch]

My N16 with Tomato has lasted an astonishingly long time. Somehow, from my basement closet, it gets a decent connection to my bedroom but isn't 1080P capable at that distance. I have chromecast audios all over my house, want wireless 4k streaming and more range so it's time to upgrade.

3 story home. 150mb cable internet. Each floor has 1000 SQ Feet. I also want wifi in my backyard if possible. Modem and Router in basement with ethernet to second floor in place. Third floor could also have hard wired Ethernet with 15 minutes of work.

I'm in Canada so we don't get the deals I see in the USA. It's tempting to drive down to Ogdensburg Walmart and buy 3 Netgear 7000s for $150 USD total. Mesh networking starts at $500 CAD which is ridiculous.

Would 2 TP-Link Archer c7s do it? How about 2 TP link Archer C9s?

What is the least expensive way to connect my home?

 

[TonyH]

My N16 with Tomato has lasted an astonishingly long time. Somehow, from my basement closet, it gets a decent connection to my bedroom but isn't 1080P capable at that distance. I have chromecast audios all over my house, want wireless 4k streaming and more range so it's time to upgrade.

3 story home. 150mb cable internet. Each floor has 1000 SQ Feet. I also want wifi in my backyard if possible. Modem and Router in basement with ethernet to second floor in place. Third floor could also have hard wired Ethernet with 15 minutes of work.

I'm in Canada so we don't get the deals I see in the USA. It's tempting to drive down to Ogdensburg Walmart and buy 3 Netgear 7000s for $150 USD total. Mesh networking starts at $500 CAD which is ridiculous.

Would 2 TP-Link Archer c7s do it? How about 2 TP link Archer C9s?

What is the least expensive way to connect my home?

First of all basement is bad place to locate a router, especially when you try to maximize coverage. My router is located at upstairs loft of 2 story house. Little smaller house than yours. Coverage is OK, whole house from basement up, outside front/backyad patio.

 

[avtella]

Before trying mesh, you could try a single R7800, RT2600AC or AC88U first and see how that goes, all have great great range. The R7800 and RT2600AC have a bit better 5Ghz performance/range and the AC88U is a bit better in the 2.4Ghz performance/range.

One thing people ignore is housing material and restrictions in where they can place their router and simply look at sqft. I can cover my whole 2600 sqft house with a R7800 or R8500 placed in the middle of the 2nd floor with good signal even in the basement. Then there are others who can barely get signal one floor below with the 5Ghz band due to granite flooring as an example.