Router with best range for 3-storeys?

[ray]

I am only familiar with the N66U (Merlin) in an apartment. The router was an easy decision when I bought it then, I'm not familiar with the newer and current range of Asus routers.

My parents are upgrading their broadband to a 100Mbps cable connection, in a 3-storey house. I'm currently researching a wireless router to go with the broadband upgrade.

Unfortunately the cable modem will have to be on the ground floor, and the router's range will need to span 2 more floors vertically.

• Will one N66U on the ground floor suffice or
• should I look into the newer Asus routers (reading around the forum the AC68U seems to have good/better range, but we don't have any AC devices) or
• look into a router + repeater option?
• I'm also wary of overkill on the specs and features, I'm not sure a 100Mbps connection and the mostly average/moderate internet usage (surfing, downloads) will require the "ultimate best" thing out there, eg. the newly released AC87U.

I hope this is not too vague.

Thanks in advance.

 

[thiggins]

Most any router will have trouble reaching the top floor, especially in 5 GHz which is the only band to support high 802.11ac throughput.

Get the router to the middle floor and you have a much better chance of success. Use powerline to extend the modem Ethernet to the router WAN port if you can't run an Ethernet cable.

 

[ray]

Most any router will have trouble reaching the top floor, especially in 5 GHz which is the only band to support high 802.11ac throughput.

Get the router to the middle floor and you have a much better chance of success. Use powerline to extend the modem Ethernet to the router WAN port if you can't run an Ethernet cable.

Thank you, I'm beginning to realize I might have to explore the powerline option too. I balk at the powerline option because I always thought I'd get low speeds on them.

 

[RMerlin]

Thank you, I'm beginning to realize I might have to explore the powerline option too. I balk at the powerline option because I always thought I'd get low speeds on them.

Personally, I'd run a powerline between the basement and the middle floor, to connect the modem with the router (in case running Ethernet isn't possible).

Another possibility is leaving the router + powerline on the basement, and having a second router at the other end of the powerline on the top floor.

 

[thiggins]

Thank you, I'm beginning to realize I might have to explore the powerline option too. I balk at the powerline option because I always thought I'd get low speeds on them.

Latest generation designs have improved a lot. You still need to watch out for noise sources, however. Wall-wart power supplies / cellphone chargers are among the worst culprits.

If you are going to try a pair, try the TP-LINK TL-PA6010KIT. It is the best I have tested yet.
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/lanwan/lanwan-reviews/32454-tp-link-homeplug-head-to-head

 

[ray]

Personally, I'd run a powerline between the basement and the middle floor, to connect the modem with the router (in case running Ethernet isn't possible).

Another possibility is leaving the router + powerline on the basement, and having a second router at the other end of the powerline on the top floor.

It sounds like modem + powerline on lower floor and router + powerline on upper floor should solve the problem.

Sorry but what is the benefit of the router + powerline in the lower level and router + powerline on the top floor? Is that to use one of the routers as an AP?

Latest generation designs have improved a lot. You still need to watch out for noise sources, however. Wall-wart power supplies / cellphone chargers are among the worst culprits.

If you are going to try a pair, try the TP-LINK TL-PA6010KIT. It is the best I have tested yet.
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/lanwan/lanwan-reviews/32454-tp-link-homeplug-head-to-head

Thanks for the suggestion, I just googled and came across TP-Link AV500 and Aztech HL115EP too. I'll have to see which of them I have access to.

 

[RMerlin]

It sounds like modem + powerline on lower floor and router + powerline on upper floor should solve the problem.

Don't put the router on the upper floor, put it on the middle floor, to ensure coverage of all three floors. If you put it on the upper floor, basement coverage will be sketchy.

Sorry but what is the benefit of the router + powerline in the lower level and router + powerline on the top floor? Is that to use one of the routers as an AP.

That's correct. So you have the basement router covering the lower portion of the house, and the AP covering the upper portion.

 

[ray]

Got it, thank you for your help!

BTW do you think the RT-N66U with your custom firmware will suffice for a 100Mbps cable connection? It's the setup I'm most familiar with since I use it myself.

Or would you recommend getting their newer routers like the AC68?

 

[RMerlin]

Got it, thank you for your help!

BTW do you think the RT-N66U with your custom firmware will suffice for a 100Mbps cable connection? It's the setup I'm most familiar with since I use it myself.

Or would you recommend getting their newer routers like the AC68?

As long you don't use a lot of QoS rules slowing things down, the RT-N66U will have enough CPU power for 100 Mbits even if you were using features that would force HW acceleration to be disabled (such as IPTraffic).

With HW acceleration enabled, this router would have no problem hitting well over 500 Mbits.

 

[ray]

Great, that's good to know. I don't fiddle with those, run the router and your firmware as-is, so I was wary of getting a newer router with features and specs I'd never use.

 

[KGB7]

It depends if you house is made out paper and posicle sticks , or cinder blocks.

No matter what your house is made off and you must have full speed from your ISP at any location of your house, then go with above advice's.

If.your house made out of straw.like ours and you don't need to max out 100mbps, then a single router will get the job done...for most part.

Start with basic and cheap set up and if you need more coverage and speed, you can always add more APs.

 

[ray]

I just want to report that I've gone the Powerline option. Two Sineoji 600mbps devices, one connected to the modem on level 1, another connected to an RT-AC65U on level 2. Everything seems consistent and I'm able to connect on Level 3.

I'm actually kinda impressed with the Sineoji devices.

I'm still only getting a speedtest of ~26Mbps, which is what I was getting previously with the ISP's modem/router. Will have to find out what's going on there.

About to update to the latest Merlin firmware.

Thanks for everyone's help!

 

[glugglug]

Most any router will have trouble reaching the top floor, especially in 5 GHz which is the only band to support high 802.11ac throughput.

Get the router to the middle floor and you have a much better chance of success. Use powerline to extend the modem Ethernet to the router WAN port if you can't run an Ethernet cable.

Powerline is utter crap. Even with the "500Mbps" powerline you will be lucky to get 20Mbps. If you have any coax outlets on multiple floors you will get FAR better results using MoCA.

 

[ray]

Powerline is not ideal but I have to live with it for now.

Recently I'm experiencing an issue that could be router-related.

In the evenings my internet connection slows to a crawl, web pages would not resolve, and I can't even open 192.168.1.1. I tried to ping the router from Terminal and this is one of the results:

132 packets transmitted, 63 packets received, 52.3% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 0.607/108.005/968.424/262.440 ms

We have a max of 7 devices varying from Macbook Air, Mac, iPhone, to iPad and Android phones.

Is this too much for the router to handle? How can I troubleshoot/resolve this?

 

[Guibs]

Powerline is not ideal but I have to live with it for now.

Recently I'm experiencing an issue that could be router-related.

In the evenings my internet connection slows to a crawl, web pages would not resolve, and I can't even open 192.168.1.1. I tried to ping the router from Terminal and this is one of the results:



We have a max of 7 devices varying from Macbook Air, Mac, iPhone, to iPad and Android phones.

Is this too much for the router to handle? How can I troubleshoot/resolve this?

Are ping done from a wifi devices? If you physically connect to the back of the router with an ethernet cables, are you getting better pings/ connection speed?

You may want to disconnet your powerline devices and run the test again to see if this is the culprid.

 

[ray]

Yes it was done from a wifi device. I will have to run another test with a wired connection.

This only happens in the evening though, around 8-10pm.

Are you suggesting Powerline could be the culprit? That's an interesting thought, 8-10pm is the busiest time with everyone back home and the TV and appliances on, I wonder if those interfere with the Powerline connection.

 

[maddbomber83]

Meh; I have one of the newer TP Links and easily cap out my 50mb connection on it. Distance is ~ 60 feet of powerline between the devices.