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Sold my Apple TimeCapsule, time to get another wireless access point / router

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RamGuy

Senior Member
Now that I've got my FreeNAS (FreeBSD) file-server up and running and all my Macs (as well as my Windows) systems are backup up directly to my file-server I had no need for my Apple TimeCapsule any more so I sold it and to my disbelief I got almost as much for it used as I paid for it in the first place.


This put's me back in the market for another wireless product to host my wireless network. I've got a PfSense router up and running so there is really no need for routing capabilities, but the amount of high performance wireless access points on the market is very limited and their prices tend to be about to same as a wireless router in the first place so I guess a router with disabled DHCP is the way to go if I want a high performing wireless network.



I've got $250 to spend on a wireless solution, and my requirements are simple enough. I want the fastest and most reliable 3x3 stream 5.0GHz @ 40Hz connection for my MacBook Pro's as possible. It's as simple as that really. I will use 2.4GHz @ 40Hz for all my other devices that are not 3x3 stream like my iPhone, iPad, other Windows notebooks etc.. But here performance isn't really an issue, it's my MacBook Pro's with their Broadcom 3x3 stream connections that requires high reliable performance.


From the graphs it seems to me like the RT-N66U, WNDR4000, DIR-665, E4200, E4200v2 and WNDR4500 are all battling for the crown but when I read on other sites the numbers are getting tossed all over the place like CNet seems to claim that the WNDR4500's wireless performance is rather disappointing but this doesn't show from the graphs on Smallnetbuilder which makes me somewhat confused.


If we toss all routing performance, USB-features and all that nonsense aside and are looking on raw wireless 5.0GHz @ 40Hz 3x3 stream performance and reliability, which router / access point would you say is the best one to go for these days?
 
What are your range requirements for 5 GHz.

I would use 20 MHz mode for 2.4 GHz unless you don't have neighboring networks. Otherwise you are hogging spectrum.
 
Looking at individual locations in the benchmark chart is going to tell you what you want to know. Here is Location D 5 GHz Downlink Throughput - 40 MHz B/W - 3 stream, which is the lowest signal level location for 5 GHz products. You can take it from there.

Note that products are rarely balanced in up and downlink performance.

Why aren't you just buying an Airport Extreme if you were happy with the Time Capsule's performance?
 
That's pretty cool...

Just remember when your TimeMachine backups explode - it's Free and Open Source Software - might work, might not when you need it. But at least you get the source code :D

TimeMachine to an external drive is also an option...
 
Looking at individual locations in the benchmark chart is going to tell you what you want to know. Here is Location D 5 GHz Downlink Throughput - 40 MHz B/W - 3 stream, which is the lowest signal level location for 5 GHz products. You can take it from there.

Note that products are rarely balanced in up and downlink performance.

Why aren't you just buying an Airport Extreme if you were happy with the Time Capsule's performance?


It's all about customization at the lack thereof with the Apple AirPort Extreme / TimeCapsule. There is no way to disable 2.4GHz and only run 5.0GHz, there is no option for manually selecting channels above 48, if you want higher you have to stick it with automatic which normally defaults to channel 100. Manually changing the 2.4GHz channel like I'd want to because we've got a separate 2.4GHz network upstairs and I want the least interference possible is not possible without being forced to manually select the channel for 5.0GHz as well.

And with the latest firmware update (no possibility for downgrade as far as I can tell) have pretty much disabled all advanced configurations completely and all newer Apple AirPort Extremes and TimeCapsules tend to ship with this firmware already installed.
 
You can manually select any of the legal 5GHz channels... agreed that 2.4GHz cannot be disabled can be an issue for some folks...

The 7.6.1 firmware is fine - it's the Airport Admin app, and you can download and use the v5.6 which gives many more knobs to tweak... and it works fine for current Airport Extremes and TimeCapsules - and it's required if you want to manage the pre-N Airport saucers... V6.0 is only for the later gear... and is much more limited, as you mention... only upside it brings that I can see is that it is visually "prettier" and enables iCloud support, which I don't use...

Link to v5.6 below - you can install it alongside the V6.0 - I don't even use V6.0 for managing my network.

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1482
 
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