Which wireless router?

[HowardMil]

hi
I am getting ISP Comcast 500mbps theoretically.
Will purchase Netgear CM 1000 ( 3.1 Docis)

Need fastest and best router available . Mostly concerned with fastest speed Wired to PC and then mobile also. House 3000 sq feet.
( I have Netgear 8500 , thinking to upgrade??)
X10
X4s
TP link 7200
RT AC88U
Netgear ORBI
Help and suggestions needed
Thanks Howard

 

[ColinTaylor]

Read the reviews on the main SmallNetBuilder site, that's what it's there for.

 

[joegreat]

Which wireless router?

There is no "magic one router solution" for bigger homes.

Was discussed many times in the forum: if you want to bring WLAN to all corner of your home you need multiple devices (access points) around the rooms - even in my smaller home I need two WLAN devices to cover all corners with good signal level and speed (see footer).

When it comes to routers, I would suggest to get one which is well supported by the vendor AND jointly by the open source community - not alternatively, I say jointly!
This is only the case with Asus routers - read about Merlin's enhanced ASUS firmware.

So the current choice for me would be the Asus AC86U - not the old 68U (newest Asus device on the market and supported by Merlin).

To cover the bigger home you need at least a 2nd device in Access Point mode (remember that FCC forced a lock down and limited transmission power of the routers from all vendors) - ideally to be connected by wired LAN with the first router (alternately with Power-line) - I do not recommend (AI)Mesh (better to call them "Mess") devices.

 

[HowardMil]

There is no "magic one router solution" for bigger homes.

Was discussed many times in the forum: if you want to bring WLAN to all corner of your home you need multiple devices (access points) around the rooms - even in my smaller home I need two WLAN devices to cover all corners with good signal level and speed (see footer).

When it comes to routers, I would suggest to get one which is well supported by the vendor AND jointly by the open source community - not alternatively, I say jointly!
This is only the case with Asus routers - read about Merlin's enhanced ASUS firmware.

So the current choice for me would be the Asus AC86U - not the old 68U (newest Asus device on the market and supported by Merlin).

To cover the bigger home you need at least a 2nd device in Access Point mode (remember that FCC forced a lock down and limited transmission power of the routers from all vendors) - ideally to be connected by wired LAN with the first router (alternately with Power-line) - I do not recommend (AI)Mesh (better to call them "Mess") devices.

I was inclined to go with the AC86U. As a novice, technically, I don’t understand the differences about “mesh” devices. Just wanting FAST pc and mobile speed ( connectivity) for down and up.
IRONICALLY... as I write this on my IPhone - my current Netgear r8500 is giving my phone downloads of average 375 - 450
mbps! Maybe the R8500 is still good after 3 years?

 

[psychopomp1]

I was inclined to go with the AC86U. As a novice, technically, I don’t understand the differences about “mesh” devices. Just wanting FAST pc and mobile speed ( connectivity) for down and up.
IRONICALLY... as I write this on my IPhone - my current Netgear r8500 is giving my phone downloads of average 375 - 450
mbps! Maybe the R8500 is still good after 3 years?

Yep, the R8500 is still a decent router, I would keep it if you don't have any issues. If it aint't broke...

 

[HowardMil]

Thanks for the help. Just curious: if I do go to the Asus... is their, ANY router you’ve experienced that would be considered slightly even “better” ( in overall speed, coverage, state of art and ‘problem free’ at this moment??

 

[Easy Rhino]

The x8 is a pretty high-spec router, it might be fine for you.

Most any router should be handle the wire speed without problem.

Wireless, on the other hand.... most clients are going to max out at 500-600mbps under ideal short range conditions (unless you have something rare with 3x3 or 4x4 radios). And then speed will drop a lot with range.

I would get the internet service and get the cable modem that supports it, and see how well things work out for you.

If you're going to have problems, it's probably along the periphery. Then you can figure out how much speed you actually need at the periphery, and then figure if you want to start setting up various access points/mesh systems.

Then again, you may get like 40mbps on the periphery, but it's just a smartphone, so that's still plenty of speed, and everything is ok!​

 

[HowardMil]

The x8 is a pretty high-spec router, it might be fine for you.

Most any router should be handle the wire speed without problem.

Wireless, on the other hand.... most clients are going to max out at 500-600mbps under ideal short range conditions (unless you have something rare with 3x3 or 4x4 radios). And then speed will drop a lot with range.

I would get the internet service and get the cable modem that supports it, and see how well things work out for you.

If you're going to have problems, it's probably along the periphery. Then you can figure out how much speed you actually need at the periphery, and then figure if you want to start setting up various access points/mesh systems.

Then again, you may get like 40mbps on the periphery, but it's just a smartphone, so that's still plenty of speed, and everything is ok!​

This is a FINE answer: will get cm1000, hook up to R8500 and go from there! Thanks!!

 

[Steve Joseph]

I have searched a lot and found best wireless routers that helped me increasing the range of my signals

 

[Val D.]

I have searched a lot and found best wireless routers that helped me increasing the range of my signals

"Nighthawk R6700 is one of the fastest and powerful Wireless Router ever introduced by America Tech giants NETGEAR"

This router is No.1 choice in 2020, according to this website. Seriously? The original R6700 is from 2014 (Broadcom based), then in 2017 Netgear faked their own successful product with R6700 V2 (MediaTek based, cheaper hardware), then later in 2017 realized the mistake and switched back to R6700 V3 (Broadcom based). It's a similar performance model to ASUS RT-AC68U and far from the fastest in 2020. Netgear R7800 has both faster hardware and better range, for example.

Don't trust everything you read on Internet.

 

[OzarkEdge]

"Nighthawk R6700 is one of the fastest and powerful Wireless Router ever introduced by America Tech giants NETGEAR"

This router is No.1 choice in 2020, according to this website. Seriously? The original R6700 is from 2014 (Broadcom based), then in 2017 Netgear faked their own successful product with R6700 V2 (MediaTek based, cheaper hardware), then later in 2017 realized the mistake and switched back to R6700 V3 (Broadcom based). It's a similar performance model to ASUS RT-AC68U and far from the fastest in 2020. Netgear R7800 has both faster hardware and better range, for example.

Don't trust everything you read on Internet.

"Cons:

• Poor Design
• Unstable with Heavy workload"

Hilarious click bait review.

OE

 

[Val D.]

Cons:

• Poor Design
• Unstable with Heavy workload

Yeah... If this is the No.1 router choice in 2020, imagine what No.10 is.