Home Router Recommendation

[nthach]

I'm happy with the Orbi setup at my parent's place, I got the AC2200 version from Costco. It's a step below the AC3200 version but my parents aren't streaming 4K off Netflix or Prime Video to make a difference.

At my apartment, I bought a Linksys WRT1200-AC from CL for $20. It was originally a $200 high-end router. I flashed it with DD-WRT and I have rock solid connectivity.

 

[benjamming]

Originally Posted by NO2
Ubiquiti would be my choice for non mesh units. You usually need to run 2 or 3 access points in a larger house, depending on construction. Homes with cinder block, cement, or plaster interior walls will need still more because wifi cannot penetrate. Depending on your location, you might have a lot of interference from neighbors too.


Drywall interior walls. Brick veneer. Rural part of the county, not a subdivision.

 

[alarmguy]

Im looking at all the suggestions, including my own and came to this thought.

You own a home, I assume you plan on living there for a while. If so, do it the right way, dont get me wrong, repeating signals is fine but not the best "forever" carefree solution my any means. Over the years you will be always fooling around with it.

You have a single story home, why not just run a Cat 5 cable (or have someone run it for you) to the center of the home and install a good quality router? Plug the router into the CAT5 cable, which will run to the Internet modem at the end of the house.
There is no substitute for hard wire as a permanent solution.

Mesh routers and wifi extenders are made for impossible solutions where hardwire cant be used AND for the typical consumer who cant do it or doesnt know better. Add to that the marketing of companies selling the product for big profits and well, you know.
A professional system does not rely on repeating signals wirelessly and its cheap as heck to do.

Once in the center of the house you MAY find (but I doubt it) that one area might need some wireless attention and that is fine but with your current router completely in the wrong place at the end of the house your looking for a solution to an issue that is easy to correct.

Just my thoughts, Im not saying dont do a mesh or extender type deal but for a more simple, faster and more reliable wifi network there is not substitute for starting in the right place and that begins with proper placement of the router.

 

[RTexasF]

Rather than guessing what might work in your large home go with a mesh system of your choice that positively will work.

 

[alarmguy]

Its just how reliable of a system that you want, a properly set up system is one in which the router is central in the home, there is no disputing that fact, you then go from there. At that point you may or may not need anything further, there is no substitute for hardwire and a properly located router.
Most mesh systems are a compromise because of a router not properly located furthermore using wireless signals for wifi routers and repeaters is a consumer cheap way out of spending a little extra and properly hardwiring in most all case for the average home, simply centrally locating the router will suffice.

The more equipment that you add to a system (mesh) to make up for your shortcoming in properly locating a router, simply adds complexity at a greater expense and less reliable too boot, also note after that extra expense assuming all company's of the mesh system are reliable, most equipment will have a cycle life of 5 to 8 years (tops) before its outdated.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by alarmguy
Im looking at all the suggestions, including my own and came to this thought.

You own a home, I assume you plan on living there for a while. If so, do it the right way, dont get me wrong, repeating signals is fine but not the best "forever" carefree solution my any means. Over the years you will be always fooling around with it.

You have a single story home, why not just run a Cat 5 cable (or have someone run it for you) to the center of the home and install a good quality router? Plug the router into the CAT5 cable, which will run to the Internet modem at the end of the house.
There is no substitute for hard wire as a permanent solution.

Mesh routers and wifi extenders are made for impossible solutions where hardwire cant be used AND for the typical consumer who cant do it or doesnt know better. Add to that the marketing of companies selling the product for big profits and well, you know.
A professional system does not rely on repeating signals wirelessly and its cheap as heck to do.

Once in the center of the house you MAY find (but I doubt it) that one area might need some wireless attention and that is fine but with your current router completely in the wrong place at the end of the house your looking for a solution to an issue that is easy to correct.

Just my thoughts, Im not saying dont do a mesh or extender type deal but for a more simple, faster and more reliable wifi network there is not substitute for starting in the right place and that begins with proper placement of the router.


That's the complete opposite of what I'd do. For proper coverage of a property of this size you don't use a single device, regardless of how centrally located you make it. It's a reasonable compromise (assuming usage mirrors a profile that favours a centrally located device, which may not be the case) without going to something better, but it's still a compromise.

A proper setup would consist of:
1x Firewall, located wherever the service enters the house on a UPS. Modem from provider would also be on the UPS.
1x PoE switch, attached to that UPS
3x Clustering access points (pick a brand) located across the house so that coverage is uniform. If this is a long rectangle, one at each end and one in the middle is probably close.

This if course requires running more ethernet cable than just locating an AIO unit centrally, but will result in far more uniform coverage and doesn't leave one with a single point of failure.

 

[OVERKILL]

OP:
I'm not sure how technically savvy you are, so please advise what you feel is within your wheelhouse regarding these recommendations. You've also not indicated what the budget is. Are you comfortable putting together your own firewall box? Sophos XG Firewall software is free for home users, but you have to provide your own hardware. The same is the case for PFSense. Both are extremely easy to setup and have wizards to guide you through the process. You could use some Craigslist or Ebay hardware to run either, as the specs are not demanding. Alternatively, you can pick up a used SMB firewall on E-bay, something like a Sonicwall, WatchGuard...etc.

If you are inclined to do the "build yourself" route, you can snap-up one of these: micro PC firewall computer which should be more than sufficient for this application and load one of the solutions I mentioned.

1. Pick up a box of CAT6 ethernet cable
2. Pick up a pack of CAT6 keystone jacks
3. Pick up some access points capable of clustering like these Aruba Instant On ones
4. Pick up an inexpensive PoE switch to power your access points
5. Pick up some short male/male ethernet cables to jumper to the AP's, firewall and switch.
6. Pick up an inexpensive UPS (if desired)

Build your firewall and place at the service location along with your ISP's modem, then route your CAT6 cable to the number of locations you've decided to place access points to provide your coverage. You may also be able to get away with two well-placed AP's as opposed to 3x, depending on layout. Not sure if/how your basement is finished, but if there is only the basement and main level, you could attach the AP's beneath the floor, keeping them out of sight.

 

[benjamming]

Thanks for all the information as it helped me a lot. Coverage doesn't have to be perfect and not trying to make this into a project. This is just for a house where if the service is not the greatest in the laundry room, then don't use your phone/tablet in there & go to a different room. The previous router had decent enough coverage although our ~ 6 year-old tablet would be sluggish some (first world problem eh?).

The ASUS RT-AC66U B1 looks like a good deal, is less than $200, & appears to have good support.

 

[Carmudgeon]

Strategically placed access points with wired backhaul would, of course, be best.

But that's not practical in many, if not most installations, which is why things like extenders and more recently, mesh networking systems have hit the market.

However, one should not conflate modern mesh networking equipment, even consumer grade, with the old dumb extenders and repeaters. They are not the same thing.

The nodes in a mesh network act as peer-to-peer relay stations, not repeaters, and have dedicated backhaul channels, whether via a dedicated radio band, or a wired connection. Therefore, they operate at full duplex (full bandwidth, with multiple radios that can send/receive simultaneously), and logically, they operate as a single, seamless, unified network. Not separate, and dumb piggybacked networks at half duplex, as with the old extenders.

Nodes can be added or subtracted from a mesh network without any need for additional configuration, so they're simpler to set up than extenders.

One would be making a big mistake to think they're one and the same.

 

[alarmguy]

Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by alarmguy
Im looking at all the suggestions, including my own and came to this thought.

You own a home, I assume you plan on living there for a while. If so, do it the right way, dont get me wrong, repeating signals is fine but not the best "forever" carefree solution my any means. Over the years you will be always fooling around with it.

You have a single story home, why not just run a Cat 5 cable (or have someone run it for you) to the center of the home and install a good quality router? Plug the router into the CAT5 cable, which will run to the Internet modem at the end of the house.
There is no substitute for hard wire as a permanent solution.

Mesh routers and wifi extenders are made for impossible solutions where hardwire cant be used AND for the typical consumer who cant do it or doesnt know better. Add to that the marketing of companies selling the product for big profits and well, you know.
A professional system does not rely on repeating signals wirelessly and its cheap as heck to do.

Once in the center of the house you MAY find (but I doubt it) that one area might need some wireless attention and that is fine but with your current router completely in the wrong place at the end of the house your looking for a solution to an issue that is easy to correct.

Just my thoughts, Im not saying dont do a mesh or extender type deal but for a more simple, faster and more reliable wifi network there is not substitute for starting in the right place and that begins with proper placement of the router.


That's the complete opposite of what I'd do. For proper coverage of a property of this size you don't use a single device, regardless of how centrally located you make it. It's a reasonable compromise (assuming usage mirrors a profile that favours a centrally located device, which may not be the case) without going to something better, but it's still a compromise.

A proper setup would consist of:
1x Firewall, located wherever the service enters the house on a UPS. Modem from provider would also be on the UPS.
1x PoE switch, attached to that UPS
3x Clustering access points (pick a brand) located across the house so that coverage is uniform. If this is a long rectangle, one at each end and one in the middle is probably close.

This if course requires running more ethernet cable than just locating an AIO unit centrally, but will result in far more uniform coverage and doesn't leave one with a single point of failure.


I dont agree but we already know that *L*
A well placed router I think would have a pretty darn good chance of covering an entire home @3500 sq ft. Then if you have a dead area in one place, you can add a repeater/powerline adapter. All speculation though, all homes are different and this one we have no idea as too its dimensions.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by alarmguy

A well placed router I think would have a pretty darn good chance of covering an entire home @3500 sq ft. Then if you have a dead area in one place, you can add a repeater/powerline adapter. All speculation though, all homes are different and this one we have no idea as too its dimensions.


You don't agree that a well-placed router, somewhat central, is still a compromise, albeit probably the best one for somebody not looking to build-out a setup using AP's? Because that's what I was stating. I just indicated that it isn't the route I would go personally because it won't yield uniform coverage. That doesn't mean it won't be reasonably satisfactory for somebody not wanting to deal with having to build-out a system using AP's.

 

[wkcars]

If I was in the market right now I'd get a https://amplifi.com/alien start with one and you can add more to expand if needed.

 

[alarmguy]

Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by alarmguy

A well placed router I think would have a pretty darn good chance of covering an entire home @3500 sq ft. Then if you have a dead area in one place, you can add a repeater/powerline adapter. All speculation though, all homes are different and this one we have no idea as too its dimensions.


You don't agree that a well-placed router, somewhat central, is still a compromise, albeit probably the best one for somebody not looking to build-out a setup using AP's? Because that's what I was stating. I just indicated that it isn't the route I would go personally because it won't yield uniform coverage. That doesn't mean it won't be reasonably satisfactory for somebody not wanting to deal with having to build-out a system using AP's.


Maybe I should clarify, to me, it sounds like what you are suggesting is way over the OP's head. When I was posting, I was wondering if running a CAT 5 cable would be over his (and many others) head. Without me thinking about it too much, what you posted is over my head at least in the way I am reading it, since he was posting in here, I thought simple is what he maybe looking for, you sound a bit more advanced! ./... and possibly "overkill" without knowing exactly dimensions/structure of his/her home.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by alarmguy
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by alarmguy

A well placed router I think would have a pretty darn good chance of covering an entire home @3500 sq ft. Then if you have a dead area in one place, you can add a repeater/powerline adapter. All speculation though, all homes are different and this one we have no idea as too its dimensions.


You don't agree that a well-placed router, somewhat central, is still a compromise, albeit probably the best one for somebody not looking to build-out a setup using AP's? Because that's what I was stating. I just indicated that it isn't the route I would go personally because it won't yield uniform coverage. That doesn't mean it won't be reasonably satisfactory for somebody not wanting to deal with having to build-out a system using AP's.


Maybe I should clarify, to me, it sounds like what you are suggesting is way over the OP's head. When I was posting, I was wondering if running a CAT 5 cable would be over his (and many others) head. Without me thinking about it too much, what you posted is over my head at least in the way I am reading it, since he was posting in here, I thought simple is what he maybe looking for, you sound a bit more advanced! ./... and possibly "overkill" without knowing exactly dimensions/structure of his/her home.


Well, I'm not the only one in this thread that suggested using access points

3,500 square feet, unless it is completely open, is a lot to expect full coverage in from any device. We don't need exact dimensions to acknowledge that fact. If it's a bungalow with a 25' width, that puts the length at 140'. He indicated that the house is single level, so unless it is a big square, coverage on one of the dimensions is going to be problematic. You also suggested running ethernet cable to centrally locate the router, which, at that point, you might as well make a couple of runs and use AP's instead if uniform coverage is the goal. At this juncture, the OP has indicated that he's not after uniform coverage, so it's of no consequence.

 

[Donald]

Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by alarmguy
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by alarmguy

A well placed router I think would have a pretty darn good chance of covering an entire home @3500 sq ft. Then if you have a dead area in one place, you can add a repeater/powerline adapter. All speculation though, all homes are different and this one we have no idea as too its dimensions.


You don't agree that a well-placed router, somewhat central, is still a compromise, albeit probably the best one for somebody not looking to build-out a setup using AP's? Because that's what I was stating. I just indicated that it isn't the route I would go personally because it won't yield uniform coverage. That doesn't mean it won't be reasonably satisfactory for somebody not wanting to deal with having to build-out a system using AP's.


Maybe I should clarify, to me, it sounds like what you are suggesting is way over the OP's head. When I was posting, I was wondering if running a CAT 5 cable would be over his (and many others) head. Without me thinking about it too much, what you posted is over my head at least in the way I am reading it, since he was posting in here, I thought simple is what he maybe looking for, you sound a bit more advanced! ./... and possibly "overkill" without knowing exactly dimensions/structure of his/her home.


Well, I'm not the only one in this thread that suggested using access points

3,500 square feet, unless it is completely open, is a lot to expect full coverage in from any device. We don't need exact dimensions to acknowledge that fact. If it's a bungalow with a 25' width, that puts the length at 140'. He indicated that the house is single level, so unless it is a big square, coverage on one of the dimensions is going to be problematic. You also suggested running ethernet cable to centrally locate the router, which, at that point, you might as well make a couple of runs and use AP's instead if uniform coverage is the goal. At this juncture, the OP has indicated that he's not after uniform coverage, so it's of no consequence.


If one were to use wired access points I would think they need to know about each other so they can all be on the same SSID and you can walk around house moving from one access point to another. Mesh is OK, but performance always suffers with a mesh vs wired access points. However with mesh the performance may still be faster than the connection to the internet.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by Donald
If one were to use wired access points I would think they need to know about each other so they can all be on the same SSID and you can walk around house moving from one access point to another. Mesh is OK, but performance always suffers with a mesh vs wired access points. However with mesh the performance may still be faster than the connection to the internet.


Yes, the Aruba Instant ON AP's I suggested earlier cluster together and will gracefully roam clients between them. SSID and configuration is common on the AP's.

 

[wag123]

+7 on Asus.
You don't have to spend a ton of money on one either, just get an RT-AC*** model with 256mb of RAM or better, load Asuswrt-Merlin firmware on it, and you will be golden.