Any knowledgeable Computer people here? wifi router upgrade

[BillsFan4]

I am looking to upgrade my wifi router. I have a basic understanding of features, but was looking for input and recommendations.

 

My currrnt router is pretty outdated at this point.

 

I definitely want at least a dual band, but was looking at tri-band too.

My house isn't huge, (maybe 2000ish sq ft.). but I'd like a single router that could cover my whole house with a good strong signal (instead of having to buy 2, or use a range extender that will slow my speeds).

 

Some of the stuff I was considering -

 

-dual or tri-band

-beam forming

-mu-Mimo (wave 2?)?

-smart connnect (intelligently choose best band for each device)

-advanced QoS?

-single processor vs dual core vs quad core (and what size MHz/GHz the processor is, as well as the RAM specs and their importance in my situation)

-gigabit Ethernet ports

-3, 4, 6 antennae?

 

 

The devices that will be in use on the network - iPad Pro, regular iPad, amazon tablet, smart phone, smart tv and amazon fire stick (on wifi, only maybe 3 devices at a single time though) and Xbox one S, laptop (connected by Ethernet cable).

 

It is important that my smart tv and fire stick can stream movies without constantly having to buffer, and I want the iPad Pro to also receive a strong, reliable, fast signal (I currently have issues with intermittently getting knocked off wifi on the iPad). It'd also be nice to be able to connect my Xbox to wifi and game online if I so choose, but it'll most likely stay connected by Ethernet.

 

Here is one I was considering - https://www.amazon.com/Linksys-Max-Stream-Tri-band-Wireless-EA8300/dp/B06X9CPC45/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501427782&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=Links%27s+ac2200+router

 

I was also looking at some of the netgear nighthawk series routers, like this one for ex (or the ac3200) - https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Nighthawk-Tri-Band-Gigabit-Compatible/dp/B0192911RA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501444832&sr=8-1&keywords=nighthawk%2Bx6%2Brouter&th=1

 

I've heard some good things about Asus brand routers, too.

 

I am very open to suggestions though. My current internet speed is only 60mbps, so I don't really know if it's worth getting these higher end models, but I'd also like this router not to need to be upgraded a couple years down the road.

 

Any suggestions as far as make, model, must have features, etc? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Alaska Darin]

1. Technology will always be outdated a couple years down the road.

2. The Linksys router you've linked will be fine for your requirements.

3. It's impossible to say whether you'll need a range extender without knowing your home layout and/or where in the house your router will be located.

4. Most of the "whiz bang" stuff in routers doesn't really make much difference.

5. More processors are pretty much always better, even if it's just minimal gain. It always comes down to price.

6. Computer hardware isn't much different than vehicles. You have to do preventative maintenance (software/firmware updates) regularly to get the best performance.

[/dev/null]

The router you linked is fine for home use

[mead107]

I have to reset my router almost every day. Sometimes 3-6 times. That's why off to see cable company tomorrow.

[BillsFan4]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

 

Alaska - I know nothing is future proof, but I just wondered if it was worth getting certain features to protect me in the coming years. Like 802.11ac wave 2 which supports mu-mimo. I only have 1 mu-mimo capable device right now (2 if you count the Xbox on wired connection) but I am thinking of upgrading my fire stick soon. Many devices are just starting to become ac (mu-mimo) capable, so I expect most things you buy to star having those capabilities/compatibility.

Same with the beam forming. I believe I only have 1 capable device right now, but it's the device I used the most. Then you have to see whether it's explicit or implicit beam forming, which gets more complicated and harder to find out.

 

But there is a pretty decent price jump to get some of those capabilities. I am starting to lean more toward an AC1900 series router. I can get one of those for roughly $100-$120, as opposed to $150-$200+.

 

Anyone have any opinion on TP Link products? Specifically their ac1900 long range router? And compared to the one I listed. Worth the price increase for the previously listed router?

 

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AC1900-Range-Wireless-Router/dp/B00PDLRHFW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501525029&sr=8-1&keywords=tp+link+archer+c9

[BillsFan4]

I have to reset my router almost every day. Sometimes 3-6 times. That's why off to see cable company tomorrow.

What type of cable modem do you have? Do you have a combination cable modem and router? And if so are you using a separate wifi router? Because if so your cable modem needs to be set in bridge mode by the cable company. Otherwise it will compete with your wifi unit.

 

Edit - I wanted to add that even if you didn't get a new modem recently, if it also has wifi capabilities it could have been knocked out of bridge mode. If that was the case, all you'd have to do is call Spectrum and have them out it back into bridge mode for you. I had this problem recently

 

 

Oh man, I had a freaking nightmare dealing with Spectrum the other day. Come to find out that the cable modem they provided me (back in 2007) wasn't capable of providing the "turbo" internet speeds I had been paying for since 2014! So I was demanding a $10 per month credit for those 3 years I wasn't getting the service that was paying for. The best they would do was offer me a $25 total one time credit, and oh by the way my bill is going up by $40 starting in august...! (some promotions they clam were not listed on my bill).

 

So after about 4 hours on the phone and multiple people lying their butt's off to me about all different things (saying that they just started offering turbo just recently which is why I wasn't getting the speeds promised, saying my modem was capable of the speeds even though their tech said it 100% was NOT and the modem was 100% at fault (his exact words), saying the issue was on my end not the cable modem's and all sorts of other BS), I finally got to a head of the dept. who said he would look into when they started offering the turbo internet speeds and call back. That was Thursday. Still no word. I called today and he didn't answer. It took me all of 5 minutes to pull up an article on google showing they started offering it in 2012... I replaced the cable modem Friday and instantly started getting the proper speeds. Obviously the issue was with their old ass cable modem (which they claimed the computer would have flagged if it wasn't capable of providing those speeds....lol).

Edited July 31, 2017 by BillsFan4

[teef]

I have to reset my router almost every day. Sometimes 3-6 times. That's why off to see cable company tomorrow.

i had this happen, so i bought a new router. hasn't happened since. not sure if it was the best way to go, but it sure was easy.

[boyst]

I have to reset my router almost every day. Sometimes 3-6 times. That's why off to see cable company tomorrow.

change your channel

[mead107]

change your channel

how?

[boyst]

how?

settings.

[BillsFan4]

how?

What type of wireless router is It? The make and model?

Edited July 31, 2017 by BillsFan4

[/dev/null]

change your channel

 

how?

 

settings.

 

 

How will vary by make and model of your router so you will have to consult your manual or Google it.

 

But the gist of it is Wifi operates on different bands (2.4GhZ and 5.0Ghz) and within each band are individual channels

2.4Ghz has longer range, but fewer channels, and slower max speeds

5.0Ghz has shorter range, more channels, and faster max speeds

 

2.4Ghz is the older and slower band but is still the most commonly used. It's also used by cordless phones and is susceptible to interference from nearby electronic devices.

 

Given the extended range and fewer channels of the 2.4Ghz band, you and your neighbors wifi may be interfering with each other. Your cordless telephone, baby monitor, even your microwave and other electronic devices (or your neighbors) may be interfering with your wifi.

Edited July 31, 2017 by /dev/null

[Greybeard]

how?

 

Get a free copy of WIFI Analyser. It will show the strength of your signal and the channel. It will also show you every other channel your computer can see, which is interesting and informative.

 

Then if you want to change the channel your on, log into your router and chose the channel you desire. I have read it is good to stay on 1, 6 or 11. There are others available but they tend to interfere with each other. If your neighbors have the 1, 6 or 11 it is not as bad as others having a number close to you but not the exact number. The router was designed to handle other router signals on the same channel. At least that is what I have read.

 

Here is a link to where I found the above info.

 

https://forums.att.com/t5/AT-T-Internet-Installation/Slow-Wifi-Searched-through-the-posts-here-still-looking-for-help/td-p/4062522

Edited August 2, 2017 by Greybeard

[/dev/null]

 

Get a free copy of WIFI Analyser. It will show the strength of your signal and the channel. It will also show you every other channel your computer can see, which is interesting and informative.

 

Then if you want to change the channel your on, log into your router and chose the channel you desire. I have read it is good to stay on 1, 6 or 11. There are others available but they tend to interfere with each other. If your neighbors have the 1, 6 or 11 it is not as bad as others having a number close to you but not the exact number. The router was designed to handle other router signals on the same channel. At least that is what I have read.

 

 

 

WiFi analyzers are freely available for smartphones and laptops. Not only are they useful in identifying which channels are open, they can help identify where your signal is strong or weak. So if you're trying to figure out where to place your router/wap/extender or why it works in one room but not another

[dickleyjones]

If your problem is wifi, in my experience the best reasonably priced equipment that just keeps rocking is Ubiquiti. It doesn't look like crap, it mounts to the ceiling or wall beautifully. Great quality gear.

[BillsFan4]

Thanks for the help everyone.

 

I did a LOT of research and ended up going with this one. I was going to go with an Asus, but I read some people were having issues with apple products so I went with the Nighthawk. The Asus AC66U or AC68U and the Netgear Nighthawk seemed to be the most widely recommended and the best performers in almost every test I found -

 

https://www.netgear.com/home/products/networking/wifi-routers/R7000.aspx

 

It's a Netgear Nighthawk R7000 (AC1900 series router). So far I am totally blown away. It's night and day from my previous outdated router. It was an old G series though, so this is quite the step up. I had the old Linksys for a good 10 years, easy. So it served me well.

 

I can't believe how much faster my internet is, though. I am getting like 5mbps faster speeds than what I'm paying for from my internet provider, and that's on both the 2.4 and 5ghz bands, everywhere in my house (both floors, even in the far corners of my house) and outside in my backyard too. The wifi is just as fast (or sometimes even faster) as my Ethernet connected devices! That's amazing to me. I am getting a strong, full signal everywhere too. I am very impressed with how strong the 5ghz signal strength has been. 5ghz doesn't transmit nearly as far as 2.4ghz, so I was worried it wouldn't cover my whole house. But it has.

 

I've been able to keep my iPad signed in to only the 5ghz, even on the opposite end of my house the router is at. I was planning on setting up the router in a central location, but I don't think that'll be necessary. I would have to run new Ethernet cables through the wall/floor, so it'd be nice not to have to do that...

 

It seems to have solved my intermittent connectivity issues too. My iPad Pro was dropping the wifi many times a day. Fingers crossed that continues...