Author Topic: Help me get a new router (Read 3045 times)

Balog · « **on:** March 08, 2015, 05:09:17 PM »

Our wireless router is dying. We have good fiber service to the house and use devices on wifi throughput the house. Looking for a good router and possibly a booster. Tell me what to buy.

Calumus · « **Reply #1 on:** March 08, 2015, 05:22:34 PM »

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833320091

RocketMan · « **Reply #2 on:** March 08, 2015, 08:09:15 PM »

Quote from: Calumus on March 08, 2015, 05:22:34 PM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833320091

Seconded. I have one of these and really like it.

Balog · « **Reply #3 on:** March 08, 2015, 09:46:02 PM »

Is the AC worth the money over an N?

Calumus · « **Reply #4 on:** March 08, 2015, 11:17:51 PM »

It's not for me. I have a 50mb fios connection, and I can run at full speed wirelessly without an issue. If you're transferring large files over wireless, and everything has an ac card it may be.

RevDisk · « **Reply #5 on:** March 09, 2015, 08:39:33 AM »

Quote from: Balog on March 08, 2015, 09:46:02 PM

Is the AC worth the money over an N?

Depends what you want to do. If you're browsing the net and the heaviest thing you do is watch Netflix, an N16 will do you fine. I use one at home, and it's good enough for me but regularly moving around TB of data is taxing it. I'm replacing it with RT-AC68U. I have one at work that's within arm reach.

AC has two things, beefier CPU and generally USB3 port(s). Well, and AC speed, obviously. You can use the Asus router as a makeshift NAS, by plugging in an external hard drive. If you want to do this, USB3 is pretty important. If not, not a big deal. Beefier CPU is only necessary if you plan on having complex router configuration. VPN, complex filtering rules, using it as a print server, using it as a NAS. If you're just going to use it as a router with near default config, get the N. If you plan on doing wild and crazy stuff, get the AC.

I think the N will be just fine. I think an N16 will suit your needs, but the N66U will do you fine. AC68U is definitely overkill for your needs, probably. Let me know if you need dimensions, power usage, speed testing or whatnot.

Balog · « **Reply #6 on:** March 09, 2015, 01:26:42 PM »

I see all of my network professional type friends are recommending the Asus. Are they really a significant gain over say a netgear etc? Is that a performance thing, or durability, or?

RevDisk · « **Reply #7 on:** March 09, 2015, 01:27:40 PM »

Quote from: Balog on March 09, 2015, 01:26:42 PM

I see all of my network professional type friends are recommending the Asus. Are they really a significant gain over say a netgear etc? Is that a performance thing, or durability, or?

Yes.

Balog · « **Reply #8 on:** March 09, 2015, 01:45:46 PM »

Lol. Good enough.

MillCreek · « **Reply #9 on:** March 09, 2015, 02:04:16 PM »

I am certainly making a mental note for if/when the Motorola Surfboard dies.

Balog · « **Reply #10 on:** March 09, 2015, 02:35:16 PM »

So would this be a solid choice?

http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-3-In-1-Wireless-Router-RT-N12/dp/B00DWFPDNO/ref=sr_1_7?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1425925797&sr=1-7&keywords=asus+router

What about this one?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049YQVHE/ref=psdc_300189_t1_B006QB1RPY

Or this one at top of the line?

http://www.amazon.com/RT-N66U-Dual-Band-Wireless-N900-Gigabit-Router/dp/B006QB1RPY/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1425925797&sr=1-1&keywords=asus+router

Calumus · « **Reply #11 on:** March 09, 2015, 03:25:26 PM »

Quote from: Balog on March 09, 2015, 02:35:16 PM

http://www.amazon.com/RT-N66U-Dual-Band-Wireless-N900-Gigabit-Router/dp/B006QB1RPY/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1425925797&sr=1-1&keywords=asus+router

Spend the extra if you can. Avoid headaches later on. I set my parents up with the 56 and its been a total pain. Unfortunately, they're stuck with it until they move south once their house in Jersey sells. I'm not willing to try to walk them through setting up a router over the phone.

zxcvbob · « **Reply #12 on:** March 09, 2015, 05:55:57 PM »

http://www.amazon.com/PORTER-CABLE-690LR-11-Amp-Fixed-Base-Router/dp/B00005QEVQ

brimic · « **Reply #13 on:** March 09, 2015, 06:41:14 PM »

Quote from: MillCreek on March 09, 2015, 02:04:16 PM

I am certainly making a mental note for if/when the Motorola Surfboard dies.

Me too.

Balog · « **Reply #14 on:** March 09, 2015, 08:00:00 PM »

I ended up with the http://www.amazon.com/RT-N66U-Dual-Band-Wireless-N900-Gigabit-Router/dp/B006QB1RPY/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1425925797&sr=1-1&keywords=asus+router

Buy once cry once as they say, and we spend enough time doing stuff on wifi that a good router is cost effective. Now to see how it compares to our old one and if we need to add an extender.

Hawkmoon · « **Reply #15 on:** March 09, 2015, 10:07:40 PM »

:Sigh:

Once again I am reminded of just what a troglodyte I am. I saw the title of this thread and my mind immediately turned to

RoadKingLarry · « **Reply #16 on:** March 09, 2015, 10:13:56 PM »

Right there with ya Hawkmoon and zxcvbob

RevDisk · « **Reply #17 on:** March 10, 2015, 09:53:34 AM »

Quote from: Balog on March 09, 2015, 08:00:00 PM

I ended up with the http://www.amazon.com/RT-N66U-Dual-Band-Wireless-N900-Gigabit-Router/dp/B006QB1RPY/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1425925797&sr=1-1&keywords=asus+router

Buy once cry once as they say, and we spend enough time doing stuff on wifi that a good router is cost effective. Now to see how it compares to our old one and if we need to add an extender.

Yep, that'll do you just fine.

RevDisk · « **Reply #18 on:** March 10, 2015, 01:39:23 PM »

Speaking of. Suggestions for wood type routers? Been pondering picking one up.

zxcvbob · « **Reply #19 on:** March 10, 2015, 03:02:48 PM »

Quote from: RevDisk on March 10, 2015, 01:39:23 PM

Speaking of. Suggestions for wood type routers? Been pondering picking one up.

I really like my Porter Cable router. It's a fixed-base 1/2" (also comes with a 1/4" collet) but I think there's a plunge base available for it.

bedlamite · « **Reply #20 on:** March 10, 2015, 03:19:22 PM »

Quote from: RevDisk on March 10, 2015, 01:39:23 PM

Speaking of. Suggestions for wood type routers? Been pondering picking one up.

Porter Cable and Bosch are good. Fixed base is more precise, I'd get one of those first unless you really need a plunge type. Get a round base, the square ones are a PITA to keep a straight cut along a fence.

Balog · « **Reply #21 on:** March 12, 2015, 01:02:54 AM »

Houston, we have a problem.

There is no modem. Coax comes out of the wall, hits a splitter. One side of the split goes direct to the tv, the other goes to the old router. No separate modem, and no coax port on the new asus. Must be a combination modem/router?

So, here's a picture of the old router with the list of connections. Do I hook the asus router to one of the LAN Ethernet ports like a normal computer would be? There is also a WAN port, would that be better? Aside from the actual words that compose the acronyms I don't know the practical difference between the two and I've never tried to hook one router to another.

Should I just get a separate modem that'll handle the coax?

Firethorn · « **Reply #22 on:** March 12, 2015, 01:11:16 AM »

Quote from: Balog on March 12, 2015, 01:02:54 AM

Should I just get a separate modem that'll handle the coax?

Probably the easiest. Yeah, you'd just run an ethernet cable from the modem to the router, even if they're both routers.

There's some complexities if you get a separate router for configuring it, depending on what you want to do, that I don't feel like walking you through unless you really decide to go that way.

To wit: making sure NAT, DHCP, firewall, and routing are working correctly. You want to avoid doubling up, but which router does what is up to how configurable they are, how you have them plugged in, etc...

Calumus · « **Reply #23 on:** March 12, 2015, 01:14:31 AM »

Who is your ISP? You said you had fiber; but not from who. If its FIOS, then you can set the existing modem/router as a passthrough.

Balog · « **Reply #24 on:** March 12, 2015, 01:48:31 AM »

Quote from: Calumus on March 12, 2015, 01:14:31 AM

Who is your ISP? You said you had fiber; but not from who. If its FIOS, then you can set the existing modem/router as a passthrough.

It was fios, but locally they were bought out by Frontier. Same infrastructure I believe though.

News:

Author Topic: Help me get a new router (Read 3045 times)