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Author Topic: Asus RT-N56u wireless router, what say ye?  (Read 720 times)

Brad Johnson

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Asus RT-N56u wireless router, what say ye?
« on: April 06, 2015, 03:03:59 PM »
Sick and tired of my supplied UVerse router and it's constant wifi drops. Both my phone and desktop have consistent wifi connection issues even after several rounds of interwebs-suggested tweaks. It's gotta be a security authentication issue as Wifi analyzer is showing the wifi signal as constant but the device connections cycle with almost clockwork regularity. Rebooting the modem/router helps for a bit but the prob always returns.

Considering the Asus RT-N56U. I want something that's relatively plug and play, I'm several universes removed from needing the N66's speed, and I've no desire to delve into OS swaps. Based on my needs, and the reviews and testing, the N56 seems to be the best sub-$100 choice for everyday residential use.

What say ye, oh keepers of knowledgy goodyness?

Brad
« Last Edit: April 06, 2015, 03:22:51 PM by Brad Johnson »
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Balog

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Re: Asus RT-N56u wireless router, what say ye?
« Reply #1 on: April 06, 2015, 03:18:05 PM »
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Brad Johnson

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Re: Asus RT-N56u wireless router, what say ye?
« Reply #2 on: April 06, 2015, 03:21:01 PM »
Quote from: Balog on April 06, 2015, 03:18:05 PM
http://www.armedpolitesociety.com/index.php?topic=47493.0

Found that. It's focusing on the N66 which seems to be a lot overkill in my situation. Based on my fairly straightforward, utilitarian needs is there an advantage to spending 50% more for the higher-end unit?

Brad
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It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
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RocketMan

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Re: Asus RT-N56u wireless router, what say ye?
« Reply #3 on: April 06, 2015, 03:42:34 PM »
Quote from: Brad Johnson on April 06, 2015, 03:21:01 PM
Found that. It's focusing on the N66 which seems to be a lot overkill in my situation. Based on my fairly straightforward, utilitarian needs is there an advantage to spending 50% more for the higher-end unit?

I think I'd rather have some overkill than buyer's regret.  I have the N66, and while it does more than I need, I am happy knowing the extra capabilities are available should I someday need them.
I paid $180 for mine in January last year.  They go for $125 now at Newegg.  Not a bad price at all.
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Brad Johnson

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Re: Asus RT-N56u wireless router, what say ye?
« Reply #4 on: April 06, 2015, 03:54:14 PM »
Quote from: RocketMan on April 06, 2015, 03:42:34 PM
I think I'd rather have some overkill than buyer's regret.  I have the N66, and while it does more than I need, I am happy knowing the extra capabilities are available should I someday need them.
I paid $180 for mine in January last year.  They go for $125 now at Newegg.  Not a bad price at all.

Therein lies my dilemma. What incentives are there to justify paying 50% more for a unit that is massive overkill for my situation and will, in all likelyhood, be supplanted with something less expensive and more capable by the time I need added performance? I've no problem spending for a more expensive unit, but I want the expense to be justified.

Here's my rational... I likely have at least another 2-3 years until my data demands will even come close to taxing the N56. By that time I will probably be able to purchase something with 3-4x the performance and a slew of current tech for about what I'll pay for the N56, giving me an additional 3-4 years of compatibility and service. That's $150-ish total for a 6-8 yr period of current tech and good performance. Or I could spend $130 now and have a bunch of performance I don't need and can't use, and in three years I'll be on the tail-end of that unit's serviceable life, plus being on the losing end of the technology curve. Solid thinking or faulty logic? I'm behind the times on router tech so I need yoos netwurk peeples to help fill in the gaps.

Brad
« Last Edit: April 06, 2015, 04:22:46 PM by Brad Johnson »
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It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
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Balog

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Re: Asus RT-N56u wireless router, what say ye?
« Reply #5 on: April 06, 2015, 04:36:12 PM »
Quote from: Brad Johnson on April 06, 2015, 03:21:01 PM
Found that. It's focusing on the N66 which seems to be a lot overkill in my situation. Based on my fairly straightforward, utilitarian needs is there an advantage to spending 50% more for the higher-end unit?

Brad

This one directly addresses the 56.

http://www.armedpolitesociety.com/index.php?topic=47493.msg968635#msg968635
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Quote from: French G.
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Quote from: Standing Wolf
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Re: Asus RT-N56u wireless router, what say ye?
« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2015, 04:40:56 PM »
Had the Asus RT-N66U for a couple years.  So good I did not flash the firmware with ddwrt or tomato.

Can stream HD over the 802.11N wifi.
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roo_ster

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Re: Asus RT-N56u wireless router, what say ye?
« Reply #7 on: April 06, 2015, 04:53:28 PM »
No. Stop.
You Must Buy a Glock. 
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Brad Johnson

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Re: Asus RT-N56u wireless router, what say ye?
« Reply #8 on: April 06, 2015, 05:27:07 PM »
Quote from: Balog on April 06, 2015, 04:36:12 PM
This one directly addresses the 56.

http://www.armedpolitesociety.com/index.php?topic=47493.msg968635#msg968635

He said it was a total pain but didn't elaborate. Why was it a pain? Ws it because of custom settings becoming uncustom?  Speed issues? Connection stability? It was at his parents' place. Knowing how my parents can make total hash of the simplest technology, I'd like to know problem specifics. Was it something inherent to the router, or was it an issue of setup/unfamiliarity/knowledge?

Brad
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It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
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Re: Asus RT-N56u wireless router, what say ye?
« Reply #9 on: April 06, 2015, 05:47:21 PM »
Quote from: Brad Johnson on April 06, 2015, 03:03:59 PM
What say ye, oh keepers of knowledgy goodyness?

If you're not taxing your current router and you don't need/want AC, the RT-N56U will probably be fine.

Any current generation Asus is. I'm kinda ashamed, but I have a quasi production network on an N16 I had in my closet. Old Cisco router broke, I grabbed an N16 I happened to have, I did flash with aftermarket firmware, and it's now the router on a visitor access network. Not using the wifi, just routing, but it's handling 50 ish smartphones, tablets and laptops. Plus a dozen LAN devices. N56U is beefier than the N16. Only huge issue is N vs AC.

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Brad Johnson

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Re: Asus RT-N56u wireless router, what say ye?
« Reply #10 on: April 06, 2015, 06:00:03 PM »
Almost embarrassed to ask... what's AC, and what are the advantages?

Brad
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It's all about the pancakes, people.
"And he thought cops wouldn't chase... a STOLEN DONUT TRUCK???? That would be like Willie Nelson ignoring a pickup full of weed."
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Re: Asus RT-N56u wireless router, what say ye?
« Reply #11 on: April 06, 2015, 09:25:16 PM »
It's mainly connectivity and sych issues. It may well be a combination of that router and the Centurylink modem that's also a piece of crap; but the old WRT54GL that I had running before it was rock solid for about 8 years. Everything has to be rebooted daily at least once, and its range is incredibly inconsistent. One minute everyone has full bars on the opposite side of the house, the next second everything's searching for a new connection. It may be that the stock firmware is overpowering the radio and its going into a protection mode. I've turned the power down a couple notches from full to try and play it safe; but its made no difference. Nobody has access to the settings but me; and the security settings on the 5ghz side keep resetting to factory defaults. Its too bad, the stock firmware is a joy to work with and has a million options to choose from. When it comes to this, I really would recommend spending the extra $40 for the 66. Even if its faster then you need now, its likely to last you 5-6 years and having the extra head room may come in handy at some point. The extra range available with the upgradable antenae probably won't hurt either.
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cassandra and sara's daddy

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Re: Asus RT-N56u wireless router, what say ye?
« Reply #12 on: April 06, 2015, 09:36:26 PM »
Yea I upgrades all three antenna. It helped 


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