Home wi-fi router recommendations

[Big Dave2]

Looks like I need a new router. I've had a linksys WRT160 router for about 5 or 6 years and lately I have to keep unplugging it to give it a hard re-set or else my internet speed is down to almost nothing. As soon as I do the re-set the speeds go back up to what Mediacom tells me I am supposed to have but then after a certain period of time which keeps getting shorter, the speeds go back down until I re-set it again. It was lasting months between re-sets then recently it has been about a week and now it seems to need re-setting daily or hourly.

I tried updating the firmware but the Linksys HSOforum says there is no downloads available for my router, I'm assuming that's because it is so old.

It has served us well and I'm happy to get a new one but with so many alternatives, I'm not sure what I need or how much I should spend.

We don't have a large house so range should not be much of a problem and never was with the old one.

I'm not sure if capacity is a factor but the maximum that would be running at one time is 3 phones, a laptop an Ipad and a smart TV streaming Netflix or whatever.

I use this connection for working at home during the day so I need to get one in the next day or two so I don't have to worry about it going all the way down and not being able to work.

Anyone have any recommendations?

[delcecchi]

Which of the big box stores is near you? Walmart has some decent routers. I don't know about Target.

[Big Dave2]

My wife travels past all of them at some point in the week. Wal Mart, Target, Best Buy.

I have to add that now I'm not as sure it is my router as I was yesterday. Last night we were having trouble and re-setting the router wasn't working this time so I re-set the router and my modem and it started working again. I have contacted Mediacom and they tell me that from their end everything looks good. Very frustrating.

[upnorth]

Their modems need to be restarted now and then too. I will add that any router/wireless device you get I would make sure that it will work with b/g and n mixed mode.

[aanderud]

Lots of the newer routers out seem to have problems with overheating, dropping connections, etc from what I read -- I think companies are trying to get products out the door even if they're a bit buggy. I've never owned a TP-Link router, but the last few years they've really come on strong with products that seem to have really good reviews relative to some of the sketchier dlink and netgear products out there (and even linksys). A few coworkers have use TP-link, and they have the best reviews on amazon the last couple years with the fewest complaints. I'd give them a look.

For lower-end they have the TP-LINK TL-WR841N Wireless N300 Home Router, at around $20, which should really support everything you need today at home. It supports "300 Mbps" connections, and realistically you should be able to easily connect at 100 Mbps or better from most anywhere within 50 feet of the router as long as you're not going through TOO many walls. This is more than enough to max our your netflix and all that interwebz jazz.

For the higher end use, they have stuff like the Archer C9 AC1900 that will theoretically be more future-proof. It runs the newer wifi protocol, 'AC' and 1300 Mbps versus the older-new protocol, 'N' on 300 Mbps. With those higher speeds, it makes connections to file servers and NAS drives much more smooth. It's more useful for office environments. Another consideration is that those high speeds typically don't go more than 20 to 30 feet at most, and if you go through walls you get less....so in office environments they'll usually get a bunch of these things and set them on different channels so you can connect to the fastest closest one. But, you won't have 'AC' support in any of your devices, most likely, unless you upgrade the wireless in your laptop (most business laptops have it but few home laptops do). It's a nice option, but not an essential option, is what I'm trying to say.

[rundrave]

I have been really happy with my ASUS router I am using the RT-N56U model . There was a thread discussing them here: ASUS Routers

I telecommute frequently and it has been great and I am also very happy with the wireless range.

[aanderud]

I've got that same model of ASUS, purchased Nov 2011. At the time, it was worth paying a premium for the ASUS products, as they were among the best on the market based on what was available. However, in the last couple of years I think the TP-link routers seem to offer much more bang for the buck, and at the same time, surprisingly, what seems to be a lower rate of complaints.

Look at amazon, there is about a 1:4 ratio of 1-star reviews to 5-star reviews on most of the '4 star' ASUS routers. For instance, the n56u that I own has 308 one-star reviews versus 1204 five-star reviews. (about 1:4) Plenty of complaints of frequent reboots, dropped connections, lockups, etc. These type of reviews are present for all wifi routers, so I just look for a router that has FEWER of them (seems like my chances of having issues should be lower this way).

Now look at the TP-link N300 which costs 1/4 as much as the ASUS ($20 versus $80). The ratio of 1 to 5 star reviews is closer to 1 in 10 (310 versus 3104). So, roughly 2.5x the failure (or at least extremely dissatisfied customer rate) on the ASUS versus TP-Link.

That's just using one model for comparison but it seems to be a trend from what I've seen.

[JP Z]

Dave, you may want to go through DD-WRT for an upgraded firmware. They have your router listed. I use that on all of my routers.

[Big Dave2]

Dave, you may want to go through DD-WRT for an upgraded firmware. They have your router listed. I use that on all of my routers.

I took a look at this and it looks kind of complicated and techy for a dummy like me.

I think it is safe to say the problem is with my router. I just connected my modem directly to my laptop and got speeds much higher than my subscribed plan, much higher than I have ever tested. When I hooked the router back up my speeds are back in the dumpster.

I think it's time for a new router.

[Sandmannd]

Last year I went with a NETGEAR AC1200 - Dual Band Gigabit. It's pricier but right now Amazon has them for $60. It's been a great router. You still have to reset them now and then but it goes great through walls and floors. I keep mine in the basement and get great signal throughout the home. I did research when looking and saw great reviews of people who kept them in the basement of a three story home and had full signal on the top floor.

[Big Dave2]

I've got that same model of ASUS, purchased Nov 2011. At the time, it was worth paying a premium for the ASUS products, as they were among the best on the market based on what was available. However, in the last couple of years I think the TP-link routers seem to offer much more bang for the buck, and at the same time, surprisingly, what seems to be a lower rate of complaints.

Look at amazon, there is about a 1:4 ratio of 1-star reviews to 5-star reviews on most of the '4 star' ASUS routers. For instance, the n56u that I own has 308 one-star reviews versus 1204 five-star reviews. (about 1:4) Plenty of complaints of frequent reboots, dropped connections, lockups, etc. These type of reviews are present for all wifi routers, so I just look for a router that has FEWER of them (seems like my chances of having issues should be lower this way).

Now look at the TP-link N300 which costs 1/4 as much as the ASUS ($20 versus $80). The ratio of 1 to 5 star reviews is closer to 1 in 10 (310 versus 3104). So, roughly 2.5x the failure (or at least extremely dissatisfied customer rate) on the ASUS versus TP-Link.

That's just using one model for comparison but it seems to be a trend from what I've seen.

So if you were going to buy a new router today for your own house, which model would you get?

[Big Dave2]

You still have to reset them now and then

Thanks for the recommendation Shane, I'll have to look into that one. I hear the above quote a lot about routers now that I've been having the trouble but to be honest I never touched my linksys in 5 years until just a couple months ago when the trouble started. What does yours do that makes you have to reset it? Slow internet, no signal? Something else?

[pikestabber]

You pretty much get what you pay for with routers in terms of speed and signal strength, but reliability is a whole other ball of wax... Sometimes a really expensive unit can die out for seemingly no reason and a cheaper unit can last for years. That's electronics for ya... Even still, you don't have to break the bank for a decent set up. I have a Netgear N300 from Wally. It seems I paid more last year when I got it, but now it's listed at about $42. 424 of the 527 reviews list it as 4 stars or more (compared to 64 1-star reviews). That's a positive overall review, I'd say. Honestly, if you got 5+ years out of a router then a) that's borderline amazing, and you'll likely be impressed with how far even less expensive units have come in 5 years. 5 years in electronic world is an eternity. VCRs used to weigh 100 pounds and cost $800...things change quickly! What's more most frustrating to me is that by the time you get of out the store, whatever you just bought is already outdated

http://www.walmart.com/ip/NETGEAR-N300-Wireless-Router/10928683

[aanderud]

You still have to reset them now and then

[upnorth]

For those that really want performance and stability:

This:

http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/Cisco-2911-router-rack-mountable/1912391.aspx

Plus this:

http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/Cisco-T...rd/2856237.aspx

This is middle of the line Enterprise network gear. Lasts for years upon years, unless you upgrade something never going to need rebooting etc. Pay an extra fee and you get pretty much world class support.

So compare that to the less than $100 you get at the big box stores and you wonder why you need to restart now and then to clear everything up.

[BartmanMN]

I moved from my Linksys to a Netgear N750 this year. It has been great and seems to support our needs, which include 3 ipods, 2 iphones, 2 ipads, a laptop, PC, Wii, and Apple TV. All of which may be connected to wifi at any given time.

[Big Dave2]

OK, so after all this I was doing some research last night and found out that T-mobile is offering their Cell Spot router for free with free shipping to T-mobile customers. This router is supposed to be a good quality Asus router with all the features I need plus it prioritizes wi-fi calling to make that better. We don't get good service in our house so we rely on wi-fi calling to make calls with our cell phones.

I ordered it this morning, I figured it would be hard to beat free.

[aanderud]

OK, so after all this I was doing some research last night and found out that T-mobile is offering their Cell Spot router for free with free shipping to T-mobile customers. This router is supposed to be a good quality Asus router with all the features I need plus it prioritizes wi-fi calling to make that better. We don't get good service in our house so we rely on wi-fi calling to make calls with our cell phones.

I ordered it this morning, I figured it would be hard to beat free.

Sounds like a great deal! Let us know how it goes.

[Sandmannd]

You still have to reset them now and then

[Jameson]

I have been really happy with my ASUS router I am using the RT-N56U model . There was a thread discussing them here: ASUS Routers

I telecommute frequently and it has been great and I am also very happy with the wireless range.

Just added my reply to that thread. Have had good luck with my ASUS RT-N66U router.

[Big Dave2]

So far so good. My new router (Asus Cell Spot from T-Mobile) is working perfectly. My internet speeds have never been faster and our wi-fi calling is much improved.