Wireless Routers (1 Viewer)

[Balco]

My wireless router, which I bought several years ago is on it's way out. I have several devices that use wi fi and up to 3 are in use at the same time. It is starting to take forever to find my wi fi signal (I live in an 8oo square foot apartment, so distance is not the issue), and my devices drop wi fi signal for no apparent reason.

I have $100-$200 to spend, and I am having trouble figuring out what makes a good router.

This is the one I currently have:

Linksys WRT120N

My parents are also in need for one and need a strong signal since they have two floors (or does that even matter).

I would appreciate any suggestions on a the type/brand of router that has very good performance.

Thanks.

 

[Man In The Box]

Funny that this thread pops up today, as I'm considering a new router myself, and Daily Steals has the Apple Air Port Extreme today for $99.99 refurbished. I've been debating pulling the trigger for the last 5 hours.

 

[East Coast Bias]

I have this one. Never had a problem with it. Would definately recommend.

 

[Ketamine Dreams]

I just bought the Airport Express and it seems pretty good. (All Apple owner.)

 

[MaxThreshold]

I have this one.

Read the review.

 

[Balco]

I have this one.

Read the review.

This is one of the routers that came up in my search. Reviews seem to be very good on Amazon. Do you like it?

 

[MaxThreshold]

I have this one.

Read the review.

This is one of the routers that came up in my search. Reviews seem to be very good on Amazon. Do you like it?

Very much so. No problems whatsoever. I'm running both 2.4GHZ (wireless-G for older devices in my house) and 5.0GHZ (wireless-N) at the same time - no crashes or disruptions or anything in a little bit over the year I've had it.And at $99 it's a steal for you.

 

[Osaurus]

I have an Asus RT-N16 with Tomato USB firmware running on it. Absolutely love it and would recommend the N56 or the N66 (a little more expensive) to anyone.

 

[MaxThreshold]

I have an Asus RT-N16 with Tomato USB firmware running on it. Absolutely love it and would recommend the N56 or the N66 (a little more expensive) to anyone.

Who would have thought ASUS made good routers? I was totally surprised when I started looking into this one. Usually it's typically DLink, Netgear, etc...

 

[Osaurus]

I have an Asus RT-N16 with Tomato USB firmware running on it. Absolutely love it and would recommend the N56 or the N66 (a little more expensive) to anyone.

Who would have thought ASUS made good routers? I was totally surprised when I started looking into this one. Usually it's typically DLink, Netgear, etc...

I have had mine for 6 months now and no issues. Easy to flash with Tomato and its wifi range is terrific (I use mine as an Access Point for wifi only).

 

[belljr]

Before you choose dowload a wifi finder app. You could have multiple signals all on the same channel. I did this in my neighborhood recently and it helped immensely. You might have everyone on channel 1 or 6

 

[Sup_Yo]

Funny that this thread pops up today, as I'm considering a new router myself, and Daily Steals has the Apple Air Port Extreme today for $99.99 refurbished. I've been debating pulling the trigger for the last 5 hours.

Only 90 day warranty vs 1 year warranty if purchased refurbished through Apple. Back to the topic at hand - recommend AirPort Express or Extreme though! Simplistic and works!

 

[Balco]

I have this one.

Read the review.

Just place my order for this. Thanks for the recommendation.

 

[Don Quixote]

I have that router too. Been very happy with it.

ETA: Referring to the one you bought.

 

[Nathan R. Jessep]

is the Asus RT-N56U referenced above still a viable router option?

Went to window shop as I will be replacing my old one in the next couple of weeks, and I was a little overwhelmed by the selections available now. They've added a lot of options it seems since the last time I purchased one (about 10 years ago). Any particular options to avoid or look for?

If it matters, I'm connecting a desktop PC, an Xbox 360, 4-6 wireless devices (not necessarily all at the same time) and occasionally a wireless laptop.

T.I.A.

 

[VA703]

is the Asus RT-N56U referenced above still a viable router option?

Went to window shop as I will be replacing my old one in the next couple of weeks, and I was a little overwhelmed by the selections available now. They've added a lot of options it seems since the last time I purchased one (about 10 years ago). Any particular options to avoid or look for?

If it matters, I'm connecting a desktop PC, an Xbox 360, 4-6 wireless devices (not necessarily all at the same time) and occasionally a wireless laptop.

T.I.A.

just get a cheapo and put dd-wrt firmware on it

 

[hxperson]

is the Asus RT-N56U referenced above still a viable router option?

Went to window shop as I will be replacing my old one in the next couple of weeks, and I was a little overwhelmed by the selections available now. They've added a lot of options it seems since the last time I purchased one (about 10 years ago). Any particular options to avoid or look for?

If it matters, I'm connecting a desktop PC, an Xbox 360, 4-6 wireless devices (not necessarily all at the same time) and occasionally a wireless laptop.

T.I.A.

just get a cheapo and put dd-wrt firmware on it

At this point, if you need a router, either get a cheapo and put dd-wrt or tomato on it, or get one with AC. I recently picked up an ASUS AC-66u on sale and installed dd-wrt pretty easily on it and it works perfectly for me. The dual antennas allows you to leave one of them on 2.4 Ghz or even 802.11g if you have older devices that aren't compatible with 802.11n or 5 Ghz, while leaving the other antenna in 5 Ghz b/g/n/ac.

 

[VA703]

check slickdeals they usually have a router up everyday under $30 bucks

 

[Don Quixote]

I still have the Asus RT-N56U, and still happy with it. I've had it for a couple of years now, so it has been awhile since I've researched how it is relative to other routers though. I think Asus has a 66 out now.

 

[Nathan R. Jessep]

is the Asus RT-N56U referenced above still a viable router option?

Went to window shop as I will be replacing my old one in the next couple of weeks, and I was a little overwhelmed by the selections available now. They've added a lot of options it seems since the last time I purchased one (about 10 years ago). Any particular options to avoid or look for?

If it matters, I'm connecting a desktop PC, an Xbox 360, 4-6 wireless devices (not necessarily all at the same time) and occasionally a wireless laptop.

T.I.A.

just get a cheapo and put dd-wrt firmware on it

At this point, if you need a router, either get a cheapo and put dd-wrt or tomato on it, or get one with AC. I recently picked up an ASUS AC-66u on sale and installed dd-wrt pretty easily on it and it works perfectly for me. The dual antennas allows you to leave one of them on 2.4 Ghz or even 802.11g if you have older devices that aren't compatible with 802.11n or 5 Ghz, while leaving the other antenna in 5 Ghz b/g/n/ac.

1. What's AC?

2. I'm not familliar with dd-wrt nor tomato. I assume those are just interface software?

 

[Osaurus]

ASUS NT-16 WITH TOMATO USB is sweet and not too expensive. No dual band though

 

[VA703]

is the Asus RT-N56U referenced above still a viable router option?

Went to window shop as I will be replacing my old one in the next couple of weeks, and I was a little overwhelmed by the selections available now. They've added a lot of options it seems since the last time I purchased one (about 10 years ago). Any particular options to avoid or look for?

If it matters, I'm connecting a desktop PC, an Xbox 360, 4-6 wireless devices (not necessarily all at the same time) and occasionally a wireless laptop.

T.I.A.

just get a cheapo and put dd-wrt firmware on it

At this point, if you need a router, either get a cheapo and put dd-wrt or tomato on it, or get one with AC. I recently picked up an ASUS AC-66u on sale and installed dd-wrt pretty easily on it and it works perfectly for me. The dual antennas allows you to leave one of them on 2.4 Ghz or even 802.11g if you have older devices that aren't compatible with 802.11n or 5 Ghz, while leaving the other antenna in 5 Ghz b/g/n/ac.

1. What's AC?

2. I'm not familliar with dd-wrt nor tomato. I assume those are just interface software?

they are firmware updates. which grant you additional controls over the device.. easier to manage settings etc, more user friendly and compatible

 

[Nathan R. Jessep]

ASUS NT-16 WITH TOMATO USB is sweet and not too expensive. No dual band though

I see that one allows USB printer and USB hard drive connections (I could use both, but not a requirement). I don't even know what dual band means. Clearly, I need to do more research. Thanks for the recommendation.

 

[hxperson]

is the Asus RT-N56U referenced above still a viable router option?

Went to window shop as I will be replacing my old one in the next couple of weeks, and I was a little overwhelmed by the selections available now. They've added a lot of options it seems since the last time I purchased one (about 10 years ago). Any particular options to avoid or look for?

If it matters, I'm connecting a desktop PC, an Xbox 360, 4-6 wireless devices (not necessarily all at the same time) and occasionally a wireless laptop.

T.I.A.

just get a cheapo and put dd-wrt firmware on it

At this point, if you need a router, either get a cheapo and put dd-wrt or tomato on it, or get one with AC. I recently picked up an ASUS AC-66u on sale and installed dd-wrt pretty easily on it and it works perfectly for me. The dual antennas allows you to leave one of them on 2.4 Ghz or even 802.11g if you have older devices that aren't compatible with 802.11n or 5 Ghz, while leaving the other antenna in 5 Ghz b/g/n/ac.

1. What's AC?

2. I'm not familliar with dd-wrt nor tomato. I assume those are just interface software?

AC is the next wireless standard and devices with this capability can transfer data at theorectical speeds of up to 3x that of typical N routers (at the moment- the technology is still being advanced). It is likely that none of your devices right now have the ability to transfer data over the AC standard, so buying one today is not neccessary. However, if you did want to buy a top of the line router to future proof your network for the foreseeable future, this would be the way to go and would really only run you around $150. Ultimately that is your call, but the wiser (and possibly cheaper) option would be to buy a cheap dual band N router today ($50), put tomato or dd-wrt firmware on it, and buy a superior AC router than what is out there today in 3-4 years time.

 

[Nathan R. Jessep]

is the Asus RT-N56U referenced above still a viable router option?

Went to window shop as I will be replacing my old one in the next couple of weeks, and I was a little overwhelmed by the selections available now. They've added a lot of options it seems since the last time I purchased one (about 10 years ago). Any particular options to avoid or look for?

If it matters, I'm connecting a desktop PC, an Xbox 360, 4-6 wireless devices (not necessarily all at the same time) and occasionally a wireless laptop.

T.I.A.

just get a cheapo and put dd-wrt firmware on it

At this point, if you need a router, either get a cheapo and put dd-wrt or tomato on it, or get one with AC. I recently picked up an ASUS AC-66u on sale and installed dd-wrt pretty easily on it and it works perfectly for me. The dual antennas allows you to leave one of them on 2.4 Ghz or even 802.11g if you have older devices that aren't compatible with 802.11n or 5 Ghz, while leaving the other antenna in 5 Ghz b/g/n/ac.

1. What's AC?

2. I'm not familliar with dd-wrt nor tomato. I assume those are just interface software?

AC is the next wireless standard and devices with this capability can transfer data at theorectical speeds of up to 3x that of typical N routers (at the moment- the technology is still being advanced). It is likely that none of your devices right now have the ability to transfer data over the AC standard, so buying one today is not neccessary. However, if you did want to buy a top of the line router to future proof your network for the foreseeable future, this would be the way to go and would really only run you around $150. Ultimately that is your call, but the wiser (and possibly cheaper) option would be to buy a cheap dual band N router today ($50), put tomato or dd-wrt firmware on it, and buy a superior AC router than what is out there today in 3-4 years time.

Gotcha. Thanks for the input. Any preference of tomato vs. dd-wrt?

 

[hxperson]

is the Asus RT-N56U referenced above still a viable router option?

Went to window shop as I will be replacing my old one in the next couple of weeks, and I was a little overwhelmed by the selections available now. They've added a lot of options it seems since the last time I purchased one (about 10 years ago). Any particular options to avoid or look for?

If it matters, I'm connecting a desktop PC, an Xbox 360, 4-6 wireless devices (not necessarily all at the same time) and occasionally a wireless laptop.

T.I.A.

just get a cheapo and put dd-wrt firmware on it

At this point, if you need a router, either get a cheapo and put dd-wrt or tomato on it, or get one with AC. I recently picked up an ASUS AC-66u on sale and installed dd-wrt pretty easily on it and it works perfectly for me. The dual antennas allows you to leave one of them on 2.4 Ghz or even 802.11g if you have older devices that aren't compatible with 802.11n or 5 Ghz, while leaving the other antenna in 5 Ghz b/g/n/ac.

1. What's AC?

2. I'm not familliar with dd-wrt nor tomato. I assume those are just interface software?

AC is the next wireless standard and devices with this capability can transfer data at theorectical speeds of up to 3x that of typical N routers (at the moment- the technology is still being advanced). It is likely that none of your devices right now have the ability to transfer data over the AC standard, so buying one today is not neccessary. However, if you did want to buy a top of the line router to future proof your network for the foreseeable future, this would be the way to go and would really only run you around $150. Ultimately that is your call, but the wiser (and possibly cheaper) option would be to buy a cheap dual band N router today ($50), put tomato or dd-wrt firmware on it, and buy a superior AC router than what is out there today in 3-4 years time.

Gotcha. Thanks for the input. Any preference of tomato vs. dd-wrt?

I've never used tomato but dd-wrt is great. I've read that tomato is superior by most people due to its interface. IMO, if you don't buy a router with tomato pre-installed, then make sure the router you want has one of the two available for it (you can google this) and has a pretty manageable installation procedure (you can youtube "install tomato/dd-wrt xx router" for a step by step guide to many routers out there) and you'll have pretty much everything you need.

 

[Nathan R. Jessep]

Excellent. I appreciate your expertise.

 

[Osaurus]

Big fan of tomato, but builds are pretty limited to select routers. DD-WRT looks like it accomplishes many of the same things as tomato, but maybe not as flashy. Heck of a lot more routers by manufacturer though. HTH

 

[Jobber]

I'm in the same boat as Col. Jessup.

I've got several iPads, PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, Wii U, phones all using Wifi. My old NetGear at best gives 20MB download speeds. When wired, I get 60MB down over my cable modem. So I think I can do better in the wifi department. Going off of what many have said, I'm looking at the ASUS RT-N66U. Currently on Amazon for $124. Is that a decent price for this one?

 

[Bucks]

I'm in the same boat as Col. Jessup.

I've got several iPads, PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, Wii U, phones all using Wifi. My old NetGear at best gives 20MB download speeds. When wired, I get 60MB down over my cable modem. So I think I can do better in the wifi department. Going off of what many have said, I'm looking at the ASUS RT-N66U. Currently on Amazon for $124. Is that a decent price for this one?

$80 refurb shipped at newegg.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?SID=9QIXeJ3DEeOt0MKe19bShwYR61_eb.y3_w-R_0_0&AID=10440897&PID=1225267&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-cables-_-na-_-na&Item=N82E16833320154&cm_sp=