Advice for router with better coverage

[beefjerky]

I live in a 2044 sqft house, which is deeper than it is wide. It also has a decent size backyard and front yard. The inside walls are simple drywall, and the outside walls are a mix of brick and wood siding. I currently have an Asus AC66U router that is mounted pretty close to the center of the house, and also up high. Overall, it covers the house pretty well, but there are a few spots that are a bit troublesome. The signal is definitely pretty weak once you get outside, and as you get further in the yard it becomes unusable.

I would like to find a router that can give me a bit better coverage, especially outside in the yard. I'm not necessarily in need of higher speeds, but it certainly wouldn't be a bad thing. I would really prefer not to have to setup separate APs, but I realize that a different router may not necessarily solve my issue. I primarily use the 5GHz band, so that is the most important to me in terms of coverage. However, I realize the 2.4GHz band may be the only option for outside, so that will be a factor.

The AC66U has been a great and reliable router, so I'd like the replacement to also be that way. Unfortunately, it seems Asus may not be my best option this time around; the AC87U seems to have serious overheating issues and flaky 5GHz, and the AC88U seems to not have comparable range to similar routers.

It seems like two of the top routers in terms of coverage right now are the Linksys EA8500 and the TP-Link C3150. I've used Linksys before and had good luck, but I admit I'm a bit concerned with them being owned by Belkin now. I've never used a TP-Link router, but the Archer series seem to have a solid following. I am a bit concerned with how usable their web interface is.

At any rate, I'm looking for a router that will give me excellent coverage, good reliability and a decent interface. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

EDIT: I forgot to mention that the house is single story.

 

[netwrks]

I live in a 2044 sqft house, which is deeper than it is wide. It also has a decent size backyard and front yard. The inside walls are simple drywall, and the outside walls are a mix of brick and wood siding. I currently have an Asus AC66U router that is mounted pretty close to the center of the house, and also up high. Overall, it covers the house pretty well, but there are a few spots that are a bit troublesome. The signal is definitely pretty weak once you get outside, and as you get further in the yard it becomes unusable.

I would like to find a router that can give me a bit better coverage, especially outside in the yard. I'm not necessarily in need of higher speeds, but it certainly wouldn't be a bad thing. I would really prefer not to have to setup separate APs, but I realize that a different router may not necessarily solve my issue. I primarily use the 5GHz band, so that is the most important to me in terms of coverage. However, I realize the 2.4GHz band may be the only option for outside, so that will be a factor.

The AC66U has been a great and reliable router, so I'd like the replacement to also be that way. Unfortunately, it seems Asus may not be my best option this time around; the AC87U seems to have serious overheating issues and flaky 5GHz, and the AC88U seems to not have comparable range to similar routers.

It seems like two of the top routers in terms of coverage right now are the Linksys EA8500 and the TP-Link C3150. I've used Linksys before and had good luck, but I admit I'm a bit concerned with them being owned by Belkin now. I've never used a TP-Link router, but the Archer series seem to have a solid following. I am a bit concerned with how usable their web interface is.

At any rate, I'm looking for a router that will give me excellent coverage, good reliability and a decent interface. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

You should consider getting a second router and configuring it as an Access Point. Ethernet connect back to your base router. You won't find one router that covers all. Check out the SNB Router Guide for the reviews.

 

[mgolarte]

I live in a 3000+ sf house, I have the ASUS AC3200 and get coverage all around my house and backyard without a glitch. I am using ASUS default firmware with smart connect off

 

[pete y testing]

I would like to find a router that can give me a bit better coverage, especially outside in the yard. I'm not necessarily in need of higher speeds, but it certainly wouldn't be a bad thing. I would really prefer not to have to setup separate APs, but I realize that a different router may not necessarily solve my issue. I primarily use the 5GHz band, so that is the most important to me in terms of coverage. However, I realize the 2.4GHz band may be the only option for outside, so that will be a factor.

consider the netgear orbi

and the AC88U seems to not have comparable range to similar routers.

not sure where you are reading that but i can tell you i have all the asus AC range here and in testing the 88u leaves them all behind coverage wise esp from one end of my house to the other , but the orbi is better

It seems like two of the top routers in terms of coverage right now are the Linksys EA8500 and the TP-Link C3150.

i have tested the c3150 and its no better coverage wise than the asus 88u , havnt tested the linksys range so cant comment there

 

[beefjerky]

consider the netgear orbi

That system is looking to cost almost double what I want to spend. If I really went the route of multiple APs, I'd probably just get another AC router and set it up as an AP.

not sure where you are reading that but i can tell you i have all the asus AC range here and in testing the 88u leaves them all behind coverage wise esp from one end of my house to the other , but the orbi is better

I'm going by the tests that were done for the review on this website. They show the 88u to drop out at less attenuation (especially at 5GHz) compared to many other routers, and also slower speeds for similar levels of attenuation.

i have tested the c3150 and its no better coverage wise than the asus 88u , havnt tested the linksys range so cant comment there

Thank you for that data point. I'm a bit weary of the TP-Link anyway, but that may just be my fear of the unknown. Although I do have one of the mini metal 5 port gigabit switches, and it works fantastic!

 

[beefjerky]

You should consider getting a second router and configuring it as an Access Point. Ethernet connect back to your base router. You won't find one router that covers all. Check out the SNB Router Guide for the reviews.

I may end up having to go that route, but I'm trying my best to avoid it, since to do it properly involves running additional Ethernet cables.

Also, I forgot to mention in my first post that my house is single story. I've added it in as an edit.

I live in a 3000+ sf house, I have the ASUS AC3200 and get coverage all around my house and backyard without a glitch. I am using ASUS default firmware with smart connect off

Thanks for the info! I personally have no use for these tri-band routers though. I just don't have enough simultaneous streams to warrant the dual 5GHz, nor the extra cost.

 

[pete y testing]

I'm going by the tests that were done for the review on this website. They show the 88u to drop out at less attenuation (especially at 5GHz) compared to many other routers, and also slower speeds for similar levels of attenuation.

see attached graphs

certainly better coverage with the 88u

 

[L&LD]

The 5 year old router you have doesn't compare with the current Asus offerings.

The router I would suggest you try is the RT-AC3100. The RT-AC1900P from Best Buy is also a consideration.

Make sure the router has at least 3 feet of space all around it and is not inside a closet or cabinet and for your single story home, point the antennae straight up (all of them).

http://www.snbforums.com/threads/sh...-go-with-the-rt-ac1900p-v3.34748/#post-281391

 

[beefjerky]

I just realized that I have a concern with the antenna design on most of the routers mentioned here. Two of the antennas are part way down the sides of the router, instead of being all the same plane like my AC66U. The reason this is a concern is because I have it mounted vertically on a piece of plywood in my network closet that mounted to the wall. The antennas of the AC66U have room above the plywood, so the signal is not blocked. If I were to attach one of these routers the same way, it looks like part of the side antennas would be blocked by the plywood.

From everything I've read on the matter, it seems plywood attenuates the signal quite a bit more compared to drywall, but I'm not sure exactly how much it matters. However, if I'm trying for better signal, I'm worried this may negate any benefit of a new router. Thoughts?

 

[L&LD]

Solution: mount it as it's meant to be used.

 

[beefjerky]

After a bunch of searching, I was able to find pictures of the backs of the AC88U and the Linksys EA8500. It looks like the mounting holes are in line with where the side antennas plug in on those units. I suppose as long as I can mount it so that the mounting screws are right at the top of the plywood I'll be fine. Though, I do wonder, with how far down the side the antennas are on the Linksys, would that affect signal propagation to each side of the router when mounted vertically? The antennas aren't as far down on the Asus, so I don't see that being such an issue. And, the TP-Link router has all the antennas on the same plane, so it's not an issue at all.

So, I guess as of now, I have 3 routers in the running:
1) Asus AC68 (aka AC3100)
2) Linksys EA8500
3) TP-Link AC3150

Does anyone have a direct comparison of any of these models with the AC66U in terms of coverage/range? Perhaps someone who has upgraded and can give their experiences?

Thanks!