Overkill? RT-AC68U as Access Point

[huluvu]

Hi,

for my rather extensive house network (1x RT-N66U as "master" router, 4x RT-N56U as access points) I'm currently looking for a smart way to add yet another access point to reach a spot of our house that isn't covered well yet.

I'm thinking of these three approaches:

1) Buy a RT-AC68U and use it as the "main" / "master" router and relegate the existing RT-N66U to being an access point in the corner of our house

2) Continue using the RT-N66U as the "master" router and purchase a fifth RT-N56U for using it as an access point

3) Continue using the RT-N66U as the "master" router and purchase a "proper" access point that can handle 2,4 & 5GHz simultaneously.

A few notes:
-having an AC WiFi signal would be a nice plus but it's not essential
-price is not an issue, it's all about performance and WiFi signal strenght

Thanks for your input!

 

[L&LD]

Your options are very similar, assuming that the final area to be covered is comparatively small vs whole house coverage.

There is no "proper" AP. Simply a mode that a common hardware solution runs in.

The RT-AC68U option as the main router may give you a little extra oomph if you're running GB ISP speeds, otherwise I would choose the cheapest option of those presented.

 

[jegesq]

Your options are very similar, assuming that the final area to be covered is comparatively small vs whole house coverage.

There is no "proper" AP. Simply a mode that a common hardware solution runs in.

The RT-AC68U option as the main router may give you a little extra oomph if you're running GB ISP speeds, otherwise I would choose the cheapest option of those presented.

I would personally upgrade your router to either an AC66 or AC68P (probably the latter since it has dual core CPU's if you do anything more complex than just simple streaming, browsing, light file transfers, etc.) and then use your other equipment as AP's. L&LD is right there's no "proper" AP; generally though since it's not handling any other duties besides functioning as a switch and relay to the router, you can get by with a far less expensive alternative than using a 68U as an AP only.

 

[System Error Message]

Option 1 would be the best. You can however use better antennas or even directional for better reception. You would want the APs placed around the central areas around the house and not the sides where your neighbours would get your signal.

 

[CowMan]

Not sure what your topology looks like, perhaps you'd be able to replace the 66 with a wired router and free up that one for better placement? Going with a "proper" AP, assuming enterprise kit, won't improve signal or single client speeds, but will be better able to handle more clients simultaneously on a given AP. To go that route you'd want to replace them all though with similar kit and possibly a wireless controller, otherwise the gains will only be marginal and in edge cases.

How far apart are these? Probably 3 of the newer 66,68,87 units would cover the samearea without overlap on the 2.4 bands creating self interference.

Btw, I have an AC87, 2xAC68, and an AC66 all running as access points - but I leave them in router mode and disable dns, dhcp, etc. That gives you gui access to more settings.

 

[jegesq]

Rethinking this, maybe your option #2 is best after all, i.e., keep the N66U as your router and just add a fifth AP, i.e., another N-56U. But in order to do that, you'll have to give yourself another GigE port from which to run a fifth AP off the N66U, since it comes with only 4 ports. The solution is to get a small 4-port GigE switch to create some additional ports so you can run that fifth AP from your existing router.

You could add another N-56U and an inexpensive GigE switch for about half of what a new AC68U would run you. I've seen the N56U online as low as $65, and a Netgear or TP-Link switch can be had for about $20, whereas the AC68 is going to cost upwards of $190.

Since you apparently have no AC client devices (you say AC isn't essential), I think #2 is a better stop-gap measure until you decide to update the rest of your network with all new equipment, and it will give you the additional wireless coverage you need at a fraction of what it would cost you to redesign the whole thing now.

 

[joegreat]

Hi,

Just my two cents:
The RT-N66U has a far better range in WLAN then all later models (need to use this firmware).
Given this fact, the N66U would solve your coverage issues much better then another N56U!

Result: Why not buy a new AC68U as main router (has 2 core CPU for advanced functionality and use the N66U as Range Extender (as I do).

With kind regards
Joe