Switch from Asus RT-AC5300 to Wired Router + AP

[kirb112]

Currently, I am running an RT-AC5300 running the latest version of Merlin. However, I am considering downgrading because I am also running a Synology DS916+ NAS. The NAS makes many of the features on the 5300, such as USB media access, etc. pointless to have. I do like the interface of Asus's line of routers, and I like the iOS app as well, as it allows me to easily cut the internet connectivity to my kids' iPads when I feel that they have been on them too long.

I have experience with TP-Link's line of VPN routers, and I am considering selling my 5300 and move to a wired rack-mountable solution, combined with an access point.

Dual WAN is a feature that I will be using, and I feel that TP-Link gives more configuration options that AsusWRT.

Link aggregation is also important, but I have a TP-Link switch that will be handling this for me.

My primary concern: I feel that my NAS replicates a lot of the features that the 5300 boasts, thus I am paying for a feature-loaded router, of which I will use only half of the features.

I am looking for advice as to whether I should keep my 5300, or go with a wired router + AP setup. I have someone who would buy my 5300 for pretty much full price, so I will get my money back on that if I decide to go this route.

Input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[System Error Message]

keep your AC5300 unless you plan to return it than get a non consumer router and plug your AC5300 into it. You can make your own AC5300 for much cheaper using x86 with cards or even a mikrotik routerboard with multiple mini PCIe and integrated wifi though both would be harder than using your AC5300.

The AC5300 also looks good so if you like some decoration and can afford to keep it than do so. You only need to use a non consumer router if the AC5300 doesnt have the features you need.

VPN routers are actually terrible in actual performance and stability. They may have ironed out the bugs with the cavium platform but i havent yet seen any vpn router that uses a CPU faster than ubiquiti edgerouter's ERL. The ac5300 is faster than the ERL in many ways even with CPU as well. VPN routers still cling to the low end cavium CPU they've been using for years.

If you want rackmount and performance consider mikrotik, they have various rackmounted embedded routers that you wont be disappointed if you have the skill to configure them. You can also consider ubiquiti if your needs align with their actual performance ,not claimed. On ubiquti edgerouters, their actual performance is 1.3Gb/s using hardware NAT with no PPPOE or overheads, 200 Mb/s (been generous with this number everytime) for the ERL. The ERPRO gets double this performance and is rackmountable.

so choosing a router really depends on your needs and speeds. If you need QoS, forget about hardware acceleration. If you want NAS, printer sharing, etc from a router dont hope for it from a non consumer router or from ubiquiti.

Mikrotik, pfsense and other x86 solutions are very flexible with dual WAN. Even openwrt is a flexible platform too but it depends on the router you run it on.

Do not under any circumstances buy VPN routers. Their outdated platform cant keep up. Even mikrotik's high end routerboards are capable of faster VPN speeds. The Tile based ones do 300Mb/s of PPTP/IPSEC per core per tunnel (limitation is each tunnel/connection can only use 1 core). Still with a CCR1009 you could fill up CPU with 8 tunnels (1 core for the routing). VPN routers were very useful in the past when consumer routers lacked VPN functionality and speeds but now they're catching up with speed and come with all 4 major VPN types. Dual WAN on consumer router will never work right because WAN2 would typically be connected to the switch chip but mikrotik is flexible with their switching and CPU connected ports while CPU connected ports offer no bottleneck. X86 doesnt use a switch even for multiple ports so all ports are CPU connected.

Take a look at tp-links VPN router hardware, compare to the ubiquiti ERL and you will be shocked at how slow the CPU actually is. Cavium has had many core for years but no one has bothered to get 4 cores or more into consumer/SOHO/business hands. I feel my ERPRO overpriced when compared to my CCR1036 even though my CCR costs more but it has way more hardware for the money.

 

[L&LD]

Please don't cross post.

http://www.snbforums.com/threads/router-features-with-synology-nas.33922/

 

[kirb112]

Please don't cross post.

http://www.snbforums.com/threads/router-features-with-synology-nas.33922/

Wasn't sure which to post under.

 

[kirb112]

keep your AC5300 unless you plan to return it than get a non consumer router and plug your AC5300 into it. You can make your own AC5300 for much cheaper using x86 with cards or even a mikrotik routerboard with multiple mini PCIe and integrated wifi though both would be harder than using your AC5300.

The AC5300 also looks good so if you like some decoration and can afford to keep it than do so. You only need to use a non consumer router if the AC5300 doesnt have the features you need.

VPN routers are actually terrible in actual performance and stability. They may have ironed out the bugs with the cavium platform but i havent yet seen any vpn router that uses a CPU faster than ubiquiti edgerouter's ERL. The ac5300 is faster than the ERL in many ways even with CPU as well. VPN routers still cling to the low end cavium CPU they've been using for years.

If you want rackmount and performance consider mikrotik, they have various rackmounted embedded routers that you wont be disappointed if you have the skill to configure them. You can also consider ubiquiti if your needs align with their actual performance ,not claimed. On ubiquti edgerouters, their actual performance is 1.3Gb/s using hardware NAT with no PPPOE or overheads, 200 Mb/s (been generous with this number everytime) for the ERL. The ERPRO gets double this performance and is rackmountable.

so choosing a router really depends on your needs and speeds. If you need QoS, forget about hardware acceleration. If you want NAS, printer sharing, etc from a router dont hope for it from a non consumer router or from ubiquiti.

Mikrotik, pfsense and other x86 solutions are very flexible with dual WAN. Even openwrt is a flexible platform too but it depends on the router you run it on.

Do not under any circumstances buy VPN routers. Their outdated platform cant keep up. Even mikrotik's high end routerboards are capable of faster VPN speeds. The Tile based ones do 300Mb/s of PPTP/IPSEC per core per tunnel (limitation is each tunnel/connection can only use 1 core). Still with a CCR1009 you could fill up CPU with 8 tunnels (1 core for the routing). VPN routers were very useful in the past when consumer routers lacked VPN functionality and speeds but now they're catching up with speed and come with all 4 major VPN types. Dual WAN on consumer router will never work right because WAN2 would typically be connected to the switch chip but mikrotik is flexible with their switching and CPU connected ports while CPU connected ports offer no bottleneck. X86 doesnt use a switch even for multiple ports so all ports are CPU connected.

Take a look at tp-links VPN router hardware, compare to the ubiquiti ERL and you will be shocked at how slow the CPU actually is. Cavium has had many core for years but no one has bothered to get 4 cores or more into consumer/SOHO/business hands. I feel my ERPRO overpriced when compared to my CCR1036 even though my CCR costs more but it has way more hardware for the money.

Thank you for your in-depth response. This will be very helpful. Much appreciated!

 

[L&LD]

Wasn't sure which to post under.

No problem (just a friendly reminder).

Ask a moderator to merge with the other post so the answers are all in one place.

 

[L&LD]

For the record, unless you can write router code, you can't build close to an equivalent RT-AC5300 for any price, let alone 'much cheaper'.

 

[System Error Message]

For the record, unless you can write router code, you can't build close to an equivalent RT-AC5300 for any price, let alone 'much cheaper'.

You can for the wireless bandwidth, just not the NAS or stuff that consumer routers come with. the mikrotik RB9xx series, some have multiple mini PCIe ports and integrated wifi.