I would like to extend the range of my master router which is Ac68u. What options do i have ? which router/access point should i get to pair it with my master router?
I will initially connect it in repeater mode if that does not suffice my needs then only i will make it access point ?
If you are able to run a hard line (Ethernet or AC-Wireline) from your gateway to your AP that is preferable to any wireless connection because if speed and reliability (little or no RF interference). If this is an option, then a POE AP is the preferred solution. As I understand it, by definition: an AP is wired into the gateway.
If wiring in an AP is not an option then continue reading, then you must resort to a repeater or extender. You must decide if this device needs to accommodate wired devices or not.
REPEATER-BRIDGE: accommodates WIRED and WIRELESS devices
Asus-Merlin had the ability to natively setup the AC68U as client bridge (wired devices only), but I needed a repeater bridge, which was not a Firmware option: therefore I used dd-wrt. To be fair, I did not investigate if the latest Merlin build had r-bridge capability.
CLIENT-BRIDGE: accommodates WIRED devices only (no wireless devices)
i can run the wire thats not an issue. but the devices which will connect to it are all the wireless devices. if repeater suffice the need than i won't run the hard wire around it.
whats the cheapest option for me? get asus ac66u router ? or get some tp-link router ?
You do not want to run it in repeater mode. The wireless network of any device when (on the main and the repeater) a device is using the repeater will be halved.
Since you have the option to run a cable, do so. Then make sure to manually set the channels to different ones for the 2.4GHz band (1, 6 or 11) and the 5GHz band too (test each channel to see which gives the most throughput and least latency of the network for your devices and environment, yes, there is a lot to test in the 5GHz band and you do not need to skip any in your testing because they do not overlap like the 2.4GHz band channels do).
i can run the wire thats not an issue. but the devices which will connect to it are all the wireless devices. if repeater suffice the need than i won't run the hard wire around it.
whats the cheapest option for me? get asus ac66u router ? or get some tp-link router ?
Situations which beg to run a hard line from the gateway to an AP:
* Videos / high bandwidth at remote site
* You do not have experience linking routers via wireless and are non-technical
* There are many other Wifi APs in the area
* You own this property or plan to stay for 2+ years
IMHO, if you have the option & ability to run ethernet, then this is a 'no-brainer': install the ethernet. Let us know the results and bonus for posting any photos showing your success.
If you are running a Ethernet, then why not get a POE (power over Ethernet) access point, like the Ubiquiti or Meraki? This project should be completed for under $100
