Advice for new router

[stsalkit]

I currently have an RT-N66U. My requirements are for a long range rooter - I have a rather large house to cover about 400 sq. meters (4300 sq. ft). I have basic (apart from the coverage range) requirements, such as streaming, browsing etc (i.e. no gaming). Going through various sites, I singled out AC88U. What is your opinion reqarding range / coverage, reliability, issues etc? Any other suggestions?
Than you in advance

 

[Klueless]

I currently have an RT-N66U. My requirements are for a long range rooter - I have a rather large house to cover about 400 sq. meters (4300 sq. ft).

I'd have a few questions before even attempting to answer.

• What are your service speeds?
• How many floors?
• How is your current router doing?
• Where, in relation to the house, is your current router located?

If your current router is doing OK-ish then maybe a simple upgrade will do the job? On the flip side if your current router isn't close to giving you the coverage you need then it may take more than a simple router upgrade. You might be looking at a router upgrade coupled with an AP or a "mesh" system?

At a couple of my sites I upgraded from old "N" routers (one Netgear and one N66U) to AC86Us. I did the upgrades because "it was time", I couldn't keep up with my new service speeds and we were going to try out VPN between sites. As a side effect I was amazed at the increased range and performance. (That said it still wasn't enough to get rid of my APs : -)

At home I upgraded from an N66U to a "Blue Cave". A slight range/performance improvement. What really did the trick was simply moving the router up higher and a mere five feet more towards center of house. (That said my house is half the size of yours.)

You might start by optimizing the position of your current router and then "measuring" your weak spots. Hopefully a single router upgrade is in the cards for you.

I found this very interesting and, somewhat applicable?

https://www.snbforums.com/threads/t...-guide-to-wi-fi-access-point-placement.62044/​

 

[stsalkit]

Thank you for the reply - I appreciate the time taken and the suggestions. My current router is centrally located at a high point - I think its location is as good as it gets! My service speeds are low! 8-10 Mbps max!
However, my existing router, for some time now (several months) has been playing up i.e. droping off its 2.4 signal! This is getting quite annoying, especially as I rely on it for my Sonos sound system!
Ideally, I would like an as good (for my needs) router with the best possible wifi coverage. As my house is flat i.e. no floors, but with thick brick walls, I may need to use my existing "old" router as an additional repeater point...
Suggestions?

 

[OzarkEdge]

Thank you for the reply - I appreciate the time taken and the suggestions. My current router is centrally located at a high point - I think its location is as good as it gets! My service speeds are low! 8-10 Mbps max!
However, my existing router, for some time now (several months) has been playing up i.e. droping off its 2.4 signal! This is getting quite annoying, especially as I rely on it for my Sonos sound system!
Ideally, I would like an as good (for my needs) router with the best possible wifi coverage. As my house is flat i.e. no floors, but with thick brick walls, I may need to use my existing "old" router as an additional repeater point...
Suggestions?

Flat helps broadcasting coverage.

Masonry interior walls block coverage.

High and central helps one AP coverage, but crowds adding a second AP.

Consider extending outside coverage where needed when locating two APs.

A wholesale approach would be to buy a 2-pack RT-AC86U and install a 2xRT-AC86U wireless AiMesh... to claim the extended coverage and the bundled pricing all at once.

Otherwise, start with one RT-AC86U. It will outperform your existing N66U in every way.

Add a dumb switch or two off the router if you need to wire many clients.

If you go with Asus/AiMesh, my install notes may be helpful.

Unfortunately, Asus router prices are holding up theses days... probably due to the trade tariff nonsense and now the Covid-19 virus shutdown... so not the best pricing out there.

OE

 

[stsalkit]

Flat helps broadcasting coverage.

Masonry interior walls block coverage.

High and central helps one AP coverage, but crowds adding a second AP.

Consider extending outside coverage where needed when locating two APs.

A wholesale approach would be to buy a 2-pack RT-AC86U and install a 2xRT-AC86U wireless AiMesh... to claim the extended coverage and the bundled pricing all at once.

Otherwise, start with one RT-AC86U. It will outperform your existing N66U in every way.

OE

Thank you! Wouldn't you go for the AC88U (or the X88U) - I have read they have excellent range!

 

[OzarkEdge]

Thank you! Wouldn't you go for the AC88U (or the X88U) - I have read they have excellent range!

Nope.

The AC88U is older and lessor. I have not used the AC88U but I gather the 86U has better range.

AX products are just arriving. If you want to study more, then pay up and experiment, you can. I would wait a bit, but if I didn't, I would target AX tri-band to dedicate a band at AX speed to the AiMesh wireless backhaul.

OE

 

[DarkKnight75]

I currently have an RT-N66U. My requirements are for a long range rooter - I have a rather large house to cover about 400 sq. meters (4300 sq. ft). I have basic (apart from the coverage range) requirements, such as streaming, browsing etc (i.e. no gaming). Going through various sites, I singled out AC88U. What is your opinion reqarding range / coverage, reliability, issues etc? Any other suggestions?
Than you in advance

Get rid of that N66U ( i had mine for 7 too long yrs and it was one of the worst routers i owned performance wise). Get yourself and AC86U or an AX88 and you'll thank me l8r

 

[Klueless]

My current router is centrally located at a high point - I think its location is as good as it gets!

Sounds good.

My service speeds are low! 8-10 Mbps max!

Those are the speeds that you pay your ISP for?

However, my existing router, for some time now (several months) has been playing up i.e. droping off its 2.4 signal ... I may need to use my existing "old" router as an additional repeater point

I don't see the value of redeploying your old router as a "repeater" if it's already running flakey.

... house is flat i.e. no floors, but with thick brick walls

You don't say but IF you were happy with your old N66U (before it went flakey) then maybe a single router replacement is for you but ... thick brick walls? Really. I just don't see how that wasn't a problem before.

Go to the THiggins reviews elsewhere on this site and look up your likely suspects (e.g., 88U, 86U, Netgear R7800) and see what THiggins found. Brick walls? You'll be particularly interested in his 2.4 GHz findings.

 

[Grisu]

For your needs (coverage, speed, brick walls, no VPN powerful CPU) and very low ISP-speed 2.4GHz is all you need.
So you can choose older but reliable RT-AC68U or cheaper brother RT-AC66U_B1 (different housing), RT-AC86U for good price and really powerful CPU and RT-AX88U with Wifi6 features (but still not finaly specified).

And coverage will be similar for all routers but dependent where you are from (regions have different power levels and allowed channels).
I would take a 66U_B1 for now and upgrade in 2+ years when AX routers are cheaper and fully working.

 

[Klueless]

Get rid of that N66U ( i had mine for 7 too long yrs and it was one of the worst routers i owned performance wise)

<LOL> Now I had a N66U along with Netgear and Linksys of similar vintage (different sites) and the ol' N66U was my favorite by far.

But you are right and time does move on. When I upgraded from "N" class to "AC" class I was thrilled with the (unexpected) improvements my 86U gave me; e.g., better range, better performance.

 

[CrystalLattice]

You are living in an unfortunate state of owning too much house. There is no way you will be satisfied with anything but 3 AP's. a POE switch, and any Gig WAn capable router as the gateway. APs can be tplink, ubiquity, ruckus, or your preference; use controlling software or hardware controller. 8 to 12 port switch, managed or not. Any router, with radios switched off. Buena suerte in your wifi adventure!

 

[Grisu]

You are living in an unfortunate state of owning too much house. There is no way you will be satisfied with anything but 3 AP's. a POE switch, and any Gig WAn capable router as the gateway. APs can be tplink, ubiquity, ruckus, or your preference; use controlling software or hardware controller. 8 to 12 port switch, managed or not. Any router, with radios switched off. Buena suerte in your wifi adventure!

Did you read that he got max. 8-10 Mbps from ISP?
What shall he do with AC, 5GHz and superfast routers when he only wants to cover his great brick house for internet access?
And for dead spots in the house use Wifi-repeaters one or two on both sides sowewhere in the middle between router and dead spot.

Usually I wont recommend this too, but you have to take care for his needs, line, situation and everything else.

 

[CrystalLattice]

@Grisu, sorry, as a speed reader i do sometimes miss minute details like abhorrently slow speed. i change rec to: GET A NEW ISP 1ST, please!

 

[stsalkit]

@Grisu, sorry, as a speed reader i do sometimes miss minute details like abhorrently slow speed. i change rec to: GET A NEW ISP 1ST, please!

Thank you for the suggestion. Unfortunately my speed is location related and not ISP. (unfortunately I cannot move the house... )

 

[Grisu]

I'm sure its not worth move the house for a better speed, the place you are right now may be much nicer.