phillipdhall
New Around Here
Every router I consider has a host of 1-star ratings explaining that the router was amazing for the first (day/week/month), but then common issue X showed up, apparently the issue is super common and the vendor refuses to address it, and then going on about how they will never buy another router from that vendor.
With most products, I pass these reviews off as either incompetent users or just unfortunate lack of quality control. But with wireless routers, my experience has unfortunately been that features and theoretical speed are top priority, and no one even talks about stability, reliability, or longevity.
My question is: where can I get ratings, comparisons, or even impressions of wireless router stability, reliability, and/or longevity?
More detail:
I live in a 4500 sq ft home, on an acre of land, with a wife and 5 kids. Lots of devices:
- 5 laptops
- 2 desktops
- 4 TVs (smart or Roku)
- 3 wired + 2 wireless security cameras (wired ones behind a managed PoE switch)
- 7 Amazon Echos
- And maybe a dozen more smart bulbs, outlets, printers, or other IoT devices.
I currently run a Netgear R7500v2, and it meets my performance needs, generally (always room for improvement). It has started dropping wireless connections frequently. It has always required the occasional reboot to overcome sudden loss of internet bandwidth (will just drop to ~5mbps sometimes). And it feels like each firmware version has had its own set of issues that require workarounds. I would love to have it become a backup and buy a new primary. I tried a RAX50, but it had serious DNS dropout issues, was practically unusable for internet browsing, and after what seemed like a full-time job of troubleshooting for a week, it had to be sent back.
Is there a particular brand or model or chipset that has been identified as the workhorse of the industry? You know, like the Linksys WRT54G was in its day? Or is my impression that the consumer router market is has become 100% crap undeserved - created by a couple poor experiences (and a vocal minority of Amazon reviewers)?
With most products, I pass these reviews off as either incompetent users or just unfortunate lack of quality control. But with wireless routers, my experience has unfortunately been that features and theoretical speed are top priority, and no one even talks about stability, reliability, or longevity.
My question is: where can I get ratings, comparisons, or even impressions of wireless router stability, reliability, and/or longevity?
More detail:
I live in a 4500 sq ft home, on an acre of land, with a wife and 5 kids. Lots of devices:
- 5 laptops
- 2 desktops
- 4 TVs (smart or Roku)
- 3 wired + 2 wireless security cameras (wired ones behind a managed PoE switch)
- 7 Amazon Echos
- And maybe a dozen more smart bulbs, outlets, printers, or other IoT devices.
I currently run a Netgear R7500v2, and it meets my performance needs, generally (always room for improvement). It has started dropping wireless connections frequently. It has always required the occasional reboot to overcome sudden loss of internet bandwidth (will just drop to ~5mbps sometimes). And it feels like each firmware version has had its own set of issues that require workarounds. I would love to have it become a backup and buy a new primary. I tried a RAX50, but it had serious DNS dropout issues, was practically unusable for internet browsing, and after what seemed like a full-time job of troubleshooting for a week, it had to be sent back.
Is there a particular brand or model or chipset that has been identified as the workhorse of the industry? You know, like the Linksys WRT54G was in its day? Or is my impression that the consumer router market is has become 100% crap undeserved - created by a couple poor experiences (and a vocal minority of Amazon reviewers)?