Help replacing an N66u

[collindv]

I need help replacing my current main router as a Christmas gift from my wife. My house is two levels plus a basement with brick exterior walls and plaster walls throughout. My current setup consists of an RT-N66U upstairs and an old D-link dir-615-c1 as a wireless AP in the basement to help feed my backyard and deck (it doesn't work very well, hence my desire to replace).

My plan is to move the N66 to the basement as the new wired AP/media server (it runs my smb shares and mysql server for my kodi shares) and replace it with a newer AC router.

I am looking in the $150-$300 range. Client devices are a mixed bag of old and new (from an old TF300T and IPad 2 that the kids use up to my wife and I's newer Google Pixel XL, Iphone 7, Ipad Air 2, and Acer Switch Alpha tablet). We are also cord cutters who do quite a bit of both network streaming (movies and Tablo recordings) as well as internet (netflix, amazon, etc.).

Any advice? I have been looking at the Asus AC5300, AC3100, AC3200 and AC88U models recently.

 

[rototiller]

I have the RT AC68P as my main router and the RT AC56U as my wired AP and I have 5 people in my household constantly using our home network or surfing the web w/ no problems. A "1900" megabit router will be plenty of enough for your family as we also stream as you do. Go w/ the RT-AC1900P as it is a little bit newer than the 68P and it's processor is dual core 1.4 ghz compared to dual core 1 ghz that the 68P sports.

The RT AC1900P runs at $180.00, so it is in your budget.