Looking ... for a New Wireless Range Extender

[Klueless]

Currently have an old N range extender. It looks like a pack of cigarettes with two horns. It's Velcro'd to the window facing the main building and does what we need.

Recently I've been noticing that our PCs can't connect to it. I reboot and then everyone can connect again. It's been happening about once a week. (Sundry to that I've been noticing about a 5% packet loss through the extender.) Thought I might fix it before it breaks?

I'm thinking dual band AC:

• I'd like to use the 5Ghz radio as a back haul to the main building and use the 2.4Ghz radio to feed everyone in the 2nd bldg. (Might decrease latency and improve performance although, performance isn't really an issue ... at this point in time.)
• I've been reading that N (inexplicably) runs faster if you throw an AC thing into the mix.
• I'm enamored with the cigarette pack form factor (but I can be swayed).

Since our main router is an Asus RT-N66R I was leaning towards the Asus-AC56 range extender but I have not seen any great reviews.

So I'm also considering a Netgear AC750 or maybe even the AC1200.

Thank you in advance for any feedback or suggestions.

 

[thiggins]

Get one of the NETGEAR AC1200s

 

[Klueless]

Get one of the NETGEAR AC1200s

Thank you kind Sir! Actually, I think it was one of your reviews under SNB tools that led me to even look at Netgear. Your hard work is most definitely appreciated!

 

[Klueless]

Get one of the NETGEAR AC1200s

Ok. I took your advice. Got the tiny little EX6150 version of their AC1200 and am I happy!

I set the 5Ghz radio like an air wire to the main building and used the 2.4Ghz radio to feed the rest of the building I work in. 50 Mbps! 2.5X faster than my old range extender. Internet felt perkier, way less variability. Used to average 3 to 6% packet loss over house equipment, now I'm down to virtually nothing, 0.7% was the worst I saw all day.

I posted this two weeks ago:

I calibrated by running PC to PC over Gigabit Ethernet through my N router. 67 Mbps. Symmetrical, send and receive were virtually the same. Unless I have something seriously screwed up the limiting factor must be my antiquated (we hear Windows 8 is coming out : ) low end PCs?

I left one PC on Ethernet and used the other PC to walk through the various wireless modes.​

• • N @ 5Ghz
    • 30 feet - 66 mbps (Ethernet speed for me)
    • 60 feet, in the garage (on the other side of a fire grade door and wall) - 30 Mbps
    • 100 plus feet, in the bldg. next door w/ window to window line-of-site - 30 Mbps
  • N @ 2.4Ghz
    • 30 feet - 44 Mbps
    • 60 feet (in the garage again) - 28 Mbps
    • 100 plus feet (next door again) - 28 Mbps
  • N @ 2.4Ghz (through old range extender, a Netgear WN300RP)
    • 100 plus feet (next door again) - 21 Mbps

So even though I'm in the building next door running 2.4 to a range extender I beat my bench from when I sat almost next to the 2.4Ghz radio on the main router and I only took a 25% hit when compared to my best benches (Ethernet to Ethernet). This setup truly exceeded all my expectations!

 

[thiggins]

Thanks for reporting back. Glad it worked out for you.