Looking to buy a new router to complement my AC86U (for mesh system)

[bkselly]

I live in a 3 floor 1700 sqft home where the networking is on the top floor (I can't move the router to the middle floor)

I am looking to add a router to the bottom floor in a mesh set up so that my devices switch seamlessly between them

I have a 300 down/300 up FIOS connection and I stream 4K video and (rarely) play FPS multiplayer games

My main pain point with the currently router is that if I close the (wooden) door in the room it is in, and also close the (wooden) door in the room the laptop is in (all on the top floor), the speeds do drop significantly (on 5 GHz)

I don't know if a new router would be better about that particular issue, but I would like to make the new router my primary router on top floor (and demote the AC86U to the bottom floor as secondary)

Any recommendations on an ASUS router that meets my needs?

TY!

 

[Rocketboy235]

How many devices do you have on the network normally and how many of them are WiFi 6 capable? What is your budget?
I think getting another AC86U (can get a used one for pretty cheap) would be pretty good. I'm not sure if a newer router will fix your speed data rate issue with the wooden door closing. Maybe WiFi 6 routers would possibly help like the AX86U Pro. Is there a hallway on the top floor you can move the router to so closing the door won't impact it?

 

[degrub]

Pushing 5Ghz signal through a couple doors/walls or through a single floor/ceiling, the result is not going to change. Ordinary building materials will attenuate 5GHz signal power significantly and 6 GHz even more. 2.4 GHz will fare better. Changing or adding additional radios is not going to help that issue and can easily make it worse.

You may see a small gain by changing from AC class to AX class equipment. WIFI 7 (BE) won't help.

What are you trying to accomplish ?

 

[bbunge]

May be a great idea to just replace the AC86U as they are know to suddenly fail.

 

[Rocketboy235]

May be a great idea to just replace the AC86U as they are know to suddenly fail.

I always wonder if this is for the early year models of the AC86U or this goes for all year models? I remember hearing the reliability issues in regards to the 2018/2019 models coming from China(?) but the ones from Taiwan/Vietnam were more reliable? Not entirely sure if that is true but I remember seeing several people touting that.

I know my AC86U (bought used) I'm using had one ethernet port completely fail and the WAN port deteriorate to 100 mbps after using it for 1-2 years (forced me to use one of the regular LAN ports as a WAN now) though to be fair, I did not put it in easy environment to begin with so that may have taken its toll on the router . Trying to see how long it will last though! I bought are still going very strong though are EOL so I'm trying to move away from them.

 

[bkselly]

How many devices do you have on the network normally and how many of them are WiFi 6 capable? What is your budget?
I think getting another AC86U (can get a used one for pretty cheap) would be pretty good. I'm not sure if a newer router will fix your speed data rate issue with the wooden door closing. Maybe WiFi 6 routers would possibly help like the AX86U Pro. Is there a hallway on the top floor you can move the router to so closing the door won't impact it?

I'd say there are somewhere between 20 to 30 devices (roughly 1/3 computers and phones, 1/3 home security cameras/base station/chime/etc, and 1/3 other IoT items)

Not a great sense for what is WiFi 6 compatible but most WiFi using devices purchased within the last 3-5 years

Unfortunately the router is locked into that one room (can't take out to hallway)

Main goal is the mesh network so for seamless transition (for phones and laptops between top floor wifi and bottom floor wifi), but any boost through the 2 doors would be helpful (and would pay more for it - although it sounds like new tech doesn't necessarily help with that)

 

[degrub]

How will you get from the main router on floor 2 to the basement router ?

If you indicate by wireless, then do you get strong wireless 5GHz and 2.4 GHz signal in the basement ? It sounds like if the door to the room where the existing wifi router is located is closed, maybe not.

If by wire - do you have ethernet cable (CAT 5e or 6) or coax (RG6 or RG59 assuming US) from top floor to basement ?

 

[bkselly]

I have a wire running down - ethernet, but not certain whether 5e or 6 (although imprint states CAT .6 with the dot)

 

[degrub]

So what you want is good wifi on floor 2 and basement. Not concerned for floor 1, just the transition from basement to floor 2 ?
Is the layout a single stairway from top to bottom or is it offset significantly as you go through floor 1 ?

Plan view layout of each floor might help us . The basement wifi router will likely need to be near the stair going up. Depending on what the floor/ceiling is made of between basement and first floor, you may get reasonable signal or not.

What is the construction of the walls ? gypsum board over wood studs or lathe and plaster over wood ?

If the floor/ceilings attenuate the wifi signal too much you may need an AP/wifi router on each floor. Just have to experiment.

For ASUS, in general, best setup is same wifi router for main and nodes. Since you have wired backhaul to main, that will help if using AX for main and AC for basement. There may still be some issues. Same generation firmware is a must. So that may push you to same AX devices for all. The basic physics of wifi attenuation will not be overcome by switching to AX wifi. So two closed doors will do the same thing as now.