New ethernet heavy home with Ruckus APS.

[Recumbent]

I'm basically not sure if I am approaching this the right way.

We have closed on a house with Cat 6A runs to every room (at least two drops with a live and backup wire to each drop) and a Ruckus 510 AP on each story for a total of 2.

The house is served with Wave 1G symmetrical fiber to an ONT right to the networking panel.

I'm not the brightest bulb so I tend to lean to Asus GUI routers with switches to further divide out to ethernet legs then the APs.

Our devices lean to more ethernet than wireless.

My wife (the clever and highly paid stressed half of this marriage) selected this house because she needs tons of data for mechanical diagrams, files etc for her intellectual property practice and for constant telepresence stuff.

I was thinking I would just get a RT-AX86U. Yes it is wireless which seems like unnecessary overlap with the APs. But when I look at wired only routers I'm quickly getting mentally saturated, and I can't seem to find many reviews of them that are accessible at my knowledge level. Wifi is the youtubers review material of choice and there don't seem to be any Wan Lan reviews here last 2017.

After the RT-AX86U I would use a switch with POE for the Ruckus APS and whatever ethernet drops the AX wouldn't have ports for.

Is this a good plan? Or should I go with something more expensive / complicated / clever / approaching a new day job?

 

[follower]

I'm basically not sure if I am approaching this the right way.

We have closed on a house with Cat 6A runs to every room (at least two drops with a live and backup wire to each drop) and a Ruckus 510 AP on each story for a total of 2.

The house is served with Wave 1G symmetrical fiber to an ONT right to the networking panel.

I'm not the brightest bulb so I tend to lean to Asus GUI routers with switches to further divide out to ethernet legs then the APs.

Our devices lean to more ethernet than wireless.

My wife (the clever and highly paid stressed half of this marriage) selected this house because she needs tons of data for mechanical diagrams, files etc for her intellectual property practice and for constant telepresence stuff.

I was thinking I would just get a RT-AX86U. Yes it is wireless which seems like unnecessary overlap with the APs. But when I look at wired only routers I'm quickly getting mentally saturated, and I can't seem to find many reviews of them that are accessible at my knowledge level. Wifi is the youtubers review material of choice and there don't seem to be any Wan Lan reviews here last 2017.

After the RT-AX86U I would use a switch with POE for the Ruckus APS and whatever ethernet drops the AX wouldn't have ports for.

Is this a good plan? Or should I go with something more expensive / complicated / clever / approaching a new day job?

1. ONT > Modem(or ISP router) > AX86U > POE Switch > APs, LAN ports


2. ONT> Modem(or ISP router) > AX86U > POE Switch >APs(if you need), LAN ports
> ASUS Router ethernet backhaul AIMesh

I think an unmanaged POE switch is better for you. You don't need expensive and complicated plan.
A modem should work as a Bridge mode. It means your main router will be AX86U.
Read this.

ONT Through Switch

Hey All, I had my AT&T fiber setup this way: Fiber (from street) -> ONT -> switch -> modem -> router I was getting 800mbps down on my machines behind the router. I had the AT&T tech come in today to make sure I set it up properly and they said that it shouldn't have worked at all, and was...

www.snbforums.com

Asus RT-86U with BT Smart Hub 2

My current set up is RT86U connected to Virgin Media Modem(100mb). I have couple of 6 switch boxes connected to the router and the PC to it as well. There are some WIFI devices in use as well. I am planning to move over to BT Fibre (BT have confirmed I can get FTTP with up to 900mb speed). Can...

www.snbforums.com

 

[coxhaus]

You might take a look at a Cisco RV340 router. It has a wizard for setup that will get you up and running in 2 or 3 questions. Very easy to start with. If you need POE+ then a Cisco RV345P router.

 

[Tech9]

Is this a good plan?

It is for you, because you prefer consumer router easy UI. AX86U is a good router, remove the antennas and disable Wi-Fi. Use the switch for your LAN devices, the Ruckus APs for your wireless. Add more APs for better Wi-Fi coverage, if needed. Don't buy Cisco RV340, it's an old and very basic router. AX86U can do more things and faster. Make sure the router has sufficient air circulation, it's passively cooled. Make sure NAT acceleration is enabled on the router, otherwise it won't be able to process Gigabit traffic.

 

[Tech9]

Or should I go with something more expensive

I would go with x86 router/firewall appliance for unrestricted Gigabit processing capabilities. It requires more networking knowledge to setup. Consumer routers can do Gigabit only in limited configurations, the hardware is too weak. Even with AX86U, enabling AiProtection only will impact your total throughput and it won't be Gigabit anymore. AiProtection/Adaptive QoS keep NAT acceleration enabled, but your router turns into up to 750Mbps router. Any option incompatible with NAT acceleration, like Cake QoS, turns it into up to 350Mbps router. This is the best consumer routers can do.

 

[coxhaus]

It is for you, because you prefer consumer router easy UI. AX86U is a good router, remove the antennas and disable Wi-Fi. Use the switch for your LAN devices, the Ruckus APs for your wireless. Add more APs for better Wi-Fi coverage, if needed. Don't buy Cisco RV340, it's an old and very basic router. AX86U can do more things and faster. Make sure the router has sufficient air circulation, it's passively cooled. Make sure NAT acceleration is enabled on the router, otherwise it won't be able to process Gigabit traffic.

So, can the AX86U handle ACLs? I use ACLs all the time on my router. The RV340 router may be old but it stays current with security as Cisco continues to support it. It also runs like an appliance with no problems. The RV340 supports routing for a layer 3 switch in case you will like to grow your network in the future which the AX86U will not do. You will probably buy 3 to 4 ASUS routers before a Cisco router becomes obsolete. So, in the end ASUS will cost you more and probably be less secure. The last time I looked the Cisco RV340 was just a little over $200.

Why spend the money to buy wireless that you are not going to use when you already have wireless APs. A wireless all-in-one router sucks when you are going to use wireless APs. They are built for a solution in 1 box. Once you are going to a bigger network dump the all-in-one routers. There is no way to use an all-in-one router with a layer 3 switch, go to separates. I think it will be cheaper in the longer run as you can just upgrade the networking component rather than throw away the whole router every time you want to change something.

 

[Tech9]

So, can the AX86U handle ACLs?

It doesn't need to. Most home users don't even know what ACL is. AX86U has built in one click simple IDS, offers configurable QoS, the CPU has AES support and quick VPN client/server. You can actually do firewall rules, but I'm in doubt many home users need/want to mess with this.

Why spend the money to buy wireless that you are not going to use when you already have wireless APs.

In this specific case - easy config with no networking skills. Otherwise I agree with you and I wouldn't use a consumer router. L3 switch is definitely good, but overkill for home network. @Recumbent is talking about home setup, not an office floor with multiple constant high bandwidth users.

 

[coxhaus]

You said the AX86U was better but it lacks basic networking features. Plus, I think the Cisco RV340 router is easier to setup. The RV340 router's wizard sets up with just a couple of questions for basic running. Seems to me AX86U is still lacking and when you add in all the other Cisco small business networking gear like layer 3 switching and wireless APs it does not compete at all.

 

[Tech9]

You said the AX86U was better

It is better - newer and faster hardware with no license fees required to utilize what's available. IDS/QoS/VPN are all faster + Parental Controls + Asuswrt-Merlin support - possible DNS Resolver, IP/DNS blocking, VPN policy based routing, DNSFilter, etc. None of this is on par or even available on RV340. For non tech users AX86U offers more in easier to understand form. RV340 is a 2016 router and will enter end-of-support sooner than AX86U. Asus releases faster firmware fixes than Cisco and SNB Forum offers better support than Cisco, for free. Sorry, 2021 reality.

and when you add in all the other Cisco small business networking gear like layer 3 switching and wireless APs

AX86U is a $300 home router. Can't compare it to $2000+ network equipment for sure.

 

[Recumbent]

Thank you everyone.

I'm going to stick with the AX86U and see how it performs. I really appreciate the feedback!

 

[Tech9]

I would run it with Asuswrt-Merlin firmware, Wi-Fi disabled, AiProtection enabled, QoS disabled, DNS filtering service like Quad9/OpenDNS/Cloudflare (optional DNS-over-TLS, if supported by DNS provider), DNSFilter set to Router, Access from WAN disabled, OpenVPN server to access the UI remotely, no custom scripts. Small USB stick to keep Traffic Monitor data only. It will give you about 750Mbps WAN-LAN throughput, but with some protection provided by TrendMicro services on top of malware DNS filtering. DNSFilter in Asuswrt-Merlin forces clients to use your preferred DNS provider, with exception of DNS-over-HTTPS requests. Try to limit the use of DOH on your network. Should be safe enough and with good performance for the price.

 

[coxhaus]

It is better - newer and faster hardware with no license fees required to utilize what's available. IDS/QoS/VPN are all faster + Parental Controls + Asuswrt-Merlin support - possible DNS Resolver, IP/DNS blocking, VPN policy based routing, DNSFilter, etc.



AX86U is a $300 home router. Can't compare it to $2000+ network equipment for sure.

I agree new hardware is good but it does not always make you better when you have limits of say 1 gig on internet and current hardware can achieve your goal. And there is more to a router than just hardware. How well is the software written is very important? This is often over looked assuming all software is on the same level. My guess is that Cisco has much better software than ASUS. Cisco is a very experienced networking company. Cisco follows the same security rules it does for its enterprise networking gear for fixing security problems which come up. I don't think ASUS can compare.

I spent under $600 for my home network which consists of a Cisco RV340 router, a Cisco SG350-10P L3 switch, and 2 Cisco WAP581 wireless APs. By the time you buy 2 AX86U routers to cover a large home you spent the same amount of money with a shorter life span. ASUS seems to come out with a new router every 6 months or more.

 

[Tech9]

My guess is that Cisco has much better software than ASUS.

The differences between RV34x firmware and current Asuswrt are like differences between Windows 3.1 to Windows 10. Most folks will prefer to run Windows 10 in 2021. It's more complex and perhaps has more bugs, but it can do more things and it's easier to understand for the average consumer.

I spent under $600 for my home network which consists of a Cisco RV340 router, a Cisco SG350-10P L3 switch, and 2 Cisco WAP581 wireless APs.

It's a good 2016 equipment. Go with something newer Wi-Fi 6 capable from Cisco, compare the prices again. Even older 2x AC86U routers for $300 total will beat your current setup in performance simply because L3 switch is not needed. How many active users do you have at home, up to 4 or 400?

 

[coxhaus]

The differences between RV34x firmware and current Asuswrt are like differences between Windows 3.1 to Windows 10. Most folks will prefer to run Windows 10 in 2021. It's more complex and perhaps has more bugs, but it can do more things and it's easier to understand for the average consumer.



It's a good 2016 equipment. Go with something newer Wi-Fi 6 capable from Cisco, compare the prices again. Even older 2x AC86U routers for $300 total will beat your current setup in performance simply because L3 switch is not needed. How many active users do you have at home, up to 4 or 400?

I will not upgrade to Wi-Fi 6E until Cisco deploys it in their enterprise gear and it trickles down. There is going to be a lot of outdated hardware once the enterprise folks define it.

The L3 switch is needed and keeps my video and voice data running smoothly without router pause.

Sometime I have 20 or more people at my house all with phones. In the old days I would have more than 100 people at my house during my party days. Now it is just close friends.

The RV340 router will be much simpler to setup than ASUS router for basic service. There are maybe 2 or 3 questions to answer to get the Cisco RV340 router up and running. Cisco has created a wizard that configures the RV340 router once it knows what internet service you are trying to connect to.

Until internet speeds become faster newer hardware is going to become less and less needed. No matter how fast your hardware is you cannot run faster than your ISP will let you. And the ISP seem to be slowing down due to more traffic being generated. I had much lower latencies in the past.

So, I think you are wrong. And I much prefer my network. As I have stated in the past, I will not run ASUS. I want a small business class network. It is much more to my liking.

PS
My understanding is the AX86U using 2 routers means the wireless is set on the same channel on both routers which means my Cisco wireless WAP581 APs will have twice the wireless bandwidth as the ASUS. So, I can move 2x times the data on wireless as ASUS. Maybe ASUS does not want to choke their router.

 

[Tech9]

Sometime I have 20 or more people at my house all with phones. In the old days I would have more than 100 people at my house during my party days.

And what 100 people were doing in your house? Having a party or watching YouTube simultaneously on 100 phones? That doesn't make sense at all to me. I have one AP at the back of my house, it sends Wi-Fi to the back yard only when I need it. People don't come to my place for the free Internet.

The RV340 router will be much simpler to setup than ASUS router for basic service.

Do you know it or it's a guess? Asuswrt Setup Wizard is as easy as it can possibly be. It asks you just few more questions about Operation Mode and Wi-Fi SSID/pass, something RV34x routers simply don't have. Asus router default config is up and running in 90 seconds, including the reboot time.

The L3 switch is needed and keeps my video and voice data running smoothly without router pause.

All the folks around with consumer all-in-one routers don't have smooth voice and video?

 

[coxhaus]

The all-in-one units have less processor power than separates so it needs to be faster. The separate networking components are running parallel whereas the all-in-one is trying to doing it all. When you load it down the all-in-one will not work as well as separates. If my statement was false there would be no reason to have separates.

 

[Tech9]

The all-in-one units have less processor power than separates so it needs to be faster.

It is fast enough to run close to Gigabit with TrendMicro engine on top. Average family in USA has 3.15 members. They all may have personal VoIP and 4K streams on 2 devices simultaneously, if they like + bandwidth and processing power to spare. This is why L3 switch isn't needed. The AIO router does it all.

 

[coxhaus]

It is fast enough to run close to Gigabit with TrendMicro engine on top. Average family in USA has 3.15 members. They all may have personal VoIP and 4K streams on 2 devices simultaneously, if they like + bandwidth and processing power to spare. This is why L3 switch isn't needed. The AIO router does it all

Sounds like you are trying now to justify why your system is slower.

 

[Tech9]

Sounds like you are trying now to justify why your system is slower

My system is not the subject of this conversation. I'm trying to tell you things have changed in last 16 years since you retired from Cisco.

 

[coxhaus]

I know things have changed. But I also know no home router is going to out run a L3 switch as that has not changed. And when the load gets heavy the router will pause especially if it has a lot of tasks to do other than just run the internet door. The first place you will see the router pause is in video and voice. It will not be smooth any more. while it is trying to manage the rest of the hardware.

We are discussing ASUS all-in-one routers vs my Cisco home system since you think it is outdated.