Recommendation to replace DIR-655

[cprofitt]

I am looking at getting a router to replace my DIR-655.

Last year around this time I tried a Buffalo router, but had issue with my smart TV dropping signal with the device. I would like the following features:

• IPv6 Support
• Simultaneous Dual Band
• Guest Vlan
• Parental Controls
• VPN (though not mandetory, it would be nice)
• At least four gigabit wired ports

I look forward to your suggestions.

 

[thiggins]

Best to narrow things down a bit before asking for advice.

 

[cprofitt]

Well, the models I have considered are:

• ASUS RT-N66U
• Netgear R6300
• ASUS RT-AC66R
• Linksys EA6500

I would be open to other suggestions.

 

[stevech]

do you really NEED simultaneous dual-band? Kind of pricey.

 

[cprofitt]

At least from my knowledge I would need simultaneous... I have a mix of 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz clients so I need both to be active at the same time if I want to isolate the 5Ghz clients. Is that an inaccurate understanding?

 

[thiggins]

At least from my knowledge I would need simultaneous... I have a mix of 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz clients so I need both to be active at the same time if I want to isolate the 5Ghz clients. Is that an inaccurate understanding?

Yep. Your thinking is correct.

However, you may not need draft 11ac. It won't provide any benefit unless you have 11ac clients. Less expensive alternatives introduced at CES in January are on the way if you want to play with 11ac. But, my recommendation would be an "N900" router like the ASUS RT-N66U.

 

[cprofitt]

The price difference between the AC and N Asus is only $24 right now on Amazon. I agree with you on the technology though... I will not really make use of the AC until it is likely time to replace my router. Both of my laptops do have three stream capable cards Intel 5300 and Intel 6300.

 

[stevech]

I'd wait 6-12 months before going 11ac. There is a chance that your 11ac hardware would be obsoleted. You can always add 11ac 5.8GHz later as an access point connected to a non-11ac WiFi router.

 

[cprofitt]

At this point I am looking at:
RT-N66U and the WNDR4500 as N-Models and RT-AC66U and R6300 as AC models.

After looking at many of the threads in the forums I am seeing that the ASUS firmware potentially has issues with the parental controls... though I do not know how in-depth the parental controls are.

I have been debating setting up an IP-cop or Dans Guardian solution for parental control, but if either the ASUS or Netgear have 'good enough' parental controls that would be nice.

Can anyone speak to the parental controls of the above?

I also use Linux and wonder about the ability to recover the firmware on the Asus routers -- it appears you need a special Windows only utility from what I have read.

Thanks again for the discussion.

Also, is there any hardware difference between the Best Buy 'R' models and the 'U' models from newegg or amazon?

 

[thiggins]

All those are reasonable choices.

In general, Parental Controls on consumer routers are pretty basic. Some manufacturers have partnered with OpenDNS to offer something a bit better than the woefully few (and dumb) keyword filters they offer.

Unless you need something more bullet-proof (if something exists), you
can just input the OpenDNS addresses into the router's DHCP server DNS and have something better than what you'll get with most routers.

Not sure what you mean by "recover" firmware. All the routers you mention have web-based firmware uploads.

 

[cprofitt]

Not sure what you mean by "recover" firmware. All the routers you mention have web-based firmware uploads.

In reading about the Asus routers it appears that if a firmware update fails you can put the router in to recovery mode and use a utility on the CD to 'restore' a firmware in hopes of 'un-bricking' it. That utility appears to be Windows only.

 

[thiggins]

In reading about the Asus routers it appears that if a firmware update fails you can put the router in to recovery mode and use a utility on the CD to 'restore' a firmware in hopes of 'un-bricking' it. That utility appears to be Windows only.

Ah. I think that "utility" is just a TFTP client coupled to a network discovery app that lets you connect to the router.

When doing my series on alternative firmware, I reflashed an N66U many times. I think I used the utility once, just because that's what the procedures I found online directed. But if you have a computer set statically to 192.168.1.X and point your browser at 192.168.1.1, you'll be able to connect to it when you put the router in recovery mode.

Or you could just leave the factory firmware in it.