Updated-New AC Router Advice

[b0ng0]

I had previously posted asking for advice on a new DSL router when I didn't have fibre access.

I now have fibre internet with a Max down speed of 38 Mbps and 2 Mbps up (ISP limited).

I have 3 desktops, two smart phones, a laptop and a smart TV and a tablet usually connected all the time.

I'm looking mainly in the AC1750 range but not sure if I should venture into AC1900 or AC1200 territory.

I really just want good WiFi range, ability to route my traffic through a VPN (for Netflix), and also share files via USB hard drive.

Was tempted by the archer c8 and the Asus acn66u but the Asus seems quite dated now.

Any opinions are appreciated!

 

[System Error Message]

ASUS may be dated but they have better hardware than tp-link. Since you're using VPN and want to share files using a USB drive i suggest you go for ASUS or Netgear or Linksys because they have better functionality for those things whereas TP-link isnt quite as good for VPN routing and usb file sharing. Technically you can still use TP-link for those things but they dont have SAMBA, rather they expose the usb device so only 1 client can access the drive at a time.

The choice should come down to wifi range (check SNB charts) and usb sharing capability (choice between a single device access(tp-link) at a time or router acting as SAMBA/FTP server(others)).

 

[b0ng0]

ASUS may be dated but they have better hardware than tp-link. Since you're using VPN and want to share files using a USB drive i suggest you go for ASUS or Netgear or Linksys because they have better functionality for those things whereas TP-link isnt quite as good for VPN routing and usb file sharing. Technically you can still use TP-link for those things but they dont have SAMBA, rather they expose the usb device so only 1 client can access the drive at a time.

The choice should come down to wifi range (check SNB charts) and usb sharing capability (choice between a single device access(tp-link) at a time or router acting as SAMBA/FTP server(others)).

Thanks, it does seem that TPL skimp on certain aspects of hardware to keep the cost down but some of the Asus routers still say "draft ac" so I wasn't sure if that was an old standard or not.

In terms of the AC56U or the AC66U, is there much difference other than the wireless speed, are the Asus routers pretty similar across the board?

 

[System Error Message]

they can be very different. The AC56U and AC68U and netgear R7000 use the same dual ARM A9 CPU. The AC66U uses a single MIPS CPU. The AC87U, AC3200 and netgear R8000 uses the same dual ARM a9 CPU with hardware accelerators for wifi and include a bit of extra features.

Than ofcourse theres the wireless chipset. TP-link uses atheros MIPS and wifi chips. Asus likes to use broadcom except for the AC87U wifi.

You can also look at the linksys WRT1900AC.

 

[b0ng0]

they can be very different. The AC56U and AC68U and netgear R7000 use the same dual ARM A9 CPU. The AC66U uses a single MIPS CPU. The AC87U, AC3200 and netgear R8000 uses the same dual ARM a9 CPU with hardware accelerators for wifi and include a bit of extra features.

Than ofcourse theres the wireless chipset. TP-link uses atheros MIPS and wifi chips. Asus likes to use broadcom except for the AC87U wifi.

You can also look at the linksys WRT1900AC.

From reading around, Broadcom seems to be the better of the current chipsets in terms of performance - do I have that correct?

Had a look at the WRT1900AC but it's coming in at around £180 ($279) on Amazon - I was looking to keep the price around £100 ($150), which the Archer C8 and AC56/66U both do.

 

[b0ng0]

Having a look at the SNB router ranker, it seems like the Archer C8 pips the AC66U to the post on most of the metrics - both 2.4 & 5 GHz range and throughput. If that's true then it seems like a good deal..

 

[System Error Message]

atheros does better on range compared to broadcom however tp-link doesnt do well on advanced things so make sure you have a return period incase the firmware doesnt have the features you need.

 

[b0ng0]

atheros does better on range compared to broadcom however tp-link doesnt do well on advanced things so make sure you have a return period incase the firmware doesnt have the features you need.

Okay, I think I need to do a bit more research on Atheros vs. Broadcom in that case. I had thought that broadcom was newer and the current standard but if that's not the case then I will have a rethink.

In terms of buying, I'll be purchasing from Amazon so there's no issues with returning.

 

[thiggins]

All AC products comply with the released AC standard at this point, no matter whose chipset they have.

Once you've narrowed down your choice, only way to know for sure is to buy and try.

 

[b0ng0]

All AC products comply with the released AC standard at this point, no matter whose chipset they have.

Once you've narrowed down your choice, only way to know for sure is to buy and try.

Ah okay, that makes life a little easier.

I think I'll just have to bite the bullet and get one and try it out. Thanks for the advice chaps.

 

[System Error Message]

Okay, I think I need to do a bit more research on Atheros vs. Broadcom in that case. I had thought that broadcom was newer and the current standard but if that's not the case then I will have a rethink.

In terms of buying, I'll be purchasing from Amazon so there's no issues with returning.

They both produce new chips each time so they're both new. Just choose the one that fits you best. They both have different advantages and disadvantages and different tiers of chips meant for different environments.

 

[b0ng0]

Just thought I would follow this up since you chaps were kind enough to provide some advice - I ended up getting the Archer C9 at 50% off in Amazon's current electronics sale (~£60/$90).

Very happy with it so far, more or less plugged it in and it was working and the signal strength and range are fantastic (WiFi Analyser app on my phone has a minimum signal strength of -40 dB and that's what I'm getting in most rooms in the house). It's a bit overkill for my 32 Mbps connection but I felt like at that price it would be silly to choose a more expensive router for my needs.

It doesn't appear to have a VPN tunneling option, but I see a few owners have tried DD-WRT or OpenWRT so I might give that a shot later.

 

[System Error Message]

TP-links have basic features however you may find that when switching to third party you will experience poor throughput because of lack of hardware acceleration. TP-links are cheaper because they use less hardware such as using the common MIPS CPUs in routers instead of the ARM A9s you see or the higher end MIPS in some. If a few Mb/s of VPN is enough for you than TP-link hardware is enough.