Upgrade from WR841N to <tbd>

[JohnRob]

Hi, Thanks for reading.
My old modem failed and I am currently using a TP Link WR841N router that came free with my modem purchase. It appears to work fine in some areas of the house but leaves quite a few dead spots. I must say for a $20 modem this thing performs very well.

I would like to upgrade the WR841N to a higher performing router in hopes of getting better signal in the current dead spots. I don't need 801.11 AC, from a practical standpoint, a N600 will do fine. But I do want more range. Also extra functional features and dd-wrt would be wasted in this application.

So my question...

Does any know if a jump to an Archer C5, C7 or C? or to something else, would be likely to increase my range?
I could find no WR841N bench tests, and most higher end modems are tested for throughput with range being only a mentioned (for the most part).

I have looked at the Asus which seem to be the range leader but they seem problematic when bought new. Their refurbished units have a very poor rating which leads me to believe the problems are intermittent, in my mind this is the worst kind of failure

budget: I would like to stay below $150.

Thought on TP Link WR4300. I've read this modem has 2.4 Ghz/ 5Ghz external antennas and the C - series has 2.4 Ghz internal with 5 Gh external. One might think this gives the WR4300 an edge in the 2.4 Ghz range. Thoughts?

Thank you for any comments.

Regards

JohnRob

 

[L&LD]

The AC1900 class routers or above have mostly increased their range and throughput vs. N600 class routers. Buying an N600 or even an N900 class router today makes little sense if you want to keep the router as long as possible.

http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wire...oes-an-ac-router-improve-n-device-performance

Deciding on a router based on internal vs. external antennae is simply taking a guess at the better router, but not necessarily making the best decision. The RT-AC56U is a dual band dual antennae (internal) router that has surpassed many of my clients expectations and is a great deal when found on sale at $100 or less. Although it is considered an AC1200 class router, it performs considerably higher than that.

 

[JohnRob]

Hi L&LD,

Thank you for your reply and for the article on AC to N device performance.

I had read your article before posting and came to a slightly different conclusion. Maybe not a conclusion but a theory. Based on your statement "...One improvement none of these routers provided was range extension..." I has thought perhaps the difference between the AC and N devices was not the RF performance but the ability to demodulate the faster data stream. If this were the case it would explain your throughput data and the absence of range improvement.

If my theory is correct, and my goal being greater distance, then I'm left with choosing a router where the reviews don't include something like ".... disappointed in the 2.4 Ghz range.."
I also have to consider your recommendation of the Asus unit you have had positive experience with it.

Thanks
Regards
JohnRob

 

[L&LD]

Greater range has been reported by many over the class leading 2012 RT-N66U which is an N900 class router and I assume has considerably more range and throughput than your current one.

I believe you've researched this topic enough for now.

Suggest you try a couple of units to test in your environment to see any improvements for yourself. If they do not, return one (or all).

Theory only takes us so far. Practical experience is far superior.