value for money ac router for usb drive performance

[pmthokku]

I plan to connect a portable hard disk to the router to use for media streaming and file sharing as well as backup. Looking for a value for money (ac1200?) router with USB 3.0 which will have fast read and write speeds to the disk. A part of the disk will be used for time machine (or rsync) backup. I currently have a macbook air 2013, iPad retina mini and an android phone. I am considering net gear R6200, asus ac56u, link sys ea6300.
What are the other models I should look at? How do these compare in terms of:
1)USB drive performance
2)Ability to support custom firmware (or have good inbuilt firmware) which will provide support for vpn and other services which are things I am not using right now but might need in the future
Note: I do not want to be tied into the apple ecosystem if possible, because I feel it is restrictive. For example time capsule seems to provide very few features.

 

[azazel1024]

Personally with what you are asking, I'd get a seperate single disk NAS to add a drive to your network and look at the router for Wifi performance/router performance.

Routers do not have particularly good disk performance and USB3 as a general rule causes all kinds of 2.4GHz wifi interferance (so it is a BAD idea to have one on a router, which many manufacturers are doing these days. Even a shielded port is a bad idea on one).

 

[thiggins]

In addition to azazel's good advice, best USB storage performance is found only in the top-priced AC1900 routers, NETGEAR's R7000 specifically.

 

[htismaqe]

In addition to azadel's good advice, best USB storage performance is found only in the top-priced AC1900 routers, NETGEAR's R7000 specifically.

If it doesn't corrupt your disk or delete half of your files.

 

[stevech]

I plan to connect a portable hard disk to the router to use for media streaming and file sharing as well as backup. [/B]

Ill-advised. Read the other threads here on this topic.

 

[pmthokku]

Thank you all for the input. I will see if I can get a single disk nas.

 

[stevech]

Thank you all for the input. I will see if I can get a single disk nas.

Try for a 2 bay.

Either way, You'll need a big USB3 drive for backup of any NAS.