(Part 3) Reddit mentions: The best computer routers

Not OP, but we've deployed Ubiquiti products in a few of our enterprise customers and it is running great. I am not sure how much you already know about networking, but I'll explain for anyone else reading.

First, some background to fully understand what it is you are trying to do. The thing that most consumers call "routers" are really three things: a router, a switch, and an access point. TLDR the router portion is the thing that actually moves traffic between machines, the switch extends how many physical ethernet ports you have, and the access point gives you wifi.

The Ubiquiti Access Points (UAP) are just access points. You will still need a router to route traffic, and your consumer one will work just fine for most people. If you are looking to get something more SOHO, Ubiquiti also makes their own router/firewall (check out USG, or ideally EdgeRouter). For all intents and purposes, it is a pretty good idea to separate the roles of your network (physical appliances for the router, firewall, wireless, etc...), and you can have as many UAP's as you'd like for wireless. The UAP's run off of Ubiquiti's 24V Power-over-Ethernet (POE), which can be provided via a POE injector or with a Ubiquiti Switch (either Unifi or EdgeMax). So for a basic network, you'll disable the wireless functionality on your consumer router, and plug a UAP into a port (obviously you'll need to pass it through the POE injector first). Rinse and repeat for however many UAP's you want, maybe another one on the other side of the house for example.

The UAP is pretty useless on its own, though. It needs a piece of software called the Unifi Controller. The software is free, and you can run it on Windows, Linux, or with Ubiquiti's appliance called the Cloud Key. Within Unifi Controller, you'll setup the UAP's; e.g. setting the visible wifi name (SSID), security, channels, etc... It isn't too complicated, the interface is really intutive and anyone who is even slightly technical could figure it out. The controller also serves another really important feature, which is zero-handoff. As long as the controller is running, your device will connect to the access point with the best signal. This is the seamless switching you asked about.

Ubiquiti also is focused on mesh networking, although we are generally pretty against that for businesses for reliability reasons. Of course, the exception to that is Cisco Meraki, which is a hybrid that will self-heal. If you lie and say you are an IT professional, you can get a free Meraki with a 3 year license. Just make sure that you follow the rules.

As a note, I would stick to the UAP AC's. They are the newer version and run great. For consumers, the UAP-AC-LITE is going to work fine. Obviously there is more to networking and wireless solutions than what I went over here, but this is the general gist of it.

TL/DR: a bit of background and personal experience ultimately suggesting that you run some network cable, and look into a full Ubiquiti setup with USG router, PoE switch & NanoHD Wi-Fi AP’s for around $400 including cabling, provided you’re not planning on upgrading your internet to faster than 1Gbps soon.


I’m not familiar with coax cable internet, but assume you can get some sort of Ethernet handoff from your modem?


Either way, make the effort and run some CAT6 cabling for Wi-Fi AP’s, and key devices too if possible.


My network setup in my 1150 square foot apartment, works perfectly on my 200Mbps fibre connection and would cost you around $483 for the following:

• Router: MikroTik RB3011 ($150) - https://www.amazon.com/Mikrotik-RB3011UIAS-RM-RouterBOARD-10xGigabit-Ethernet/dp/B01EL7TF9E
  
  
  
• Wi-Fi: 2x Ubiquiti NanoHD’s ($149 each)- https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Compact-802-11ac-Enterprise-UAP-NanoHD-US/dp/B07DWW3P6K
  
  
  
• Switch: Netgear 5-Port gigabit unmanaged Switch ($35) - https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Ethernet-Unmanaged-Protection-GS105NA/dp/B0000BVYT3
  
  
  I host the Ubiquiti Controller on a Windows PC acting as my home storage & media server and keep this running as a service (not necessary I know, but I like the stats).
  
  
  My network serves a mixture of around 30 devices, consisting of phones, tablets, computers, my home storage & media server, IoT devices, home theatre & TV’s all whilst doing some online gaming myself in the mix without hiccup. Hiccups are generally self-induced by my fiddling on the network. But from a stability and capability aspect, it’s perfect for me.
  
  
  I’ve previously used the “cheaper” MikroTik RB2011 ($102), which could also work for you - https://www.amazon.com/MikroTik-RB2011UiAS-RM-Routerboard-Rackmount-5xGbit/dp/B00DYWE2Z0
  
  
  However, if you you were already considering Ubiquiti Wi-Fi AP’s, then possibly consider going with a full Ubiquiti setup, by getting one of their routers & Wi-Fi AP’s? Ubiquiti’s UniFi range is quite impressive and I too like the commercial appeal of their products, so I’m slowly shifting my network over to a full Ubiquiti one (don’t tell my wife). A Ubiquiti setup could cost you between $384 with 1 AP and $533 with 2 AP’s... (although I feel you may need at least 2 AP’s)... excluding the cost of the cabling needed.
  
  
  But if I were you, I’d look into a setup like:
  
  
  
• Router: UniFi Security Gateway USG (+/- $128) - https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Security-Gateway-USG/dp/B00LV8YZLK
  
  
  
• Switch: UniFi 8-Port PoE Switch (+/- $107) -
  https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UniFi-Switch-60W-US-8-60W/dp/B01MU3WUX1
  
  
  
• And at least 1 Wi-Fi AP: UniFi NanoHD ($149) - https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Compact-802-11ac-Enterprise-UAP-NanoHD-US/dp/B07DWW3P6K
  
  
  If you could, the more robust UniFi USG-Pro 4 (tad bit expensive) would be a great router as I’ve read that the standard USG can cause speed issues with speeds above 500Mbps, when enabling nice-to-have features like its Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) and Intrusion Prevention System (IPS). These features are not necessary, but nice if you’re like me and like the stats and functionality they bring.
  
  
  
• USG-Pro 4 ($379) - https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Security-Gateway-USG-PRO-4/dp/B019PBEI5W
  
  
  Good luck and enjoy the setup once you decide and get the kit. Always fun setting up a new network gear.
  
  
  edit:
  
  
• fixed typos and sentence structure.
  
  
• forgot I had a 5-port Netgear switch. Added that info & updated prices.
  
  
• fixed link for RB3011.

First, for a modem+router to work you need to receive service from a internet service provider (Cox, At&T, etc.) not from a mobile carrier (T-Mobile, Sprint). Do you already receive receive service from a internet service provider? Someone would be paying them a monthly fee and you would be receiving internet to your home from a cable/coax outlet or a DSL outlet.

Second, Nighthawk equipment is typically targeted to intense internet usage. Nighthawk's maximum capabilities will generally not be realized unless you are paying for the highest internet subscription from your ISP and also using multiple network-taxing PCs for gaming, livestreaming, and downloading. If all you want is faster internet for a few home devices like phones, you can use a cheaper modem and a cheaper router.

The first Nighthawk router you linked is designed for train stations and mansions with all smart appliances, not for typical home use. There's probably no reason for you to fork over $450 for it.

The second Nighthawk router you listed for 60 GHz, which means super fast speed but doesn't work outside of close proximity (like 10 feet). While 60 GHz chips have been developed, basically no commercial devices use them, only prototypes. I imagine 60 GHz will eventually be used for 4K streaming to smart TVs located near the router, but it's just not worth forking over $400.

Third, pick a modem that matches the speed of your subscription with your ISP. Here is a guide for picking a cable modem. Basically, higher DOCSIS version number (3.1 vs 3.0) and higher number of channels (32 vs 16 vs 8) means higher capabilities and more expensive. For typical home internet use, DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem with 8 channels is plenty. This is the type of cable modem I have, and it supports my 100 Mbps internet subscription. A DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem with 8 channels should be about $50. If you really want to make sure you match your internet subscription, you can get a DOCSIS 3.0 cable modem with 16 channels for about $80-$90. You probably don't need the Nighthawk DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem with 32 channels that you listed, which is about $150.

Here is a guide for picking a DSL modem. Basically, a VDSL modem has higher capability than an ADSL modem. An ADSL modem might not be fast enough for your typical home use, but you can get an ADSL modem for about $40-$50. VDSL modems should work for your typical home use. VDSL modems are usually sold a as a combination modem+router, rather than a standalone modem. You can get a VDSL modem+router with a faster router half for about $120+. You can get a VDSl modem+router with a slower router half for about $70.

Fourth, pick a router that suits your home use. You want a router that (1) has fast speed and (2) has enough range for a signal to reach you based on your home size. Here is a brief guide of routers speed. Basically, WiFi "AC" protocol is the standard for home use, and higher numbers after the "AC" (AC 1900 vs AC 1750) means faster speed. AC 1200 routers are typically about $405-$50. AC 1750 routers are typically about $80. AC 1900 routers are typically about $120. You might notice the speed difference between 1200 and 1900. You probably won't notice the speed difference between 1750 and 1900. Anything above 1900 you probably won't be able to tell the difference.

There isn't really a guide on router range. Router manufacturers have collectively agreed not to advertise their signal strengths. So you have to look around the internet for reviews, or do your own tests. You can do you own tests by buying multiple routers, using any of the millions of free Wi-Fi strength apps on the app store, and returning the the routers with lower strength. I tested some routers this way and ended up keeping this router.

I prefer standalone routers. They sometimes perform better than combination modem+routers because designers didn't have to worry about incorporating a modem. Also, I can swap them out without having to buy a new modem. However, you can also buy a combination modem+router to save space. But make sure the modem half matches your internet subscription, and the router half matches your home use. By paying for a decent internet subscription, matching my modem to the internet subscription, and matching my router to my home, I have the best in-home WiFi of any of my friends.

EDIT: Fifth, wait for Black Friday and Cyber Monday electronics deals. Electronics usually go on sale the weekend after Thanksgiving. You might be able to pick up compatible modems and routers for cheaper.

Here are your options for home wifi networking:

1. Buy a super strong wifi router and you're good to go even in a large home - as long as you don't live in a repurposed bomb shelter. An example of a "super strong" router: here
   
2. Buy a normal router or your current one and add access points. An example of a "normal" router: here . An access point (AP) is not a wifi extender. You must run a cable (CAT 5E/ CAT 6) from your router to the location where you need improved wifi signal, there you plug in the AP and attach the Ethernet cable from the router. The AP simply turns a wired connection into a wireless one and broadcasts the same network as that coming from your router. An example of an AP: here .
   
3. Buy a normal router or your current router and use a wifi extender(s). I wifi extender receives packets from your wireless router, ups the signal strength, and then forwards them to a nearby host. If you are having poor signal at point B and the router is at point A then put the extender directly in the middle of the 2; I have seen so many people make the mistake of putting the extender at point B, which defeats the whole purpose because it is just your host device's antenna vs the extender's.
   
4. An extender/AP all in one device. An example: here
   
5. A mesh wifi system. It can be difficult to distinguish a multi-AP/ multi-extender setup from a mesh system, but the main differences are that the mesh will be easier to setup and more "polished" in general. A mesh system will automatically detect the SSID (network name) from the wifi router and extend it. Want to add a signal booster? With mesh you can buy another matching unit and use WPS for a one button setup. The mesh is also smart in identifying when you move from one area to another ans switching to the closer device to server you your packets. Now, this is seen in some higher end APs and extenders such as here , but its not as seamless and usually more expensive in the long run. An example of a mesh system: here
   
   APs are generally more stable (UBIQUITI makes great ones) due to the wired connection. I like using APs because I can buy as I need more and set some up on different VLANs and hide SSIDs, but those are more advanced options. For most people who do not want to run cable or go with more of a permanent networking setup, the easiest and most effective solution is generally a mesh system. The TP-Link one is great as well as Google WiFi.
   
   EDITED: Because the bot thought I was using affiliate links...

Okay, for cable internet at those speeds, you're looking at these:

Modems:

SB6190: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016PE1X5K/

or

SB8200: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N6SKK1G/

The 6190 technically supports 1.4Gbps, but the ethernet port on it is only 1Gb which caps you there. The 8200 supports 1.4Gbps and can actually do it because it has 2x 1Gb ports, but it requires your provider to give you multiple IPs for that which is almost unheard of in the consumer space. So effectively both are going to be capped at 1Gb down and 343Mb up.

The 6190 is DOCSIS 3.0 and the 8200 is DOCSIS 3.1. This doesn't really matter right now as everyone supports 3.0 and 3.1 support is just starting, but the 3.1 will be supported much longer. So if you're looking for a modem to keep the next 10+ years, go with the 8200, but if you don't mind saving about 50% now and then buying a new modem in 10 years, the 6190 is great.

Both are on XFinity's supported list.

For routers:

Nighthawk AC2300 R7000P: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01NA80JML/

or

Nighthawk AC1900 R6900P: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C65K9H9/

or

Asus AC66U AC1750: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N08LPPP/

The R7000P is a pretty high end pick. It's going to support the fastest wireless speeds on the 5GHz AC band. However, you'll likely be limited by the device at the other end, as most end devices don't support speeds that high.

The R6900P is the next step down. It's very similar, but it's 5GHz AC speeds are slightly slower. Even still though, it's faster than what most devices support so you'll likely be limited by the device.

The AC66U is the more budget pick. It supports the same speeds as the 6900P on the 5GHz AC band, but has slightly slower speeds for older N based devices. For most users this likely won't matter as almost everything is AC these days except for like printers and IoT devices that don't need bandwidth. With the AC66U, you also don't have MU-MIMO support, which the more expensive options do. While MU-MIMO isn't required, it can really help in homes that have lots of devices.

If your are going to be using the VPN from home, then just use a reputable service like Private Internet Access (PIA) and pay however you normally would for a service - credit card, PayPal, etc..

You have any number of options on how to use the VPN service. Three possible options from easy to difficult may be...

Easy - use VPN service client software

The better VPN services like PIA have client software that you can download and install on PCs and mobile devices. You run the client when you want to connect to the VPN. This is easiest, but offers the least anonymity. You will need to be particularly careful to avoid IP Leaks.

Moderately difficult - use a virtual machine on your PC

If you:

1. have a consumer-grade firewall/router like a NETGEAR Nighthawk, or you use an ISP-provided router, at home, and
   
2. you have a reasonably good desktop/laptop PC with sufficient RAM (e.g. 8 GB to 16 GB)
   
   then you may be able to run a Type 2 hypervisor (virtualization software) on it such as VirtualBox or VMware Workstation (on Windows) or VMware Fusion (on a Mac). The hypervisor can be used to run a virtual machine (VM), a version of Linux for example, that you will use for your VPN client. The VM will aquire its own IP address on your network or on a public hot spot. You will have the most privacy if you:
   
   
3. use your host PC only for activity tied specifically to your identity (social networking, banking, shopping, etc),
   
4. use the guest VM running the VPN client only for activity that you wish to remain private, and
   
5. optionally (for more privacy and better anonymity) use Tor over your VPN connection.
   
   Isolating activities will not only offer the maximum privacy, it also will offer the best security. Additionally, good virtualization software like those listed above enables the creation of snapshots. For example, see Taking, Restoring, and Deleting Snapshots for how to use snapshots in VirtualBox.
   
   Difficult - use a VPN client on your firewall.
   
   If you have some knowledge of networking and a capable (possibly enterprise-class) firewall, such as pfSense, at home then you can implement an OpenVPN client on your firewall and route all traffic on a specified subnet to the VPN service. For example, firewall rules could be written so any computer on a subnet (say 192.168.3.0/24) will access the Internet through the VPN service without having the VPN client installed. This approach will offer more flexibility for using a VPN service on a home network, but is a bit more difficult to get working.

>I recently moved to a new home and now have gigE internet service. Unfortunately, my old router and WAP can't handle the speed (Wireless-N Airport Extreme). To fix this, I about a TP-Link Archer C7, and I'm still not seeing the speeds that I want, but I'm still not happy with my performance.

Awesome. You made my shitlist of people I'm jealous of. lol Except that extreme router. lol


>When I connect the modem directly to my computer, I'm seeing 980 Mbps.


Seems about right.

>When the Aiport Extreme

Gonna stop you right there. Throw that thing away and bury it at a crossroads at midnight.

>and separate gigabit switch are involved, I'm seeing about 250 Mbps,

Exactly.

>and with the Archer C7 and gigabit switch, I'm seeing about 780 Mbps down.

rubs eyes How is that possible?


>So, I'm looking to take the Archer C7 back

Good!

>in favor of a USG and Unifi WAP. On average, what speeds should I expect from a USG?

I know I'm gatekeeping lol but it's A.P. The wireless is implied. This is where the questions start however.

1. What sort of modem do you have?
   
2. Does your ISP support direct fiber hand-off?
   
3. What sort of budget are you playing with?
   
   >I need 1300 square feet of WiFi coverage.
   
   You need unifi mesh to make things less labor intense. That or two unifi AC pros for solid coverage. You can get away with one (placed in the center most part of your home) if you absolutely had to do without.
   
   
   You'll also need the following:
   
   
4. 10Gtek for Ubiquiti SFP+ Direct Attach Copper Cable x 2 (you can return the second one later
   
5. Unifi Key
   
6. Ubiquiti SFP Module
   
   
   
   
   The concept is. You either buy a Ubiquiti Edge Router 4 / a Unifi Security Gateway with an SFP WAN. and have the ISP give you a direct fiber hand off and use one of the copper GTEK SFP patch cables to patch you over to a unifi / ubiquiti switch (please make sure this is either POE / not). This is a cost consideration. Hook your AP to the boona end of the switch and presto blamo you have just shy of a 1 gig internet access internally.
   
   
   Good luck! Comment if you have any questions.

Mediacom requires a DOCSIS 3.1 modem for gigabit services. The only DOCSIS 3.1 modem on the market that is worth purchasing is the Arris SurfBoard SB8200. Amazon currently has a $20 off coupon which will bring the price down to $166, making it cheaper than the Netgear CM1000 (which is actually worse than the SB8200). A better modem for a better price.

As for a router, I strongly recommend the Asus TM-AC1900 flashed with Merlin. The TM-Ac1900 is basically the Asus AC68U with a custom firmware. You can upload your own custom firmware like Merlin, DD-WRT, or Tomato. Merlin offers performance, DD-WRT offers functionality, Tomato offers a little bit of both. I strongly recommend Merlin as it is what I use to hit 900Mbps down with my gigabit service through RCN.

The directions to flash Merlin are super easy if you follow these instructions. It takes at most 30 minutes to do it, from start to finish. When you're done, you will have one of the best routers on the market for a fraction of the price. I have three of these routers (one AC68R and two TM-AC1900, all running Merlin) and I absolutely love them. The AC68R is my primary router which I bought when it first came out, one TM-AC1900 is in my garage as a repeater, and the other is my test/backup router.

If you have any questions on how to flash the firmware, let me know and I'll be happy to help. If you're in or near the Chicagoland area, I'll be more than happy to flash it for you.

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask, but I've gotten helpful answers here before.

I'm looking to buy a modem and router for the first time, and need help figuring out how to get the best products I can without spending a leg and an arm.

The Xfinity wifi plan I'm getting is for 60mbps, and I'm not really a fan of paying an extra $13/mo for their router/modem. I was hoping to buy either a combo modem/router or two separate devices, and hopefully spend less than $80, but am fine with paying up to/around $100. I'm mostly gonna use it to watch youtube and whatnot, but also play a fair bit of video games and dont want to deal with high ping.

I've looked on amazon a bit but there's so many different devices its kinda overwhelming. This router here is one that doesn't seem terrible in price or performance, but I'd also need a modem that works with Xfinity to go with it.

​

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated!

Unless you have relatively esoteric routing needs and/or like dealing with command line interfaces, avoid the Edge line. If you stick with UniFi, you'll manage all your devices from one centralized controller, almost like managing a "wireless router" like you're used to.

There's basically just one router: The UniFi Security Gateway. Simply connect its WAN1 port to your modem/ONT and the LAN1 port to a switch. They also make a Pro version, but it's massive overkill for the vast majority of home networks.

The access points get a little more complicated, as there are three good choices that all have their advantages and disadvantages.

• UniFi AP AC Lite. Two streams each of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz (AC1200). Small and cheap. Best choice if you're getting multiple APs. If you don't have any devices that support more than two streams in either band, you won't benefit from anything faster.
  
  
• UniFi AP AC Pro. Three streams each of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz (AC1750). Physically larger and more expensive than the Lite. The only model with three 2.4 GHz streams, so the best choice if you have lots of 2.4 GHz only devices.
  
  
• UniFi NanoHD AP. This is the 5 GHz heavy hitter, with four streams and MU-MIMO. It also has two 2.4 GHz streams, so the combined link speed would be AC2032. It's the thing to get if you're using 5 GHz heavily but not a lot of 2.4 GHz. It is the most expensive, though. It's the same size as the Lite and supports cool features such as skins and recessed mounting.
  
  All of the APs are powered by PoE and are intended for ceiling mounting, the coverage pattern is basically donut-shaped so you'll lose a lot of coverage with vertical mounting. They include a PoE injector so there's no need for a PoE switch.
  
  As for switches, there's no need for anything fancy. All you need is a simple, unmanaged gigabit switch with more than enough ports for all your Ethernet lines and APs. If you want to ditch the injectors and get a PoE switch, you could just get a simple unmanaged one like this. You could of course go for an actual UniFi Switch, they're excellent but significantly more expensive. And remember you can always connect switches together, for example connecting a small PoE switch to a larger non-PoE one.
  
  The last thing is the controller. The UniFi Controller runs on lots of different platforms. You could just install it on an Ethernet-connected PC, you'd only need to run it for the initial configuration and for firmware updates and configuration changes in the future, it doesn't need to run all the time. If you want it running all the time on a dedicated device, installing the controller on a Raspberry Pi is the cheapest option and works great. Ubiquiti also makes their own device but it's quite expensive.

It's super easy. I never did it before either, and I'm a female who has zero experience with house repairs. I can build a computer but don't know a damn thing about house repairs like electricity, plumbing, or anything like that. Basically, my dad just used his drill, drilled a small hole and went into the basement and we snaked the ethernet cord up through to my room.

If you want to get a new router, I would recomend getting a Linksys WRT AC1200 Dual-Band and Wi-Fi Wireless Router with Gigabit and USB 3.0 Ports and eSATA. I have the model that's slightly higher, the Linksys WRT1900ACS Dual-Band Smart Wi-Fi Gigabit Router, but I don't think you would need to spend that much unless you wanted to.

Or you could get a powerline adapter or wireless range extender. You could get the TP-LINK AV500 AC750 Wi-Fi Range Extender, Powerline Edition (TL-WPA4530 KIT) which has both and currently has a $10 off coupon. Obviously, ethernet is always better than wireless if possible. Make sure what you get can handle the speed of your modem/router. You can do a speed test with any of these websites (I typically check a few different websites and then average the speed): Ookla Speed Test, CNET Speed Test, Source Forge Speed Test, Bandwith Place Speed Test, SpeedTest.Org, e-Speed Test, SpeedOf.Me Speed Test, Speak Easy Speed Test, Verizon Speed Test, Charter Speed Test.

Remember, if you make any purchase with Amazon, always use Amazon Smile which donates a portion of your purchase to a charity of your choice. So instead of going to http://www.amazon.com, always go to http://smile.amazon.com and help someone out.

Ok, so as I have mentioned, your not going to get an accurate result in testing your online speeds from a device connecting by Wifi. Also with that, you are always going to see fluctuating speeds when connecting with Wifi due to interference, etc.

So, I know this suggestion probably won't be of much help, but I would honestly recommend that you run an Ethernet line from your Sky modem/hub to where your xBox is setup. Then get yourself a cheapo/generic Dual band Wifi router and configure it for 'Access Point' mode.

This way your room will have a strong Wifi signal as well as having a direct Ethernet connection that you can connect your game console to.

I know your in GB, but I will link a couple of Wifi routers that you could look at if you are able to do the extended Wifi Access Point option.

- https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AC900-Gigabit-Router-Reliable/dp/B07L6T45JW/ref=sr_1_34?keywords=TP+Link+Archer&qid=1569022432&sr=8-34

or

- https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AC1200-Smart-WiFi-Router/dp/B07N1L5HX1/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=Wifi+router&qid=1569022144&sr=8-7

The only other thing that might be of some help, is to contact your provider and report that the speeds your getting are not upto what you are paying for and request that they dispatch a tech to check things out.

Best of luck.

I'm listening! And now that I have looked at what cell modems do, I can't believe we didn't think of this.

The physical location is doable, but I'm not sure I have enough expertise to know how to make those elements work together.

My limited understanding is that I would put the cell modem on the hill, hook it to a wifi router with a beefy antenna pointing down at the camp. The camp end would have another wifi router with an antenna feeding the broadband "input."

The ultimate goal is to be able to access the Internet and place voice calls, which could be VOIP. It would be really nice to be able to do video calls like Skype, FaceTime, or WhatsApp, too.

So, hypothetically, would something like this work:

1. 4G cell modem: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MQRHQYT/ref=psdc_284715_t1_B00KTLAEQ0
   
   
2. Two wifi routers. Maybe something like this: https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Wi-Fi-Gigabit-Router-WNDR4300/dp/B008HO9DK4/ref=zg_bs_300189_12?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=M9QF325AYXRX9Q47AE9D
   
   
3. The point-to-point antennae. Would these work? Link: https://www.amazon.com/EZ-Bridge-Lite-EZBR-0214-Outdoor-Wireless-System/dp/B002K683V0
   
   
4. Appropriate power supply for each element. Most likely 12V solar batteries with whatever capacity of inverter is needed.
   
   
5. Possibly add the optional 3G/4G antennae to the cell modem for a better connection with the cell tower.
   
   The end result is an Internet connection that all of our wifi devices at camp could use, but they would be sharing whatever data plan the SIM in the cell modem has.
   
   Does that seem workable to you?
   
   Thank you very much for the suggestion, falcon5nz! You have already given me better help than two months of trying to talk to industry people!
   
   Edit: The wifi router on the hill would be redundant, wouldn't it? The cell modem could just connect directly to the point-to-point antenna, maybe?

I had heard the opposite about the adapter's performance, but you're right, I'll reserve my judgement (and my money) until after some hands on reviews of the final product.

I would love to only spend $199, but I don't think that price is reasonable given the 60 GHz wireless in use. Here's a wireless router that does 60 GHz. You'd need to add to that cost an adapter for the device you would want it to communicate with.

Similarly, here are a pair of 60 GHz wireless HDMI adapters. At $230, those only support 1080p at 60 FPS, not even close to providing a good VR experience. Additionally, they would only stream video and audio, and not any of the other communication that takes place between the headset and the PC.

The fact that the Vive Wireless Adapter is able to transmit extremely low latency video at Vive Pro resolution is truly impressive (assuming it does it well) and it's leaps and bounds better than anything else currently on the market. I'm honestly surprised they didn't price it higher, hence my speculation that they're not making much money on them.

I got a 64GB iPad Pro 11 around Memorial day (there was a sale on it for like $650). Having had it now for about 3 months now, I haven't run into storage issues yet. I do have PUBG installed, but not Fortnight or GTA.

I do have a terabyte external SSD and a RAVPower Wifi Hub which allows iPad access to the external 1TB via wifi and app even on iOS12.

I think at the 64GB storage level, iPad Pro becomes more like a chromebook than a laptop replacement - an access device for cloud services like Dropbox or googleDrive. On the other hand, I've had laptops with 1TB of storage - and still you run out of space and have to rely on external storage. I think the question with internal storage is when that happens - more storage you have, later that happens, but it does happen to everyone at some point.

For doing "productive" things like word processing, PDF review/annotation, managing calendars and todos, 64GB seems like plenty of space.

If I had to do it over, I still wouldn't pay for more storage on the iPad, but I would pay for more storage on my iPhone - since that has a secondary function as a photo/video camera and that does eat up a ton of storage fast.

On a typical family trip, we take an ancient GoPro 4 Silver, 4 iPhones, and a Sony NEX6 - the dedicated cameras being old devices that don't take 4K videos or high megapixel photos, and still end up with about 80-100gigs of phots and video footage. If speed/reliability of getting FilmicPro footage out of iPhones into a PC via iTunes is any indication, iPad Pro doesn't seem like a good device to aggregate these photos, regardless of internal storage.

IMO, the cost difference for additional internal storage (and LTE connectivity) on the iPad pro is better spent on the Pencil, a nice keyboard and cloud/external storage. Office365 comes with a terabyte of OneDrive storage if I recall correctly - that seems sufficient. I guess the minimum amount of internal storage depends on how one uses the iPad (and it may very well be 256, not 64GB for you), but I personally don't go on a ton of flights (and sleep mostly when I do, or watch in-flight entertainment), mostly review PDFs and use GoodNotes for some note taking - for these uses, for me, 64GB has been enough.

I have an answer to this, but it's solved with money (and a bit of time). Almost all of the Arris modem/router combos are just trash... and there's nothing that can be done about it that I could determine. I just decided to buy my own equipment and my Internet hasn't had any problems since. No slowdowns, and no downtime. Here's what I got, but note that this equipment is actually super overkill and I think cheaper equipment could still do the job:

Modem:
https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Cable-Modem-CM1000-Compatible/dp/B0781VN7W5

Router/AP:
https://www.amazon.com/Dual-Band-supporting-AiProtection-Accelerator-RT-AC88U/dp/B016EWKQAQ

I actually did buy the router used so that saved a bit of money. Your ISP will need to support the what modem you get, but Northland (which I assume you use) supports a good bit of modems, you just need to call them and give them your CMAC on the modem to activate it on their network. If you want to do this and need help just pm me.

Edit:
So CCIT does bring up a good point on the WIFI space being crouded. The router I bought performs extremely well in crowded environments, which was what was needed in my scenario. The modem was bought because it supports gigabit speeds.

It really depends on the size of the house and what the walls are made out of. My parents house isn't that big but it's old and the walls are plaster and have chicken wire in between them. I needed 3 APs to cover the house and networks speeds were iffy on the remote APs compared to the main one. This was a 802.11n network though.

I don't know where the bottleneck is on your network exactly so I'd troubleshoot starting with the least expensive options first to determine where it is before you go and spend lots of money.

1. $15 If it's an option, buy a cheap switch and move the NAS to room B as I mentioned above and see if that improves performance.
   
   
2. $35 Buy a Chromecast and see if it performs any better than the Roku Stick.
   
   
3. $80-200 Buy a Roku 3/4 or Nvidia Shield TV. Regular settop box might get better receptions than a streaming stick.
   
   
4. $200 Buy 2x Ubiquit UAC-AC-LR Wireless Access Points. These are considered the best APs on the market and these are the long range versions. I personally love these things
   
   
5. $370 Buy THIS MONSTROSITY and pray the signal reaches all corners of your home.

I don't know how much cost CAT 6 cables, keystones and patch cords for you. I'm doing myself in my house but I'm in Brazil.

What I can say is that with $ 100 you can buy one excellent Linksys WRT 1200 AC in Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Linksys-Dual-Band-Wireless-Gigabit-WRT1200AC/dp/B00UVN20T0/) and if you need more than 4 ports, there is lot of good switches under $ 50 (personally I would like to get https://www.amazon.com/Linksys-8-Port-Gigabit-WRT1900AC-SE4008/dp/B00NQ19MUE/, used for $ 35 and is stackable with WRT1200AC).

I can strongly recommend WRT 1200 AC. It is awesome, stable and can run Open WRT.

Figured. You can try to call back during the day and speak with a fiber engineer (if there is any due to the strike), and have them check to see if its self install ready.

Internet only you dont need their routers. The ONT is in/outside your property right? you can run a cat6 ethernet line from the ONT to your own router and be done with it. Their may be provisioning needed on VZ's end but that should be it.

My assumption would be they are defualting a tech out to not only run that line, but upgrade the ONT if its not rated for that speed.

For your own routers, i have a RT-AC68U Asus as well as many others, and its perfect. Otherwise i recommend the TP-Link archer C9 - http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-AC1900-Archer-C9-Wireless/dp/B00PDLRHFW/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1464698899&sr=8-2&keywords=ac1900+router

Both should be fine, my Asus AC68U covers my 2 story house with 5 bedrooms + basement perfectly, the router is on the 2nd floor. (moving it downstairs soon).

If you have a very large house - or old house with plaster & steel lath walls consider this - , big price but i've installed this for a few people in similar situations and it was great. http://www.amazon.com/Dual-Band-Wireless-AC3100-Gigabit-Router-RT-AC88U/dp/B016EWKQAQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464698973&sr=8-1&keywords=asus+ac+3100

That modem is excellent, and can handle speeds much higher than 60Mbps. I own the same one, and it handles 400Mbps from XFinity just fine.

The price difference between the routers is for serveral reasons:

1. An off-brand router with no credibility vs a known and respected brand (TP-Link)
   
2. 1200 vs 1750 theoretical max speeds (we never see these speeds in real life)
   
3. Better features, bells and whistles on the TP-Link.
   
   However, for your 60Mbps plan, I would actually recommend something cheaper unless your home is large. I have a 400Mbps connection, have tested all three of the routers below extensively, and all deliver good performance that will more than match your internet speed. The Tenda AC6 is limited to 100Mbps by its hardware ports, but the Archer A6 and Tenda AC10U can deliver up to 300Mbps real-world. The Tenda AC10U also includes a USB port for (slow) network media storage.
   
   Tenda AC6 (~100Mbps): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06X1CHFJ5/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_hg7rDbK1HXNC3
   
   TP-Link Archer A6 (~300Mbps): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N1L5HX1/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ui7rDb4QG3XX0
   
   Tenda AC10U (~300Mbps + USB storage): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ES6ZQ7O/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_3j7rDbA4HS0F5
   
   Each of these options also features transmit beamforming and basic 2x2 Mu-Mimo, which may slightly increase range and connectivity. TP-Link is again more well-known and respected than Tenda, and does have slightly better firmware, though both are quite good. Any of these three options would work well for you; I recommend the AC6 for basics, the Archer A6 or AC10U for speeds over 100, and the AC10U if you have some use for a network hard drive.

[For Sale] Selling two great items.

Netgear Nighthawk Smart Wifi Router AC1900. Works perfectly, was at my parents and used for a minimal amount of devices. Retails at $125 on Amazon and $150 everywhere else. Selling for $80 $70, now $60. Really need to sell.

Huffy Good Vibrations Cruiser Bike. Link is to the color scheme of the bike. In great condition and rarely used. I love this bike to be honest, just having a rough period financially. Really fun to ride. Retails from $130-160. Selling for $50. sold.

Edit: lowered prices

I used WiFi analyzer and discovered my neighbors were almost all on my same channel. It will help to look for one without many other routers.

Also, Amazon has the Linksys WRT AC1200 Dual-Band and Wi-Fi Wireless Router with Gigabit and USB 3.0 Ports and eSATA (WRT1200AC) on sale for $69.99 currently. The third questions down is about # of devices & someone with Linksys said "32 devices at the same time for optimum use, but it can handle more than that"

It looks like overkill, but I had the Amazon gift cards stored up & this price seemed pretty good. I ordered one and I'm guessing things will just run slower for each device as you go over 32 since it is sharing the bandwidth with so many devices.

https://www.amazon.com/Linksys-Dual-Band-Wireless-Gigabit-WRT1200AC/dp/B00UVN20T0/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

If you don't mind a slight lag, you can save some money and use an app if you're on Android. I use one of 2 apps that display the live view on my phone and has remote control features.

DSLR Controller is a more basic app that does this. but I prefer qDSLRDashboard as it offers many more features -- just not free and I can't recall the price.

I got a hotshoe mount for my phone like this one, but not this one and a USB OTG adapter like this and connect the phone to my DSLR via USB.

Benefits are the phone (or tablet) then displays my camera's live view, the touch screen becomes the camera's touch screen for things like touch to focus, the apps can control the camera and use their own overlays (I like qDSLRDashboard's focus peaking feature).

Bonus: Both support live view over WiFi and you can install custom firmware on a TP-Link TL-MR3040 portable router, then plug the router into your camera and have wireless control via either app to your camera.

There's a slight delay between the camera and what's displayed on phone, more so over wifi. So if you need precision, this isn't your answer. But if you want something kinda fun and cheaper than a monitor, give this a shot.

Disclaimer: This isn't an official plan so remember it is possible that at anytime this loophole could go away at any time. They do not support this plan, most at&t employees will not know about this loophole and will discourage you from trying.

​

Go to walmart, target, best buy or wherever is convenient and get yourself a prepaid sim card kit (they are around $10). You might want to wait on buying the sim card until after you buy your hotspot as most hotspots will come with a preinstalled sim card that will likely work.

​

Get yourself a hotspot. I reccomend the AT&T nighthawk because it has ethernet and I assume you want to hook it into your existing network.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/at-t-nighthawk-lte-mobile-hotspot-router/6212403.p?skuId=6212403

​

Another option that gives you some options for multiple carriers would be something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/MOFI4500-4GXeLTE-SIM4-Router-T-Mobile-Verizon-Embedded/dp/B01EY11K40/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1542823404&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=mofi+4500+verizon

​

If you have an at&t tablet with an LTE modem this is much easier but if not you will need an imei number of a working tablet. If that imei is for an LTE ipad go here:

​

https://dcp2.att.com/OEPNDClient/pages/A-00T.jsp?version=0.13693307204867577&version=0.15959132455818992

​

If that tablet is an android LTE tablet go here:

​

https://buyasession.att.com/sbd/unauth/ShowLogin.action

​

If you don't have a tablet you can generally find an imei number of one by searching google or ebay and changing one of the numbers at the end and then verifying it using an imei calculator like this one to generate the correct check bit:

https://www.imei.info/calc

​

You will need to provide them with the imei of a tablet that is compatible with AT&T's network and the ICCID number on the sim card you buy. Once you put in those numbers it will ask you what plan you want. You want to choose the plan as you see here:

https://i.imgur.com/izKRnIG.png

​

Once you have signed up just stick the sim in the hotspot and you will have amazing internet access.

​

**Note you will be behind carrier grade NAT so you won't have a public facing IP address and you won't be able to do any port forwarding which can be problematic when gaming but it will work amazingly for everything else.

​

Also Verizon has an official unlimited hotspot option now but it's twice the price. Might be an option though depending on coverage and if the at&t plan goes away.

https://www.reddit.com/r/verizon/comments/9vy4tw/verizon_prepaid_hotspot_new_unlimited_plan/

​

Feel free to message me if you run into any snags. I don't use mine as much anymore because I have fiber at my house now but I have a cheap hotspot that I picked up for portability that I use for my daughter on long car trips or when we go camping or whatever.

​

Hope this is helpful

​

The issue with a blue flag isn't that someone may know in advance that it means you're trying to be friendly, it's that they may misinterpret it altogether. Maybe a blue flag represents a local gang or something. Most people are good to each other and imo travelers are some of the best people out there, but still. I'm just sayin' a solid color flag may create an opportunity for miscommunication.

I agree the piratebox is a specialized solution. But there's no reason it can't go viral. All you need is something like this and software from here.

Low tech is also good. What do you think about QR codes? You can scan them from 50 yards.

I've had the TP Link WDR4300 router (N) for about 3 years. It's a great no frills router that gets the job done at a competitive price. A couple months ago I got the ASUS RT-AC66U and installed Tomato on it. It's awesome but probably overkill for your situation. You basically have to decide if you want third party firmware on your router or if you want to leave it stock.

TP Link WDR4300 router (N) 66.99
http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WDR4300-Wireless-Gigabit-300Mbps/dp/B0088CJT4U/ref=sr_1_1

Even the AC version is a pretty good price $93.99
http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WDR4300-Wireless-Gigabit-300Mbps/dp/B0088CJT4U/ref=sr_1_1

You could always get something really cheap that's still supported by DDWRT if you just want to get by http://www.amazon.com/Linksys-E1200-Wireless-N300-Router/dp/B004T9RR6I or the N300 suggested by JustPlainTed

Buffalo G300NH Not bleeding edge but has good feature set, comes with dd-wrt pre-installed but also has an option for buffalo firmware, wifi is strong and has good range, the gigabit ethernet support is nice too.

Most ISP techs will default by saying your equipment is not good enough because their employers want you to rent their equipment. What kind of speeds are you currently getting?

With that said ...

DOCSIS 3.1 is a new standard for cable modems, this will grant you your biggest speed boost. though it looks like you have a pretty nice modem already.

For wifi 802.11ad and 802.11ax are upcoming standards, make sure they have MU-MIMO if you want to take advantage of newer tech.

For lan make sure all your equipment is rated for 10/100/1000 speeds. One kink in the chain can throttle your speeds. It also does not hurt to have all cat5e or cat6 wiring.

Also make sure you don't have your two routers competing for DHCP.

I've currently been eyeing these two routers.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M12RE4A/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I1P1T3F17EUVAY&colid=1PJO1XFYZH6LV
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FRP2758/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I3S2IMED2FNIPO&colid=1PJO1XFYZH6LV

While it’s a “store exclusive”, I purchased a Nighthawk r7450 AC2600 router. Works great for my setup but i’m in a small apartment. Have had no issues or need to reboot the router since I’ve installed it almost a month ago.

However, if you’re looking for something that supports DD-WRT by chance, this is not the router for you as it’s a MediaTek chipset, DD-WRT supports mainly Broadcom afaik.

In the case that you’d want to stick with Netgear, I’d recommend a Nighthawk XR500 (it’s on sale on Amazon for $265 ($15 over your budget which isn’t bad) and has awesome features.

>I can't buy a unifi setup due to low budget.

No, you do not need to buy a switch or a cloud key. All you need is the modem, a quality router, and a Unifi AP. Your router acts as a switch since it generally has 5 Ethernet ports, so the AP will just plug into the router. The cloud key is only for the Ubiquiti controller software. It's basically a dedicated mini-computer that runs the controller software for those who want to manage their devices remotely and get better statistical information. The cloud key is completely optional even though they say it's necessary. The controller software can be installed on your computer at home for the purpose of setup and that's it. Once you set it up, it's really powerful and extends your range quite drastically - I highly recommend. Just be sure to change the SSID and password to the same as your router, so that it handles wifi handoff on your devices.

This is the Unifi AP that I got. I would recommend at least a dual-band AC router with MIMO technology. There's plenty out there where you don't have to break bank, just pick a company that you want to support. I personally like Asus and I've heard great things about Netgear Nighthawk models. Either Asus A3200 or Netgear Nighthawk R6900P. Pair that with a good modem, such asMotorola Surfboard SB8200 (modem will depend completely on what your ISP supports, so don't buy that one unless you know). With this entire setup, you're looking at roughly $400. Even if you don't want to go the AP route, just going with a good router and modem to start will give you an idea of your wireless in your home/office. Unfortunately, working with a wireless signal isn't a one shot type of project. It requires several steps, but first start with the equipment that's feeding your internet.

You also didn't really explain anything in regards to your home/office setup: square footage, brick/drywall, metal obstacles, etc. All of these things play a factor in RF attenuation. You also didn't talk about your setup. Are we talking about being mobile with a phone and laptop, or is there a desktop involved? Are there streaming devices involved?

I haven't heard good things about either a range extender or a mesh system, but it works for some people. If you have a desktop computer, a USB network interface card would do you good.

I posted a few days ago about using an LTE modem....Here

So far I like it, but it's definitely a YMMV.

/u/dangerusty, replied to my post and pointed out an interesting solution to the "unlimited" data cost dilemma. You would pair the Mobley with one of the different flavors of AT&T SIM which are "unlimited". It's available used on Ebay as well is the OBDII power adapters. (The Mobley was originally designed to plug into the OBDII plug in your car for power.) I don't know if it's a problem or not but it doesn't seem to have external antenna. I also don't think it will erase the depriortization issue, although I'm not sure of all the details.

Another inriguing option I've been toying with (in my mind) is a 4G LTE module in a USB adapter, Sierra Wireless has Windows 10 drivers for the device, and maybe another OS. This would only work on a W10. For my situation (single laptop) this would be nearly prefect. The 4G LTE module is a Category 6 device (Cat 6 uses band aggregation so it's faster than the Netgear I'm testing).

If your into tinkering, another thing I've been toying with (in my mind) is building a modem/router using this Mikrotik motherboard. Install the Sierra Wireless 4G LTE module (along with your SIM) and appropriate Routerboard OS.

Near turnkey solutions might be a Mofi or one of the Cradlepoints.

Whatever device you decide to try, compare the bands it receives with the bands your desired carrier offers. Here is a tool to find out what frequency/bands your carrier supports, but that band may not be available in your area. AT&T (and other GSM carriers) seem to be the most versatile, Verizon is not very friendly to Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), unless it's a former Verizon device in good standing.

Your modem wasn't an issue, it was the router attached to the modem. I think you wasted your money there.

If you want a hecking good router, the [Asus AC5300 is a fan favorite] (https://www.amazon.com/Tri-band-AiProtection-Accelerator-Compatible-RT-AC5300/dp/B0167HG1V6/ref=bdl_pop_ttl_B0167HG1V6). Ensure you sacrifice an xbox 360 to it now and then to keep it happy.

[The TP-Link Archer AC1900] (https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Archer-AC1900-Smart-Router/dp/B00PDLRHFW/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1522431079&sr=1-3&keywords=dual+band+router+tp-link) also has great wireless speeds and control. I recommend this one, TPLink has good products.

This is an option a lot of people don't like (because it's not a Chrome-based solution) but it's worth considering: Get a cheap travel router capable of working with OpenVPN protocols and use your VPN at the router level when you need it.

I have a cheap, powerful router that I love: GLi Mini Travel Router GL-MT300N. Here's a non-referral Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AL7P1FU/

It's $19.99 now but is often cheaper.

Tiny, light-weight, can be run from your computer's USB port or via a cheap cell phone backup battery for hours and hours and hours.

I use it as frequently at home as I do when on the road.

You can certainly configure the RPi as a firewall/router. Performance may be limited by the crummy little wifi adapters. In my experience, it topped out at 10 Mbps, although the RPi itself wasn't overloaded. The USB bus wasn't the problem. Using 2 USB 3.0 wired adapters, I was getting 130 Mbps+ out of an old RPi B+. There may be some quality USB wifi adapters, but I've had little luck finding them if so.

A cheap travel router may cost less and will perform better. The RPi will definitely work, and might be a fun enough project. Just don't expect stellar performance.

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-EAP225-V3-Wireless-Supports/dp/B0781YXFBT/

$60

Dedicated APs tend to be a bit more reliable. Performance difference between that and the Asus router in AP mode that someone else mentioned will be fairly similar. The dedicated AP is easier to place though since it supports PoE (power over ethernet) and doesn't need an extra cable (insert the included PoE injector anywhere on the same cable line and you're good to go). Placement matters MORE than most people think for wifi.

If you're going for cheap, refurbed routers -
https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-AC1900-Dual-Band-AiProtection-Certified-Refurbished/dp/B075GYWPCJ/

Hard to beat that in terms of price/performance ($53.49 at the present). I've bought a few myself and I like them. They also act as switches and have a bunch of features to them... if reliability is a huge concern though... spend $5 more, give up some features and performance.

I appreciate the advice but I set the correct APN for statics in my region (so01.vzwstatic for any other folks in the southern states who stumble across this). I actually figured out what was going on on my own, no thanks to VZW! After installing the LTE Discovery app on my phone I found that the town I was trying to deploy the router in only has VZW LTE band 13 active, which my LTE router doesn't support. The reason everything worked as expected in my lab is because my lab gets good signal from VZW in bands 2, 4, and 13. So, I'm going to have to acquire a different modem that supports LTE band 13. I've got my eye on this particular model which appears to have support for everything.

I have only ever used ASUS and Netgear routers because that's all my brother uses in his security company and on his servers he uses Cisco switches. Cisco does make a few consumer routers but there's not enough of them to come to a conclusion on reliability and longevity. I have also heard good things about TP-Link and Linksys. As with anything that works and works well, you're realistically looking at about 60-120 bucks for a router that's going to give you excellent connectivity for years to come and also not be so stupidly expensive and unnecessary like this thing.

I see, rather than asking you, where can I read about/get to understand why Ubiquity is often preferred?

Also, which Ubiquity router would you recommend? I don't need anything extremely powerful, just something that is very secure and stable, and gives good WiFi coverage.

I found this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ubiquiti-Networks-EdgeRouter-Gigabit-ER-X/dp/B011N1IT2A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1481386409&sr=8-2&keywords=ubiquiti+router

any good?

If you're in the market for a 'real' router. I can highly recommend the Edgerouter X. Cheap and very customizable. It's not a simple plug & play tho + no WiFi. I have separate access points in my house for WiFi, thus that's not an issue.
However, it's also possible to use the ISP WiFi and then bridge the wired connection to the Edgerouter.

You still have to use a modem, because its not a modem either. Which means you can use your ISP modem/router and bridge it. Check if you can bridge your router first perhaps, if not you may want to get a different router or see if you can get a modem that works for your ISP & connection.

I don't know all too much about it all. I have a friend who works for a smaller ISP who helped me learn most of this stuff. And there are lots of great people online that gladly help us out. As well as mass many YouTube videos.

>How exactly would I install or use something like the MOFI 4500?

Basically you get a compatible SIM, install it in the Mofi, configure it, and you're ready to go. Configuration is often as easy as logging into the Mofi and changing the default passwords with the rest being plug and play. If it doesn't fire right up things can get a little fiddly as Mofi documentation is not great.

>Is this what I want? MOFI4500? Is it just a router that picks up the signal from the tower and turns it into a regular router?

Yes that's it, it's basically like a normal cellular hotspot except is has ethernet ports and can use an external antenna. The external antenna is the key part for you, probably.

>Could I attach a stronger directional antenna to it such as This?

Yes you can. Make sure to get a compatible cable (example)

>Also, what would I do about the Verizon sim card? Isn't it possible to get an unlimited one somewhere?

If you don't care about unlimited you can just get one from Verizon. You could buy a hotspot plan and just take it out of their hotspot. Not sure if they would sell you a bare SIM with service, never tried. They will throttle you to 600Kb after 10GB of data.

If you want unlimited then you're into something like Unlimitedville or grey market eBay (example, this is not an endorsement). The grey market sellers are often happy to send you just the SIM versus a whole hotspot. Note the risk with those guys is there is no contract, so if they terminate service and disappear with your money you have no recourse. But, you pay month to month so generally your risk is limited to one month's fees.

​

Gah, I wrote my comment after seeing the "N300" and thought you were referring to Netgear, but now I see that wasn't the case. Ah well, it's not totally out of your budget, so here's what I've got on it.


I have had the Netgear N300 for about a year and a half and it's worked great. I live with 2 roommates and we can all be on our smartphones, laptops, and have netflix playing on the TV without an issue. Quite often we have 5 or 6 people in our apartment and there is no noticable slowdown with the router. Very occasionally we'll have to reset the router, but that's only once every 3+ months.

Next year we're looking at dropping cable for a roku, so we may have to bump up to the Netgear N600 to stream HD video all the time, which sounds like what you're interested in doing. It's on sale for $70 in the link I provided, and I'm really tempted to snatch it up right now!

Out of every "home/consumer" router I've tried, I really haven't found anything with better range than the AC3100/RT-AC88U.

ASUS routers are traditionally very good, and this one is no exception.

I wanted a little more enterprise-ish control over my network, so I've since switched to a PCEngines APU running pfsense and 2 Unifi AP Pros, but for an out-of-the-box solution, I haven't really found anything better. Just keep in mind, you'll still need the network box when you use something like this. Put the router into the Network Box's DMZ and then you'll just control everything from the router.

It also supports AI-Mesh, which lets you buy another ASUS router and transform the network into a Mesh network, which should give you more seamless coverage/speed while using a multi-device setup.

I need to get better network, I'm looking at the NETGEAR Nighthawk Pro Gaming XR500 it looks like it will cover everthing I am looking for in better networking.

My question: Is my current modem/router combo good enough to pair with the router, or should I look for a better modem? (budget for new router and possible new modem is $300-$500 USD)

Thank you,

/u/CelestialDiablo

Range > speed. If you live in a small apartment, it would be a good option to make sure that the router can cover the entire apartment.

Make sure that the router is 2.4 Ghz and has N network. The router you chose has a max down speed of 150 Mbps, which is most likely faster then your ISP subscription.

The WR841N that was linked is a good choice.

Personally, I am a fan of Netgear, so the N300 is the best wireless router for the money.

For anybody else who sees this via search, this is the best deal which runs from time to time:

Modem and Router.

If you just want the modem, I have it and it works fine on Comcast Xfinity and RCN - it goes for $50 on sale all the time and will pay for itself in under a year.

Lots of other router options, but that one is pretty good. I highly recommend this one if your technically inclined to flash it: Asus Tmobile. Sometimes you can find new on SlickDeals or other sights for about $50-$60.

RAVPower FileHub

I used to love my WD Passport, until it died. Realized I was better off with something that let me use whatever storage media I wanted. Best of all, this thing lets me one-button back up the SD card to attached USB storage. With a low-profile 256gb thumb drive (eg) permanently slotted into the USB port, the whole thing becomes a shockproof (kinda) waterproof one-touch backup system.

>do you recommend i buy a new modem or keep it?

Should be more than fine for your connection speed!

>also, which wireless router would you recommend?

Any wireless AC or N router (AC is better) should work plenty fine. This is a good one I found after a cursory Amazon search.

>do you recommend i use 5 ghz instead of 2.4 ghz (i don't even know how to change it)?

Most will use both simultaneously by default and your device will automagically decide which to use!

For routers, anything with decent reviews on Amazon will probably get the job done. I tend to go with Asus and TP-Link, but there are lots of good models out there. I've had mixed results with Netgear and Belkin in the past, but worth it if you find one on a good deal.

• Any of these TP-Link models would probably work for you.
  
• I would also highly recommend this T-Mobile branded Asus "refurb." (I've bought 3 of them in the past for various different uses, and they were solid each time).
  
  For a modem, anything DOCSIS 3.0 or up should do for most people. Eg:
  
  
• Linksys
  
• TP-Link
  
• Netgear
  
  Of course, if you have specific high-end needs, these might not quite meet those, but I doubt whatever xfinity has you using would either.

I'd recommend either the WRT1200AC (if you want to save a few bucks) or the WRT1900AC (if you want better performance), both from Linksys' "WRT" line. Either one will work great (in my experience at least).

If you're on a budget, this is great choice. It's been doing amazing for me so far with a great signal.

not sure what you mean here. your saying u want to buy another router on top of the one that you have and then bridge the connection and use ethernet to connect to the bridge?

if that's what you're saying then i suppose you could do that, but seems like a lot of work when you can probably just buy a card and get the same results. if your looking for a router to use for bridging this is a pretty good deal

Well top of the line right now are the [TP-Link AD7200] (https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AD7200-Wireless-Tri-Band-Talon/dp/B01FRP2758/ref=sr_1_5?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1499804965&sr=1-5&keywords=tp+link+router) and [NETGEAR Nighthawk X10 – AD7200] (https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Nighthawk-X10-Quad-Stream-R9000-100NAS/dp/B01M12RE4A/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1499805113&sr=1-1&keywords=netgear+ad) though you won't see much improvent with those over current routers due to 60GHz being somewhat impractical. Which one that works best for you will depend on how many devices and the amount of data you are pulling through at any one time. You may need to upgrade your internet as well depending on your current plan with your ISP. Fast is subjective so it really depends on how fast you want to download. This is a good mid range router [TP-Link AC-1900] (https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AC1900-Wireless-Wi-Fi-Router/dp/B00PDLRHFW/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1499805331&sr=1-2&keywords=tp+link+router) which is most likely more then enough for the majority of people.

That modem causes massive issues so in all honesty go buy this and activate it so you save your $15/month you are being jipped on (trust me its worth it in 3 months).

Modem: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/arris-surfboard-docsis-3-0-high-speed-cable-modem-black/2836657.p?id=1218357903729&skuId=2836657

Router:
http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Wi-Fi-Gigabit-Router-WNDR4300/dp/B008HO9DK4/ref=sr_1_11?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1453772982&sr=1-11&keywords=wireless+router

(really anything with dual band/ac is what you want right now so if you find something cheaper/better go for it. You want gigabit now since it's an investment.


After the purchases make sure you set the DNS to either google or OpenDNS.

You can enable port forwarding, but most newer routers understand it so optional at that point.


Fun fact, renting their modems with wifi screws you even more. Ever wonder why those xfinity hotposts appear? Yeah it's because if you are paying for a 50Mbps down, you will only ever hit 35 because they isolate 15 of it for the public side of things. Welcome to corporate comcast.

T-Mobile AC-1900 by ASUS. Covers my whole 3000 ft house. Best router for money easily, I always recommend it. I myself use it on two properties. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B075GYWPCJ/ref=sxts_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1525738677&sr=1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65 $48 on Amazon for refurbished plus $4 for 4 year protection plan. Easy to set up.

If money is not an issue look at the Nighthawk lineup. The R7000 is highly rated and sells for $159 on Amazon. Or you can go for the gold and look at the X10 for $449.

On the other end of the scale is the TP-Link C7. Reasonably priced but a good performer.

You can find and read reviews yourself for both. If you're having this much of an issue with wireless routers though is it the environment rather than the routers?

For example, are there many other nearby networks that could be interfering, using the same channel as you? If it's an old house could there be iron water pipes in the wall between the router and your PC that are blocking the signal?

Have you done signal strength testing, checking near the router then seeing if/how it drops off as you move away, into other rooms? Heatmapper and Acrylic would be free programs to try if you haven't done that.

Yes /u/legendofchin97 and /u/Heiminator you can create your own local wireless network and use it for filesharing.


A device like this could work, and as a bonus it has a small built in battery:


http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-MR3040-Wireless-Portable-Compatible/dp/B0088PPFP4


It it does add extra cost and component, but probably would be the easiest way. Tons of other uses for this as well.


Edit: Just saw that you didn't want to carry a portable access point with you, so sorry about that; however, I will say this is quite small, fits easily in your palm and the battery can last for a few hours on average.

It's a pretty great deal. I bought the AC1900 for this price, on sale, a year ago.

Speaking of which, I use gigabit internet and have the AC1900 and it works wonders, and it is also on sale for $110 on the same page. Great deal. I'd say Chief even.

Cana none recommend a wireless router for under $75, preferably on Amazon?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001UI4RTG/ref=s9_top_hm_b1G5l_g147_i1 - my current router.

Poor signal strength and interference is creating some major latency spikes and slower speeds so I'd like to change up the router after having it for a couple years.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0088CJT4U/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?ie=UTF8&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER - the one I've found that looks to be the best fit, but I'd love some input on this or other suggestions.

Fair enough. I would give this TP-Link a good look. It's only $40 You can find a great review of it here. Even though this router is technically a dual band, it is wise to consider it due to the internal specs. It uses the same CPU as the last gen of Apple's Airport. It also packa a healthy 128MB of RAM. This is the cheapest router that I know of that has 128MB of RAM.

There are a couple of ways you can go... I think the best option for me has been using a filehub like the Ravpower Filehub. That allows me to connect either SD cards or an external hard drive. It will also give you more freedom on where to place the files. I can chose the camera roll or an actual file.

Put some thought into how you eventually want to organize your photos. I also have a lot of photos and am moving to an all mobile work flow. The IPad photos app sucks for organization IMO. What I eventually went with is keeping all my archive files in my Amazon photos cloud account. My current workflow is to review the files on the filehub before uploading and do an initial cull. Then I upload only the ones I intend to edit to the IPAD. I edit the files and upload the edited files to my Icloud albums and then delete all the files off my Ipad. My Ipad only has photos I am actively editing on it... I keep my raw files on portable hard drive and my finished work on my Icloud.

I reported this bug to Apple through the feedback app a few days ago. Please do the same.

In the meantime, I've been using a device to backup my SD cards to a flash drive, and the iPad can read/write from that flash drive. You can find discount codes to take like.. $15 off.

Not convenient, but if you'd like to have a way to test iOS 13, this may give you an option. It's not worth the cost for solely importing RAW images and videos, but it's also a travel router and helps me backup my SD cards on the go.

Cheers.

My Gut is telling my the WiFi in the basement will cause issues for the 3rd floor. But;

I personally run an ASUS AC5300 and it has Amazing Range. As /u/Ghan_04 said, DD-WRT is awesome. You can flash most routers (there is a DB you can check to verify compatibility first).

With your budget, you can pick up a used AC5300.

Amazon Linky

​

When was this house built? I learned (the hard way) that modern homes have what are called "Fire Breaks" built into the walls. It's literally a 2x4 piece of wood that runs horizontal between the vertical beams.

This means you have to find, drill through them, run your wire(s), and then back fill the hole to ensure any wall-fire can't easily spread through your home.

Also, check out Monoprice.com. You can get some Cheap Cat6A STP (Shielded Twisted Pair) "riser cable" (Which you'd want to use if running through walls. Example Link for: Cat6A STP

​

Finally, from doing this myself not too long ago, you can find basically all of the keystones, wall plates, etc. on Monoprice for a Fraction of the price that you'd pay on Amazon and like 1/10th the price of HomeDepot.

Most modem/wifi combo units are pretty terrible at the wifi portion.

You would be better off making sure that Comcast can put your modem into bridged mode, and if they can buy your own wireless router, something like This Linksys Unit

This is just an example of a wireless router you can get, there are a lot to choose from, do your own research and most importantly read user reviews. Keep in mind wireless is never going to be as good as hard wired.

Don't listen to the other guy, there's absolutely no reason to drop $300 on a router unless you really need it, which you don't. You basically have a generic router that basically isn't very good, but may be required by your ISP. That particular brand of router is remotely managed by your internet provider/ISP.

If you want to buy your own router, I generally recommend Netgear. Something like this should fit your needs > amazon link

You do want to check with your internet provider however and see if they do support BYOD (bring your own device). Most do, but not all internet providers are created equal.

there are plenty of good routers on the market right now that would be fine for 2 people

• ASUS RT-AC56U
  
  
• Linksys WRT AC1200
  
  
• NetGear N900
  
  
• TP-Link Archer C7
  
  I chose these in particular because they are all compatible with DD-WRT, a custom firmware for routers that is 9 times out of 10 better than whatever the router comes with.
  
  however, if signal strength for your PC's is the biggest issue, I'd say look into Powerline Adapters to run wired ethernet over your outlets rather than rely on a wifi signal

I'd recommend it, I started off using it after DDWRT on an old WRT54GL, the original Tomato firmware hasn't had any changes now in several years but many more projects have come and gone like Tomato-USB, Advanced Tomato, Shibby, Toastman, and many more I'm missing that are all based on the code.

I found Advanced Tomato to look the most modern and have much of the same features as other firmwares, check out the website for supported hardware. With some doing you can make this T-mobile branded one into a proper router, which is worth the effort.

> xaomi miwifi

Thank ya!

I used openwrt around a decade ago on what turned out to be one of the most prized routers of all time, or at least I think so: https://www.amazon.com/Linksys-Dual-Band-Wireless-Gigabit-WRT1200AC/dp/B00UVN20T0/ref=sr_1_10?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1478740412&sr=1-10&keywords=openwrt

I doubt that's the same one, but it looked like that. In any case, appreciate the response!

So would a HG612 > Ubiquiti EdgeRouter be okay?

Is there another router that you can recommend if I can't get my hands on the EdgeRouter? also are there any soild APs that you would recommend as well.

And how complicated is something like that to set up?

The direct route is to buy the MicroUSB>Ethernet adapter assuming your mobile device supports it.

Another solution is to pick up a travel router (optionally with a built in battery like http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-MR3040-Wireless-Portable-Compatible/dp/B0088PPFP4 ) . Just plug that into the new router you're setting up. Set it to an SSID saved on your phone/tablet and configure the router that way. Make sure you're using it in AP mode to minimize any complications. If you're really savvy you could make it one button by scripting it in Android (assuming that's your mobile OS) to log into the router with the default pass and configure the router to whatever settings are standard.

I would suggest a full Ubiquiti Unifi Wifi setup. Who is the ISP? Depending on what they use for a modem/gateway, you could setup a Unifi Security Gateway(USG) as the main router and connect Unifi AP in the rooms with ethernet jacks where you want the most wifi. Unfi includes software that makes controlling and configuring the different AP effectively, and even securely from remote. If you have a fiber ISP with a gateway with SFP ports, I would suggest the USG Pro, otherwise the USG is more prudent. There are many different kinds of Unifi AP, from Unifi AC, to Unifi HD(Faster Wifi AC), Unifi LD(bit slower then AC but Longer Range) to Unifi Mesh when you need wifi coverage where you don't have a ethernet jack.

The main thing you need is computer with either Windows or OSX to run the controlling software. AFAIK the USG can record logs and configure AP, however you need the controlling software to interact with the USG and configure it in the first place.

If you have a dedicated PC that can always be on, then Ubiquiti Edge Router X(ERX). This would slightly complicate setup, but allow you separate hardware for LAN(ethernet) from WLAN(Wifi). There is the Unifi Network Management System (NMS) that could incorporate the different devices, but it's still in beta.

This looks like a very very good buy to me at the moment: $80 Linksys wrt1200ac ?

The CPU/Switch in those things are really really good, wireless is 2x2 which matches what most clients can do. I'd much rather have that one than a c7. .. compared to an edgerouter-x+uap ac lite combo .. not sure, maybe or maybe not, if you're definitely sure you would have no use for more than one accesspoint, and if price is any factor in your decision, then yes I'd take the wrt1200ac.

Open a support ticket with your requirements and generally the IT people will be happy to accomodate you.

Not sure how they can detect a router if you're just doing something like a bridge network in linux with DNAT. It just appears to them as another (linux) computer. If you bought something like https://www.amazon.co.uk/UBIQUITI-Networks-EdgeRouter-Gigabit-Router/dp/B011N1IT2A it does the same thing but it may have the name "ubiquity" and that can be detected... honestly, just email/open a support ticket, ask them if you can use a small router or switch for your NAS.

Just avoid mentioning Plex, and disable it from broadcasting.

Save yourself a huge headache and buy yourself your own equipment. Keep your own hardware and save yourself some rental fees each month and supply yourself with solid and reliable WiFi.

My equipment:

• TP-Link DOCSIS 3.0 (16x4) High Speed Cable Modem | Max Download Speeds Up to 680Mbps
  
• Linksys AC1900 Dual Band Open Source WiFi Wireless Router (WRT1900ACS)
  
  Spectrum has their recommended modems (which interface properly with them).
  
  http://www.spectrum.net/support/internet/compliant-modems-charter-network/

I'm still rocking a $100 one from ~5 years ago, so your premise is false. Are you buying incredibly cheap routers? As a frame of reference, a $100 router is pretty average, the good ones are at least $150, top-tier ones like the Nighthawk are at least $200, absolute beasts (top of the top-tier) like the AC3100 are $300.

What you want to look at is the physical layer data rate or PHY link speed. That's the maximum speed you could ever get with that router under perfect conditions (and that will NEVER happen), so your going to get some fraction of that speed.

The Comcast gateway is using a chip that is better than anything in any available routers currently, it has an 8.6Gbps link speed: http://www.quantenna.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/QSR10GTV1.0.pdf

It also has 8 streams, so it can be sending/receiving data on 8 'lanes' at once. Your wireless card supports 4 steams/lanes. Ideally 4 of those 8 stream would be talking to your card to get the maximum speed, and the other 4 would be talking to your other devices. Your current router supports 3 streams, which already shows you one of the problems with it. It can only utilize 75% of the capability of your wireless card, and that's only if your wireless card is the only wireless device talking to it.

Let's look at the PHY link speed of your router, it's 1300 (it's called an AC1750, but that's because they add the 2.4 (450) and the 5ghz (1300) together). Your PHY link speed on 5ghz is 1300mbps, or about 1/6th of the Comcast gateway.

So, if you want something close to the Comcast gateway in terms of performance, you want something with 8 streams (though 4 is fine, IF your computer will be the only thing that uses wi-fi) and the highest PHY link rate you can find. Let's look around...

The closest I could find is this: https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-RT-AC5300-AiProtection-Compatible-Accelerator/dp/B0167HG1V6/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=ac5300&qid=1566910918&s=gateway&sr=8-2&th=1

But it's not very close in reality. For starters, they inflate the numbers, it's not really AC5300, it's 2167+2167+1000. So it's PHY link speed is really 2167. It's 4x4 not 8x8.

It seems router manufacturers are not terribly interested in pushing 802.11ac to it's limits. They probably figure if people want gigabit+ wireless speeds they should move to 802.11ad and buy their new 802.11ad routers. Which may be an option for you, but you'd need a new wireless card, and be aware that 802.11ad doesn't have as good of range as 802.11ac.

Since it's a desktop (I assume based on the PCIe adapter) and probably doesn't move anyway, best solution is probably to look at Ethernet/powerline/MoCa for some sort of wired connection.

First of all, an aunt that plays games? Awesome.

Now for the router, every time i hear of gaming router i hear,

https://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-Archer-C7-Wireless-Gigabit/dp/B00BUSDVBQ/ref=lp_300189_1_2?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1478449765&sr=1-2

https://www.amazon.com/Linksys-AC1900-Source-Wireless-WRT1900ACS/dp/B014MIBLSA/ref=lp_300189_1_7?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1478449765&sr=1-7

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Wireless-Router-Gaming-WNDR37AV/dp/B003Q9CI48

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-AC1750-Router-800MHz-Processor/dp/B00Z0V2NQ8/ref=pd_lpo_147_tr_t_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ZVHA9T8NTHBY4JXN3QFM

You can read the descriptions or reviews for one that suits you. :)

Hey, I was wondering the same thing. To be honest, the methodi found isn’t really cheaper than just buying a bunch of micro Sd cards, it only becomes a good deal after a terabyte or so.

Buy this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P5QDQ1B/
And an SSD or hard drive, you have an easy one click solution to transfer footage.

Here ya go! Excellent router and highly configurable interface. Pretty decent range too. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008HO9DK4/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_DHk.tb1HRDJRW

If you wanna spend a few extra bucks I would recommend Asus.

>If I am paying for 50 mbps up and down internet, how fast should i be downloading a steam game? I just tried it plugged up to my router and it was averaging round 1mbps but shot up to 4/5 at some points.

50 Mbit throughput connection peaks at 6.25 MB/sec, given you are actually getting 50 Mbit through the line. Don't just take your ISP's word for it though, do a speed test to validate the stability of your connection. If you are on wifi, you will experience slower speeds unless you have a really nice dual channel 5 GHz router in an area where the channels aren't over saturated with connections.

>When i downloaded the steam game however, after i downloaded 2/3rds of the game it would keep dropping to 0 bytes and staying there for a while, any idea why that is?

This could be a connection issue, depending on if you are on wired or wifi, and depending on the condition of your ethernet cable. Or it can be an issue where you are downloading faster than your hard drive can write. Go to your downloads section and look at your drive activity, or look in the Windows task manager and look at what the write time is on your hard drive. Eg: is it pegged at 100%?

>I'm thinking about getting a new router because my wifi is very shotty, slow, and weak. what kind would you recommend?

This probably leads me to assume you are on wifi which explains everything you are experiencing. This Asus RT-AC68U will do anything you need it to, and then some.

As always, I recommend you to connect any system you will use for gaming hard wired, no matter how good of a wifi router you have. Even if I had this bad boy, I would still go with a Gigabit ethernet connection over wifi for a gaming machine, or anything that was data extensive. Save wifi for mobile devices that you are actually moving around with.

Regardless of company, I don't think you can get fiber without a landline. Your are gonna be using the landline box after all. Good luck anyways. I recommend you buy your own router though, like these two if you game:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078GWJ44Z/ref=twister_B07JHCQVR5?_encoding=UTF8&th=1

Well then in that case I'd totally recommend the Netgear N750 I had one a few years ago when I lived with my brother and it was amazing! I wish I could have taken it when I moved but it was his so I got a cheap $35 one and it almost never worked, I just bought another one about 3 weeks ago and it's everything I'd hoped it would be. All my devices work and it's so powerful I can now get wifi on the street corner even with the hugely congested area I live in.

Here's an Amazon link

Seconding the surfboard, it's a beast. (And yeah, OP, you will need a router as well for phones. This is the router I use with mine, which I'm sure best buy or walmart probably has kicking around too.)

Yeah, you should be getting more than that on most hardware especially on 5g bands.
You won't ever get what the line is capable of, overhead and all that jazz.

I'm on spectrum 1gig over coax. The up is severely limited, I get max like 50mb on a good day but my pixel 3 xl on 5g just cleared 370mbs down via fast.com.

https://i.imgur.com/FyrGz4p.png

I've been using this router https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0167HG1V6/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_nwQjDb2M89SGX
for almost 2 years, best router I have ever had.

I run mine on wireless AC, have had no issues. I stream 1080p 60fps with like 3-5ms ping back to the desktop. I've never even ran a wire over to the Steam Link because wireless performance is so flawless. I use it almost every night for at least an hour, but I've even done long 4-5 hours sessions with not a single issue.

My router. To give people an idea of what kind of network you need to get this kind of performance.

I also use my gaming PC to download things from my seedbox and transfer them to my Plex server. Because of this, I tossed an extra NIC card in and I have them teamed up for a local 2 Gbps connection. So I think the dual NIC connection in my gaming PC probably helps with excellent Steam Link performance.

Late, so I'm sure no one else will see this, but I use a travel router when I'm on the road and it ensures that my 3DS (and other devices) can connect to any network. Basically, you simply use a phone or another wired/wireless device to connect it to a wired/wireless/tethered network and sign in or accept the terms. Then connect your devices to it, and they should all now work!

It uses OpenWRT, so you can set up your personal security, port forwards etc, but it's not required.

Obviously, you can do this with many other routers, I'm just giving feedback on the small one I bought.

edit: spekling

Seems you went up against some WiFi warriors.

WiFi apologists needed to understand that with even the best router, unpredictable microwave interference can occur.

Honestly I feel most WiFi people are using the default router/modem combo supplied by their ISP. They are definitely not using something like this :

https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-Tri-Band-RT-AC5300-802-11ac-Optimization/dp/B0167HG1V6

Hi

Thanks for your advice, I really appreciate it. Is this the router you're referring to?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/UBIQUITI-Networks-EdgeRouter-Gigabit-Router/dp/B011N1IT2A/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=ubiquiti+er-x&qid=1556549023&s=gateway&sr=8-1

​

Thanks

I purchased the Motorola surfboard modem at best buy when it was on sale. and the TP-link wdr-3500 and they have been great.

My friend uses https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/ to get around the mlb rules.

He actuall uses a mini router like this on his tv's ethernet connection(tv supports mlb tv) to pipe the tv through the socks5 proxy from PIA. The router has a proxy tab where you can have it connect to a proxy and send all traffic hooked up to it through the proxy. PIA has multiple geographical locations in the US you can target as well as canada and mexico. I believe he was using NYC to get around the white sox being blocked(he is near chicago) and used the canada or mexico location to unblock the world series games. MLB seemingly doesn't blacklist proxies.

What is your budget. I have this one and it works like a charm. It has gigabit ports which is an advantage over the one you linked.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002YLAUU8?cache=e1ab007c0f5e3151d3d31956824eacda&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&qid=1412634863&sr=8-10#ref=mp_s_a_1_10

If you are in an area with a.lot of wireless networks, then the 5ghz version would help with interference.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0098QV038?cache=e1ab007c0f5e3151d3d31956824eacda&pi=AC_SX110_SY165_QL70&qid=1412634863&sr=8-7#ref=mp_s_a_1_7

There are many non-Verizon brand hotspots out there, I can't say that the one I use is the best as its the only one I've tried but the one I use has ports for antennas and 4 ethernet ports to hard wire in your computers which i needed for my work from home computer.

There is a workaround involved with getting this activated on Verizon prepaid which involves you owning a Verizon brand hotspot, registering that hotspot for the prepaid plan and then simply moving the sim into this device. i purchased a $30 Verizon Jetpack on ebay for this purpose.

MOFI4500-4GXeLTE-SIM4 4G/LTE Router AT&T T-Mobile Verizon Embedded SIM with Band 12

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EY11K40/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I also use the following products to get the best signal possible, currently:

(Quantity 2): Wilson Electronics Wideband Directional Antenna 700-2700 MHz, 50 Ohm (314411)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J14YEHQ/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

(Quantity 2): Wilson Electronics 20-Foot WILSON400 Ultra Low Loss Coax Cable with N Male Connectors - White

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003NQ3P3M/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

(Quantity 2): MPD Digital UC-5FHC-9DB9 N Female to SMA Male Right Angle Pigtail LMR-200 Double Shielded Coaxial Cable, 6-Inch

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CJWQJ2U/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

​

Signal Strength: -51 dBm (100 %)

Speedtest results (extremely dependent on location but these are my results for my location):

Ping: 28 ms Download: 82.55 Mb/s Upload: 15.97 Mb/s

https://www.speedtest.net/result/8022626633

​

Here are the videos I used to build my system (just a heads up there is nothing about Verizon Prepaid in these videos):

Fast Unlimited 4G Internet Router for RV or Van or Rural Off-grid: How to Setup the Mofi 4G Router

https://youtu.be/pKyf9BQsduU

RV Internet - Get The Fastest Mobile Internet & Wifi On The Road - "How We Do It!"

https://youtu.be/7m_I9i0eTnM

I use the Edgerouter X (56.50) and UAP-AC-Lite ([79.15]
(https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1526999758&sr=8-1&keywords=uapaclite))

 

I get that $135 investment is a lot, but it is not as much as the "high end gaming routers" that manufacturers push out. But I guarantee that my setup will be rock solid for a very very long time. And for a fraction of the Netgear (298.94, 248.99, 188.99), Asus (258.90, 235.91, 229.00), or Linksys routers (237.68, 249.97, 206.99)

 
 

Now yes, I did cherry pick some of the more expensive routers that these guys offer, but I chose their "gaming" routers. The edgerouter x and uap AP will provide just as many options and coverage as all of those much more expensive routers, as long as you're willing to do the setup.

Depends on how larger your place is. Consider going for a newer router better chances of them getting security fixes. Another option is checking out routers that support aftermarket firmware.


I've had good experiences with Netgear.
R7000p: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B075JMF84S (Have installed this at a friend's place; they're quite happy with it. Good reviews but kinda old)
R6350: https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B07B1CLPXN (Should suffice, but depends on your house and the layout)
XR500: https://www.amazon.in/Netgear-Nighthawk-XR500-Gaming-Router/dp/B078GWJ44Z (Don't know if the gaming features make it worth so much though)


Prices should be lower during the upcoming Diwali sale.


Research other brands too and ask your friends/family too.

​

This is probably more fitted to /r/techsupport. But the main thing I'd say is that the modem/router compatibility isn't as important as the router/devices your folks want internet on compatibility. Do your folks have Wireless-N devices? Or are they on the high tech stuff with Wireless-AC? Or old school wireless-G? Or is the system hooked up via Ethernet?

The main differences you will see in routers are on 4 fronts:

1. Single Band or Dual Band (dual band useful in crowded wireless areas, like apartment buildings)
   
   
2. Wireless Transmisison speed - from 54 Mbps (wireless-G to 150-300Mbps Wireless-N to 600Mbps++ wire Wireless AC. the devices need to have matching capabilities for full speeds though
   
   
3. Gigabit ethernet or not? Depends on whether you have devices wired up that have gigabit capabilities.....
   
   
4. Range - I haven't seen much good stuff on this though. But if the area you are trying to cover in wifi is large, a modem with more antennas and higher signal strength is desirable, or you can get a repeater.
   
   I have http://www.amazon.com/TP-LINK-TL-WDR4300-Wireless-Gigabit-300Mbps/dp/B0088CJT4U/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1396475530&sr=8-4&keywords=tplink+wireless+n
   
   it works great but you may not need dual-band
   
   

Alex from NETGEAR here. A few updates are what sets this a part from "non gaming" routers. Biggest takeaway is that we included DumaOS on the device that allows for anti-buffer bloat, a geo-filter to help you get the best server or client connection while gaming, some improved security features and more. There are a ton of other features in DumaOS, but check out our reviews on Amazon. They speak for themselves! https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Nighthawk-wireless-Ethernet-PlayStation/dp/B078GWJ44Z

I've got a TP-Link Router with DD-WRT firmware loaded onto it. Should be able to do what you are asking, except the external hardrive would live with the router. I highly recommend updating your router firmware to DD-WRT. Tons of great things this firmware can do, just be sure the router you get is supported.

The only other issue is going ot be the HDMI connection from your computer to the TV. In this senario, I would look at getting HDMI over ethernet. Something like this. I have not personally used the residential versions of these, so I can't make any recommendations, but this allows you to extend to 300', whereas a HDMI cable limits you to about 50'

Yeah I know I didn't leave much but I haven't had a problem for almost a year like that. I'm seeing issues of it not being stable even at 1000kbps. I also replaced the modem and ordered this router. Its funny since thats the image on the front page of this sub.

I had a spare Apple router laying around. Haven't had issues at 30-40ft or so. WiFi is a tricky business, because no matter where you go, the environment will always be different for WiFi channels.

A lot of places are broadcasting on 2.4g or 5g. So having a router/ap that does both is probably your best bet for flexibility.

If you're wanting something simple and cheap, just look at some basic home routers like Linksys (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014MIBLSA/ref=twister_B07FTFK622?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1).

If you are willing to do a bit more pre-setup (one-time) and have a greater throw for your WiFi, I would suggest an ubiquiti edgerouter and Ubiquiti long range access point (https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-EdgeRouter-Advanced-Gigabit-Ethernet/dp/B00YFJT29C)
(https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Long-Range/dp/B015PRCBBI).
That'll get you DHCP and a longer distance than most retail routers.

If you need any more suggestions or have questions, let me know. I'm a certified network engineer.

Edit: the reason I like ubiquiti is because it scans the current environment for wifi channel conflicts and makes the appropriate adjustments.

Yes here is link to router I have though honestly you will probably NOT need one this expensive or powerful we run a local plex server and file server so we need our local speeds to be fast plus we get wifi on our entire two acres you should probably get one in the $50-$100 range or if you use below 10 devices you can use the home bases built in wifi: link to router we have: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0167HG1V6/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1500917392&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=asus+5300+wireless+router&dpPl=1&dpID=41W-l7KcX6L&ref=plSrch

thanks that's cool but i guess the more i think about it the less i want to drop so much on a wifi router. it's really not going to have heavy use, just web browsing, streaming and such.

would either of these work well (i.e. good reliable connections)?

This TP

Or perhaps this ASUS

And like all home routers it has just 4 ethernet ports. Switches aren't expensive but having an extra one sitting next to my router adds clutter.

It would have cost them about $5 to have 6 or 8 ethernet ports. I can understand why most $50 routers only have 4 ethernet ports but at nearly $300 they can afford to throw in a couple of extra ports. Even the $500 RT-AC5300 comes with just 4.

Sure MU-MIMO improves speed but also so does cabling the devices in your home that can be. Having upwards of 15 devices in a home that use the Internet is now basically the norm.

At home, I'm able to change the SSIDs independently of each other on my Comcast xfinity rental modem. When I'm on the road or out with friends, I cannot rely on them to have something like this. I also can't always depend on internet so, I've got this and I can wirelessly bridge to their wifi or the Hotspot on my phone, but I can essentially drop a wifi network in an open field if the need presents itself and be able to cast to a phone or connect to the internet via lte Hotspot on my phone, it's a pretty cool device and has an SD card slot for storing and steering movies direct to the Quest.

RAVPower FileHub, Travel Router... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07P5QDQ1B?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

There are only a few. Almost every router for home use has 4 LAN ports. Anything above that is usually an extender (so you can't connect a modem).

So those few that exist are really expensive

Netgear AC5300 (6 ports) https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-AC5300-Nighthawk-Tri-Band-R8500-100NAS/dp/B015PD3HOC

Netgear R9000 (6 ports) https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Nighthawk-X10-Quad-Stream-R9000-100NAS/dp/B01M12RE4A

Linksys EA9500 (8 ports) https://www.amazon.com/Linksys-AC5400-Wireless-Router-EA9500/dp/B017NT8Q24

Dlink DSR350N (8 ports) https://www.amazon.com/DLIDSR250N-Systems-DSR-250N-Wireless-Services/dp/B008021NGK

You are approaching this correctly I think.

If you are running wiring you will want to pick a location to be the network rack. typically where the lines come in the house (but obviously that doesn't matter here)

Get a 19in rack and mount it.



Patch Panel for punching down your terminations there.

Get a shelf.

Probably looking at a 16-port switch? Maybe 24?

I like the Unifi stack for everything. lots of people say the edge routers, which makes some sense for one location I guess. It's a little bit more detailed UI. Literally the same hardware though.

I like the USG. If it were me I would probably put in the Pro, because rackmount, but that's stupid crazy overkill from a tech perspective. It would bother me irrationally, just the form factor.

Then you drop your Access Points in. It depends on how the house is setup, but you want to put them where you actually will use them. At 4000sqft, 2-3 should cover it, depending on layout.



> So looking for suggestions on setup. Was thinking about going all Ubiquiti gear but alot of people say it can be challenging to setup but great once you get it working. With the hassle of moving, young kids, and dealing with getting internet in the first place Im not sure I have time for something that will take a while to get working great.

It won't take much time at all to actually set it up. Physically setting it up will be the time consuming bit. The technical setup will be nothing to someone who runs a VM server. In fact you will do what I do and just spin up a headless ubuntu instance and install the controller. You click adopt a few times on the hardware in a pretty UI and it's done.

This, definitely. I bought one last year and love it. Tons of customization options too, via stock built-in dd-wrt.

If you're comfortable flashing firmware, you can't beat buying a $60 refurb Asus ac1400 (which is identical to a $130 ac1900, ac68u) and flashing standard Asus firmware on it (read the reviews/Google a little for step by step tutorials). I got one 2 months ago and it's fantastic.

Yes, the router has to be MU-MIMO as well. I just recently bought an ASUS AC-5300 and I wanted to try to get the most out of it :)

I love that word. :)

Something I did not even know existed was OTG storage, like this. Depending on the phone you use, there is likely a storage option available for you, and they've gotten real affordable.

Also, another weird option is an external battery WiFi storage, like this.

No doubt SD cards are more convenient, but these were workarounds I used to get me through the limitations of the phones I went with.

Have a good one!

Yes you need either an access point or a wireless repeater. Access point will be the most reliable option. Or get a beast router like ASUS RT-AC5300 Wireless AC5300 Tri-Band Gigabit Router, AiProtection with Trend Micro for Complete Network Security https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0167HG1V6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_PnhlybS1YKYKY and it will light up your entire house.

I use a Ravpower filehub. I have an older version but the newest seems to be this. In short, you put an SD card in and plug in a USB HDD or SSD, and then connect to the Ravpower with wifi and choose which files/folders to copy to the USB using the app. I used this extensively on travels without a laptop and it worked brilliantly.

Oh, well obviously you just need a new router then, haha.

If you want a cheap one, go on and get one, I suppose. If you want a nice one, you'll be spending about $100.

I personally have this one, and if you want to go insane and get something you REALLY don't need, I suggest this.

D

Our staterooms were rather close and we used one of these to split a single internet package across 4 of us (in two staterooms). This allowed us to use WhatsApp when we were in our staterooms. Funny enough this was also on Enchantment.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B07P5QDQ1B

Enchantment doesn't support in-app messaging via the Royal app. I didn't do much testing but I would be surprised if much else worked before paying. I did not receive anything while unauthed on their Network (no push notifications, no nothing). One thing worth noting is that device switching is easy (username and pin).

I would buy one of the devices I listed and one internet package per stateroom. Make the SSID and password the same for all of them, and carry them around the ship in your bags. Eventually someone will connect to one of these devices and the chat will stay up to date..

I can't speak about unthrottled plans. I think almost all of them throttle or are managed in some way.

​

But for hardware I use this device. If you pair it with a weboost 4g booster with verizon you can get pretty good 4g in a lot of places!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EY11K40/

I have just bought a TPLink Archer C6 for 39€...works great.

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AC1200-Smart-WiFi-Router/dp/B07N1L5HX1/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&keywords=archer+c6&qid=1566477401&s=electronics&sr=1-1

Was on discount here in germany a few days ago, still worth the 49$ i guess

Multiple sites mention this asus router as having best in class range and speed and that it specifically works well for xbo.

I do fine with a DOCSIS 3.1 cable modem and a Netgear Nighthawk WiFi router.

If money is tight, you could get a DOCSIS 3.0 modem (check against their compatibility list) and something like this.

The Ubiquiti stuff the other poster mentioned would be good too.

I have the later model TL-MR3040 and use its "WISP"-mode for this all the time. Another bonus is that you only need WiFi-access for 1 device and can actually use as much devices as you like.

Thats true actually, the ones that have system resources enough to run Tor are just really expensive. Buffalo makes a few that will run OpenWrt and there are a couple mentioned in the tor website documentation here:
https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/wiki/doc/OpenWRT
Thanks for correcting me! It would have been more accurate to say the hardware is out there, its just really expensive. The Buffalo Airstation mentioned is over $150
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0028ACYEK

Buffalo routers come with DD-WRT on the stock. WZR-HP-G300NH is probably the best choice for the money. About $65 on Amazon. (http://www.amazon.com/Buffalo-Technology-AirStation-Wireless-WZR-HP-G300NH/dp/B0028ACYEK/)

Yeah, he's right. It's a router. I'm old school.

Here's the router we bought.

We've been happy with it.

I have this one, T-mobile branded (and firmware) top-rated Asus.
This is the best price Amazon has had for months, probably sold out today.

https://www.amazon.com/Wireless-AC1900-Dual-Band-AiProtection-Certified-Refurbished/dp/B075GYWPCJ/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1523485890&sr=1-3&keywords=ac1900

I'm going to buy this router. It is capable of 802.11ac which is better than 802.11abgn. It's 5ghz instead of the 2.4ghz and can sustain higher bandwidth with less latency. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014MIBLSA/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

For modem I chose this without much research, You can spend 20 dollars less on the non extreme model. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DACQM9M/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER

• This is the adapter I have. (Rosewill RNX-N180UB)
  
• This is the router I have. (Netgear WNR2000V3)
  
  >stream 1080p to my wifi tv
  
  Do you know approximately how far away your device is from your router and what speed you connect at? My laptop is near my HTPC and is currently connected at 52Mb/s (58%) and fluctuates up to 78Mb/s.
  
  This issue appears to have been solved by changing encryption levels on the router from "WPA-PSK [TKIP] + WPA2-PSK [AES]" to "WPA2-PSK [AES]". Thanks!

My ISP is SuddenLink. I know they aren't the best but they are the only option for me realistically. My network setup is a Motorola SB6141 with a TP-LINK TL-WDR4300 router flashed with DD-WRT. My consoles all connect via a switch that is connected to the router. I'm also using DCHP reservation to assign IPs to all devices. I may just got ahead a set up proper port forwarding for the Xbox One. I just would rather let the software handle the configuration if it can.

On a side note, and if anyone wants to continue this convo via PMs then make it so: If I were to use wireless I never get a full signal from my devices, even consoles. I'm not too sure why but I feel like it would be something with DD-WRT settings that I haven't played with correctly or there's something else I need to adjust to get the wireless connectivity to be better.

With the ethernet cable I get 70 Mbps. Checked with my smartphone and got 45 Mbps. I wonder if it's the wireless card or the router just isn't sending a strong enough signal to that area. This particular computer is located about 10 feet away from the router but there's a wall in between them. This is the router I have:

https://smile.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Wireless-Router-N300-WNR2000/dp/B001AZP8EW/ref=sr_1_3?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1542563179&sr=1-3&keywords=netgear+router+wnr2000

Is the router okay or should I replace that too?

edit- It seems like my router is not AC but only bgn compatible... I'll be buying a new router then.

I used to always have issues with isp provided equipment. I would see if you can testa a new router like UBIQUITI Networks EdgeRouter X 5 Ports Gigabit LAN/WAN Router https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B011N1IT2A/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_xyCQCb906RRRA with Ubiquiti Networks UAP-AC-LITE WLAN Access Point https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B016K4GQVG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_aACQCb20H55SZ

But only if you are OK with lots of setup and reading...

If you got money and don't want to mess about this is good also :Ubiquiti Amplifi 4-Ports Home Wi-Fi System AFI HD Wireless Router https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01L9O08PW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_hBCQCb32C5H0F

this is a rebranded ac68u

you can reflash to stock firmware (not too hard if you're good at following guides), and install merlin firmware.

on clients with 3x3 antennas, i get over 300Mbps. the only potential downside is these won't do gigabit routing if NAT is enabled, but that's pretty much a given at this price point. I'm using an edgerouter ER-X as my router, and this as my wifi access point. the good thing about the edgerouter is if you have centurylink fiber, you don't have to use their shitty modems, since it'll do VLAN PPPoE from the setup wizard. (pretty sure the merlin firmware can do this too, but since i can't hit gigabit with the AC68u, i didn't try)

EDIT: as for the recommendation for the RT-AC87U, there was some reason i read that in practice it's not actually better than the AC68U

EDIT2: i have a spare ER-X i'm trying to get rid of for $35 shipped.

Ah, yes. It is the 1900ACS. Seems to have a 1.6G CPU. So you're saying that, also considered the faster transfer speed, antennas, and processors, the 1900 will give noticeably better speeds? (hopefully work $90 more).

The router is definitely your culprit. There are better routers that will give you the gigabit speeds you have with ATT. This is the upgraded version of what you have https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Nighthawk-X10-Quad-Stream-R9000-100NAS/dp/B01M12RE4A

This is the one I use for wireless along with the surfboard modem. Haven't had a problem with it and the 5ghz band works great if you're in a apartment surrounded by a bunch of other wireless modems. There are also cheaper models if you don't want the the 5Ghz or less features.

To support these speeds, one would also need an N300 router.

I have a TPLink WDR3600, but if they're not going to be using the wired connection then the TPLink WDR3500 which only differs in its lack of gigabit ethernet is $15 cheaper.

Also, this is fun, but if OP lives somewhere with a lot of other WiFi routers around then these two routers have the ability to broadcast on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels. So if she has an 802.11a/b/g/n card instead of the 802.11b/g/n, then they can connect on the 5GHz channel which is much less cluttered because most people only use the 2.4GHz channel.

As an example, this card does 5GHz, and this card does not. With a lot of nearby WiFi signals, I would opt for one of those TPLink routers and the first WiFi card. If instead they live in an area with well separated houses or neighbors who don't have WiFi, then the second card would be fine and can be used with any kind of 802.11n router. The performance difference between 2.4GHz and 5GHz is basically meaningless for what OP needs, except in the case of lots of interference from other signals. (FWIW, I live in a city and see two dozen 2.4GHz wifi signals but the only 5GHz one is mine. I get 55Mbps on the 5GHz channel and if I connect on the 2.4GHz channel then I get 40Mbps. Without interference, it should be 55Mbps on either one.)

Also note the 5GHz parts are always more expensive, because they also need the 2.4GHz parts to work with devices like most smartphones and most laptops.

> TP-LINK TL-MR3040

That's awesome! Didn't know they had a battery powered version.

I have the TP-LINK TL-WDR3500 Wireless N600 Dual Band Router.

Reason I went with this one over the ASUS RT-N66U is because where I live I don't have the option for Gigabit speeds, so I couldn't really justify the additional cost of the ASUS. It really is a great router though.

You're really defensive about 5GHZ.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0088CJT4U/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

With this router 5ghz simply didn't work on more than one level of the house. It was a huge difference in range and for my situation, yes, 5ghz was a gimmick.

Lack of access combined with the fact that the security devices will only connect to that router makes troubleshooting tough...

Is it one of these? Can you join its network with another device, e.g. a laptop, and see if you can access the internet through it when the buffering is happening?

Without knowing anything else about it, at this point the only other advice I could offer would be to blast any dust out of it with a can of air, on the off chance that it's just overheating and hanging up.

Check Amazon today for deals on Netgear stuff! Here's one that will fit your requirements.

Alternatively, if you want to go two separate devices: modem and router option.

Hi,

Ignore the folks telling you to buy a router that you can flash with Open-WRT, DD-WRT etc. That is almost never necessary and just causes additional headaches. Keep it simple.

Here's the cable modem you need for Comcast. This is a DOCSIS 3 modem so will support Comcast's fastest speeds that are available: http://www.amazon.com/ARRIS-Motorola-SB6121-SURFboard-DOCSIS/dp/B004XC6GJ0/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1411672350&sr=1-1&keywords=motorola+surfboard

Here's a good wireless router that I use, never had any issues with it. Good range: http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Wireless-Router-N300-WNR2000/dp/B001AZP8EW/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1411672530&sr=1-1&keywords=wnr2000v3


This nice thing with this one is if you have a large enough space that you are trying to cover and this wireless router doesn't do it, you can always pick up another one, run a network cable between them, and turn on "Repeater" mode on the new one. This allows it to act as a cheap wireless repeater without interfering with the addressing that your first router is doing.

Most other wireless routers can do this as well if you know how to set it up manually, but this is a nice "idiot proof" method.

Let me know if you have any other questions. I just moved out of a Comcast area so am still very familiar with what their requirements are :) I'll actually be posting my own cable modem up for sale on Amazon soon!

ASUS Dual-Band Gigabit WiFi Gaming Router (AC3100) with MU-MIMO, supporting AiProtection network security by Trend Micro, AiMesh for Mesh WiFi system, and WTFast game Accelerator (RT-AC88U) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016EWKQAQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_75BTBb4WAGGHM

This is what I use

It is a high end router, it is not the sacrificial altar of wireless orgasms but really good for the price. I actually just bit the bullet and bought mine from T-Mo and flashed Merlin on it.

So I don't think this is news to you, but hardware dedicated to 1 specific task (i.e. a separate WAP, Router) will typically get you better results than an all in one, or equal results for cheaper. That's probably why /u/ericgcollyer suggested the UAP devices.

With that in mind, did you have any other requirements, Price range, etc? Anything wrong with this Asus?

I just think that would be overkill considering I only have 25mbps down/5mbps up and am using one of comcast's modems. I don't really have the money or desire to redo my whole setup right now even though I probably should. For now, I think I am just going to get a TP-LINK TL-WDR3500. It will be a big upgrade from my current router that is over 3 years old. Thank you for your input.

I'm always a fan of TP-Link myself. amzn.com/B0098QV038

amzn.com/B003CFATSS <--- if you meant a nonWi-Fi router but I'm assuming that since you are talking about security then you want Wi-Fi.

This is what I have. It has great range and is compatible with DD-WRT. Otherwise I'd invest in a repeater.

I have this router and it works great in my 2 story home. https://www.amazon.com/Linksys-WRT1900ACS-Dual-Band-Gigabit-Router/dp/B014MIBLSA/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1468383500&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=Linksys+router&psc=1

Like this one. I use that one and get 15 ping to swedish servers (live in Norway). There is also a big chimney in the way too.
The router probably helps alot too

That would be overkill for this person's situation.

I have this and it still mostly fine almost 7 years later for my SOHO at a fraction of the cost of yours (although age certainly has caught up to it, and I'm getting ready to replace it after almost 7 years). Something in this price range ($40-60) would be more than adequate for OP. Don't get the one I have as there are newer options in the price range

Unless OP or you have an unusually large house (which a repeater under $20 would solve), or have speeds above 300Mbps, your router was a waste of money.

Type|Amazon|3rd Party New

---|:---|:---
Lowest|$118.99 on Sep 05, 2018|$139.99 on Jun 04, 2018
Highest|$169.99 on May 04, 2018|$159.99 on Jul 23, 2018

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Plus cat 7 is capable of 10 gigabit speeds anyway! Well I’m going to buy this modem, and I think I’ll go with this router.

I have heard (sorry, I don't have any sources) that the very small wifi dongles use a lot of processor time and board power, and that they simply aren't great for the RPi 2. I've certainly had a lot of trouble with them.

I've been using a https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0088PPFP4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (with open source firmware) configured in bridge mode. It's had MUCH better network performance then the dongles I've tried.

If you're comfortable with a little router hackery, I suggest this approach (but probably with a newer router than that one).

Given that you game, you'll want SQM on your router. GL-iNet's devices are cheap and support SQM. Wifi range is not likely great though. You might want 2 devices for better coverage. I'm not sure how close you normally are to your router. You could also use an TP-Link Archer A6 as an additional access point.

Can you log in to your ISP router? Maybe there's something we could tweak on there. I would also download Ubiquiti WiFiman on your phone and see if there's other 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz networks nearby causing issues.


https://www.amazon.com/GL-iNET-GL-MT300N-V2-Repeater-300Mbps-Performance/dp/B073TSK26W
https://www.amazon.com/GL-iNet-GL-AR300M-Pre-installed-Performance-Compatible/dp/B01K6MHRJI
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AC1200-Smart-WiFi-Router/dp/B07N1L5HX1

The box with the ethernet port on it is your cable modem. You'll need to get a wifi router so you can have both wired and wireless internet access (most have 4 ethernet ports on the back so it should replace your ethernet switch). Something like this. There are tons of wireless routers at various price points. The wireless router should be connected directly to the cable modem as it provides a layer of security between the devices you connect in your apartment to the internet at large.

Thanks for your inputs. Isn't the controller the same as the router? I am particularly referring to this: https://www.amazon.es/Ubiquiti-Networks-USG-pasarel-Controlador/dp/B00LV8YZLK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1540310929&sr=8-3&keywords=ubiquiti+router

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Or is this one more suitable? https://www.amazon.es/UBIQUITI-ER-X-Ubiquiti-Router/dp/B011N1IT2A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1540310929&sr=8-2&keywords=ubiquiti+router

: ) Good old modem with those dial-up sounds?

Maybe an ethernet crossover adapter with Mini Travel Router?

I was having constant disconnects from launch until about a month ago. Then I bought a newer modem and router.

Modem: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0781VN7W5/
Router: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07C65K9H9/

For the past month, with that hardware, I've had almost no disconnects at all. They still happen rarely, but usually I can play for hours on end.

For reference, playing on Xbox with Comcast internet.

They have to appeal to the "Gamur" crowd that think having routers that look like eldritch sacrificial altars are cool.

The entire branding for game related gear is ridiculous, it's like the 90s all over again.

The mobo doesn't have a receiver. If you're talking about the Gigabyte adapter, it's probably better than most external receivers. Go to device manager to disable the device.

The Linksys WRT54G is the cheapest router that "gets the job done". It's slow but stable, durable and reliable. Think "Nokia of routers".

Then you've got 3 potential TP-LINK routers:

Basic N router: TP-LINK TL-WR841N.
Basic dual band N: TP-LINK TL-WDR3500.
Basic dual band AC IPv6: TP-LINK Archer C5.

I currently use this and this as a wireless router. I also have a 100Mbp/s downstream connection, so I never really have a problem gaming on wireless, or streaming or torrenting from a computer using wifi. I rent so there's no way I can try to run wire throughout the house, and my houses electrical circuits are messed up as is, so I don't think trying a powerline connection would be the best.

I just bought this one a few weeks ago and it has made my gaming experiences much better. It is very expensive, but worth every penny if you can afford it.

Uhh... the N300 is like $40 (http://amzn.com/B001AZP8EW)... unless you got the Router+DSL Modem combo?

Whatever the case, keep everything you can wired. Use wireless only for your phones, tablet and laptops. Keep the printer wired to your PC, fix the drivers and just share it on the network so everybody can print to it.

I use a Linksys AC1900 on the 5GHZ band. I have no issue maxing out my 110 meg connection.

I've also had good luck with MOCA adapters....

That would be insane. That being said, you can just get one of these and do the same thing. The only benefit of the Unifi is that the controller auto-manages the failover switching. If you have unlimited bandwidth then who cares!

Huh, I just so happened to be looking into this.

Here's a very relevant reddit thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/sailing/comments/5vf88d/wifi_booster_systems_for_long_range_access/

What I plan on doing is using the ubiquity bullet as a point to point bridge connected to a Linksys WRT AC1200 and rebroadcasting the signal in the boat. Also since I'm a photographer I plan on using a portable hard drive as a NAS to backup my work and store media.

Just ordered the router and hard drive and I'm waiting till my next check to get the bullet, POE injector, and the antenna.

If you would like I can provide an update after I get everything up and running.

[EDIT] I forgot to mention the Linksys WRT router had two selling points for me. 1. OPEN WRT capable. 2. Uses 12v DC so I can wire it directly into the boat without having to use an inverter and waste energy.

TP-LINK TL-MR3040 3G/4G Wireless N150 Portable Router, Battery Powered, AP/WISP/Router Mode, Compatible with Selected ATT/Verizon/Sprint/T-Mobile USB Modems https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0088PPFP4/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_juSfvb0CAFEKM
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0088PPFP4/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_juSfvb0CAFEKM

Maybe? I used to have one, but never used it in that fashion. I think the ERL will support dual WAN failover.

There are 6 or 7 cables. I was looking at an 8-port dual-band router on Amazon. Would that do the trick by itself? I don't understand the purpose of a switch AND a router. Wouldn't a router handle all the traffic by itself? Please take pity on the networking noob! :-)

Unfortunately, this is a locked down Comcast owned router/modem. I can't even change the DNS settings on my own computer (the standard DNS setting doesn't do anything, only a VPN works to do that). I highly doubt I would be able to access channel 14, or increase the power.

I looked into the 5GHz routers that Comcast gives out, and they mainly only provide them to those who also subscribe to their home security service.

Sorry for the bother, but is it worth getting a dual-band router under $100? Like this refurbished one: Netgear AC1450-100NAR, or this one: NETGEAR N750 Dual Band Wi-Fi Gigabit Router (WNDR4300)