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I used to have a terrible time with routers. There were a few that I bought that would last a year or so, or I'd have one that would work fine until I tried torrenting something without speed limits and I'd be power-cycling the router often; the routers I was trying were rather crappy.

I finally bit the bullet and decided to buy myself a really good one. You'll pay twice as much for it, but it's solid. The one I'm happy with is the Asus RT-N66U. Newegg link here. This thing has taken everything I've been able to throw at it and it just keeps on chuggin.

I'm sort of a power user, and I prefer components that are separate. Modem+router combos are a no-go for me - if one part breaks I need to replace the whole thing. By having your modem separate from the router, you don't get yourself into the situation where you need to set up your home network again after the ISP does an upgrade requiring you to get a different modem.

tl;dr: With routers, you tend to get what you pay for. Keeping the modem and the router separate is better for people comfortable with technology.

Edit: I checked the Amazon reviews for your device: it looks like there are some complaints about the wifi signal strength. This would indeed cause slower speeds. As a modem, it looks like it's fine. As a router: you could do a lot better.

Hi /u/Mattafaka,

I did some searching to see if I could find any cheaper. I only found one place that sells the Smart RG 505n on amazon however it's the same price as ours.

Your best bet may be to check Kijiji or a similar site to see if you can pick up a second hand one. We do have our own firmware which you can flash the modem with as well.

Good luck on your modem search!

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Thanks,

Chris.

I'm going to have to disagree with you guys. Though I won't argue the superior performance that comes with a high end router (I have the AC-RT68U), a cheaper router can be completely usable, reliable and provide decent performance.

Prior to this router I was using a Cisco E2500 (which I got for $40ish) that I had flashed with DD-WRT. In the 4+ years that I had that router, I never had an issue with it. I really only replaced it because our new house was way too big for it and I was getting 4 Mbps in my office from my 40 Mbps package. Hence why I went with the best I could find, I needed the range.

For tasks such as basic streaming or web browsing, what the average user is doing, spending more than $120ish on a router isn't really necessary unless range is an issue. Sure, there are many more features, but the average customer isn't running an FTP server, using their router for NAS or needs remote access to their network whenever they want.

/u/Sparkum, you do need to use one of the approved modems. The modem that we sell, the ZyXel VSG1432, is a wireless all in one modem. It may serve your needs just fine, it's not a bad idea to try it out before spending more by getting a separate router. Though if you're concerned about the absolute best experience possible, a separate router would likely be a good investment.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Never tried MoCA but looks pretty straightforward.

Your other option, that I have tried is Powerline networking. They are cheap and fast and work great!

http://www.amazon.ca/TP-LINK-TL-PA4010KIT-Powerline-Adapter-Starter/dp/B00AWRUICG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422560302&sr=8-1&keywords=ethernet+over+power

Really depends on your needs and how much you are willing to spend (Both time and money). Do you want mesh wifi kit with antennas in each room?(go with Eero or Orbi) Do you want enterprise grade router and wireless access point? (go with edgerouter x or pfsense with unifi ap) If you want something simple like ac1900 then I would recommend you buy it now as its on sale for 44% off at amazon https://www.amazon.ca/NETGEAR-Nighthawk-AC1900-Smart-Router/dp/B00F0DD0I6

Hello breathinggames,

Thank you for the message. The TP-Link TL-WR940N is a wireless router. This isn't a modem. You will still need a modem to connect to your DSL service. If you need a wireless router for a wireless network at your home this would work fine to connect to a modem.

If you want more information on this device here is a Amazon.ca page with more information to review: https://www.amazon.ca/TP-LINK-TL-WR940N-Wireless-External-Antennas/dp/B003Y5RYNY






With a little more information I will be able to assist you with this further. What modem are you currently using for your connection?? Make/model??


If there are further questions, please let us know.

regards,

Thanks, again, Leanne. I found the TC7650 on Amazon. I've also had a Hitron CDA3-35 in my wishlist for some time now, but it's Puma 6, according to this list.

I'm still leaning towards DSL, but I'll do s'more research.

Something simple.

Will something at this price point don't he job?

https://www.amazon.ca/TP-Link-Performing-Wireless-Archer-C1900/dp/B018DFUJV8/ref=redir_mobile_desktop?_encoding=UTF8&dpID=41YJ8kAUidL&dpPl=1&keywords=ac1900&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&qid=1525898460&ref=plSrch&ref_=mp_s_a_1_4&sr=8-4

I'm using the TC-7610 in Hamilton with no issues. Had to phone in to TekSavvy to get it activated as their modem list under packages didn't match the modem list when trying to purchase service.

I know it's not near as future-proof as the TC-7650 but at least it is a Broadcom chipset and cheaper than the TC-4300. I got mine for $38 in the US.