I wouldn't go lower than the AC66U. You don't want to go too cheap.
You might as well price out the AC86U also. I've seen it going for around $140-150.
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I wouldn't go lower than the AC66U. You don't want to go too cheap.
You might as well price out the AC86U also. I've seen it going for around $140-150.
Is the Asus RT-AC86U a good router? Where did you see it for those prices, Midknyte? I believe the cheapest I could find was about $162.
Ah my bad. It was the RT-AC68U, not 86. Typo.
I haven't used that router personally, but you can look for reviews. I'm more of a Netgear guy.
Which Netgear would you recommend to a similar product to the Asus RT-AC86U?
The Asus RT-AC86U is roughly the same level as a Netgear R7800.
https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/tool...rs/router/view
I'm not sure what's available right now though, both of those models are a few years old. Some models may have been replaced/discontinued.
Hmm, it looks like the R7800 is still around, but it's more expensive than the RT-AC86U. Even the R7000P is more than the RT-AC68U.
Isn't the RT-AC86U a bit faster than the R7800?
What do you mean by "faster"? The overall AC rating number doesn't mean it performs faster in real world use. They basically add up all the link rates to come up with an AC class number. In some cases, you need very specific hardware on your client computer in order to get maximum performance. I'd look at the 2.4GHz and 5GHz downlink throughput.
This is the link I posted earlier.
SNB Router ranker:
https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/tool...rs/router/view
These are the individual reviews:
R7800: https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wire...outer-reviewed
RT-AC86U: https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wire...outer-reviewed
Quote:
Since both support Broadcom's non-standard 1024 QAM, the inflated "class math" comes out to 750 Mbps for 2.4 GHz + 2167 Mbps for 5 GHz = 2917 Mbps...
So for most of us, the AC86 should be considered AC2300 class with maximum link rates of 600 Mbps in 2.4 GHz and 1733 Mbps in 5 GHz with devices that support 256 QAM.
I have read a few negative reviews on the Asus RT-AC86U. What router would you suggest that would be one step up (better) from either of these 2 models?
Are you only looking at Asus routers? What were the complaints?
For the price, I've heard good things about TP-Link routers also. The Netgear R7000 used to be my go to router, but it's getting kind of old.
You could also start looking at AX routers. If you look near the bottom of this link, it has the older AC router recommendations also.
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/r...-wi-fi-router/
One review said it died after a short period of time. The Netgear R7000 has good reviews, but it doesn't say it is win 10 compatible.
The R7000 definitely works with Win10. You'd access the settings through a browser anyway. It's still about $150.
I've heard good things about the TP-Link AX50, but I haven't worked with one personally. It's also about $150, and it's an AX router.
What is the difference between the ac and the ax?
I shouldn't loose multiple times a day when numerous devices in house are using it with the TP-Link AX50 like my Asus does?
AX is the new standard, aka WiFi6.
https://www.rfwireless-world.com/Ter...-802-11ax.html
https://www.digitalcitizen.life/what...-fi-6-wi-fi-5/
You shouldn't be seeing lost connections that often. I'm not sure if your old router is failing or is just overloaded.
Possibly useful links:
https://www.networkworld.com/article...explained.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11
If I were buying a new WiFi router, I would want something that, in addition to being reliable, would have the latest capabilities so I would not need to purchase another one with better specs for as long as possible.
Midknyte, I think it could be overheating now that you mentioned it. It happens when there are a lot of devices using the router.
Which router would you recommend that is reliable and that has good specs that I wouldn't have to purchase another one for awhile?
I have seen a lot of routers, switches, and other networking components that do not have proper cooling. I have some of mine on small laptop cooling stands with fans.
Unfortunately, we're on the tail end of AC, and just starting with AX. At this point, I would be looking more at mid-range AX routers. Top-tier AX is still expensive. It's hard to know the reliability of AX routers, since they are relatively new.
https://www.tomsguide.com/best-picks...i-fi-6-routers
I already mentioned the TP-Link AX50, so you could compare that to other AX routers.
I am considering the AX50. Would this router not overheat at quickly like the one that i have when using the same devices in house?
The case appears to have vents on the underside and some triangular ventilation areas on the top. Like most routers, I would place this one on a cooling stand. I have not seen any reviews that mentioned it getting hot, but you could look for any that do.
This or similar items:
https://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master.../dp/B00ED3WMTC
I would suspect the routers that have proper cooling are very pricey? Which brand/models have good proper cooling?
Routers with built-in fans are pricey, and it can be hard to find out whether they have a fan in the specs, since users generally whine about the fan whine or don't want to hear a fan and so won't buy it if they see it in the specs.
Other solutions:
https://www.amazon.com/Cooling-Radia.../dp/B07XDGXWC3
I just placed a small portable fan about 1.5 feet away from the router. I will see if the air blowing on it helps with my loss of connection.
Update: I have placed a small portable fan about 1.5 feet away from my router for the past 2 weeks. I still loose connection at times. It seems to happen more easily when I am on my laptop watching a video while others are watching tv via streaming and on the internet via phones. The router does not feel warm when I loose connection, since using a fan. I assume that it is not really an overheating issue? I suppose I just need a newer, faster router to correct this issue?
Do the other users lose their connections at the same time you do on the laptop?
My laptop is usually upstairs close to the router, but set up as wireless, not wired. I think that at times, people downstairs tell me that connection is lost when I still have connection a little bit longer on laptop.
If all users lose the connection at about the same time (within a few seconds of each other), then that would tend to confirm a router issue. If the laptop loses its connection while other router users are still watching video with no glitches, then diagnosing the problem becomes more difficult.
If you have multiple users streaming video simultaneously, a faster router with more bandwidth might still be the way to go.
I only have the connection on my laptop for less than a minute after the rest of the users loose their connection. Are you saying that the router just may be going bad or the router just isn't fast enough to handle all the data going through it when multiples users are on the network?
It could be either one, or both. If you still lose your connection even when no one else is using the router and you are not streaming 4K video, then it is probably not a bandwidth issue.
At some point, you will have to decide if it is worth more troubleshooting without actually replacing the router. If you have a different router to use for a week, that might be the easiest way to figure out if you have a router issue or some other problem.
It could be an overloaded or failing router. It's hard for us to know for sure, since there are so many variables. 802.11n routers are pretty old, so it might just be time to replace it.
I know you gave several make/models that would be ok for me to purchase. The main issue I want to correct is not loosing connection, especially when we are working from home. Would either the Asus RT-AC86U and the Netgear R7800 router would not loose connection or would there be a better choice?
Either router should be able to handle more simultaneous clients compared to an 802.11n router.
As I mentioned before, we are on the tail end of 802.11AC, so you could also look at 802.11AX routers.
If I go the AX route, which make/model would you recommend that would be best for my use?
I already mentioned the TP-Link AX50 as a starting point. Other AX routers are going to be more expensive. You said you didn't want to go mesh.
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/r...-wi-fi-router/
https://www.tomsguide.com/best-picks...i-fi-6-routers
When I do a search for TP-Link AX50, most of the websites I click on take me to the TP-Link AX3000. This model is a stripped down Wal-Mart version.
Would a mesh router instead of a AX router benefit me with the connection issue that I have been experiencing.
If all users are now getting decent connections (except for the drops), a mesh router system might be more than you need, although it would definitely be an improvement.
AX50 links:
https://www.tp-link.com/us/home-netw...r/archer-ax50/
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-WiFi-.../dp/B07YMFZ28Q
https://www.newegg.com/netgear-arche...82E16833704495
I mentioned mesh because you said you have a multi-floor house. Mesh is for coverage.
You shouldn't be getting dropped connections, period. That's more a sign of a failing or overloaded router, which is why we are recommending you replace it.
An overloaded router would not necessarily mean that it is failing? Like I said when I first opened this thread, I have a brand new router of the same make/model of the one that I am using. At first, I thought the lost connections meant that the router was failing. I lost connections when I connected the new router, as well. I switched back to my old router and have been using it since.
We don't know exactly why you are dropping connections, but it is a really old router model. We have already gone though various possible fixes. Overloaded doesn't mean failing, but it could mean that you need to upgrade.
How many client devices are connected to the router? Are they using 2.4 or 5GHz? Is there a certain time of day that you get disconnected?
There can be 3-5 devices using the internet at the same time. There is no certain time of the day that the connection drops. I have lost it morning, afternoon, and at night. I have lost connection when I was only one using the internet via my laptop at night and the connection was lost. There is no specific pattern. I just lost connection twice in the past 30 minutes. My router is configured to use the 5GHz, but, the firestick on the tv downstairs connects at the 2.4GHz because it says it is a stronger signal. I know I need to upgrade to a better router. Would the TP-Link AX50 correct my issue or would another router be better?