Your thoughts on a router

[Bow]

I am looking for a router that will handle a x box 1, 2 phones and 4 tablets. Looking to spend about $150.00 if possible. what do you think?

 

[taz420nj]

My favorite is still the Linksys/Cisco E3000, flashed to DD-WRT. Gigabit LAN, Gigabit WAN, and simultaneous dual band A/B/G/N with MIMO. I've used them for years, installed them for customers, and never had an issue. Most of what's out there today is used or CCR, but there are still brand new ones around too.

 

[remixedcat]

If you can find a Cisco Meraki z1 at that price go for it

If not get a ubiquiti ERL and a couple unifi aps for that price

 

[hat]

I have the ASUS RT-N66U. Ever since I've got it, it's never let me down. It handles 4 wired devices (3 computers, and a magic jack phone), and 3 phones, a laptop, a tablet, and a game console at any given time. It supports DD-WRT and others as well, if that's your thing. I haven't tried it myself, though.

 

[Bo$$]

Have an ASUS RT-AC68U, ASUS DSL-N16U and a small array of Linksys and TPlink routers.

Out of the bunch, the Asus with the Merlin tower firmware is by far the best.

 

[Kursah]

If you can find a Cisco Meraki z1 at that price go for it

If not get a ubiquiti ERL and a couple unifi aps for that price

+1 This all day long.

I use an ERL, and wouldn't go back to my Asus AC-66U as my gateway/firewall. The 66U is my temp AP, and it works OK for that. Don't get me wrong, it was a good home-grade router...but an ERL will blow it out of the water no matter what WRT flavor you install. I've played with the stock AsusWRT, Merlin AsusWRT and DD-WRT. Merlin wins on the Asus, but still can't handle what the ERL can for traffic, especially with QoS.

UniFi AP's are solid too...I miss mine, but sold it to a friend that needed that awesome range more than I did at the time. I'm now ordering one of the new AC-Lite AP's to test it out.

For $150, you could also go with a Ubiquity AirRouter, which has a WRT firmware and interface, still has some decent options and in my test is amazing for the budget price offering a lot of what these more expensive home-grade routers offer. Or if you want something like the ERL but with a tighter budget the EdgeRouter X is a good place to look as well.. that and an Uni-Fi AP would be right at your price point and offer huge value for your dollar. Plus with the setup wizards in the UI, you can be off and running with a very good firewall in no time. The AP's are managed by browser-accessed software that does an excellent job...the AP's are good for set it and forget it applications. One wire runs to them (they run POE so power and data over Ethernet)...makes installation much easier too.

The caveat? They take more effort to setup than a simple home-grade router...but the effort is beyond well worth it in the end. Backup your configs, and set them up how you want, and then you're set.

 

[newconroer]

I am looking for a router that will handle a x box 1, 2 phones and 4 tablets. Looking to spend about $150.00 if possible. what do you think?

pfSense, a LAN switch and a basic computer thrown together with old parts. You'll get more speed, compatibility, consistency and flexibility than any consumer router.
You can put the wireless network card into the computer alongside the WAN card, or run a wireless router/access point into your network switch.

What you don't have lying around components wise, you can buy. A switch is cheap as chips(get one used on Ebay if you must).

 

[remixedcat]

+1 This all day long.

I use an ERL, and wouldn't go back to my Asus AC-66U as my gateway/firewall. The 66U is my temp AP, and it works OK for that. Don't get me wrong, it was a good home-grade router...but an ERL will blow it out of the water no matter what WRT flavor you install. I've played with the stock AsusWRT, Merlin AsusWRT and DD-WRT. Merlin wins on the Asus, but still can't handle what the ERL can for traffic, especially with QoS.

UniFi AP's are solid too...I miss mine, but sold it to a friend that needed that awesome range more than I did at the time. I'm now ordering one of the new AC-Lite AP's to test it out.

For $150, you could also go with a Ubiquity AirRouter, which has a WRT firmware and interface, still has some decent options and in my test is amazing for the budget price offering a lot of what these more expensive home-grade routers offer. Or if you want something like the ERL but with a tighter budget the EdgeRouter X is a good place to look as well.. that and an Uni-Fi AP would be right at your price point and offer huge value for your dollar. Plus with the setup wizards in the UI, you can be off and running with a very good firewall in no time. The AP's are managed by browser-accessed software that does an excellent job...the AP's are good for set it and forget it applications. One wire runs to them (they run POE so power and data over Ethernet)...makes installation much easier too.

The caveat? They take more effort to setup than a simple home-grade router...but the effort is beyond well worth it in the end. Backup your configs, and set them up how you want, and then you're set.

Yeah I like the two unifi aps I got right now Nice bit of kit for the price

 

[taz420nj]

pfSense, a LAN switch and a basic computer thrown together with old parts. You'll get more speed, compatibility, consistency and flexibility than any consumer router.
You can put the wireless network card into the computer alongside the WAN card, or run a wireless router/access point into your network switch.

What you don't have lying around components wise, you can buy. A switch is cheap as chips(get one used on Ebay if you must).

True, but how deep does the OP want to go into this? pfSense is awesome - I use it myself, but it requires a little more in setup than a consumer unit - even if you flash it with DD-WRT. And you also have to factor in that using some old machine is going to cost about $15 a month in electricity to run, versus about a buck with a consumer/SOHO router, which for the use he's describing would be just fine....

 

[Bow]

Thanks for all the info, but really just looking for something as close to plug and play as I can get.

 

[taz420nj]

Consider the E3000.. There's a direct flash for changing it to DD-WRT - you do it from the stock firmware upgrade page, no TFTP hoops, then just set it and forget it.

 

[hat]

The RT-N66U would probably have better range than the E3000.

 

[Frick]

And you also have to factor in that using some old machine is going to cost about $15 a month in electricity to run,

This can't be right.

 

[Jetster]

I wouldn't buy anything but a AC router. Even if your only using 802.11 N your better off. There have been many breakthroughs in processors for routers and increased distance

Newegg has some Black Friday specials

Currently I have the Linksys wrt1200ac

Rock Solid but you can get faster speed with a Buffalo WXR1900DHP same price

 

[stevorob]

I have the ASUS RT-N66U. Ever since I've got it, it's never let me down. It handles 4 wired devices (3 computers, and a magic jack phone), and 3 phones, a laptop, a tablet, and a game console at any given time. It supports DD-WRT and others as well, if that's your thing. I haven't tried it myself, though.

Second this - solid router for a great price. I have had mine for several years now and have not had any trouble with it.

I would even recommend the AC version of this router.

 

[newconroer]

True, but how deep does the OP want to go into this? pfSense is awesome - I use it myself, but it requires a little more in setup than a consumer unit - even if you flash it with DD-WRT. And you also have to factor in that using some old machine is going to cost about $15 a month in electricity to run, versus about a buck with a consumer/SOHO router, which for the use he's describing would be just fine....

Between how easy pfSense has made it to install and setup, and all the amazing guides out there, you can't go wrong.

After reading on pfSense and using it just a few times, I had more success and ease of use with than I did with any consumer router - which use in house built software (or third party that was designed to fix what manufacturers couldn't get right) full of quirks and bugs.

 

[Aquinus]

If not get a ubiquiti ERL and a couple unifi aps for that price

This. Ubiquiti makes some good hardware but, I would make sure the OP has a machine that's always on to run the controller software if you really want to do it right in my personal opinion.

 

[bonehead123]

For consumer grade plug & play routers in the OP's price range, I recommend the NetGear Nighthawk R7000.....for basic home use it should take you less than 10 mins to be up & running

Mine has been running for 2 years solid now, with a hard-wired desktop, 3 laptops, an iPad Air, 4 Roku's (2 wired, 2 wireless) 4 high-end smartphones, a wireless printer, and a USB-3 network drive.

Many of these devices are in use/connected at the same time and none of them fail to get a good solid connection in my 2000 sq.ft. split-level ranch home in the middle of town

but as with most things here..... yMmV !

 

[taz420nj]

This can't be right.

Assuming it draws 150w 24 hours a day.. That's 0.15kWh.. 0.15x24=3.6kWh per day. 3.6x30=108kWh per month. Our power company charges $0.14 per kWh. 108x0.14=$15.12 per month.

 

[Rhyseh]

+1 for ERL and Unifi AP's

 

[bonehead123]

Assuming it draws 150w 24 hours a day.. That's 0.15kWh.. 0.15x24=3.6kWh per day. 3.6x30=108kWh per month. Our power company charges $0.14 per kWh. 108x0.14=$15.12 per month.

hummmm, a router that draws as much or more power as a high-end i7 intel cpu (85-140w).....????

After a quick search of several router spec sheets, it seems that most average approx. 15-20w when under a full load with several types of devices accessing it at the same time, and an average of 2-7w when idle....

anyone care to enlighten me further please ?

 

[taz420nj]

hummmm, a router that draws as much or more power as a high-end i7 intel cpu (85-140w).....????

After a quick search of several router spec sheets, it seems that most average approx. 15-20w when under a full load with several types of devices accessing it at the same time, and an average of 2-7w when idle....

anyone care to enlighten me further please ?

That figure isn't about a consumer router, it was addressing another members suggestion that he put together an old computer running pfSense and use that as his router. I said a computer will cost about $15 a month on electricity to run, versus a consumer router which costs a buck or so.

 

[Rhyseh]

That figure isn't about a consumer router, it was addressing another members suggestion that he put together an old computer running pfSense and use that as his router. I said a computer will cost about $15 a month on electricity to run, versus a consumer router which costs a buck or so.

+1 gotta consider TCO

 

[t_ski]

Another vote for the Asus RT-N66U

 

[Frick]

Assuming it draws 150w 24 hours a day.. That's 0.15kWh.. 0.15x24=3.6kWh per day. 3.6x30=108kWh per month. Our power company charges $0.14 per kWh. 108x0.14=$15.12 per month.

This is nitpicking, but I can't believe it's pulling that much. Also man you have some expensive electricity.