[SOLVED] Best place for router.

[Astromechal421]

I am just wondering which option is best for my router.
I have fiber optic running into my modem in my basement utility room. About 1 foot away from that I have an Ethernet hub connecting the entire house through Ethernet. Since it’s in the utility room there are electrical panels and wiring, water heaters, furnace etc. that will cause interference.
So is it better to place my router in the utility room close to the modem and Ethernet hub
OR
is it better to place the router far away from the utility room and run a long line from the modem to the router and then another long line back to the Ethernet hub?
In the past I have placed the router far away and ran long lines, but it seems like that is hard on the router, since I have one Ethernet output feeding a 24 port Ethernet switch. I have burned out two routers in three years this way.
My thinking now is if the router is close to the Ethernet hub I can directly connect the high use Ethernet lines to the router. So one router output would feed the Ethernet switch , another router output would feed my streaming device, another output to my desktop etc. so the router is utilizing more than one of its outputs.
However, it then has the interference issues with being in the utility room.
The utility room is right in the middle of the house so that is one advantage.
Any thought or tips are appreciated. I am sick of burning up routers.

 

[bill001g]

The "best" option if you could afford it would be to place the router near the modem and then put a AP in every room the switch connects to.

Routers do not burn out because of too many devices. The 4 ports on the lan side of your router is actually a small switch. It can run 1gbit up and 1gbit down on every port all at the same time.

There really is no difference in the design. It is still modem-router--switch. Just because you have 2 long cables between the router and the other 2 devices makes no difference. Ethernet works to 100 meters and it does not put any different load on your router if the cable is 1 meter or 100 meters.

You are in many ways lucky that you have 2 cables that you can use. Most people only have 1 and do not have the option to use the method you do to place the router more centrally.

 

[jsmithepa]

When u say interference, I assume EMI, which affects WIFI, so have your WIFI base station(s) sprung around the house, with available ethernet outlets at rooms, this is easy enough.

 

[Astromechal421]

The "best" option if you could afford it would be to place the router near the modem and then put a AP in every room the switch connects to.

Routers do not burn out because of too many devices. The 4 ports on the lan side of your router is actually a small switch. It can run 1gbit up and 1gbit down on every port all at the same time.

There really is no difference in the design. It is still modem-router--switch. Just because you have 2 long cables between the router and the other 2 devices makes no difference. Ethernet works to 100 meters and it does not put any different load on your router if the cable is 1 meter or 100 meters.

You are in many ways lucky that you have 2 cables that you can use. Most people only have 1 and do not have the option to use the method you do to place the router more centrally.

Thank you for your reply.

I have read about Ethernet working at 100 meters and I have setup access points in high use areas and my internet is great, I just keep replacing the router.
Do you have any idea why my primary routers only last about 18 months?
I power cycle them at least once a month and make sure they are not dirty. They are not in enclosed areas to get hot and they are not anywhere that someone could accidentally mess with them.

First was an Asus rt ac3100 the second was a NETGEAR x6s (r8000p). Both worked great then the Ethernet and both 2.4 and 5 ghz bands went out, each after about 18 months.
The access point I am using is an asus ac1750. It still works perfect after three years.
Did I just get two bad routers or is 18 months a typical lifespan?

 

[bill001g]

I think you just got unlucky. The wifi radios especially have nothing to do with ethenet. They radios are separate processor chips. I more thought you meant you lost the power supply or something. I have routers that are much older but like many people I upgrade perfectly good routers "just because". I suspect the manufacture know few people keep a router say over 5yrs so they use cheaper parts. Cisco and HP commercial equipment there is stuff that is 30yrs old that still functions, but who really wants 10mbps ethernet ports.

Not sure why wifi radios fail in routers. It is not real common but you see it much more than say the router does not boot problem. Then again the wifi chips are putting out a signal everything else is just moving data between pins on chips.