DIR-850L vs DIR-868L: Which would you Prefer?

[IAreKyleW00t]

Alright, so I'm thinking about getting a nice AC router - not only for myself, but also for the people in my family. I connect directly through ethernet, so wireless isn't really an issue, but my family does a lot of streaming, and my brother does a lot of online gaming.

I'm debating on whether or not I should get a DIR-850L router, or the DIR-868L. The only real differences I've noticed are that the DIR-868L has USB 3.0 and SmartBeam technology, but I don't know if "Smartbeam" is really worth it. I'm not really familiar with the new things AC brings, so I'm asking you guys for some suggestions!

Based on these two, which would you recommend? I'm also open to other recommendations as well!

DIR-850L: http://www.dlink.com/us/en/home-solutions/connect/routers/dir-850l-wireless-ac1200-dual-band-gigabit-cloud-router ($80-$90)
DIR-868L: http://www.dlink.com/us/en/home-solutions/connect/routers/dir-868l-wireless-ac1750-dual-band-gigabit-router (~$150)

 

[bill001g]

There are a number of generic issues with 802.11ac

First you must have 802.11ac adapters in your equipment to use it otherwise it will just fall back and use 802.11n. Second 802.11ac only runs on the 5g band which has much poorer coverage in most houses. So you must have good 5g coverage or it doesn't matter since you will be using 2.4g which can't run 802.11ac.

The beam forming stuff is part of the final 802.11ac standard. Only very new equipment has the support. As of right now there is not a lot of information if it really works in a actual house or if this is marketing fluff. I suspect part of the reason for the price difference is the newer router is likely certified to meet the 802.11ac standard that was just finalized a month or so ago. Again people who just had to have the "best" toys ran out and paid for 802.11ac things last year and now have what is best described as PRE-802.11ac since they don't support the beam forming and some other minor features.

 

[IAreKyleW00t]

There are a number of generic issues with 802.11ac

First you must have 802.11ac adapters in your equipment to use it otherwise it will just fall back and use 802.11n. Second 802.11ac only runs on the 5g band which has much poorer coverage in most houses. So you must have good 5g coverage or it doesn't matter since you will be using 2.4g which can't run 802.11ac.

The beam forming stuff is part of the final 802.11ac standard. Only very new equipment has the support. As of right now there is not a lot of information if it really works in a actual house or if this is marketing fluff. I suspect part of the reason for the price difference is the newer router is likely certified to meet the 802.11ac standard that was just finalized a month or so ago. Again people who just had to have the "best" toys ran out and paid for 802.11ac things last year and now have what is best described as PRE-802.11ac since they don't support the beam forming and some other minor features.

Wow, I actually had no idea about all that. I knew that the 5GHz range was a lot worse as far as signal strength goes, but I didn't know that AC was solely reliant on that. Basically from what you're saying is "AC" is all just a bunch of fluff and that, in all reality, isn't actually that great for normal everyday use. The cons that is has seem to outweigh the pros.

Now, like I said in the first post, I'm not really all "up to date" with the latest Wireless toys and technology for the most part since I really don't mess with that much. Right now I have a Motorola SBG6580 which came from my Cable Provider. It has DOCSIS 3 and Wireless N built in (which probably isn't the best since it came from them).

Should I look for a good Wireless *N* router instead? If so, what would be a good recommendation?

 

[bill001g]

It isn't all fluff it does transfer much faster when you can get good signal levels. The part I am unsure of is the beam forming. It works good in a open room but will it actually increase the ability to penetrate a wall and is it limited to horizontal or can it focus the beam up and down. Will have to wait until a lot more people get them and see how well it works.

If you do not have 802.11ac adapters already then 802.11n will likely perform just as well for you.

 

[IAreKyleW00t]

It isn't all fluff it does transfer much faster when you can get good signal levels. The part I am unsure of is the beam forming. It works good in a open room but will it actually increase the ability to penetrate a wall and is it limited to horizontal or can it focus the beam up and down. Will have to wait until a lot more people get them and see how well it works.

If you do not have 802.11ac adapters already then 802.11n will likely perform just as well for you.

For me, I already use ethernet, so it really doesn't effect me. I was going to gradually get the adapters needed for others in the house as time went on. One thing I noticed, was when I was looking for an equivalent Wireless N router, they all were just as much (if not slightly more) than the AC ones I picked out in the first post. I might just go with those anyways since it would actually be cheaper for me - and it has backwards compatibility anyways.