Need help buying a new router

[cbjohn1]

Looking for a new router and am not even sure where to start. I have a D-Link DIR-615 that I picked up back in the day for like 20 bucks at Office Max when my trusty Linksys went down. It has performed fine but it seems to get knocked out (or whatever) pretty frequently, requiring a reset (I have no idea if this is the router or the ISP).

Mostly though, I think(hope) there may have been some wireless speed upgrades in the 5 or so years since I purchased. I also recently got a new ISP which gives me 100 mbps down and I'd like to take advantage as much as possible. Most of my devices are N compatible as well, so there's that.

What's the advantage of a spendier router? Is getting AC worthwhile for the future? What are good models? I heard good things about the Asus RT66U but not sure if I need that nice a router or not.

Thanks.

 

[inzone]

It's always a good thing to try a future proof as much as possible. You don't want to buy yesterdays technology bedcause it will gbe outdated quicker.
A good idea would be to get a new router that's capable of the new AC band and pick up one wireless adapter to go with it, the router is backwards compatable so that gives you time to get adapters as you can afford them to update the other computers that you have.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833122479

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833122490

Netgear , Linksys and Asus would be the brands I would look at and for starters you can look at this netgear.

 

[cbjohn1]

Looks pretty pricey. Is that what I need to pay to get something decent? I just remember reading once that most routers perform pretty identically but more pricey models have better features which most casual users won't use.

 

[inzone]

Any time you go with the dewest technology you will pay a little more for it. If you want to go with routers that have been out for a while then you can get those for less.
The final decision is up to you and which way that you want to go , do you want to go with the new stuff or the old stuff.
I was under the impression you wanted to look at the new Ac routers , by getting one of those you will be future proofing your set up and it will last longer.
If you want to go with the technology that's been out a while and get a b/g/n router then that's your call.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833320131

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833122413

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833320062

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833122491

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124458

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124459

These routers have been out for a while and because of that the prices have come down on them from what they were. These were the top models before the new Ac routers came out.