Question Need help picking out a new router

[Drewster2016]

I’m closing on my first house on the 26th, and I need to pick out and order a wireless router before then. It will only be 2 of us in the house and a few devices
2 Xbox 1s
2 computers
2 phones
Smart TVs

Im sort of on a budget and don’t want to spend more than $100 if possible but will if I need to. I got the 400mbs internet plan
I’ve looked at netgear, tp link and links’s. And they all have a few options and I can’t decide what to get.
Looking for some help deciding
Thanks

 

[bniknafs9]

linksis and asus routers are the ones with most options

 

[kanewolf]

Is this a new construction or existing home? New construction probably has ethernet cabling, existing may or may not. Having as many devices on wired connectivity is best, especially for streaming media.
Do you also have to buy a modem? Do you know, for sure, that your ISP is not providing a router in the package you are purchasing?

 

[Drewster2016]

Is this a new construction or existing home? New construction probably has ethernet cabling, existing may or may not. Having as many devices on wired connectivity is best, especially for streaming media.
Do you also have to buy a modem? Do you know, for sure, that your ISP is not providing a router in the package you are purchasing?

Not new construction. House is about 23 years old.
If I can I’d like to hardwire the TVs and Xbox’s.
For $10 a month more they will include a router but I’d rather just buy my own. More control and save money

 

[kanewolf]

If you aren't required to keep the router for any specific length of time, I would use the ISP router for a month or three after you move in. You will understand the problem much better. Then you can make a more informed decision about what router to purchase.
If you choose not to wait, then get an AC1900 spec router. Asus RT-AC68U or similar. They are available used on E-Bay for $60. For $20 as an interim solution an Asus RT-N56U from E-Bay.

 

[Drewster2016]

If you aren't required to keep the router for any specific length of time, I would use the ISP router for a month or three after you move in. You will understand the problem much better. Then you can make a more informed decision about what router to purchase.
If you choose not to wait, then get an AC1900 spec router. Asus RT-AC68U or similar. They are available used on E-Bay for $60. For $20 as an interim solution an Asus RT-N56U from E-Bay.

I don’t want to pay the the company for the router to rent it. I’d rather buy my own
But I need to order something this weekend. So any help is appreciated.

 

[AllanGH]

https://www.amazon.com/product/dp/B071J24FNY

https://www.amazon.com/product/dp/B0756QFLXP

https://www.amazon.com/product/dp/B07C65K9H9

 

[digitalgriffin]

If you aren't required to keep the router for any specific length of time, I would use the ISP router for a month or three after you move in. You will understand the problem much better. Then you can make a more informed decision about what router to purchase.
If you choose not to wait, then get an AC1900 spec router. Asus RT-AC68U or similar. They are available used on E-Bay for $60. For $20 as an interim solution an Asus RT-N56U from E-Bay.

^----This. Generally speaking what the cable company provides is complete and utter garbage quality wise. (And they charge you a fortune to rent it.) But until you know your needs, using the cable company's modem/wireless router would be the way to go.

Find out if your cable company supports a separate cable modem and a digital converter box at the same time. (If you are getting cable TV or phone package.) There are cheaper alternatives. And as always read the fine print and find out what it cost if it's a promotional period and what other fees they charge (like local sports broadcast fee.) to find out what your real bottom line is.

Congrats on your first house. I'm off to church for Easter.

Happy Easter to those who celebrate.

 

[Drewster2016]

^----This. Generally speaking what the cable company provides is complete and utter garbage quality wise. (And they charge you a fortune to rent it.) But until you know your needs, using the cable company's modem/wireless router would be the way to go.

Find out if your cable company supports a separate cable modem and a digital converter box at the same time. (If you are getting cable TV or phone package.) There are cheaper alternatives. And as always read the fine print and find out what it cost if it's a promotional period and what other fees they charge (like local sports broadcast fee.) to find out what your real bottom line is.

Congrats on your first house. I'm off to church for Easter.

Happy Easter to those who celebrate.

I don’t want to rent from the isp and refuse to.
D link c9? With my-MIMO
Linksys ea6350 ? I think it’s between these 2 routers, any advice?
I need to decide ASAP!

 

[bill001g]

Have you researched and seen if your end device support things like MU-mimo. Do your end device support the qam256 encoding on 2.4g. This is a non standard encoding on 2.4g that is not part of the official standard and some vendor like apple will never support it. This is how they get speeds of 600 rather than 450. How many antenna do your end device have can they even use the 3x3 mimo.

This takes quite a bit of research actually. It is not just buy a fancy router and you magically get more speed. Your end device are 1/2 the communication path.

The ea6350 is kinda expensive if you are only looking for a 1200 router. Only you an put a value on features like USB3 ports. A router seldom compares in performance to even a very inexpensive nas.

 

[digitalgriffin]

I don’t want to rent from the isp and refuse to.
D link c9? With my-MIMO
Linksys ea6350 ? I think it’s between these 2 routers, any advice?
I need to decide ASAP!

Well since you are hellbent and determined...Just don't yell kick or swear when you discover you can't do everything you wanted because the cable company has you boxed into a corner with proprietary hardware due to your package selection.

Avoid Linksys like the plague. They are the red headed step child and keep getting sold off. My last one was garbage. They are quickly losing to competition like Asus and Netgear in terms of features/support.

Dlink is okay. But I would choose TP Link or Netgear over them.

A highly tempting choice for you might be the Phicomm K3C. It's a BARGAIN router with an intel chipset and excellent throughput all for $35. Don't let the price fool ya. The worst case scenario is you are out $35, but with a fast access point/bridge as a secondary.

BTW: MIMO is junk and broken on most implementations.

https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wir...mm-k3c-ac1900-mu-mimo-gigabit-router-reviewed

 

[Drewster2016]

Why has the cable company boxed me into a corner?
If I had a bigger budget there is other choices I’d go with but with the budget and time crunch I need something this week or I will be without wireless.

Kc3 or the newer k3? The reviews on Amazon don’t look so good...

 

[digitalgriffin]

Why has the cable company boxed me into a corner?
If I had a bigger budget there is other choices I’d go with but with the budget and time crunch I need something this week or I will be without wireless.

Kc3 or the newer k3? The reviews on Amazon don’t look so good...

K3C. K3C is Intel. K3 is Broadcom and inferior with inferior radios despite the faster AC rating.

That said it should perform well. That review rating on Amazon isn't bad. If you want a 4x4 variant, the ASUS Blue Cave uses the same chipset but is 4x4.

https://www.amazon.com/Asus-Blue-Ca...sus+Blue+cave&qid=1555950874&s=gateway&sr=8-1

Here's how you paint yourself into a corner with cable companies:

1. You agree to a multi year package which includes internet, TV, and phone which goes up in price after the 1st year. If you terminate early they really ram it to you.

2. You discover you only get 1 decode box. And it's complete and utter garbage. But it has a RJ45 (Phone) jack needed for your phone plan. So you can't ditch it. You also have more than 1 TV, so you have to pay rental fees for a second box.

3. Their base advertised price is NOT what you pay. There will be taxes and fees and they will make a lot of them sound like they are mandatory fees by the gov't, when the truth is, it's just extra they are pocketing themselves. These fees are not included in the advertised price. And they often go up quickly making your package a lot more expensive. Don't be surprised if your bill goes up 30% -> 70% after 1 year.

4. Once you realize 1, 2 & 3 your stuck with service that cost you more than you thought.

I cord cut. I paid for a silicon dust HD Home run, my own cable modem, netflix, Majic Jack, and router. I get much better home networking equipment for a lot less money after that one year. It pays for itself easily and gives me better quality. The math is simple:

($50 internet + $10 Netflix) * 24 months + $100 Router + $50 majicjack + $60 modem = $1650 over two years DIY Path
$70 * 12 months + $100 * 12 + $100/month * 12 months + Add on fees * 24 months + boxes * $5 * 24 >> $1650. Don't be surprised if you approach the $2500 mark which is the average of what cable people pay for two year packages.

Src: https://news.slashdot.org/story/18/...has-increased-more-than-50-percent-since-2010