Hey all, putting the TL;DR first and the looong, tedious details below it.
TL;DR -
Using default FiOS Quantum router on Gigabit ethernet/wifi. Signal/speed issues and network connectivity issues on both mediums. Should I upgrade to a better router? Will it make a noticeable difference these days? If so, price shouldn't be an issue so throw your best opinions at me!
Looong, tedious details -
Been having some issues with our network recently, trying to decide if I should take the plunge and invest in a new router or if the standard Quantum Gateway is sufficient and just requires a little troubleshooting. I'm currently paying for internet-only gigabit service. I'm not too fussed about the cost if my best bet is an upgrade. Last time I bought a new router, it was back when everything on the internet followed the "Comcast/Verizon's routers are awful, upgrade to one of these, it's better in every way!" hype but some stuff I've been reading lately has lead me to believe that these ISP routers have upped their game and have become comparable performance-wise, with the competition just providing extra gimmicky features.
One of the issues is random fluctuations in speed both over wireless and ethernet. I've got my desktop hooked up via Cat-6 ethernet, from the ONT to the Quantum router, then another Cat-6 from the router to the desktop.
I do a lot of streaming/gaming on it and often notice sites taking fairly long to load, streaming quality dropping, even Youtube videos have me sitting while it buffers like it's 2008.
On wifi, I can be sat next to the router (which is next to my desktop), and my laptop/phone will hover around 2-3/5 "bars". Go one room over and this may drop down to 1-2, 3 if you're lucky, with occasional disconnections regardless.
In/out of the DMZ, ports forwarded or not, my NAT seems to consistently considered "strict".
Recently, internet has just completely gone out a few times, both ethernet and wifi. I'll still be able to connect to the router via 192.168.1.1, and it will say it still has internet access, but will only continue working after I reset the router/ONT/both.
So the router is the only thing that's still "default" in our home. I'm wondering if this could be a configuration issue causing this, just general finicky network being finicky, and/or if I'll see any sort of improvement to my network overall with an upgrade to a higher-end router.
If upgrading isn't such a bad idea, what would give me the best improvement(s)? Cost isn't much of an issue. I get a decent discount on plenty of electronics through my company. Even the most expensive router I could find, the Netgear Nighthawk X10, comes out to about $350, which includes the 2-year replacement warranty. Naturally, plenty of reviews shout things like the X10 being more expensive than it is useful, etc. So, as always, I defer to you fine folks!
TL;DR -
Using default FiOS Quantum router on Gigabit ethernet/wifi. Signal/speed issues and network connectivity issues on both mediums. Should I upgrade to a better router? Will it make a noticeable difference these days? If so, price shouldn't be an issue so throw your best opinions at me!
Looong, tedious details -
Been having some issues with our network recently, trying to decide if I should take the plunge and invest in a new router or if the standard Quantum Gateway is sufficient and just requires a little troubleshooting. I'm currently paying for internet-only gigabit service. I'm not too fussed about the cost if my best bet is an upgrade. Last time I bought a new router, it was back when everything on the internet followed the "Comcast/Verizon's routers are awful, upgrade to one of these, it's better in every way!" hype but some stuff I've been reading lately has lead me to believe that these ISP routers have upped their game and have become comparable performance-wise, with the competition just providing extra gimmicky features.
One of the issues is random fluctuations in speed both over wireless and ethernet. I've got my desktop hooked up via Cat-6 ethernet, from the ONT to the Quantum router, then another Cat-6 from the router to the desktop.
I do a lot of streaming/gaming on it and often notice sites taking fairly long to load, streaming quality dropping, even Youtube videos have me sitting while it buffers like it's 2008.
On wifi, I can be sat next to the router (which is next to my desktop), and my laptop/phone will hover around 2-3/5 "bars". Go one room over and this may drop down to 1-2, 3 if you're lucky, with occasional disconnections regardless.
In/out of the DMZ, ports forwarded or not, my NAT seems to consistently considered "strict".
Recently, internet has just completely gone out a few times, both ethernet and wifi. I'll still be able to connect to the router via 192.168.1.1, and it will say it still has internet access, but will only continue working after I reset the router/ONT/both.
So the router is the only thing that's still "default" in our home. I'm wondering if this could be a configuration issue causing this, just general finicky network being finicky, and/or if I'll see any sort of improvement to my network overall with an upgrade to a higher-end router.
If upgrading isn't such a bad idea, what would give me the best improvement(s)? Cost isn't much of an issue. I get a decent discount on plenty of electronics through my company. Even the most expensive router I could find, the Netgear Nighthawk X10, comes out to about $350, which includes the 2-year replacement warranty. Naturally, plenty of reviews shout things like the X10 being more expensive than it is useful, etc. So, as always, I defer to you fine folks!