Question Suggestions for a new 6GHZ compatible router to replace my Spectrum rental one ?

[Xboxerj]

Good afternoon. I am currently renting a Spectrum Wifi 7 Router which supports 2.4GHZ, 5GHZ and 6 GHZ bands. I just bought a new Fire TV 4K Max which is WIFI 6E compatbile. When I try to connect to the Spectrum router, however, it will not connect to the 6. I spoke with Spectrum and their routers are 'smart' which detect which band to connect your device to. But I want that freedom to connect to the 6 and I am tired of paying the monthly rental fee. I only have around $150 to work with. But if the most Spectrum provides is 6GHZ does that mean a WIFI 7 is overkill? Also how hard is to configure your router settings? I had done it once with a Spectrum router a LONG time ago when you could access it but I really have no knowledge to do it well myself so user friendly would be a plus. Thanks in advance.

 

[bill001g]

So part of this problem is router manufactures actually thing there routers are smarter than the customer. This is true in some cases and in other the customers are just lazy.

The key to forcing things to connect where you want is to use different SSID on each radio band. Many routers use a single SSID for all three.

Doing this might disable one of the stupidest features I have seen that wifi7 supports. It attempt to use all three radio bands and the same time to increase the bandwidth. When wifi7 routers first came out nobody could actually make that work and it took a while for the wifi chips that could do it to get to market. Almost no end device will every support it. Unlike a router end devices only have a single radio chip that can change the frequency it runs on. To use this feature end devices would need 3 radio chips which will greatly increase the price and more importantly increase the physical space used on circuit boards and require more battery power. It is unlikely you will every see this feature on a portable device.

Wifi7 in my opinion is all marketing to consumers who can't resist bigger numbers on the box. Not just the "7" in the name but the claims of more speed. More bandwidth has little value for portable devices one you exceed say 100mbps. They are not downloading 100gbyte microsoft flight simulator to play on their phone.


The true value in wifi6e and wifi7 is that it can run on the 6ghz band. In some ways this is a disadvantage because it is more easily blocked by walls but more important there is a massive amount of bandwidth. For a while at least all your neighbors do not stomp your radio signals out of existance like they do on 2.4 and 5. Wifi7 is a massive pig with how much radio bandwidth it attempts to use. You get people that put in mesh systems and it will not be long before a single house is using every possible channel in the 6ghz range.

Paying the monthly rental is kind a different variable in deciding what to do.

You would have to post the exact router but in general ISP routers perform as well as the best brand name routers. This is because none of the router manufactures actually make wifi chipset. They all buy them from other vendors like mediatek or broadcom. In general devices with the same wifi chips have identical wifi performance.

Many times ISP routers are more simplistic since the ISP does not want to support idiot consumers so they just remove the features that are hard to understand. Most people are not going to use firewalls or vpn or other advanced features anyway.

I would hope they have the very basic ability like using different SSID on each radio band.

If you are going to by a router I would look for wifi6e. For something like a tv you really don't care if it can run 1gbit. It likely will never even use more than say 30mbps which is what netflix says to have for 4k steams. Key is wifi6e also support 6ghz.

Do not get too hung up on brand. Again non of the router manufactures are actually making the wifi radio chips. Everything else is going to be other features like says vpn or maybe secondary ISP etc. Only you can say what value those have.

 

[Xboxerj]

Thanks for responding. https://d15yx0mnc9teae.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/2024-10/WiFi 7 User Guide v13.pdf Here is a link to the quick user's guide of the Spectrum router.

Any routers you might have in mind? Even searching for a 6e on Amazon returns so many results. Would one be plug and play to get the 6GHZ band, or would it involve accessing the router's settings? I do not mind doing some work myself as long as I have the instructions I would need to do it right.

 

[bill001g]

That is a fancy router would be very expensive to get one with similar features. I did not look at the software but it has a 10gbit wan and a 2.5g lan. It also supports the fastest wifi encoding and stuff like 4x4 mimo. You likely don't care about 4x4 mimo or the fast ethernet ports but these features make the router cost more.

wifi6e routers have dropped massively in price since wifi7 has become more available. I don't know if any are better than others. You want to avoid those strange brands that are shipped directly from china. tplink tends to be rather inexpensive and has good support. Asus tends to have more features but also costs more. Asus was the go to brand if you could afford it but they messed up big time and pushed a router patch that caused major issue so a lot of people will no longer buy them.

..........I forgot. Almost all routers work out of the box with no changes. That is why they all have unique SSID and passwords rather than everyone being the same since many people did not change it. Most these routers likely have all 3 radios on the same SSID name so you might still have the issue of it connecting a radio you do not want. You will have to change the SSID. I would always change the ssid anyway I suspect there is some way to get the default setting with the router serial number I doubt is just some random value.

 

[Xboxerj]

That is a fancy router would be very expensive to get one with similar features. I did not look at the software but it has a 10gbit wan and a 2.5g lan. It also supports the fastest wifi encoding and stuff like 4x4 mimo. You likely don't care about 4x4 mimo or the fast ethernet ports but these features make the router cost more.

wifi6e routers have dropped massively in price since wifi7 has become more available. I don't know if any are better than others. You want to avoid those strange brands that are shipped directly from china. tplink tends to be rather inexpensive and has good support. Asus tends to have more features but also costs more. Asus was the go to brand if you could afford it but they messed up big time and pushed a router patch that caused major issue so a lot of people will no longer buy them.

..........I forgot. Almost all routers work out of the box with no changes. That is why they all have unique SSID and passwords rather than everyone being the same since many people did not change it. Most these routers likely have all 3 radios on the same SSID name so you might still have the issue of it connecting a radio you do not want. You will have to change the SSID. I would always change the ssid anyway I suspect there is some way to get the default setting with the router serial number I doubt is just some random value.

The router is nice and the fact it has the 6GHZ band is the feature I want the most. But if the router won't let me choose that myself and because it's 'smart' says I don't need it I will never get the full wireless speeds I am capable of.

The last time I bought a D-Link and that was well over 15 years ago.

I am trying to sort out as I have found some good deals on WIFI 6E Tplink. The only thing I am confused about is do all the 6E routers support 6GHZ? I saw a 2 band router and it seemed to access 2.4 and 5, and a triband router. Does that mean it accesses 2.4, 5 and 6? Spectrum also lists some recommendations but I honestly am not sure what I am looking at.

 

[bill001g]

I forgot about that scam. Didn't see it on a wifi6e but there was some router that said it was wifi7 and only had a 2.4 and 5 radio. They really are trying to rip off the consumers who have limited knowledge about what they are buying. The main feature that makes a router wifi6e or wifi7 is the 6ghz radio band. They are really wifi5 devices that can do a more dense data encoding that really only works in the same room. So technically they are running wifi6e/7 data encoding but outside the room it will drop back to the same ones wifi5 uses.

So make sure it says it has 6ghz support.

Hard to say what value spectrum recommendation have. They likely just helping out consumers who don't know what they are even looking for. When the modem is seperate from the router it really doesn't matter......I guess if you buy a 5gbit internet plan it is very important to have wan and lan ports that are above 1gbit like their provided router.

I will refrain from my rant about really fast internet plans.

 

[cruisetung]

What's your subscription speed? Do you download files all day long? One 4K video stream only consumes 30Mbps. If 3 guys in your home watching Netflix/Youtube at the same time it only consumes 90-100 Mbps

Whether you want or really need to get full wifi speed depends on how do you use the internet.

Currently available at $99 per pack
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Deco-mesh-wifi-system/dp/B0CZ7LYHLG?th=1

==

oops

Does Deco support separate 2.4GHz and 5GHz SSIDs?
https://community.tp-link.com/en/home/forum/topic/541930

Separate 6GHz SSID not mentioned.

==

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi_6#cite_note-only6ghz-2-3

Wi-Fi 6E is the industry name that identifies Wi-Fi devices that operate in 6 GHz. Wi-Fi 6E offers the features and capabilities of Wi-Fi 6 extended into the 6 GHz band.

---

Wifi 6e routers that support multiple ssid for around $150 usd

Answer from ChatGPT:

### 1. **TP-Link Deco XE75 (2-pack)**
- **Price**: Approx. $150-$160
- **Features**:
- Wi-Fi 6E with tri-band (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz)
- AI-driven mesh system
- Coverage up to 5,500 sq. ft.
- Supports multiple SSIDs and VLAN for network segmentation
- Easy setup via the TP-Link Deco app
- **Where to Buy**: Amazon, Newegg

### 2. **TP-Link Archer AXE75**
- **Price**: Approx. $150
- **Features**:
- Tri-band Wi-Fi 6E (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz)
- Coverage up to 2,500 sq. ft.
- 4 Gigabit ports
- Multiple SSID support for separate networks
- Works well with TP-Link’s app for managing SSID and guest networks
- **Where to Buy**: Amazon

### 3. **NETGEAR Nighthawk RAXE300 (Wi-Fi 6E Router)**
- **Price**: Around $150
- **Features**:
- Tri-band Wi-Fi 6E
- Up to 1,500 sq. ft. coverage
- Supports multiple SSIDs (you can create different networks for guests or other uses)
- Includes a 2.5G Ethernet port
- **Where to Buy**: Amazon, Best Buy

### 4. **ASUS RT-AXE7800 (Wi-Fi 6E Router)**
- **Price**: Near $180 (sometimes available under $150 on sale)
- **Features**:
- Wi-Fi 6E support with tri-band frequencies
- Robust parental controls and security options
- Multiple SSID options
- High-speed performance and a 2.5G Ethernet port
- **Where to Buy**: Amazon, Newegg

 

[Xboxerj]

I forgot about that scam. Didn't see it on a wifi6e but there was some router that said it was wifi7 and only had a 2.4 and 5 radio. They really are trying to rip off the consumers who have limited knowledge about what they are buying. The main feature that makes a router wifi6e or wifi7 is the 6ghz radio band. They are really wifi5 devices that can do a more dense data encoding that really only works in the same room. So technically they are running wifi6e/7 data encoding but outside the room it will drop back to the same ones wifi5 uses.

So make sure it says it has 6ghz support.

Hard to say what value spectrum recommendation have. They likely just helping out consumers who don't know what they are even looking for. When the modem is seperate from the router it really doesn't matter......I guess if you buy a 5gbit internet plan it is very important to have wan and lan ports that are above 1gbit like their provided router.

I will refrain from my rant about really fast internet plans.

Well, technically, the 6ghz IS there but the modem decides if it wants the device to use it or not. They call it smart but in a sense is it throttling? The only reason I have 500 mbps is I started with 300, they increased it for free to 400 and then there was an issue where I was being billed under the older structure. By changing a couple of things on my account I actually save money. But I want to be able to take advantage of the speed I am capable of.

 

[Xboxerj]

What's your subscription speed? Do you download files all day long? One 4K video stream only consumes 30Mbps. If 3 guys in your home watching Netflix/Youtube at the same time it only consumes 90-100 Mbps

Whether you want or really need to get full wifi speed depends on how do you use the internet.

Currently available at $99 per pack
https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Deco-mesh-wifi-system/dp/B0CZ7LYHLG?th=1

==

oops

Does Deco support separate 2.4GHz and 5GHz SSIDs?
https://community.tp-link.com/en/home/forum/topic/541930

Separate 6GHz SSID not mentioned.

==

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi_6#cite_note-only6ghz-2-3

Wi-Fi 6E is the industry name that identifies Wi-Fi devices that operate in 6 GHz. Wi-Fi 6E offers the features and capabilities of Wi-Fi 6 extended into the 6 GHz band.

---

Wifi 6e routers that support multiple ssid for around $150 usd

Answer from ChatGPT:

### 1. **TP-Link Deco XE75 (2-pack)**
- **Price**: Approx. $150-$160
- **Features**:
- Wi-Fi 6E with tri-band (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz)
- AI-driven mesh system
- Coverage up to 5,500 sq. ft.
- Supports multiple SSIDs and VLAN for network segmentation
- Easy setup via the TP-Link Deco app
- **Where to Buy**: Amazon, Newegg

### 2. **TP-Link Archer AXE75**
- **Price**: Approx. $150
- **Features**:
- Tri-band Wi-Fi 6E (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz, and 6 GHz)
- Coverage up to 2,500 sq. ft.
- 4 Gigabit ports
- Multiple SSID support for separate networks
- Works well with TP-Link’s app for managing SSID and guest networks
- **Where to Buy**: Amazon

### 3. **NETGEAR Nighthawk RAXE300 (Wi-Fi 6E Router)**
- **Price**: Around $150
- **Features**:
- Tri-band Wi-Fi 6E
- Up to 1,500 sq. ft. coverage
- Supports multiple SSIDs (you can create different networks for guests or other uses)
- Includes a 2.5G Ethernet port
- **Where to Buy**: Amazon, Best Buy

### 4. **ASUS RT-AXE7800 (Wi-Fi 6E Router)**
- **Price**: Near $180 (sometimes available under $150 on sale)
- **Features**:
- Wi-Fi 6E support with tri-band frequencies
- Robust parental controls and security options
- Multiple SSID options
- High-speed performance and a 2.5G Ethernet port
- **Where to Buy**: Amazon, Newegg

Thanks for taking the time to respond. My speed is 500mbps. I do not download and the devices connected to the wireless most of the times are 2 Spectrum phones, a Smart TV, a 4k UHD Blu ray Player and the Fire TV. I have a PC and Nintendo Switch hard wired.

I will look into those recommendations, thank you for putting them together. To be honest it is more of two things:
1) I am not comfortable paying a rental fee as it keeps increasing.
2) If I have the capability of 6GHZ and I am paying for it instead of the modem choosing I believe I should be able to make the choice how to connect. Not trying to be entitled just the principle of it.

Finally, if I go with a WIFI 7 router as opposed to a 6E am I really future proofing my system? I have seen conflicting information.

 

[cruisetung]

Let's say you pay $100 cable TV for 100 channels, are you going to watch 100 channels at the same time for 24 hours all day long so you can take full advantage of the money you pay for the cable company?

The fact is probably 95% of the internet users will never consume more than 50% of the bandwidth they subscribed most of the time. (Well, it's my wild guess)

For wifi, the thumb rule is the higher the frequency, the higher speed/bandwidth, but shorter range.

If watching 4K TV/movie stream is all you do at home, 500Mbps for wired internet side and 1200/866/443 Mbps connection (what wifi 5/ 802.11ac already can achieve) for wifi on the LAN side is way over what you need for one person.

Wifi 7 is not needed since you probably won't have any client devices any time soon. Even if you do have wifi 7 devices, they will have shorter range and must be placed closer to wifi 7 router.

So unless there is new app that demands very high speed/bandwidth, but I don't see that as of now or (near) future, so wifi 7 likely is not needed. You don't need a Ferrari just for commuting.

 

[kanewolf]

Good afternoon. I am currently renting a Spectrum Wifi 7 Router which supports 2.4GHZ, 5GHZ and 6 GHZ bands. I just bought a new Fire TV 4K Max which is WIFI 6E compatbile. When I try to connect to the Spectrum router, however, it will not connect to the 6. I spoke with Spectrum and their routers are 'smart' which detect which band to connect your device to. But I want that freedom to connect to the 6 and I am tired of paying the monthly rental fee. I only have around $150 to work with. But if the most Spectrum provides is 6GHZ does that mean a WIFI 7 is overkill? Also how hard is to configure your router settings? I had done it once with a Spectrum router a LONG time ago when you could access it but I really have no knowledge to do it well myself so user friendly would be a plus. Thanks in advance.

Ubiquiti UniFI just released some new routers (gateways in their terminology) The dream router 7 -- https://store.ui.com/us/en/products/udr7 might be a good choice. It provides 6Ghz and starts your UniFI infrastructure.
Remember that 6Ghz penetrates walls worse than 5Ghz. It is best utilized in the same room as the 6Ghz WIFI source. Don't expect it to work well two rooms away.