Question What wireless router would you recommend?

[alphacoyle]

I've been using the one from by my internet provider but am being charged for it so looking to purchase my own. Nothing fancy, I have 100mbps connection and computer is 15ft from router. I do basic browsing & streaming in 720p-1080p, no online gaming etc. Budget around $50 (I'd like to buy 2 in case one fails as cannot connect by ethernet how placed so less costly the better, but durability and ease of use most important. This will be the first router I've bought.

 

[bill001g]

You will find quite a few. The actual cpu and wifi chips used in routers are only made by 2 or 3 companies. The firmware might be different but that is mostly the user interface. The firmware that runs in the wifi chips themselves and does almost all the wifi function comes from the chip maker.

What this means is even very inexpensive unknown brands will likely work fine. The older models have all the firmware issues worked out. If you were buying say wifi6e or wifi7 then you want to stay with better name brands. Those are way out of your price range anyway.

I would look for a router that has a 1750-1900 number on it. Normally I would always recommend a router that has gigabit ports but if you do not feel you are going to soon upgrade your internet above 100mbps you might save a bit. Still even gbit routers are sold for the $50 range.

 

[JohnMGotts]

Don’t forget to check with your ISP for compatible routers too.

 

[alphacoyle]

You will find quite a few. The actual cpu and wifi chips used in routers are only made by 2 or 3 companies. The firmware might be different but that is mostly the user interface. The firmware that runs in the wifi chips themselves and does almost all the wifi function comes from the chip maker.

What this means is even very inexpensive unknown brands will likely work fine. The older models have all the firmware issues worked out. If you were buying say wifi6e or wifi7 then you want to stay with better name brands. Those are way out of your price range anyway.

I would look for a router that has a 1750-1900 number on it. Normally I would always recommend a router that has gigabit ports but if you do not feel you are going to soon upgrade your internet above 100mbps you might save a bit. Still even gbit routers are sold for the $50 range.

What do you think of this one? https://www.walmart.com/ip/NETGEAR-Dual-Band-4-Stream-AX1600-WiFi-6-Router-1-6-Gbps-RAX5/1363183437
The router will be in living room so this one would look ok and the reviews are good, though seems exclusive to Walmart. The other one I'm thinking of is this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09M9477N...GDTGJJJJ&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it
Not as aesthetically pleasing as the Netgear but whichever is going to be the most reliable.

 

[bill001g]

It seems pricing has gotten strange. If we ignore the strange brand from china you can't seem to get a 802.11ac (ie wifi5) router for $50 anymore.

They seem to have moved production to wifi6 models.

The messy problem is wifi6 is a waste of money unless you buy the very expensive ones that support 160mhz radio bands. Most end devices unfortunately only support 80mhz which si why wifi6 didn't meet most people expectations.

The routers you list are wifi6 (only 80mhz support) but if you use a wifi5 end devices the router will run the same as if you bought a wifi5 router with a 1200 number on it.

Not sure if it matters a lot the 802.11ac (wifi5) routers with 1200 number are not much cheaper anyway.

With the price restrictions those routers will be fine for you. The only way to get other routers is to buy used/refurbished ones. The large brand names used to always have 1 less expensive models but now you have to buy the so called "value" routers to get inexpensive devices.

 

[alphacoyle]

It seems pricing has gotten strange. If we ignore the strange brand from china you can't seem to get a 802.11ac (ie wifi5) router for $50 anymore.

They seem to have moved production to wifi6 models.

The messy problem is wifi6 is a waste of money unless you buy the very expensive ones that support 160mhz radio bands. Most end devices unfortunately only support 80mhz which si why wifi6 didn't meet most people expectations.

The routers you list are wifi6 (only 80mhz support) but if you use a wifi5 end devices the router will run the same as if you bought a wifi5 router with a 1200 number on it.

Not sure if it matters a lot the 802.11ac (wifi5) routers with 1200 number are not much cheaper anyway.

With the price restrictions those routers will be fine for you. The only way to get other routers is to buy used/refurbished ones. The large brand names used to always have 1 less expensive models but now you have to buy the so called "value" routers to get inexpensive devices.

I was also considering the ASUS RT-AX57 which I think is 160mhz but didn't know if there'd be any benefits over the 1800S. Do you think I'd see any noticeable improvements with 160mhz?

 

[bill001g]

If you can use 160mhz bands you in general will get twice what you get on 80mhz. It is not uncommon to see people get between 500-600mbps. If you sit right on top of the router you can get more.

BUT

Your end devices must also support 160mhz but most are only 80mhz.
The reason for this is to get 160mhz you must use restricted radio frequencies that are used for example by weather radar. The device must detect and avoid using the bands if it detect these type of usage. In addition the rules are different in different countries. A lot of manufactures just take the easy way and restrict it to only use 80mhz.

This is why wifi6 did not live up to its marketing hype. It works much better in wifi6e that support 6ghz band where there is a lot of bandwidth with none of the restrictions on avoidance.