Which router should I buy?

[kevinligilbert]

So I'm upgrading from a crappy early 2000s router that came with my house but I can't decide between 2 of my finds
First:https://www.amazon.com/D-Link-DIR-879-AC1900-Wi-Fi-Router/dp/B00PVDO8YK?keywords=router&qid=1532054707&sr=8-41&ref=mp_s_a_1_41

Second:https://www.amazon.com/Tenda-AC1200-Wireless-Router-AC6/dp/B06X1CHFJ5?keywords=router&qid=1532054764&sr=8-49&ref=mp_s_a_1_49

Also my budget is $50

 

[bill001g]

It depends to a point on what features your end device can support. The dlink can run 3 overlapping signals to get say the 600mbps but most end devices only have 2 antenna and many do not support the non standard encoding that lets them run 200mbps per channel rather than 150mbps.

In general I would say the dlink is a better router the processor is faster and it has gigabit ports.....again it depends on what your needs are. Makes little difference if you are going to connect it to a 10mbps internet connection.

The main reservation I have about the dlink is the outright lie they tell trying to make it seem their router has better coverage.

The router does not have 1000mw amplifiers. It likely has about 250mw amplifiers and 6db of antenna...like almost every router on the market. That gives 1000mw of output power but it is a very different than saying the amplifier is 1000mw.

Next the 1000mw output is a extremely deceptive. Luckily they are required to test their equipment and register it with the FCC. From their own reports you can tell the 1000mw is a lie. It puts out a maximum of 968mw using 802.11b on channel 1. It puts out 458mw in the more common used configuration of 802.11ac on the top 5g channel.

Nobody uses 802.11b anymore so it is deceptive to say you get 1000mw, implying that you can get that using the newer 802.11ac.


These output level though are not all that uncommon to other routers. Since the same radio chipsets are used by many router they all produce more or less the same results no matter whose name is on the outside.

It just bugs me that they try to mislead the consumer. If it wasn't for that I would say the dlink is a better device purely based on that it is using the newer radio chipset.

Note both these are second tier brands. Part of the reason for low cost is you get less things like bug fixes but that may not really matter