GatKong |
Tetris Mason
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Reged: 04/20/07
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Posts: 5908
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Loc: Sector 9
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Best router/wifi options for home
#360447 - 11/18/16 06:22 PM
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I'm dubious about Google wifi... seems overly complex when all you really want/need is strong wifi signal which a good router should be able to do without requiring a google account and extra complexity.
I still remember the old days of juryrigged homemade antennas.
In your experience, what's the best router/wifi option for range and reliability?
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Re: Best router/wifi options for home
[Re: GatKong]
#360460 - 11/18/16 07:33 PM
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I'm using a few-years-old modem/router that gives fine signal at least 30 feet through walls, even out into the yard and I have block outer walls, perhaps farther.
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Scifi frauds. SF illuminates.
_________________
Culture General Contact Unit (Eccentric)
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I'm watching this space.
[Re: GatKong]
#360462 - 11/18/16 07:49 PM
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I'm still using a Cisco WRT54GL, and my PC is wired directly into it because I skipped the "wireless" part of the build.
Old, but it serves for wifi throughout the house. I should take my phone for a walk to see how far it reaches.
Edited by TriggerFin (11/18/16 07:55 PM)
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Re: Best router/wifi options for home
[Re: GatKong]
#360468 - 11/19/16 02:44 AM
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This is a good site to start with.
http://www.smallnetbuilder.com/tools/charts/router/bar/188-54-ghz-up-max/31
You can pick your use case. For me upstream is important. But if you are just surfing it may not be as big of a deal. The netgear nighthawk line has been near the top of most charts for awhile. The prob is netgear likes to discontinue their lines quickly. One of the reasons I went with an ASUS. Which is not as good but seems to have better support. Plus the rmerlin firmware is decent. I have been hitting 40MB (not bit) upstream and 45MB down fairly consistently. Which is pretty good for wireless.
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Re: Best router/wifi options for home
[Re: GatKong]
#360471 - 11/19/16 04:53 AM
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I'm a bit outdated (no AC wireless) but I've been using an ASUS RT-N66U for a long time, with TomatoRAF firmware on it. If you have devices around that don't do N, or don't do N at 5Ghz, as well as items that DO use it, it's important to have a router that does simultaneous networks or else your oldest device will slow the rest of your network.
My place doesn't traverse floors, but the walls have sheet metal in them, and I don't have a single dead spot in my place. I can barely get a signal standing outside of my front door, and it's a heavy ass metal door (think military barracks style).
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Just broke my personal record for number of consecutive days without dying!
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NetGear AC1900 NightHawk (R7000) for me
[Re: GatKong]
#360488 - 11/20/16 03:53 PM
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NetGear AC1900 NightHawk (R7000)
Got this a few years ago when I needed something with better range than my Linksys WRT54GL. I loved the WRT54GL because I used DD-WRT 3rd party firmware on it and, thankfully, the NetGear R7000 also has pretty good DD-WRT support through a developer named Kong: http://www.desipro.de/ddwrt/K3-AC-Arm/
So basically, I was able to get a brand new router with faster wireless support, better range, gigabit Ethernet, and with the same GUI I was used to using. Definitely a win-win for me.
No reliability problems either (other than a few dodgy DD-WRT builds months ago). The hardware itself is top notch and, truthfully, the NetGear GUI isn't that bad. I think it also has a USB 3.0 port for network storage, but I haven't used it yet.
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John IV |
IV/Play, MAME, MAMEUI
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Reged: 09/22/03
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Posts: 1970
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Loc: Washington, USA
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Re: Best router/wifi options for home
[Re: GatKong]
#360493 - 11/21/16 03:05 AM
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Well that answers one question...
[Re: GatKong]
#360494 - 11/21/16 05:27 AM
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"Why the $#@! are these things so expensive?"
Description of the WRT54GL (which isn't even a unique model of the WRT54G any more, FFS. A decade of revisions.):
Quote:
Linux-based Internet-sharing Router with built-in 4-port Switch and Wireless-G Access Point Shares a single Internet connection (10/100 WAN) with 4 Ethernet wired (10/100 switched LAN ;Compliant with the IEEE 802.11b/g protocol Max. Link Rate:54 Mbps; Has 2 External Antennas ; supports WPA2 standards for use of the available encryption regardless of client devices and features a built-in SPI firewall to prevent potential attacks from the Internet
Description of others:
Quote:
1GHz Dual Core Processor
Quote:
1.4GHz dual-core processor
Quote:
1.7GHz dual core processor
So, old reliable has no N support, but these new ones are sticking computers to computers. Dual core proc on a router?
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Re: Best router/wifi options for home
[Re: GatKong]
#360526 - 11/22/16 07:24 PM
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Re: Well that answers one question...
[Re: TriggerFin]
#360530 - 11/22/16 11:00 PM
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The dual core processors in those routers are totally different to the CPUs in your computer. They are a lot lower in power.
The routers need all that grunt to handle the high-throughput of things like Gigabit Ethernet and 802.11ABGNXYZ (or whatever the latest standards are).
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Re: Well that answers one question...
[Re: jonwil]
#360545 - 11/23/16 07:32 AM
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> The dual core processors in those routers are totally different to the CPUs in your > computer. They are a lot lower in power.
Well of course they are. But they're there. The older ones make no mention of any processor, so they must be minimal, at best.
> The routers need all that grunt to handle the high-throughput of things like Gigabit > Ethernet and 802.11ABGNXYZ (or whatever the latest standards are).
And the WRT54GL does the A B and G, just missing the N. It costs a tenth of that Orbi system and covers the house with just a single unit.
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Damn, that looks like a winner....
[Re: hmmmmmm]
#360551 - 11/23/16 08:39 AM
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Modern entry-level (meaning 5ghz range):
https://routerboard.com/RB952Ui-5ac2nD
Though I wonder why a lot of their gear is still 2.4ghz... That may be one of the reasons I'm considering upgrading.
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Scifi frauds. SF illuminates.
_________________
Culture General Contact Unit (Eccentric)
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Re: Damn, that looks like a winner....
[Re: Traso]
#360568 - 11/23/16 08:01 PM
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Very good equipment in general.
I have an old 5 ports router with 2,4ghz at 1 watt output. Several of my friends have taken their small routers as well, none have regretted it so far.
It was around a 100 euros back then. Simple interface, but very functional you can do the whole setup from within one screen.
And if the advanced gui features are not enough, they offer a full cli mode.
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Re: Best router/wifi options for home
[Re: GatKong]
#360584 - 11/24/16 01:44 PM
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There's always AVM FritzBox if you want an all-in-one router/wifi/DECT/etc. thing.
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Re: Well that answers one question...
[Re: TriggerFin]
#360585 - 11/24/16 01:46 PM
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> And the WRT54GL does the A B and G, just missing the N. It costs a tenth of that Orbi > system and covers the house with just a single unit.
Yeah, at far lower speed. The new standards improve performance.
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Re: Well that answers one question...
[Re: Vas Crabb]
#360588 - 11/24/16 03:17 PM
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> > And the WRT54GL does the A B and G, just missing the N. It costs a tenth of that > Orbi > > system and covers the house with just a single unit. > > Yeah, at far lower speed. The new standards improve performance.
Well yeah. If they didn't, they wouldn't be needed.
But n routers can be had for $50. Just have to bear in mind the simultaneous multi-standard stuff.
In any case, my PC is wired in, and the wireless things in the house are all still pre-g.
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Pre-G?
[Re: TriggerFin]
#360601 - 11/25/16 09:43 AM
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you seriously need a new phone. A $20 phone has g nowadays...
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Just broke my personal record for number of consecutive days without dying!
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Re: Pre-G?
[Re: URherenow]
#360606 - 11/25/16 05:15 PM
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> you seriously need a new phone. A $20 phone has g nowadays...
I'm not talking about my phone. My phone has unlimited data, and I don't need to WiFi with it while at home.
Actually, I think my nephew's 3DS does G. Not N though.
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Re: NetGear AC1900 NightHawk (R7000) - insecure
[Re: Pr3tty F1y]
#361199 - 12/13/16 12:02 AM
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https://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/582384
> NetGear AC1900 NightHawk (R7000) > > Got this a few years ago when I needed something with better range than my Linksys > WRT54GL. I loved the WRT54GL because I used DD-WRT 3rd party firmware on it and, > thankfully, the NetGear R7000 also has pretty good DD-WRT support through a developer > named Kong: http://www.desipro.de/ddwrt/K3-AC-Arm/ > > So basically, I was able to get a brand new router with faster wireless support, > better range, gigabit Ethernet, and with the same GUI I was used to using. Definitely > a win-win for me. > > No reliability problems either (other than a few dodgy DD-WRT builds months ago). The > hardware itself is top notch and, truthfully, the NetGear GUI isn't that bad. I think > it also has a USB 3.0 port for network storage, but I haven't used it yet.
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