< $100 Routers on Sale. Which one to get?

[GreenGhost]

It there any important difference among these models, all on sale for $90.

Any better option?

Wal-Mart
NETGEAR Nighthawk AC2600 Smart WiFi Router (R7450) $90 (not live yet)
https://www.walmart.com/ip/NETGEAR-Nighthawk-AC2600-Smart-WiFi-Router-R7450/222659115

Amazon
NETGEAR R6700 Nighthawk AC1750 Dual Band Smart WiFi Router, Gigabit Ethernet (R6700) $90.00
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R2AZLD2

Best Buy
NETGEAR - Nighthawk AC2400 Dual-Band Wi-Fi 5 Router - BlackModel:AC2400-100NAS $90.00 (when signed in)

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/netgear-nighthawk-ac2400-dual-band-wi-fi-5-router-black/6291800.p?ref=8575135

 

[VirtualLarry]

I would only buy a router these days, that was:
1) Cheap, and only if I didn't already have an adequate one, or
2) Expensive but nice and full-featured, but ONLY if it supports WPA3 out-of-the-box, or the mfg has publically committed that it WILL be supported.

Seriously, though, AC is old news now, AX is what you want to be buying. With WPA3 support.

Don't buy last year's router models.

Asus A88AX looks good.

https://www.asus.com/us/Networking/RT-AX88U/

 

[ElFenix]

uh, that's 4x more expensive than any of the routers in the OP (and 2x more expensive than any of your computers! )

 

[VirtualLarry]

uh, that's 4x more expensive than any of the routers in the OP

Yeah, I guess AX routers carry a premium.

(and 2x more expensive than any of your computers! )

LOL, my Ryzen rigs beg to differ... slightly.

There's a new Synology router with WPA3, that's a lot more reasonable, around 2x OPs budget.

I just feel like, buying an AC router these days, on the eve of 802.11ax and WPA3 support, is like buying a Pentium 4 Northwood PC, when Core2 was around the corner.

Anyways, my "official" recommendation for a router in the under $100 range, is a factory refurb Asus AC68U/R/AC1900.

Secondarily, for around $50-70, would be a refurb AC66U/AC1750, they are the AC68U's predecessor and "little brother". Both are excellent AC routers with third-party firmware support.

I used to be big on Netgear a long time ago (N300 router era, but I've moved on), and it seems like Asus has better firmware support these days.

 

[killster1]

i have a few tmobile ac1900 routers that im not using, they need about 1 hour of scripts run on them to turn into asus68u (i had the firmware on them before it was reverted to tmobile. They where maybe 45 at most each, id sell them for 25-30 if someone wants to fix them, or even if want to fix them and send them back to me ill pay some $$

i think i paid 100 for asus 86u. does most all the wifi stuff i want,

 

[ericlp]

I'd only buy a router that I could flash with ddwrt or tomato. makes a 10 dollar router turn into a 500 dollar one. If you can go for the one that you can detach the antenna that way you can boost the gain and DB to get more range.

Good Luck...

 

[ggadrian]

I would only buy a router these days, that was:
1) Cheap, and only if I didn't already have an adequate one, or
2) Expensive but nice and full-featured, but ONLY if it supports WPA3 out-of-the-box, or the mfg has publically committed that it WILL be supported.

Seriously, though, AC is old news now, AX is what you want to be buying. With WPA3 support.

Don't buy last year's router models.

Asus A88AX looks good.

https://www.asus.com/us/Networking/RT-AX88U/

I agree with WPA3, if I were in the market to buy a new router I'd like the manufacturer to commit to implement WPA3 in the router I buy

What I don't get is the need to spend lots of money on an AX router, which no devices can take advantage of now nor will they be able to in the near future. AC wi-fi is more than fast enough for most use cases and I don't think it'll change in the short o medium term