A reliable, well built, wireless router please...

Keysplayr

Elite Member
Jan 16, 2003
21,209
50
91
I have just simply had it with these plastic pieces of kit that go bad after a few months or have to have power recycled to them almost every day.

My latest POS purchase was the Linksys E1200. It constantly loses wireless connectivity and lately refuses to assign an occasional IP address to a lined computer. Is it really so difficult to make something that works for this kind of money? If so, they shouldn't be made at all. $50.00 range.

I've tried Net Gear, Linksys, D-Link. all the same pieces of garbage for that money.

Is there a reliable, well made wireless router that has decent firmware, has a powerful enough CPU or two, enough RAM and only very very rarely need to be power cycled? If ever?

Any help is appreciated.
My budget is $150 MAX. Doesn't mean I want to spend the max though.

Thanks.

Wireless Routers I've been researching:

ASUS RT-N56U
http://www.microcenter.com/product/355084/RT-N56U_Wireless_router__4-port_switch

ASUS RT-N65U
http://www.microcenter.com/product/397459/RT-N65U_Dual-Band_Wireless-N750_Gigabit_Router

ASUS RT-N66U
http://www.microcenter.com/product/382281/RT-N66U_Dual-band_450Mb-s_Wireless-N_Router

AMPED R20000G
http://www.microcenter.com/product/387412/High_Power_Wireless-N_600mW_Gigabit_Dual_Band_Router

EnGenius ESR900
http://www.microcenter.com/product/414490/ESR900_Xtra_Range_Wireless_N900_Dual_Band_Gigabit_Router

TP-Link N750
http://www.microcenter.com/product/392834/N750_Wireless_N_Dual_Band_Gigabit_Router

You can probably tell I'm trying my best to stay away from Linksys/Cisco, Net Gear, Belkin, D-Link.
Or am I just a fool and all these companies have the same guts with different outer plastic shells with their logos on them?
I don't mind being a fool, just so long as I find out about it and remedy it.
 
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OlafSicky

Platinum Member
Feb 25, 2011
2,364
0
0
If they keep breaking on you could be a power problem at your house hook one up to ups. Get acus for $150 and be done with it.
 

Keysplayr

Elite Member
Jan 16, 2003
21,209
50
91
Good call but any router I use is always in a UPS. Just tested it after you suggested it and the UPS works as it's supposed to. And did you mean the ASUS N66U and do you have first hand experience with it?
 

smitbret

Diamond Member
Jul 27, 2006
3,382
17
81
I have just simply had it with these plastic pieces of kit that go bad after a few months or have to have power recycled to them almost every day.

My latest POS purchase was the Linksys E1200. It constantly loses wireless connectivity and lately refuses to assign an occasional IP address to a lined computer. Is it really so difficult to make something that works for this kind of money? If so, they shouldn't be made at all. $50.00 range.

I've tried Net Gear, Linksys, D-Link. all the same pieces of garbage for that money.

Is there a reliable, well made wireless router that has decent firmware, has a powerful enough CPU or two, enough RAM and only very very rarely need to be power cycled? If ever?

Any help is appreciated.
My budget is $150 MAX. Doesn't mean I want to spend the max though.

Thanks.

Wireless Routers I've been researching:

ASUS RT-N56U
http://www.microcenter.com/product/355084/RT-N56U_Wireless_router__4-port_switch

ASUS RT-N65U
http://www.microcenter.com/product/397459/RT-N65U_Dual-Band_Wireless-N750_Gigabit_Router

ASUS RT-N66U
http://www.microcenter.com/product/382281/RT-N66U_Dual-band_450Mb-s_Wireless-N_Router

AMPED R20000G
http://www.microcenter.com/product/387412/High_Power_Wireless-N_600mW_Gigabit_Dual_Band_Router

EnGenius ESR900
http://www.microcenter.com/product/414490/ESR900_Xtra_Range_Wireless_N900_Dual_Band_Gigabit_Router

TP-Link N750
http://www.microcenter.com/product/392834/N750_Wireless_N_Dual_Band_Gigabit_Router

You can probably tell I'm trying my best to stay away from Linksys/Cisco, Net Gear, Belkin, D-Link.
Or am I just a fool and all these companies have the same guts with different outer plastic shells with their logos on them?
I don't mind being a fool, just so long as I find out about it and remedy it.

Odd that you've had that much trouble across so many different brands. I have had the same router for 5 years now and before that, the previous only got replaced when I jumped from Wireless G to Wireless N.

I think you need to look at something internal that could be causing the problem.
 

Mushkins

Golden Member
Feb 11, 2013
1,631
0
0
You just cant make good routing hardware at a $50 price point. You cant, it doesnt work, they all have to cut corners somewhere.

The WRT54G days are over, most everything Linksys made after that was mediocre at best, and went downhill further after they sold the brand to Belkin. If you want a good home router, you're not getting one under $100 unless its a great sale or a big rebate.

I have the Asus RT-N16 at home because I didn't need the horsepower behind the N66U and wanted to save some cash. The stock firmware (a rebranded DDWRT derivative) kinda sucks from a usability/UI perspective, but it was rock solid stable for months before I got around to putting Tomato USB on it. I can only imagine the higher end models being just as reliable.
 

Keysplayr

Elite Member
Jan 16, 2003
21,209
50
91
You just cant make good routing hardware at a $50 price point. You cant, it doesnt work, they all have to cut corners somewhere.

The WRT54G days are over, most everything Linksys made after that was mediocre at best, and went downhill further after they sold the brand to Belkin. If you want a good home router, you're not getting one under $100 unless its a great sale or a big rebate.

I have the Asus RT-N16 at home because I didn't need the horsepower behind the N66U and wanted to save some cash. The stock firmware (a rebranded DDWRT derivative) kinda sucks from a usability/UI perspective, but it was rock solid stable for months before I got around to putting Tomato USB on it. I can only imagine the higher end models being just as reliable.

I figured that. It's why I am willing to pay a lot more for a product that I know will work and keep on working.

@smitbret I'm not sure what could be on my network that continually shortens the life span of these routers. I am not exaggerating when I say that I've gone through 5 routers in the past two years. Most of the time just dealing with having to recycle power every day or two. Not dealing with that anymore. But I'm intrigued as to what you think might cause so many failures internally here at my home. I can't think of one, save the power supply, but as you may have read, I always use a UPS for them. Net Gear and Linksys are the worst offenders for 50 price point garbage.

@JackMDS Yes, all roads seem to point to the ASUS RTN66U. I don't mind paying 160, considering I have paid roughly 50 to 60 dollar at a clip for 5 units over the last two years.

Thanks for the suggestions.
 
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VulgarDisplay

Diamond Member
Apr 3, 2009
6,188
2
76
Rtn66u. I had no idea how much my old Linksys Wrt54g was slowing my internet down until I got the Asus set up. Everything I do on the network is faster now.
 

Keysplayr

Elite Member
Jan 16, 2003
21,209
50
91
Thanks everyone. I went with the ASUS RT-N65R. On sale at Best Buy. I have 30 days to see how this goes. It does seem WAY faster than the Linksys E1200 as far as web pages loading and latency has dropped playing multiplayer games. Wireless has not dropped out today. We'll see about tomorrow. I hope I can lay this very annoying segment to rest.