Question Help me pick a router?

[JYYZ]

Hello!

I currently have a FTTH connection that I just upgraded to 1Gb/750. The integrated modem / router is okay, but I am thinking of bypassing it and using something that will deliver better speeds. A lot of the routers seem geared to long-range, as opposed to dealing with a smaller urban environment with a lot of competing signals. My service is with Bell Canada, and I'm currently just using the provided HH3000 (Home Hub.)

• I live in a condo (it's a one-bedroom and den about 550 square feet.) Lots of wifi signals to compete with.
• I have a ton of things connected: a bunch of Philips Hue lights and hub, computer, tablet, phone, smart watch, smart scale, smart TV, Apple TV, Nvidia Shield, Roku, Google Home, couple of HomePod speakers.
• Needs to support pppoe without any issues as that's how I would by pass the HH3000.
• The modem is in a media closet in a closet near the front door / den are. The new router will go in the closet.
• The condo is basically a rectangle in shape, with the den and foyer being an add on so essentially an L shape.
• I would like to keep to around $200CDN unless there is something outstanding for what I need, then I can consider spending more.

What I have considered: I can't really seem to settle on anything

• TP-Link Archer AC3150 v 2 - was about to buy this, but they only had the older version at the store I was at.
• Asus AC86U - it's more expensive than the Archer.
• Portal Wifi - I found this interesting, but the implementation didn't leave me with much confidence, as well as the long-term support.
• Eero - I like the simple look of this, but seems the max speeds wouldn't be better than what I currently have.
• Google Wifi - would be fine except it doesn't perform at a fast enough level.

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. I just keep searching and searching in circles, nothing seems to be quite the right one.

Thank you!

 

[aigomorla]

lolz... no...

none of those devices you have listed can handle a gigabit stably on the wan port.

Keep the one you got with service, and drop in a switch, or think of going enterprise level, like ubiquiti, or making a pfsense box out of enterprise parts.

Also note, if your looking at those routers, you probably have very little network experience, so setting your current modem/router on bridge mode, and other settings maybe something you do not have experience with, which again, to me says, your best off keeping your existing hardware, don't waste money on new pointless hardware, unless you want to expand your wifi and drop in a few more access points, along with a POE switch to power them.

 

[JYYZ]

Thanks amigomorla. I haven't shopped for a router in a LONG time. I had used an Airport Extreme in the past. I am totally okay with making changes to bridge mode, and settings. After a few days of researching, I've come to the conclusion there is no perfect solution at all! Thanks for confirming what I thought. I was thinking it would be a project, get things set up a little better, but you're probably right. Thanks again for the reply.

 

[aigomorla]

Gigabit on the LAN side is easy... on the WAN side its completely different beast which few routers can handle in sync. stably.
They require fairly beefy cpu power and ram which u wont find on a lot of consumer grade routers.

 

[JackMDS]

The new router will go in the close.

If by new Router you mean the Wireless Router that would provide the WIFI, then No Wireless Router would provide Good Fast WIFI while in a Closet.

Lay a wire to a central spot in the Apt. and install there a Wireless Router configure as an Access Point.

Put it so that the antenna are at least at the height of a table and free of obstructions.

Using Wireless Routers (or Modem/Wireless Router) as a Switch with an Access Point - http://www.ezlan.net/router_AP.html

Given the current status of WIFI Clients a Router like this would do OK.

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-AC1900-Smart-Wireless-Router/dp/B07NF3K74H/ref=sr_1_10?crid=3EXJ8WQ0NUCWA&keywords=tplink+ac1750&qid=1552939943&s=gateway&sprefix=tolink,aps,147&sr=8-10&th=1

When the New AX WIFI gets out of Draft, become stable, and sells for reasonable price, you can add it to the mix and connect to it WIFI clients that are capable to work faster.

 

[JYYZ]

Thanks both for your suggestions. Much appreciated.

 

[killster1]

those routers will work with 1gbps connections, maybe it will reach almost 100% cpu on one core but it will work and work at 1gbps. Might be better than current hardware because of services and the merlin firmware on teh asus. I installed a 86u at my moms house and enjoy simplicity of the settings and controlling time schedule etc etc. Pfsense would be great but it will get expensive or bothersome after a while. but i agree the tp-link access point mounted to the ceiling will give great results.
https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/old-tools/charts/router/bar/74-wan-to-lan (old routers tho)

 

[JYYZ]

those routers will work with 1gbps connections, maybe it will reach almost 100% cpu on one core but it will work and work at 1gbps. Might be better than current hardware because of services and the merlin firmware on teh asus. I installed a 86u at my moms house and enjoy simplicity of the settings and controlling time schedule etc etc. Pfsense would be great but it will get expensive or bothersome after a while. but i agree the tp-link access point mounted to the ceiling will give great results.
https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/old-tools/charts/router/bar/74-wan-to-lan (old routers tho)

Great site: I had been doing some research there as well. Thank you for the list!

 

[VirtualLarry]

Yeah, I'm surprised that Aigo suggested that ALL (including the Asus AC86U) wouldn't reliably support a gigabit WAN.

I have an AC68U (lower-tier than AC86U), and it seems to handle my gigabit FIOS internet connection just fine for me. (I don't really torrent, maybe a Linux ISO here and there.)

Maybe more users, or heavier wifi usage along with a gigabit wired LAN, might bog it down? It is a dual-core ARM CPU, so not all that bad. Some of the newer Asus stuff even has quad-core ARM, but I don't think that those models support 3rd-party firmware yet. I'm running Tomato on mine.

 

[JYYZ]

This new building I live in is a high rise, and there are many competing signals. I originally just intended to use my Airport Extreme (6th gen) as it has always worked great in the past. It didn't seem to like the PPPOE, and so I left things with the Bell HH3000. Upgrading to gigabit, I was really interested in finding something that might increase performance, and offer DFS channels. People in this forum are way more knowledgeable than I am on this topic, but a decent wifi router with DFS seems really hard to find. I also don't want anything ridiculous looking (spider antennas and all.)

I was really interested in the Portal Wifi because of the DFS implementation. It looks like the overall product has not been implemented well, and I didn't get a sense that it would be the right product for the long run.

Something I did try, which will probably make people in here LOL, the Razer Sila. Hear me out here: it looks decent, it supports DFS, tri-band, mu-mimo... on paper it has all the things that a regular user would want in 2019. I ended up returning it as the USB doesn't support HFS+ or APFS (which I use with my Mac,) also some of the software implementation wasn't the best. I didn't like that the two 5Ghz bands were not equal either. For the money, it didn't seem enough of a difference. I also have zero interest in gaming, but the Sila seemed to hit all the points. I got the sense it was a next generation, more polished Portal Wifi. Maybe I returned it too quickly, IDK.

I would totally try the AC86U, but I really want the DFS channels. I don't particularly like the look of the AC86U.

I have opened up a Pandoras box in my mind: maybe I really should just stay with the HH3000, or maybe I shouldn't have returned the Sila so quickly and tested it out some more.

 

[Muadib]

You should look into the Ubiquiti edgerouter x, and get one of their access points to go with it. You may need more ports, but a cheap switch will take care of that.
https://www.ui.com/edgemax/edgerouter-x/
https://www.ui.com/unifi/unifi-ap-ac-pro/
https://www.amazon.ca/TP-Link-TL-SG...1553025396&s=gateway&sprefix=8,aps,156&sr=8-3

It's a tad more than you wanted to spend, and there's a learning curve, but it's so worth it. Amazon Canada has it all.

 

[aigomorla]

I have an AC68U (lower-tier than AC86U), and it seems to handle my gigabit FIOS internet connection just fine for me.

Ive seen a lot of cases where it will do fine peaking... but after sustained, it starts to heat up bad and then crops out.