Question Recommend me a new router please ? Im way outdated.

[JPB]

Been on fiber internet "35 mbps download" which averages 4.5 MB per second actual. the past few months....and I feel I need to update/upgrade my router. At any given time, I can have up to 8 wireless items connected to it.

Id like to keep the price around $100....

PS4
Wii U "Yes I still use this" LOL
Nintendo Switch
Smart TV "Streaming 4K"
2 Tablets
Motherboard for my PC "in the near future"
3 phones

Now mind you, not all of this is connected at once...or even half of it. But I would like something to support all of this just in case I need to. Currently, I am still...using this....from 2006.

Linksys WRT54G

 

[Fallen Kell]

Well, personally I would go with something that you can run DD-WRT or OpenWRT (or some other similar firmware). I'm not sure what you can get in the $100 range, but I know if you can go up to the $160-170 range you can pickup a Netgear R7800, which is still the #1 ranked overall wireless AC router on smallnet builder, and supports most of the latest wireless tech (4x4 steam MU-MIMO 802.11ac). The price has recently dropped on this, as it was previously a ~$250 router, but can now be seen in the $160-170 range. The reason for the price drop is because the 802.11ax routers (what has been rebranded "WiFi 6") are just starting to come out, but you won't really see any of them under $200 (and in most cases they are in the $300-400 range).

 

[JackMDS]

Under $100 that does very well.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07NF3K74H/ref=psdc_300189_t3_B079JD7F7G

 

[sdifox]

Err 35 megabits is about 4.4 megabyte so 4.5 megabyte per sec is not bad. Having said that, you need a new router lol.

Archer 9 is a good choice for your price range.

 

[killster1]

rt86u asus from a few years ago for about 100$ is what my mum uses and has zero issues (but points a fan at it in the summer when its crazy hot)

 

[SamirD]

What's the max speed of your service? Because if it's not faster than 35Mbps, the linksys you have is just fine, and damn reliable. I still have a few of these around that work well.

 

[Charlie98]

Interesting... I had considered posting almost the very same question. I have a newer router, but it's an ATT piece of absolute garbage. My knowledge of routers can be written with grease pencil on the back of a matchbook cover.

 

[VirtualLarry]

What's the max speed of your service? Because if it's not faster than 35Mbps, the linksys you have is just fine, and damn reliable. I still have a few of these around that work well.

Yes, but think of the neighbors. Running 'g' wireless in the same freq. range as 'n', tends to cause other routers to run at 'g' speeds too. Thus bogging down the entire wifi spectrum. If he lives in an apt. complex, this is rather rude.

My favorite picks, are something from Asus, either an AC66U / AC1750 (single-core 800Mhz-1Ghz CPU, AC wifi), an AC66U B1 / AC1750 B1 (the "B1" is important, as that signifies a hardware upgrade to a dual-core ARM CPU), or an AC68U-family (AC68R, AC1900, AC1900P from Asus). Those are all dual-core CPUs, AC1900 wifi, and open to use a myriad of 3rd-party firmware, such as DD-WRT, OpenWRT, MerlinWRT, and various flavors of Tomato (my fave).

Another alternative implementation of the same hardware platform as the AC68U (which may still be pricey, even refurb), is the Tenda AC18 AC1900 router. Which is supported by FreshTomato 2020.1, my current daily-driver.
(I paid $45 + tax @ Newegg for a new AC18 unit, which is quite a bit cheaper than a refurb Asus AC1900 unit on ebay for $90.)

The Tenda AC15 is also supported, although it has smaller flash memory capacity, and can only support the 'VPN' build, and not the 'AIO' build. I have one of those too, and will flash it soon. (Need a Mesh/WDS node for my printer.)
(I picked up the AC15 on Walmart.com for around $50+tax.)

Edit: OP, once you replace that WRT (there were like 8-9 major versions, and some minor revisions to those as well), you could consider flashing some form of DD-WRT or an early version of Tomato to it. (If you have a recent-vintage one, it's probably the WRT54GL, which is the "Linux" / open-source-intended version, which I believe haws 8MB of flash memory, enough for most 3rd-party firmwares of the day for that platform.)

Edit: If you like the asthetics of those classic WRT routers, the most modern version is this one. A bit pricey, but also supporting 3rd-party firmware as a feature.

Are you a human?

www.newegg.com

 

[VirtualLarry]

While valid, forget everything that I said above.

Are you a human?

www.newegg.com

Get one of those for $15. Heck, get two.

They're only 10/100, and N300 2.4Ghz wifi (as well as 'b', should you need it). BUT! They take Advanced Tomato firmware, as well as others.

Unless you are imminently going to upgrade your service to something higher than 95-100Mbit, these little routers-that-could are a great choice, both in general, and for experimenting with 3rd-party firmware.

I believe that they have enough CPU power to route 100Mbit/sec WAN-to-LAN, and they are 'N300', which is a step up from the 802.11g that the WRT54G supports.

Plus, they're only $15 refurb on sale! (I buy lots of refurb networking gear; the vast majority of the time, it works fine, and most of the factory refurbs include a NEW power brick in the box, which can often be the problem when routers go south, they're power brick starts to go wonky.)

 

[SamirD]

Interesting... I had considered posting almost the very same question. I have a newer router, but it's an ATT piece of absolute garbage. My knowledge of routers can be written with grease pencil on the back of a matchbook cover.

The funny thing is that if your service speed doesn't exceed your router's routing capability, you're actually fine. Most of the routers 'back in the day' can hit 40Mbps or higher (some much lower), so they're great for if you have a slower service.

Now, if you're using wireless on them, then security has changed a bit etc, but there's also the chance that someone malicious has so new equipment that they can't connect to your older unit.

 

[SamirD]

Yes, but think of the neighbors. Running 'g' wireless in the same freq. range as 'n', tends to cause other routers to run at 'g' speeds too. Thus bogging down the entire wifi spectrum. If he lives in an apt. complex, this is rather rude.

My favorite picks, are something from Asus, either an AC66U / AC1750 (single-core 800Mhz-1Ghz CPU, AC wifi), an AC66U B1 / AC1750 B1 (the "B1" is important, as that signifies a hardware upgrade to a dual-core ARM CPU), or an AC68U-family (AC68R, AC1900, AC1900P from Asus). Those are all dual-core CPUs, AC1900 wifi, and open to use a myriad of 3rd-party firmware, such as DD-WRT, OpenWRT, MerlinWRT, and various flavors of Tomato (my fave).

Another alternative implementation of the same hardware platform as the AC68U (which may still be pricey, even refurb), is the Tenda AC18 AC1900 router. Which is supported by FreshTomato 2020.1, my current daily-driver.
(I paid $45 + tax @ Newegg for a new AC18 unit, which is quite a bit cheaper than a refurb Asus AC1900 unit on ebay for $90.)

The Tenda AC15 is also supported, although it has smaller flash memory capacity, and can only support the 'VPN' build, and not the 'AIO' build. I have one of those too, and will flash it soon. (Need a Mesh/WDS node for my printer.)
(I picked up the AC15 on Walmart.com for around $50+tax.)

Edit: OP, once you replace that WRT (there were like 8-9 major versions, and some minor revisions to those as well), you could consider flashing some form of DD-WRT or an early version of Tomato to it. (If you have a recent-vintage one, it's probably the WRT54GL, which is the "Linux" / open-source-intended version, which I believe haws 8MB of flash memory, enough for most 3rd-party firmwares of the day for that platform.)

Edit: If you like the asthetics of those classic WRT routers, the most modern version is this one. A bit pricey, but also supporting 3rd-party firmware as a feature.

Are you a human?

www.newegg.com

You know what's rude in an apartment complex? Having your radio on so high that your signal is higher than mine in my own apartment. So f-them and if I would have thought of this, I should have brought one of my old school routers and put it on the 2.4 so everyone stopped using it and I could have my bandwidth back again. Their signals were so strong that they literally destroyed my 2.4 signal completely.

That being said, all those are good router recommendations although the one you found on sale is an absolute steal. Hell, it's cheaper than a 4 port switch!

 

[VirtualLarry]

That being said, all those are good router recommendations although the one you found on sale is an absolute steal. Hell, it's cheaper than a 4 port switch!

I try to pick up a few whenever Newegg has them on sale Refurb for $15. Normal retail for New (on sale) is $30 @ Newegg, and I've seen them @ BestBuy (New) for $51. These lower-end routers are extremely versatile. I sell them flashed with Advanced Tomato for $50.

I'm currently hoping that I can get a line on Tenda AC1900 (Broadcom chipset, either the AC18 or AC15) for around $50 or less New. I haven't sold any of them (have one of each to test myself), but I would be looking for $80-100 for them, flashed with FreshTomato.

And yes, I really should be donating a portion of the proceeds to the devs.

Edit: I Just got one of those $15 routers today. I flashed FreshTomato 2020.1 MIPS variant, wasn't sure about the 32K or 60K NVRAM variant, I think it depends on the CFE installed, as some of the updated factory firmwares move the partition boundries in the CFE settings when you flash them. I played it safe and went with the 32K setting.

Set it up in a WDS with my Tenda AC18 on 2.4Ghz, for my networked printer.

Like I said, these "little" routers are good to have around, for "what ails you" in networking.

 

[JPB]

Yes, but think of the neighbors. Running 'g' wireless in the same freq. range as 'n', tends to cause other routers to run at 'g' speeds too. Thus bogging down the entire wifi spectrum. If he lives in an apt. complex, this is rather rude.

My favorite picks, are something from Asus, either an AC66U / AC1750 (single-core 800Mhz-1Ghz CPU, AC wifi), an AC66U B1 / AC1750 B1 (the "B1" is important, as that signifies a hardware upgrade to a dual-core ARM CPU), or an AC68U-family (AC68R, AC1900, AC1900P from Asus). Those are all dual-core CPUs, AC1900 wifi, and open to use a myriad of 3rd-party firmware, such as DD-WRT, OpenWRT, MerlinWRT, and various flavors of Tomato (my fave).

Another alternative implementation of the same hardware platform as the AC68U (which may still be pricey, even refurb), is the Tenda AC18 AC1900 router. Which is supported by FreshTomato 2020.1, my current daily-driver.
(I paid $45 + tax @ Newegg for a new AC18 unit, which is quite a bit cheaper than a refurb Asus AC1900 unit on ebay for $90.)

The Tenda AC15 is also supported, although it has smaller flash memory capacity, and can only support the 'VPN' build, and not the 'AIO' build. I have one of those too, and will flash it soon. (Need a Mesh/WDS node for my printer.)
(I picked up the AC15 on Walmart.com for around $50+tax.)

Edit: OP, once you replace that WRT (there were like 8-9 major versions, and some minor revisions to those as well), you could consider flashing some form of DD-WRT or an early version of Tomato to it. (If you have a recent-vintage one, it's probably the WRT54GL, which is the "Linux" / open-source-intended version, which I believe haws 8MB of flash memory, enough for most 3rd-party firmwares of the day for that platform.)

Edit: If you like the asthetics of those classic WRT routers, the most modern version is this one. A bit pricey, but also supporting 3rd-party firmware as a feature.

Are you a human?

www.newegg.com

I live on the side of a mountain..... in a single family dwelling....my closest neighbor is about 150 yards away. Mine just says wireless G....there is no L on it.

 

[SamirD]

I live on the side of a mountain..... in a single family dwelling....my closest neighbor is about 150 yards away. Mine just says wireless G....there is no L on it.

That $15 deal is the best bang for the buck and will be a nice upgrade if you want one.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Mine just says wireless G....there is no L on it.

The "L" variant, is the full-fat version, with the most RAM and flash for the WRT54. If it's not the "L" version, you'll have to decode which variant it is, some of them are not as amenable to flashing with DD-WRT, or require special stripped-down versions.

As opposed to...

That $15 deal is the best bang for the buck and will be a nice upgrade if you want one.

These Asus RT-N12/D1 routers, have 8MB flash memory (or is it 32MB?), and will take nearly any 3rd-party firmware that is developed for them.

Even with factory firmware, they're not bad little routers either. They have a router, AP, and repeated mode that you can choose, and some of the more recent Asus firmwares (not sure about this particular model), have a "Media Bridge" mode too.

It's just that you get so much MORE functionality with these third-party firmwares, it's a no-brainer to flash them.

 

[JPB]

The "L" variant, is the full-fat version, with the most RAM and flash for the WRT54. If it's not the "L" version, you'll have to decode which variant it is, some of them are not as amenable to flashing with DD-WRT, or require special stripped-down versions.

As opposed to...



These Asus RT-N12/D1 routers, have 8MB flash memory (or is it 32MB?), and will take nearly any 3rd-party firmware that is developed for them.

Even with factory firmware, they're not bad little routers either. They have a router, AP, and repeated mode that you can choose, and some of the more recent Asus firmwares (not sure about this particular model), have a "Media Bridge" mode too.

It's just that you get so much MORE functionality with these third-party firmwares, it's a no-brainer to flash them.

I can build PC's with the best of them...diagnose etc:....But I have absolutely "ZERO" knowledge about routers. I know how to hook them up, and that is about it. But I have no clue what all the numbers and serials and all that stuff means.....Honestly, I am completely oblivious.

When I look at the ones posted in this thread....I really don't know one from another in specifications. And what is this "Tomato" I keep reading about ? I have flashed motherboard bios's and the like before...but never on something like a router.

 

[sdifox]

I can build PC's with the best of them...diagnose etc:....But I have absolutely "ZERO" knowledge about routers. I know how to hook them up, and that is about it. But I have no clue what all the numbers and serials and all that stuff means.....Honestly, I am completely oblivious.

When I look at the ones posted in this thread....I really don't know one from another in specifications. And what is this "Tomato" I keep reading about ? I have flashed motherboard bios's and the like before...but never on something like a router.

Flashing firmware is flushing firmware. The steps might be different, but you are doing the same thing.

Tomato is a firmware "flavour"

 

[Charlie98]

I can build PC's with the best of them...diagnose etc:....But I have absolutely "ZERO" knowledge about routers. I know how to hook them up, and that is about it. But I have no clue what all the numbers and serials and all that stuff means.....Honestly, I am completely oblivious.

When I look at the ones posted in this thread....I really don't know one from another in specifications. And what is this "Tomato" I keep reading about ? I have flashed motherboard bios's and the like before...but never on something like a router.

Join the club. It's completely French to me...

 

[mxnerd]

For 90% of average users, there is absolutely no reason to ask them to get familiar with routers' 3rd party firmwares, trying to save some money for more features. However these extra features in most cases will never be used.

I also agree TPLink Archer A9 (with VPN Server) recommended above is a good one if OP doesn't know anything about 3rd party firmwares.

If OP does want to venture a bit in the future with the possibility using 3rd party firmwares, ASUS RT-AC66U (with VPN Server & Client, and Mesh WiFi) is a good one, within $100 budget, providing a bit more features from the get go.

https://www.amazon.com/Asus-Rt-Ac66u-Router-Delivers-802-11Ac/dp/B01N08LPPP

Tomato is one flavor of 3rd party firmwares for some routers.
Most popular ones: DD-WRT, LEDE(OpenWRT), ASUSMerlin, Tomatos.

TomatoUSB (earliest), AdvancedTomato firmwares are no longer maintained.
Only FreshTomato is still actively developed.
https://exotic.se/freshtomato/ MIPS & ARM CPU

[Fork] FreshTomato-MIPS - development discussion only - for support always open your own thread

[FreshTomato-MIPS] Forked off from Tomato-MIPS by Shibby. Project page: https://freshtomato.org Latest version: 2021.2 - 2021-03-28 Source code: https://bitbucket.org/pedro311/freshtomato-mips Changelog: FreshTomato-MIPS Downloads: https://freshtomato.org/downloads Issue tracker/Create issue...

www.linksysinfo.org

[Fork] FreshTomato-ARM - development discussion only - for support always open your own thread

[FreshTomato-ARM] Forked off from Tomato-ARM by Shibby. Project page: https://freshtomato.org Latest version: 2021.2 - 2021-03-28 Source code: https://bitbucket.org/pedro311/freshtomato-arm Changelog: FreshTomato-ARM Downloads: https://freshtomato.org/downloads Issue tracker/Create issue...

www.linksysinfo.org

 

[VirtualLarry]

Well, the thing about 3rd-party firmware (ones that are still in active development), is that you still get the "upstream" Linux-based patches and fixes to the networking code modules used in the firmware (usually). Whereas, most factory firmware, stops being updated a year after a router's release. And then those routers left running un-updated factory firmware, are walking time-bombs.

So even if you don't use the many features of a 3rd-party firmware, it can still have value to the end-user to flash them. (Granted, it does void most router factory warranties, which is one reason that I just buy Refurbished gear in the first place...)

Asus is one of the few router mfg's that still actively patches their code to their older released routers that are still in service. (Their consent decree with the FTC over security may be one of the motivations behind that; they may be legally required to support their routers for ten years, I think it was.)

Anyways, Asus routers are nearly always (with the exception of a few specific non-Broadcom "dud" models), a safe choice.

Anything Broadcom can often run 3rd-party firmwares as well, speaking of non-Asus routers here too.

Edit: For those more comfortable running factory firmware, I agree, TP-Link is often a solid choice too. Go with the models with the most and best reviews.

 

[bhess]

I am also looking for a basic "cheap" router since I'm changing from FIOS (built in router) to cable and now have a choice of my own. I have an older archer c1200 that I was using as an extender that I will try out first. If it stinks then I will need a new router.

For me it's all about the range since I live on property and am always on wifi outside working on the yard.

Thanks for all this info above peeps!

 

[VirtualLarry]

Question - [DongKnowsTech] Asus AX89X review (Wifi 6 4x4 router, with DUAL 10GbE (one SFP+) ports!)

https://dongknows.com/asus-rt-ax89x-review/ I think that I've found my new "dream router". Has a fan, too! (Both good and bad, I guess, but mostly, good.) Note that you can use the 10GbE-T and 10GbE SFP+ ports, either as LAN and LAN, WAN/LAN mixed, or dual-WAN (Crazy-good!). Dong mentions...

forums.anandtech.com

 

[JPB]

Question - [DongKnowsTech] Asus AX89X review (Wifi 6 4x4 router, with DUAL 10GbE (one SFP+) ports!)

https://dongknows.com/asus-rt-ax89x-review/ I think that I've found my new "dream router". Has a fan, too! (Both good and bad, I guess, but mostly, good.) Note that you can use the 10GbE-T and 10GbE SFP+ ports, either as LAN and LAN, WAN/LAN mixed, or dual-WAN (Crazy-good!). Dong mentions...

forums.anandtech.com

I had to put the router on hold for a short time. But purchasing right now actually....the refurbished is out of stock. But which one of these is the correct one you posted ?

ASUS RT-N12 N300 Wi-Fi Router 2T2R MIMO Technology, 4K HD Video Streaming, VoIP, Up to 300 Mbps

ASUS RT-N300 B1 N300 Wi-Fi Router with Three Operating Modes and Two High-performance Antennas

As soon as I know which .... its being purchased.

 

[VirtualLarry]

The first one doesn't say "/D1", but the top positive review mentions using Shibby Tomato, so I would personally get that one.

I don't know about the "B1" model, and 3rd-party firmware. It might be the same, or it might be cost-reduced, or worse yet, an alternative chipset.

Can you get a Tenda AC18 anywhere for around $50? Those are the same hardware platform as the Asus AC68U.

 

[JPB]

The first one doesn't say "/D1", but the top positive review mentions using Shibby Tomato, so I would personally get that one.

I don't know about the "B1" model, and 3rd-party firmware. It might be the same, or it might be cost-reduced, or worse yet, an alternative chipset.

Can you get a Tenda AC18 anywhere for around $50? Those are the same hardware platform as the Asus AC68U.

This one ?