Which of these 802.11n Routers is the Best Value?

Madmick

Member
Apr 7, 2012
144
0
76
TP-Link TL-WR941ND ($37)
TP-Link TL-WR1043ND ($45)
Medialink Wireless N 300Mbps ($50)
TP-Link TL-WDR3600 ($57)
D-Link Xtreme DIR-655 ($64)
Asus RT-N56U ($88)
Asus RT-N66U ($125)

I've been told that the N66U router running custom firmware like Merlin is considered to be the best 802.11n wireless setup on the market right now, but I was wondering what the most concrete differences were distinguishing these routers, and which is the best overall value in your opinion.

I know that only the Asus routers and the WDR TP-Link are dual band, and I know the theoretical data transfer on the N66U unit is a head above the rest (450Mbps). I also know that some have removable antennae that can be replaced with aftermarket units.

I'm curious about other differences. Specifically, I desire a router with stronger real-world performance at longer physical ranges between itself and devices exchanging data with it (and potentially 3+ walls).
 
Last edited:

master7045

Senior member
Jul 15, 2005
729
0
76
I have no idea which is the best, but the Asus N65U is $20 AR at newegg. Check slickdeals for the rebate info. The downside to the 65U is that using a USB 3.0 drive as external storage will break the 2.4 GHz broadcast. 5GHz seems to be fine though.