Need to replace my router but know nothing about them!
3000 sq ft single level home
Grandsons do a lot of gaming
Wife binge watches Netflix
Multiple devices will be in use at same time
Currently have a Buffalo AC 1300 4 port with a Netgear 5 port switch so need as many ports as I can get
And anything else ya'll might think of
Ron
I use an 8-port Switch connected to my 4-port Wireless Router and have both printers connected via Ethernet plus 2 NAS drives. Only have 6 computers [each with a different Operating System] connected via Ethernet but any number of Wi-Fi Notebooks depending upon need at the time. My system is all Gigabit/802.11n but a newer AC version may offer faster Wi-Fi than what you have now.
802.11ac vs 802.11n - What’s the difference between the Wi-Fi standards? | Trusted Reviews
A problem with houses or buildings is whatever is between the Router and the computers. With old houses it may be insulation [the foil covering], lead-based paint, too many walls in a direct line, electrical devices such as appliances. Some folks have success with powerline networking [haven't needed it yet], others have success by putting a second Router closer to the need using an Ethernet cable, some have success with a second Router or Repeater.
I agree with Berton's recommendations, and would also point you to WiFi range extenders (see this Lifewire story for some interesting options) or mesh networking options (see this ezvid.com story ditto earlier remark). Basically, it boils down to providing more, better, and faster WiFi coverage which, as Berton has already observed, can be especially important in older homes.
HTH,
--Ed--
Last edited by EdTittel; 04 Dec 2017 at 12:03. Reason: Fix typo
The key is to get one that supports AC wireless as that gives a speed up to 3 gigs lots of devices now use AC
Thanks for the comments but what I am really looking for is recommendations for a good router. My old system has worked for years but recently has started having connectivity issues.
Home - SmallNetBuilder and their forums would be a better place to check than this forum.
I've had very good experience with my Netgear R7000 router which is AC1900. I've had it for several years now. It's got a NAS and two switches running off it's ports, with another NAS and various other devices running off the two switches. And tons of WiFi devices. It sits in the basement of my two story house. I have a WiFi repeater/bridge in my daughter's upstairs bedroom that runs her TV that need a wired Ethernet connection and gives me strong WiFi signal upstairs, but it communicates with the R7000 over WiFi two floors down just fine (on both bands).
Netgear has expanded the Nighthawk series up to AC3200. The thing is you also need the WiFi adapters capable of going up to what the router puts out. If you get an AC3200 router and your best network adapter is only AC1900, that's all you will get - is AC1900.
I would buy another Netgear Nighthawk router in a heartbeat, if this one ever dies.
You do not need a Router, what you need is a Mesh Network like Google's or Engenius. The other choice would be multiple Access Points that use Power Over Ethernet. You could probably get away with two of the Engenius EAP-1750H, if placed in two areas of the home that they overlap and the channels are properly set up.
I use only one and can go 150 feet away from it and still have up to 27mbps on a speedtest, which is around 50mbps down while anywhere inside my home.
Actually this Forum is a better place than Smallnetbuilder. It is because of these type of forums, that you tend to find those who work in the industry and those like myself who have been around this stuff since day one.
You just need to look at the list of equipment I run, to show that there are people who know what they are doing when it comes to setting up a proper network. Only item I have removed from my network was the wired Cisco RV-320, since I use my ISP's Gateway for Ethernet only, so that I could access my tv boxes.
Quote