Open Forum: Which wireless router are you using?

Jos

Jos

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We recently published our guide to the best routers you can buy today whether you want next-gen features, a tried and tested high end router with all the bells and whistles, a no frills workhorse that delivers performance and range for a great value, among others.

While we stand by our picks we also received some feedback from a few of you that wanted to see third party firmware support as well as devices that combined modem and router into one. In this Weekend Open Forum we want to hear about your wireless setup, what kind of devices you used around the house and whether you use custom software on them.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/65431-weekend-open-forum-what-wireless-router-you-using.html

 
I'm not, my modem has a wireless option as does my mobo, but I'm wired in.
 
Combo router+wi-fi stinks. There are many individual devices but I chose Ubiquiti and have an edgerouter and a couple of UAP-AC-PRO and ya know whats best? Since I set them up I've never needed to touch them ever again. Whats better? When new wi-fi comes out, I just upgrade that and not the whole device. You don't have to pick Ubiquiti, there is competition in this space. But having separate devices for router vs WAP is the bonus in my opinion.
 
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I've got an Asus RT-N66U as my gateway. My old Linksys WRT54GL is setup as an open Wi-Fi routed through a VPN, which I throttle. Both devices run Shibby's build of the Tomato firmware. I use OPNsense to maintain the VPN connection and control bandwidth usage. I did the open Wi-Fi this way so that anyone nearby had anonymous internet access, and without slowing my traffic down. Looking to expand with an outdoor AP that has greater range.
 
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Netgear WNDR4300

The features I wanted:
Netgear - I have been very happy with their routers for the past 10 years or so
Explicit "access point" setting (I can let my ISP's modem do the routing if I want)
Less than $50 US (on ebay)
2.4GHz and 5GHz
Guest network(s)
 
Netgear Nighthawk X4. Loved it when I first got it, despite the bugs. Streamboost QOS has made a huge difference with my "barely HD" 5 Mbps connection. As time passed, the firmware updates started breaking more than they fixed. Then they stopped altogether.

The X4 suddenly got a 2.0 version (hey we're still here? Gonna throw us a bone? No? Wow) and then they declared the X4 AND its successor both EOL. Seriously? They abandoned the X4 and its replacement in a span of less than two years.

I'm still using it, though. Despite horrendous support from the company, it works like a charm. I give most of the credit to the Streamboost, which they didn't even develop. And now the Streamboost database updates have slowed to a crawl, with Netgear giving the equivalent of "meh" when asked about the scarcity.

The updates are crucial to the effectiveness of the Streamboost. Now that the X4 owners know how much Netgear cares, it doesn't take an expert to read the tea leaves to know how this ends. I'm already looking for a suitable replacement.

Honest Netgear marketing:

The Nighthawk X4: it could have been amazing, but screw it. We don't need customer satisfaction. We already have their money. Who wants ice cream?
 
D-Link Wireless AC750 Dual Band Cloud Router, 2x 5dBi Antennas (DIR-816L). Bought this budget router for $30 2 1/2 years ago in an emergency to replace an aging Linksys WRT54G until I could afford the expensive Asus model I was planning on getting. Think I have reset it like twice during that time and we have like 10 things always connected wired and wireless with hardly any problems.

Hope I don't jinx it but this router has been exceptional to date and actually delayed my expensive router purchase so far.
 
ASUS RT-N56U. It's a few years old but still more than enough for my apartment. I have 8 devices connected to it. It will failed maybe once or twice a year, I simply restart it to fix any problems.
 
My ISP delivered fibre-router by the name of Tilgin. Only 2,4 Ghz but hey, only used for internetsurfing/streaming. Range on WLAN approx 30 meters. Plenty for me. Works perfectly in our semi-detached suburban concrete 2-story house.
 
I use whatever router my ISP shoves in my face. A router is a router as far as I'm concerned just as long as it does what it advertises. There is a lot more interesting hardware to be picky about than dull, boring routers.
 
Linksys EA6100.
My ISP doesn't have modem/router combos for cable Internet yet. I got lucky and bought this for $30 off a co-worker to connect to my phone. Retails for around $100cdn.
 
My routers are provided by my ISP. Never had problems with them. Before I had TP-Link WN741WD and now Thomson THG571 which is unknown to the world and I had to make a thread about it here to find it's password.
 
I've got TP-Link WR1043ND (v1). Bought it years ago due to its Gigabit spec. Turns out it was not really stable, so I decided to install DD-WRT on it. I have to find a version that works well (the latest is not stable either) but finally it runs really well I think I'm going to continue using it for a while.

Since I am still using ADSL line, I think it is worth mentioning that I used to live by Linksys WAG200G. This little "modem-and-router" works for 8.5 years for 24/7 until it finally slows down due to bulging capacitors inside. I'm very impressed with the lifetime of the product.

Also uses TP-Link WR841HP (with tall antennas) for 2nd floor. Not really sure if the advertised "High-Gain" is worth the price, I think I should have chosen the WR-841N instead which is also the recommendation from Techspot. DD-WRT compatible and just half the price.
 
A Netgear R7000 running the latest firmware .... no problems and EXCELLENT Wifi coverage that extends over 100' out to my garage.
 
Skidmarksdeluxe said:
I use whatever router my ISP shoves in my face. A router is a router as far as I'm concerned just as long as it does what it advertises. There is a lot more interesting hardware to be picky about than dull, boring routers.
Click to expand...

100% disagree routers are not made equal that is why they all vary in price.

Your ISP router meets your needs which is fine, but that won't be the same for everyone.
 
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Some kind of motorola att uverse gateway. Hard to put ooma internet phone ahead of everything and then have a another router, because I forgot how to do it and we got another uverse gateway after the first one broke. No diminished call quality. I'm surprised at all the comments that their isps haven't upgraded to fios or uverse for them. We get a lot of things before everyone else in this high tech darien, il. Like I like that we have frys, micro center, walmart superstore, and best buy too. Better than silicon valley had.
 
Currently a Zyxel AMG1302-T10B that's unstable and I'm trying to work out which 3x3 AC VDSL model to replace it with. The netgear D6400 and TP-Link VR900 currently being the top contenders.
 
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