Suggestion for a new router please

Groucho · Post by **Groucho** » Fri 16 Jun 2017 8:42 am

We are beginning to think our router is past its sell-by date....

So where to go and what to buy? We can buy here or UK and I'm looking at either the Asus RT-AC66U or Linksys EA6350.. but they are a tad expensive. Which gives the Linksys the better score but will they work with my Multimax connection?

Erol, I'd be glad of some input from a professional please....

erol · Post by **erol** » Fri 16 Jun 2017 9:23 am

Groucho wrote:We are beginning to think our router is past its sell-by date....

So where to go and what to buy? We can buy here or UK and I'm looking at either the Asus RT-AC66U or Linksys EA6350.. but they are a tad expensive. Which gives the Linksys the better score but will they work with my Multimax connection?

Erol, I'd be glad of some input from a professional please....

Either will work with a MM connection (or any other companies wifi based service for that matter).

One thing I note on this review of the Asus https://www.cnet.com/products/asus-rt-a ... er/review/ is they say is "The Asus RT-AC66U runs rather hot" which given the ambient temperatures you can get here would worry me somewhat.

In general terms there really is not much difference between routers in terms of their wi-fi performance in my view. Ultimately they are all limited by the same legally mandated power limits on such devices. In analogy terms this would be like all cars being limited to a maximum of 100 BHP limits. Some makers will get a bit more 'performance' from this limit in terms of 0 to 60 times and top speeds but not massively more. Which was the basis of my complaint to the ASA re BT in the UK claiming they had the 'most powerful wifi'. So things like good placement of the wifi device will have much more effect on performance than which wifi device you are using. A 'great' wifi router / ap placed badly will perform less well than an 'average' wifi router placed well.

waddo · Post by **waddo** » Fri 16 Jun 2017 9:33 am

Groucho, Hate giving communications advice as I only have 45 years of communications background and there are many people out there who know far better than me what to use. However, it is a bit of horses for courses as normal and I can only tell you what I use and that it works for me without problems and has done for many years so far.

I run a main router (TP-Link (TL-WR841N 300mbps) inside my house, hardwired (CAT5) to three access points in different rooms (not all in use at the same time), additionally I have added a CAT6 cable from one access port on the router out to an office (used to be a garage) and into an 8 port switch. From one port of the switch I run a TP-Link (TL-WA701ND 150mbps) Wireless N Access point which also provide wireless coverage across my garden area. I have had no problems with any TP-Link device at all and apart from the odd outage due to telecon (Not the fault of Multimax) my download speeds and upload speeds are very good and steady.

I have in the past used a Linksys router - very good indeed but not so easy in setup and found it prone to resets and failure following power outages.

There you go, background information if nothing else, I have no doubt that Erol will give you the best advice and then be on my back for my setup here - lol.