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JadeMonkeyStang
Limp Gawd
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2001
- Messages
- 497
My venerable old DLink DIR-655 is finally starting to require frequent reboots and is nearing the end of its useful life. I also have a new laptop on the way with 802.11ac capability so the time has come to upgrade to a new routing solution with wireless ac capability.
The network in my house currently consists of the wireless router in the basement. There is a need for WiFi on the roof deck which is effectively the third floor. This currently works fine though the signal strength could be better; occasionally connectivity / throughput is lost when streaming music to the roof so somewhat improved range would be a plus. Unfortunately I'm renting so having networking equipment anywhere other than the basement will be tough; I can't just put an access point on the second floor which would be ideal. Expecting to have 2 desktops, 2 laptops, a server, 3 Xboxes, 2 smartphones, a tablet, and a few other devices on the network. I will most likely be adding a few security cameras due to some recent incidents and want to make a decision with that in mind as well. Figure 20 clients at most with the majority being wireless.
I'm fine doing some setup work, running third party firmware, or whatever else I might need to do. I would prefer something that doesn't require constant management. I don't need too many bells and whistles but decent QoS would be appreciated as we stream a good deal (Netflix/Hulu/AP, Xboxes as Media Centers, and so on) and currently have some issues keeping everything happy. I'll need to do some basic port forwarding so that I have remote access to my Big Green Egg for long BBQ sessions (yup, this is important). I'd prefer to keep my outlay to under $300. The way I see it I have 2 basic options:
1) The first option is to buy a new consumer level router. Should I go this way the current frontrunners are the Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 R7000 and the Asus RT-AC68U. I'm open to other suggestions and not opposed to using third party firmware. This is the quick and easy solution thought I'm not sure it'll give me the best performance or bang for my buck.
2) The second option is to purchase a new standalone router and a wireless ac access point. From the research I've done either the Ubiquiti EdgeRouter X or EdgeRouter Lite might work. I'm not sure which would be better for my situation or if there is something out there I should consider instead. From what I've read I may also need a switch for this setup and I'm in the dark as to what to spec for that, though I'm not sure if it even matters all that much. I would pair the router or router/switch combo with an ac access point, such as the Ubiquiti UniFi UAP-AC-PRO; other suggestions are of course welcomed.
I'm leaning toward the second option but am somewhat lost and I'd appreciate whatever advice or suggestions anyone has. I'm not up on my home networking options and don't need to go crazy but would like something that will provide decent range, good speed, and options for growth in the future. Thanks all and please just ask if you need some information I haven't mentioned... it's good to be back on the [H] again.
The network in my house currently consists of the wireless router in the basement. There is a need for WiFi on the roof deck which is effectively the third floor. This currently works fine though the signal strength could be better; occasionally connectivity / throughput is lost when streaming music to the roof so somewhat improved range would be a plus. Unfortunately I'm renting so having networking equipment anywhere other than the basement will be tough; I can't just put an access point on the second floor which would be ideal. Expecting to have 2 desktops, 2 laptops, a server, 3 Xboxes, 2 smartphones, a tablet, and a few other devices on the network. I will most likely be adding a few security cameras due to some recent incidents and want to make a decision with that in mind as well. Figure 20 clients at most with the majority being wireless.
I'm fine doing some setup work, running third party firmware, or whatever else I might need to do. I would prefer something that doesn't require constant management. I don't need too many bells and whistles but decent QoS would be appreciated as we stream a good deal (Netflix/Hulu/AP, Xboxes as Media Centers, and so on) and currently have some issues keeping everything happy. I'll need to do some basic port forwarding so that I have remote access to my Big Green Egg for long BBQ sessions (yup, this is important). I'd prefer to keep my outlay to under $300. The way I see it I have 2 basic options:
1) The first option is to buy a new consumer level router. Should I go this way the current frontrunners are the Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 R7000 and the Asus RT-AC68U. I'm open to other suggestions and not opposed to using third party firmware. This is the quick and easy solution thought I'm not sure it'll give me the best performance or bang for my buck.
2) The second option is to purchase a new standalone router and a wireless ac access point. From the research I've done either the Ubiquiti EdgeRouter X or EdgeRouter Lite might work. I'm not sure which would be better for my situation or if there is something out there I should consider instead. From what I've read I may also need a switch for this setup and I'm in the dark as to what to spec for that, though I'm not sure if it even matters all that much. I would pair the router or router/switch combo with an ac access point, such as the Ubiquiti UniFi UAP-AC-PRO; other suggestions are of course welcomed.
I'm leaning toward the second option but am somewhat lost and I'd appreciate whatever advice or suggestions anyone has. I'm not up on my home networking options and don't need to go crazy but would like something that will provide decent range, good speed, and options for growth in the future. Thanks all and please just ask if you need some information I haven't mentioned... it's good to be back on the [H] again.
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