Replace router and range extender with?

[WilliamJones]

Our current setup:
AC 1200 Router
RE230 Range Extender (RE)

Our church has a router located in an office and the wifi signal must go from the office, through a cinder block wall, and reach to
the far end of a big building 75 feet from the wall. The current router just barely reaches, so we recently added a range extender.
The problem with the RE is that it changes the IP address and somehow messes with the MAC addresses of some of the hardware, which
is a problem for us.

So, I am looking for a new router with the following requirements:
1) Wifi must reach 75 feet away with a fairly strong signal.
2) Cost of less than $125 (less is better)
3) Guest account
4) Guest account with adjustable bandwidth (We currently have this, but may not be needed, so is optional)
5) Wall mountable assuming this does not hinder performance (see #1 above)
6) Has at least 4 ethernet ports

 

[WilliamJones]

I have decided to get in the attic and run a cat6 from the main router (AC1200) to a second router and use it in AP mode. I am looking at two routers to buy and both are about the same price. Which one is the better router?
Both are TP-Link.
AX1800 (Archer AX21) $100
or
AC2600 (Archer A10) $110

 

[bman212121]

If you're running a cable, I wouldn't suggest either of those. Get an actual access point like a Unifi AC Lite. It comes with a power injector so you can place the access point where ever you want at the end of the cat6 cable and not have to worry about how you're going to power it. If you use either of those Archers it still needs to be next to a power outlet, which likely means it's positioning in the room is less than ideal.

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-UAP...&keywords=Unifi+AC+lite&qid=1610116858&sr=8-1

 

[Kardonxt]

If you want something easy just pickup a basic mesh system from you local big box. Google WIFI, Linksys Velop, Netgear Orbi, TP-Link Deco, etc.

If you want something more robust look into the Ubiquiti offerings as bman mentioned.

I typically install Ubiquity systems in businesses and the consumer mesh systems in homes. I haven never had any issues with either.

 

[MrGuvernment]

Wifi 6e is coming out soon, can you wait for that to give you some future proofing?

As noted above, get some Ubiquiti AC AP's, they are made to handle more and are easy to configure and mesh.

Careful on other mesh systems as they piggy back off of each other AP if you can not hardwire them, and thus your bandwidth goes to crap do they not?