new router suggestions ?

[nine mil thrill]

i have a 7 year old att router that i would like to replace with a better unit. i stream wireless to three units to watch my movies on kodi. distance is not a problem, i am just trying to get a more up to date/efficient unit than the att unit.

[darqhelmet]

What are you streaming to? If the devices you are trying to send data to have old wireless cards in them a new router will not help you. Do the Devices support N, AC, or do they stop at G? New routers can do mixed mode if you speed enough, but older routers will slow all traffic down to the lowest supported speed. Throwing a fast wireless router on your network won't help you if you devices can't support it. Give some more info and I will try my best to help.

[67Cuda]

I use this one, works great.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0096239G0/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[bigbearbear]

I replaced my router after many years of service with a Linksys AC1900, not the latest but it is a opensource compatible router. So far so good.

I work from home and a bad router isn't an option, I'm constantly on conference calls (via Vonage, VoIP service) and WebEx with customers so having a good router to ensure I sound clear and professional and with my demos running smoothly is important. The Linksys AC1900 delivers.

https://www.amazon.com/Linksys-AC1900-Source-Wireless-WRT1900ACS/dp/B014MIBLSA/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

On the other hand, have you considered using wireless HDMI devices instead? Many years ago, I experimented with something similar to Kodi, it was called Sage TV. What I've found is that encoding and then transmitting the video over a home IP network isn't very efficient to begin with, and frequently I'll get sync issue where the sound won't be in sync with the video.

I scraped the whole setup and went with a Actiontec HDMI wireless adapter instead. It is not perfect but I've found that it works much more reliably for me.

https://www.amazon.com/Actiontec-MWTV2KIT01-MyWirelessTV2-Wireless-Video/dp/B00LSS10PM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1498845304&sr=8-1&keywords=actiontec+hdmi+wireless+transmitter+and+receiver

[sholling]

What are you streaming to? If the devices you are trying to send data to have old wireless cards in them a new router will not help you.

This is very true. Upgrading your router is something that only makes sense if you intend to upgrade your other wireless devices. If you are going to upgrade I would ignore the advice to buy a long outdated 802.11N and go straight to 802.11AC. I have not laid hands on this Linksys (I usually buy Asus routers) but they have this manufacturer refurbished Linksys EA8500 AC2400 router for $60 and that's a great price. At this price you could afford to buy 2 or 3 and use the extras as high-speed wireless bridges (wireless network adapters for your devices). I've mostly had good luck with factory refurbished electronics.

Technical Review

[Satex]

The ASUS line of routers is phenomenal: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...ds=asus+router

I would stay away from Linksys, D-link and Netgear. They end support for their products about a month before it's released to the market, it's designed in Engrish and over implementation is subpar at best.

[sholling]

The ASUS line of routers is phenomenal: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...ds=asus+router

I would stay away from Linksys, D-link and Netgear. They end support for their products about a month before it's released to the market, it's designed in Engrish and over implementation is subpar at best.

I agree that Asus routers tend to be well designed, great performers, and easier to use than most but now that the $50 T-Mobile AC1900 deal is over you'll pay $180 plus for an unlocked RT-AC68U AC1900 (an awesome router) or or $200 for a RT-AC3200 (I own both). A lot more than many are willing to pay. You can still find the firmware locked T-Mobile version of the RT-AC68U at a few vendors for around $90. It's a great wireless router as long as you don't want or need to upgrade the firmware to the latest and greatest.

[nine mil thrill]

thanks all

thanks all for the info......i ordered the ASUS RT-ACRH13. will be delivered today. i'll post my results.

[nine mil thrill]

my att uverse internet....."up-to", max speed plan, was 14 mb. in the living room where the dsl box is, i was getting @ 3.5 mb to my amazon fire tv, and the same to my droid box in the back bedroom running kodi. now they both tested @ 13.5 and 15.2 at my computer. att wireless sucks !

[MrFeetZ]

Might be too late but, I recently changed out a slight old Asus N router for two google wifi pucks.

World's coverage much better around house since the google wifi crests a mesh coverage instead of extenders. I still have hard wire Ethernet via gigabit switch but man, my coverage sure is a whole lot better now in various spots in the house.

[Turbinator]

I have a Linksys and did an ASUS install for a friend's parents who were non-tech savvy. Both work great, either one I think would be a reasonable choice.

Turby

[Excitable Boy]

eero. It's in a different class than the stuff noted above, especially if you need more coverage than a single router can provide. It works as a true mesh unlike a router and an extender. Very stable with a great cloud based admin app. You can monitor what's connected and the state of the network even when offsite.

[crufflers]

I like the new "exenders" that don't operate on a secondary SSID, they actually just extend. You can cover 10,000 sq feet with a AC xxxx router and one extender in a wall jack. I'm still using a AC1700 with one extender. I only added the extender because one device was opposite corner of the house and outside and getting a weak signal. You can also supplement with some of the excellent powerline adapters if you just want to get internet to a corner computer. I like Netgear, but the TP-Links work great too.

[crufflers]

These are great add-ons if you don't want to upgrade the router and you have something like an Archer C7.

https://www.amazon.com/TP-Link-Extender-Gigabit-Ethernet-RE500/dp/B0718ZGS22/ref=sr_1_6?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1500067666&sr=1-6&keywords=tp+link+extender