Looking for wireless router recommendations

Jason · March 13, 2018, 08:26:46 PM

Any router recommendations? My router's wireless radio seems to be dropping out a lot and it also can't be upgraded to fix the WPA2 handshake vulnerability so it's time for a new one anyway. Just wondered if anybody has bought one recently and have you confirmed that it's protected against the vulnerability?

fox · March 14, 2018, 07:23:05 AM

I didn't know that wireless routers come with radio.

Jason · March 14, 2018, 12:44:30 PM

The basis of wireless is radio, Mike. It's just very high frequency radio. Same as your cellphones. I guess most people would have said transmitter or more accurately transceiver but I wanted to be different

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_spectrum#Land_mobile_bands

ssfc72 · March 14, 2018, 01:44:00 PM

I would recommend the router I have, but it sells for about $200.

It is an Asus dual band AC 68U. The flash memory programming can be replaced with third party programming, that will give additional features that is not available with the stock programming.

This would let me install VPN software, like PIA, to work on the router, so that all my computers connecting to the router could be using the VPN on the router.

Jason · March 14, 2018, 05:50:14 PM

Thanks for the recommendation. That's quite a bit more than what I'm willing to pay though. I'm thinking maybe $100-120 maximum exc. taxes. I do like the idea of being able to use alternate firmware or one with it already on it like the ASUS RT-N16 ( which has DDWRT) and also appears to be designed for a lot of torrenting in mind:

https://www.amazon.ca/ASUS-RT-N16-Wireless-N-Performance-Ethernet/dp/B00387G6R8/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1509980824&sr=8-9&keywords=open+source+router

I don't care if it's rated AC or not. I don't do network backups and N300 is plenty fast for video streaming over the network (even in HD) and from online. I can't set up the VPN on the router as Netflix won't let you use a VPN tunnel (usually though I did recently find one that works).

Did you just get this router, Bill? Or have you had it a few months? It probably works great, just wondering if I can get one that works as great without spending that much. I'd like a router that I don't have to be reset after a few hours of torrenting.

ssfc72 · March 14, 2018, 09:58:32 PM

I have had the router for 2 or more years.

Jason · March 15, 2018, 12:33:44 AM

Weird that the price doesn't seem to have come down much in those two years. Must be a pretty popular router.

Jason · March 21, 2018, 02:08:23 AM

Considering this Trendnet one which, other than the processor being 20% slower than the ASUS one you recommend, Bill, appears to have the same features but at half the price. Rating isn't as high though - it's 3.5 stars vs. 4.5 for yours. I wonder if there are any other differences responsible for the lower rating?

Do you think the lack of external antennas matters, Bill?

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B00HKEI3DA?ref=emc_b_5_t&th=1

Anybody else have any thoughts?

fox · March 21, 2018, 07:06:39 AM

Did you have signal strengh issues with the old one in your apartment?

ssfc72 · March 21, 2018, 09:05:38 AM

It should be fine for your apartment, for reception, Jason.

My previous wifi routers have been Trendnet and they seemed to work well.

Jason · March 21, 2018, 12:37:28 PM

Quote from: fox on March 21, 2018, 07:06:39 AM
Did you have signal strengh issues with the old one in your apartment?

No, not particularly. But sometimes the wireless wouldn't be available at all. Just like it stopped listening. Power cycling would fix it. It doesn't have any antennas either.

And thanks, Bill, about the antennas.

ssfc72 · April 11, 2018, 04:00:14 AM

So Jason, did you get a replacement router?

This past week I have been researching a little bit, basic (inexpensive) wifi routers, for a friend who was asking for advice.
He has bought a "Kodi" box and I suggested that he might want to run a VPN.
I was unsuccessful in getting the PIA VPN app to run on the Kodi box. It installed fine but would not run when the App was opened. :-( .
So I was looking at routers that would allow a VPN, to be installed on them. This seems to be somewhat complicated. Maybe I should start a new Topic about this? :-)

Jason · April 11, 2018, 02:52:35 PM

Not yet but will be getting one soon now that we got back our tax return. I haven't tried it personally but I noticed my router has an option for a VPN. I don't put it on the VPN because I'm using Netflix which doesn't allow using VPNs and will block you with a warning if you attempt it. Except for Texas that strangely seems to work right now.

A new topic on configuring at the router level if it's complicated would be interesting.