Need a high speed wireless router

Ricardo

Lots of tech savvy people around here so thought I'd ask.....

I recently switched to Cincinnati Bell and have 100 mbps internet (Awesome). My wired PC measures at around 93 mbps, But my routers don't..

With my old netgear I get 20-30 depending on where I am in the house, and the zyxel they installed gets 40-50 (Rated at 300 mbps).

Can I get closer to 100 with wireless? What works for you guys? I realize 40 or so is more than enough for most of what I do.....but then I can't brag......

Thanks!!!

Strong Bad

I'd replace the old Netgear, which is probably running 802.11g I suspect. G is good for up to 54mbps. Get yourself a new one with 802.11n or even the latest which is 802.11ac.

N is good for up to 300mbps and AC is good for up to 1gbps.

Not sure how old your PC is and if the onboard wifi is N or AC capable. My iMac and router are AC and I regularly get about 90mbps up/down via my FIOS connection.

[Deleted User]

I recently bought this modem/router; a Netgear Knighthawk AC1900 modem/router (model D7000). It is simply an awesome product if you also need a VDSL/ADSL modem. It clocks up to 1.9Gbps, has a dual-core processor & can handle cable or fibre. Highly recommended.

treitz3

Great question Ricardo! I am very interested in this subject because while I have a good router, with 2 smart TV's, 2 Kindles and everybody streaming, it can get bogged down at times. Especially with the linear feet along with obstructions that the signals have to travel.

What used to be great is now mediocre and my ping results currently mimic yours. I'll be watching this thread with great interest.

Strongbad, how can you know if the computer is N or AC capable? (Sorry, computers are not my expertise) Mine is about 4 years old IIRC.

Tom

Ricardo

Thanks guys; that nighthawk is at Costco for $140, which is $20 less than Amazon and Costco has great return policies.

Reviews both in Costco and Amazon have good average, with the usual very ugly 1 stars that almost every product will have.

I'm thinking I'll get this one and try it. If I don't see significant improvements on speed and range I can always return it.

heiney9

I recently bought a Netgear WNDR 4500 N900. So far it has been flawless.

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-WNDR4500-N900-Gigabit-Router/dp/B00HEX851C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489252856&sr=8-1&keywords=netgear+WNDr4500

Ricardo

heiney9 wrote: »

I recently bought a Netgear WNDR 4500 N900. So far it has been flawless.

https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-WNDR4500-N900-Gigabit-Router/dp/B00HEX851C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1489252856&sr=8-1&keywords=netgear+WNDr4500

That's even cheaper.... How's the range on that Brock?

Jimbo18

It is refurbished, but if that doesn't bother you, this is a killer deal. Net Gear, dual Band, gigabit, AC1750.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B01MSALERD/ref=dp_olp_new_mbc?ie=UTF8&condition=new

Ricardo

Funny. Wife said she needed some stuff from Costco. I offered to go and came back with that nighthawk AC1900. Will hook it up as soon as I get a chance.

Thanks for all the input guys.

mrbigbluelight

I had my son check to see what router we have, and it's that Nighthawk AC1900.
Great router, we bought it from Best Buy. We have a boatload of TV's, laptops, towers, and tablets running and it takes it all in stride. I'm getting 217 Mbps.

Preaching to the choir but be sure to change the login for your router. "Admin" and "PWord" is the factory default which a lot of folks neglect to change. Looking around the neighborhood, I've seen where a number of folks haven't done so.

Upstatemax

Bodhi wrote: »

I recently bought this modem/router; a Netgear Knighthawk AC1900 modem/router (model D7000). It is simply an awesome product if you also need a VDSL/ADSL modem. It clocks up to 1.9Gbps, has a dual-core processor & can handle cable or fibre. Highly recommended.

I own that one as well.

It has been awesome!

Fast and reliable.

scubalab

This thread is perfect timing Ricardo. I'm curious how you like the Netgear Nighthawk once you get it set up.

In the interest of not hijacking Ricardo's thread, I've started a new thread looking for advice on some internet problems we're having.

woodhead 2

I bought a Amplifi HD.Super easy to set up, and does all the updates automaticly. Works great for a 61 year old who knows nothing on how to set the other stuff up...Lol

mdaudioguy

I recently installed a NetGear AC1750 modem/router combo, and the wifi download speeds are incredible. 230+ Mbps to my phone is typical.

Ricardo

Here's an update. I connected the nighthawk Saturday night.

-Wireless speeds did improve but not as I expected. Still a bit pissed that I'm not getting closer to the 100 mbps I get wired, even when I am in the same room the router is. But I'm getting consistently above 50 so it is definitely an improvement.

-Range is what makes me more happy about this purchase. I get high bars in the garage, while it was a hit or miss with the old router.

I think this is staying

treitz3

Which model Nighthawk did you end up with Ricardo? AC1900 or D7000? Thanks.

Tom

Ricardo

Ac1900 model R7000. $140 at Costco.

Ricardo

Actually....Model is R6900. I was looking at the R7000 on Amazon so I guess that's where the mix came from. And they look the same.

treitz3

Ah, okay. Thanks for clarifying. You had me going there for a quick minute!

Tom

mdaudioguy

Ricardo wrote: »

Wireless speeds did improve but not as I expected. Still a bit pissed that I'm not getting closer to the 100 mbps I get wired, even when I am in the same room the router is. But I'm getting consistently above 50 so it is definitely an improvement

Is your connected device capable of higher speeds?

Ricardo

mdaudioguy wrote: »

Ricardo wrote: »

Wireless speeds did improve but not as I expected. Still a bit pissed that I'm not getting closer to the 100 mbps I get wired, even when I am in the same room the router is. But I'm getting consistently above 50 so it is definitely an improvement

Is your connected device capable of higher speeds?

I guess you mean wirelessly, since at least one of them gets close to 100 wired.
So how do I check that? Been measuring mainly my Android and my laptop. Lots of variation, but I think they are both averaging around 60 Mbps.

mdaudioguy

Look up the specs for the wifi adapter in your devices. Those supporting 802.11n often get real world download speeds in the 50-60 Mbps range. Also check what router band you're connecting to. My Nexus 6p supports 802.11ac and pulls down in the 230s, but only when connected to the 5 Ghz band. When connected to the 2.4 Ghz band, it only averages 50-75.

Ricardo

Ha. Quick test on my Android. 87 on the 5 GHz!!!!

Shows how much I know about this. Thanks for the tip!!!

Mikey081057

http://www.linksys.com/us/p/P-WRT1900AC/

[Deleted User]

Ricardo wrote: »

Ha. Quick test on my Android. 87 on the 5 GHz!!!!

Shows how much I know about this. Thanks for the tip!!!

Apropos which, this article might be of interest - http://pocketnow.com/2014/01/23/5ghz-wifi

jflail2

Granted it's been a year or 2 since I bought it, this was the fastest wifi router I could find at the time of purchase. There's probably better out now, and you can probably also go with some of the cheaper recommendations here without losing much performance. Still, since I've had great luck with it, it's this one:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MPI5N7U/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Ricardo

Thanks for all the input guys. I already bought the Netflix AC1900 R6900

Jimbo18

Ricardo wrote: »

Thanks for all the input guys. I already bought the Netgear AC1900 R6900

Fixed it for ya.

polkfarmboy

I always look at what was the best last year in gaming reviews then upgrade to that.

Ricardo

Laptop with the 5 GHz. 91.4 Mbps.

Happy camper.

mdaudioguy

Ricardo wrote: »

Laptop with the 5 GHz. 91.4 Mbps.

Happy camper.

Awesome!