Suggestions for buying an Internet Router (<30k)

egobrain.exe

egobrain.exe

Adept
Hey Guys,

It has been a while that I have been on TE and feels good to be back. There have been some changes and I will be moving into a new house sometime next month. I am now in need to buy a good router because my work is internet intensive and I need to make sure there are no issues with the connectivity across the entire flat as the other members of the house will also be using it. Here are my requirements
  • It is a 2600 sq ft flat which is long in the length
  • My work/study room is at one end of the flat and my bedroom is on the other end
  • I will be using Wifi calling all the time and need to make sure connectivity is top-notch
  • We will have 5-6 devices running all the time (laptops, phones, Apple TV, and Amazon Firestick)
  • The only ISP is a third party provider, unfortunately, there are no good ISPs present there
  • Budget = <30K
  • Need a UPS also
I have shortlisted ASUS RT AX88U 6000 as the potential one to work. I have looked into mesh systems as well but the Netgear ORBI available are old and the ones I would want are more than 40k in price.

Any expert and experienced advice will be much appreciated. I look forward to your responses!

Thanks,
EgoB!
 
A single router will not be sufficient and even if the orbi is bit old, mesh system is the way to go if you want full coverage specially as you say flat is long in length. Expensive routers do not equal more range so best not to rely on just 1.
 
Thanks, I have been wondering the same and have started looking into the ASUS ZenWiFi AX XT8. Checking the 2-pack and on Flipkart, I am getting it for INR 38k (INR 45,999 list price) after all discounts. I think I am going to go for it!
 

Asus RT-AC86U (2 Pack) AiMesh AC2900 Dual Band WiFi System (Black) for Large Homes, AiProtection Pro Network Security Powered by Trend Micro, Adaptive QoS - Buy Asus RT-AC86U (2 Pack) AiMesh AC2900 Dual Band WiFi System (Black) for Large Homes, AiPro

Amazon.in: Buy Asus RT-AC86U (2 Pack) AiMesh AC2900 Dual Band WiFi System (Black) for Large Homes, AiProtection Pro Network Security Powered by Trend Micro, Adaptive QoS online at low price in India on Amazon.in. Check out Asus RT-AC86U (2 Pack) AiMesh AC2900 Dual Band WiFi System (Black) for...
www.amazon.in

Rt-86U 2 pack. Currently @ Rs. 23499

AX router will not give you any be edit, currently.

You can always add one more asus router if you find coverage is inadequate.

This setup is sufficient for 10-15 devices.
 
What speeds do you need in the room at the end of the house? Considered Ubiquity access points? They run POE so no need of having plug points near the AP. Mount a couple of them on the ceiling and connect to any Gigabit Ethernet router or an Edge router X and you're good to go. Initial set up might need a little reading up but other than that connection should be rock solid with few drop outs.
 
bigbyte said:

Asus RT-AC86U (2 Pack) AiMesh AC2900 Dual Band WiFi System (Black) for Large Homes, AiProtection Pro Network Security Powered by Trend Micro, Adaptive QoS - Buy Asus RT-AC86U (2 Pack) AiMesh AC2900 Dual Band WiFi System (Black) for Large Homes, AiPro

Amazon.in: Buy Asus RT-AC86U (2 Pack) AiMesh AC2900 Dual Band WiFi System (Black) for Large Homes, AiProtection Pro Network Security Powered by Trend Micro, Adaptive QoS online at low price in India on Amazon.in. Check out Asus RT-AC86U (2 Pack) AiMesh AC2900 Dual Band WiFi System (Black) for...
www.amazon.in

Rt-86U 2 pack. Currently @ Rs. 23499

AX router will not give you any be edit, currently.

You can always add one more asus router if you find coverage is inadequate.

This setup is sufficient for 10-15 devices.
Click to expand...

I did consider this but my main priority is of not having any dead spots around the house. Given my flat is long in length and the devices will be in continuous use, I do not want any drops or issues while using the same.

I have a couple of iPhone 11 Pros that can use WiFi 6 but again my main concern is the range. Will this work well because the devices used will be at two ends of the house?
 
Contact @Aeging Stud he has a asus router which might prove pretty cheap and useful.

Plus he has a good knowledge about router and how to make them cover your premises
 
indy1811 said:
What speeds do you need in the room at the end of the house? Considered Ubiquity access points? They run POE so no need of having plug points near the AP. Mount a couple of them on the ceiling and connect to any Gigabit Ethernet router or an Edge router X and you're good to go. Initial set up might need a little reading up but other than that connection should be rock solid with few drop outs.
Click to expand...

Upon checking, it seems that this will become a more difficult and expensive option.
JMak said:
Contact @Aeging Stud he has a asus router which might prove pretty cheap and useful.

Plus he has a good knowledge about router and how to make them cover your premises
Click to expand...

Does that router have good range? Any clue on what model details?
 
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egobrain.exe said:
I did consider this but my main priority is of not having any dead spots around the house. Given my flat is long in length and the devices will be in continuous use, I do not want any drops or issues while using the same.

I have a couple of iPhone 11 Pros that can use WiFi 6 but again my main concern is the range. Will this work well because the devices used will be at two ends of the house?
Click to expand...
A costly router will not extend range. The transmit power of routers are limited and no matter how costly router you buy the range will be more or less same.

The only solution to get more range is to put more nodes. You can try with this set of 2 and if you feel range is less for your liking then you can always buy and put more. Correct placement of router also matters to get best range.

As a rough calculation, one router can provide signal across 2 brick walls. for going beyond, put another router after first wall or connect second router via wire and put after second wall.
 
bigbyte said:
A costly router will not extend range. The transmit power of routers are limited and no matter how costly router you buy the range will be more or less same.

The only solution to get more range is to put more nodes. You can try with this set of 2 and if you feel range is less for your liking then you can always buy and put more. Correct placement of router also matters to get best range.

As a rough calculation, one router can provide signal across 2 brick walls. for going beyond, put another router after first wall or connect second router via wire and put after second wall.
Click to expand...

I did some research and the Asus ZenWifi AX XT8 has some great reviews over the internet and on YouTube. It is not about getting an expensive router, I want something reliable and something which I can invest in once to not think about it for the next 5-6 years at least.

What are your thoughts on the Linksys AC3900 (https://www.amazon.in/Linksys-WHW01...qid=1603271168&sprefix=linksys,aps,306&sr=8-4)
 
egobrain.exe said:
I did some research and the Asus ZenWifi AX XT8 has some great reviews over the internet and on YouTube. It is not about getting an expensive router, I want something reliable and something which I can invest in once to not think about it for the next 5-6 years at least.

What are your thoughts on the Linksys AC3900 (https://www.amazon.in/Linksys-WHW0103-AC3900-Dual-Band-Intelligent/dp/B07C9NSD4T/ref=sr_1_4?crid=39PI06FMFDKNE&dchild=1&keywords=linksys+velop&qid=1603271168&sprefix=linksys,aps,306&sr=8-4)
Click to expand...

One thing i've noticed with Youtube reviews of high-end routers is that it's mostly done by people (Americans) who live in houses made of drywall. Indian houses are usually stone or brick which doesn't allow signal to pass through as easily. Keep that in mind the next time they mention range on a router.
 
indy1811 said:
One thing i've noticed with Youtube reviews of high-end routers is that it's mostly done by people (Americans) who live in houses made of drywall. Indian houses are usually stone or brick which doesn't allow signal to pass through as easily. Keep that in mind the next time they mention range on a router.
Click to expand...

I agree and that makes sense too but still does not help me understand the best router for my need.
 
indy1811 said:
One thing i've noticed with Youtube reviews of high-end routers is that it's mostly done by people (Americans) who live in houses made of drywall. Indian houses are usually stone or brick which doesn't allow signal to pass through as easily. Keep that in mind the next time they mention range on a router.
Click to expand...

This is so correct. I live in a 1000sqft carpet area house and still have 2 routers connected via LAN cable to make sure entire house is covered.
 
asus rt AC86U in mesh setup
so am using one of these
there is 2 pack for sale on amzon for 23.5 k right now (with deal will be cheaper)

the router has extremely good 2 ghz range and fast 5ghz too
the app (or web page) to control the router offers a lot of control over many features, including parental control, malwares blocking, timer log out of devices, guest network and so on and on
there is also USB storage for basic Home NAS
 
egobrain.exe said:
I agree and that makes sense too but still does not help me understand the best router for my need.
Click to expand...
Put any dual band Rs. 4000-5000 router in every room and connect all of them via CAT6 cable.

You are worried about WiFi range, and as I said earlier the range of ANY router is limited due to its transmit power.
WiFi AX will improve the throughput, not the range.

Linksys AC3900 Looks good and price is also reasonable. If you need more coverage you can always add a node.
 
Just came across the TP-Link Deco M5 (3 Pack - Link) as an option and was suggested by a friend. I think this does the job and saves me a whole lot of money. Should I take the plunge?
 
Apologies I haven't read the whole thread, but if you are interested in lifelong wifi reliability nothing beats Ubiquiti access points. They have an online store in India now as well.
 
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