Router - Need Help - Going Flippin Crazy

Lregblade on 30/09/2020 - 19:43
Last edited 02/10/2020 - 22:40

Hi guys,

I am with TPG and their piece off $%^& router drops connections on all devices fairly often. I am now on the market to buy a router to stop this. I have done a tonne of research on the asus ac86u, ac88u, ax86u, ax88u, netgear rax80 and rax120. Honestly im so bloody confused.

All i need is a router for a
350m2 home
(Land total 550m2)
Double story
Brick veneer
4 person house with 20ish wireless devices including phones, pcs, tv's and some smart home devices which i may expand on.

Dead spots have not been a problem unless in the backyard or front yard, so maybe something with larger range would help.

What should i buy?

Computing Modem Router

Comments

  • AustriaBargain on 30/09/2020 - 19:57
    +1

    Don't TPG recommend the Nest? Though I'd go for a $700 router that looks like the Death Star just in case.

    • regblade on 30/09/2020 - 19:58

      TPG have not been great at suggesting whats right.

    • ShortyX on 30/09/2020 - 21:01
      +3

      router that looks like the Death Star

      Nah, Kylo Ren's ship.

    • Twix on 30/09/2020 - 21:26

      TPG sell TP-Link. Aussie BB sell Nest wifi.

  • Porker on 30/09/2020 - 20:04
    +1

    I use to think $150-$200 was a lot to pay for a router until I ended up buying one everyone one to two years. Ended up paying $400 (or more) for my current one (ac88u) and it's been great and better than any of the (errr…) cheaper ones.

    Band 5 network was much stronger and further than the cheaper ones. Covers my 4 bedroom two-storey brick veneer well.

    • regblade on 30/09/2020 - 20:12
      +1

      Ive been reading there are some issues with firmware? Anything to report?

      • conan2000 on 30/09/2020 - 22:38
        +2

        I have the 88rt router and had it for over 3 years, never had any issues. Covers our entire two storey house ~400m2. We have 2 adults and 2 kids in the house. Got all 8 ethernet ports used, a total of 26 clients connected right now. The signal drops our right at the corner of our 545m2 block, but the router is closer to the other end of the block. Will depend where yours is placed whether you are better with this or a mesh solution, but should be fine with the single router. I would definitely be buying something like the ac88u now though, best to go WiFi 6 for future proofing.

    • pharkurnell on 30/09/2020 - 22:22
      +1

      I too have the ac88u… Love it to bits for few years now. Wasnt cheap but it works.

  • s1Lence on 30/09/2020 - 20:11

    What speeds do you pay for?

    • regblade on 30/09/2020 - 20:12

      100/40

      • s1Lence on 30/09/2020 - 20:22
        +2

        Any decent router should do you well as long as you don't get a faulty one. I've heard commonly reported issues for every well-known router that some users experience while others don't so I guess it's partly luck of the draw assuming you are setting it up properly. Somehow, my cheap iiNet router is serving me better than my old expensive Netgear which lasted 1-2 years while the iiNet one has lasted nearly 5 and is still going.

        • conan2000 on 30/09/2020 - 22:42
          +2

          A router is for more than just the internet though. True any router will handle 100/40, but with lots of devices connecting other issues can come up. Internal network/transferring things around/streaming from NAS etc can use a lot more bandwidth than my internet can, and a lot of the lower end routers cause bottlenecks.

          • s1Lence on 30/09/2020 - 23:43
            +1

            @conan2000: That's why I said any "decent router" and not a "low end" one. Besides, he did not mention using a NAS or anything similar which would use too much bandwidth.

  • SnoozeAndLose on 30/09/2020 - 20:14

    Just get a cheap Tenda Mesh

    • Twix on 30/09/2020 - 22:17

      Nah TPG uses VLAN 802.1q and Tenda doesn't support VLAN 802.1q.

      • SnoozeAndLose on 30/09/2020 - 22:49

        Tenda is a router, so depends on the technology being used.

  • apple2016 on 30/09/2020 - 20:54
    -1

    If you really want performance you will have to go down the path of dedicated router + access points.

  • ShortyX on 30/09/2020 - 21:03
    +3

    drops connections on all devices

    Does the internet connection drop or the WiFi?

    • regblade on 30/09/2020 - 22:24
      +1

      Na the wifi drops

  • yellowfever on 30/09/2020 - 21:05

    I am with TPG NBN and their provided router TP-Link VR1600v works great. Never had a single dropout on WIFI. I also hardwire all TV and computers to it via LAN cable.
    LAN connection is fastest and always reliable, and it's not that expensive to install it.
    You can pick one of these routers up for like $50 on Facebook marketplace. Or maybe complain to TPG and they could send you one for free to resolve the issue..?

    • regblade on 30/09/2020 - 22:28
      +1

      This is the second one they have sent me with the same issue.

    • this is us on 30/09/2020 - 23:38

      It's an OK modem and it works fine if devices are wired. Wi-fi speed is terrible.

  • dustyslider on 30/09/2020 - 21:09
    +1

    I use 2 Asus rt-ac86u in AI mesh config (overkill I know) using wired backhaul on the 100/40 aussiebb FTTP with around 20-25 wifi devices connected. Had only a single router previously so the 5ghz band dropped off quickly hence I got 2 and normally and now get 92+/32+ generally anywhere in the house now with a strong connection.

    I'm no expert but from what I've looked into the rt-ac86u has one of the strongest 2.4ghz band connection which was imporant for me. I think i got it on sale for $270 ages ago but I wouldnt really want to pay more than that now considering the ax86u is out now.

    If you have the budget ax86u would be good to upgrade straight to wifi 6, but personally, I didn't see the reason to update just yet as I don't have huge amount of devices just yet hence 2 wifi 5 routers were better for me than a single wifi 6 router with the budget being equal.

    • regblade on 04/10/2020 - 07:52

      Bought the ax88u. Really happy, its changed my browsing and streaming experience significantly and its only been 2 days. Fingers crossed.

  • Zonty on 30/09/2020 - 21:19
    -2

    Buy any reliable router and and branded extension will do job.and some extensions can use your electric wiring for Ethernet connections. Wifi extension try to use at end of router coverage where your router wifi bar drop, so You can get maximum area coverage.

  • keo on 30/09/2020 - 22:13

    I would say it depends on what you want. If you want to play with advanced features then get one good expensive router like AX88U and then add access points and/or extenders as needed. I would try to avoid wifi extenders if possible, wired access points are the way to go. Asus AI mesh works great for some but also gets a lot of hate if you check in reddit. No way of knowing if one router would be strong enough to cover entire area until you try it, there are too many variables involved.

    If you want simplicity, quick plug and play, and no installation of ethernet cables to cover a big area then get a mesh system with good reviews and add extra stations as needed.

    My best advice is to order from somewhere like Amazon that allows easy returns. Getting good wifi can be a lot of trial and error especially if you have to do wifi extenders or ethernet over power.

  • regblade on 30/09/2020 - 22:51
    +3

    Pulled the trigger and bought a ASUS RT-AX88U, thanks all!

    • BuyOrNot on 01/10/2020 - 10:32

      I was going to recommend a Mesh network but since you already bought it, give us an update on how it performs.

      • regblade on 01/10/2020 - 11:30

        aaah man, dont make me doubt myself now.

        • conan2000 on 02/10/2020 - 09:29

          I think you'll be fine without one, as per my earlier comment you have a similar size house/land/family/devices to what I do, and the Asus router performs well across the entire house, As long as you are able to place your router relatively central on your property, I don't think you'd get much benefit from a Mesh network, and if you really want to, the Asus routers can be set-up as a mesh anyway, would just be pricey!

          • regblade on 04/10/2020 - 07:45

            @conan2000: Got the ax88u, have been online 48hours no drop outs and covering whole house. Have been getting 108/37 on a 100/40 plan.

            So far so good. Also i can create a mesh if needed but i dont think i will.

            • conan2000 on 04/10/2020 - 14:31
              +1

              @regblade: Good to hear. I have had mine for a few years now. Hope it goes well. I'll upgrade to ax/WiFi 6 at some point, but don't own any devices that even use it yet, so that can wait for a while!

    • yellowfever on 01/10/2020 - 13:18

      keen to hear back from you on the performance after you've used it.. Thanks!

      • regblade on 04/10/2020 - 07:46

        Hi mate, see response above. Its been surprisingly awesome. Getting 108 down and 37 up on multiple tests and about 15 metres away from the router (wireless).

  • this is us on 30/09/2020 - 23:22
    +1

    I also used to think a router was a waste of money, until I bought the RT-AC86U, which is just marvellous.
    I can't recommend this router enough. I only paid US$ 149.59 (Joybuy, delivered), back in 2018, but it's my first decent router. With Merlin installed, speed, range (220sqm apartment) and VPN management are amazing. Today, I'd easily pay AUD 400 if I had to.

    I have iinet (TPG FTTB) 100Mbps, four active VPNs working at the same time for different devices. The modem is the default Archer VR1600v v2, which might be an OK modem but is a terrible router. The speed when connecting directly through the Archer is always lower.

    I've just tested speed now:
    Using Archer as a modem and RT-AC86U (Merlin) and MacBook connected through Australian VPN (it's faster without VPN):
    D: 85Mbps U: 34Mbps Ping: 34

    Connecting MacBook directly to the Archer as modem and router (no VPN):
    D: 31Mbps U: 26Mbps Ping: 16

    I don't have a 350sqm home to talk about the range, but I'd definitely stay between this one and something similar (improved, with more LAN doors).

    • muckingfuppet on 01/10/2020 - 10:32

      I have this exact router, and I've played around with it (and had to plug it into the optus router) as a WAN - which took me an entire day to get working… cos for some reason it wouldnt go straight from the NBN box.

      But if I were willing to risk it not working again, and wasting an entire day fixing it…. What benefit does the merlin firmware offer?

      • this is us on 01/10/2020 - 10:59
        +1

        I can't compare since I uploaded Merlin firmware on day one. The main reason for me was managing VPNs as I had read that Merlin was perfect for that. So, when I got the router, I didn't even consider keeping the original firmware.

        The hardware is pretty good and I wouldn't change the firmware if you are happy with your current settings and don't need additional features. However, if you still want to try and compare, I believe you could save your current settings in case you decide to return to factory.

        When I bought the ASUS, I was with Optus and had a different modem and was using my own TP-Link C7, which was fine. I then remember trying to set-up VPN and I had issues with speed. That was the moment when I learned that you need a better router if you use VPN. After blaming the VPN provider, they told me I needed a different router. These people often lie and don't know what they are talking about, but I had had good experience with their support (Torguard). Torguard recommended some readings about the topic and I accepted that it was my router's limitation. Bought the ASUS, set-up, problem solved.

        • muckingfuppet on 01/10/2020 - 11:24

          Very informative reply. Appreciate the advice :)

          I might stick with it for now… I haven't really used a VPN much. Have never bothered with it at this point of my technological journey!

    • regblade on 01/10/2020 - 11:32

      thankyou, very useful and makes me feel better about buying the AX88u

    • regblade on 04/10/2020 - 07:50
      +1

      Connected the ax88u directly to the nbn modem. Works like a charm. Instructions here.

      https://community.tpg.com.au/t5/Broadband-Internet/ASUS-RT-A…

  • Series4Episode10 on 01/10/2020 - 09:17

    And you've had TPG do a line test … ?

    • regblade on 01/10/2020 - 11:30

      yup, had 3 different engineers come out. Also had NBN and tpg run line tests.

  • Pete-W1960 on 01/10/2020 - 16:07

    Before you spend any money, have you checked settings for the modem. I just had a quick look at the manual assuming you have the VR1600v, and it has a timer setting for the wifi, maybe check and make sure that isnt the problem.

    Also a few people have mentioned asus, which is a pretty good brand from my experience.

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