Help me figure out a WiFi Router!

[DeltrusDisc]

Hey all, I may be good with computer hardware, but unfortunately, when it comes to modems and routers and things of the networking sort, I'm generally a buffoon. I'm pretty open to price, cheaper is better, but I know for quality you need to spend some dough, so let's hear the options.

As far as what is required of it, range, etc:

There's anywhere from 3-4 phones connected to it daily, with 1-2 laptops here and there. Only 2-3 ethernet-connected desktops. That's it. The house is almost 2,800 ft² with a basement, which is where the modem and router are located. Issue is we are using the standard-issue Comcast DOCSIS 3.0 mode-router AIO, which is obviously garbage. Its signal degrades through two stories of floors and the walls and I'd like to fix that, and as I understand it, a higher-quality separate router would handle it just fine. The question is which one will handle all of this the best and for the best price?

Thanks in advance.

[Kagthul]

I highly recommend the Netgear Nighthawk series. I have the original Nighthawk (R7000) and it has been a champ. I get good enough signal that i can stream 1080p YouTube at the bus stop on the corner (about 60ft from the house). Also has USB ports for adding a shareable drive and/or printer.

Im not sure if they make the R7000 anymore (as they now have several models).

ASUS also has a router around the same price point that gets good reviews.

[Bombercloner]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ag=mmochamp-20

This one is on sale right now and looks like a beast.

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Note: I do not have it, I am also looking at upgrading modem/router.

[Kagthul]

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...ag=mmochamp-20

This one is on sale right now and looks like a beast.

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Note: I do not have it, I am also looking at upgrading modem/router.

Yeah, id grab that if it still on sale.

If not, the R7000 or the X4S would be great. Our house has craploads of devices (my iPad, my wifes iPad, my sons iPad, my Phone, my wifes phone, my wifes daily driver Mac, her gaming PC, and my basement tennants PS4, phone and tablet, two Rokus, and the media center PC) and ive never had a slowdown or issue.

We take advantage of the multiple SSIDs to segregate devices - phones and tablets on the slower 2.4ghz band, and computers and Rokus on the faster 5ghz bands.

[Logwyn]

You are going to need more than just one router in the basement to cover this much space and floors with WIFI. Unless you want to fry everyone in the house and the neighbors cat.

[DeltrusDisc]

You are going to need more than just one router in the basement to cover this much space and floors with WIFI. Unless you want to fry everyone in the house and the neighbors cat.

Considering we get enough WiFi on the 2nd floor to function, it can just be a little weak, I think that makes your point about moot. You're the first person to ever suggest something quite so extreme - which is what this is. I've been in friend's houses that are 4,000+ sq ft who had 1 router on the second floor in a corner and it covered all the way down and fully into the basement.

Not really sure what you're talking about, considering you're talking about "frying everyone in the house and the neighbor's cat."

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Also, thank you everyone else who provided links/suggestions! This will help a lot. A guy at a store earlier this year was trying to tell me how I need to call Comcast and tell them to switch off the WiFi from the modem, that I should get this this and that and do that. I think he was going a little far. ;P Was definitely getting pricey.

[Kagthul]

Well, id recommend ditching Crapcast’s modem, too. You can get a very good Cable Modem in the ~60$ range. Itll pay for itself in 5-6 months of NOT paying the 10$ modem rental fee to Comcast.

[DeltrusDisc]

Well, id recommend ditching Crapcast’s modem, too. You can get a very good Cable Modem in the ~60$ range. Itll pay for itself in 5-6 months of NOT paying the 10$ modem rental fee to Comcast.

That's what I imagine, then I have to convince my dad to okay that... who knows how that will go. It does require more hands-on as I understand it to set it up and all though, correct? This is really where my knowledge falls off - the modem installation side. They can't possibly make it as simple as plug&play, right?

[Kagthul]

Not really. You just unplug their modem (power and coax cable), plug yours in, plug the (coax) cable into your modem, and call Comcast. Theyll require the device ID (which is printed right on the modem itself.) so that their network knows that that is your modem.

And thatll be that.

Takes like 10 minutes, tops.

We use the Netgear C400, which is affordable and plenty fast, and is certified to work with Comcast.

[Logwyn]

Considering we get enough WiFi on the 2nd floor to function, it can just be a little weak, I think that makes your point about moot. You're the first person to ever suggest something quite so extreme - which is what this is. I've been in friend's houses that are 4,000+ sq ft who had 1 router on the second floor in a corner and it covered all the way down and fully into the basement.

Not really sure what you're talking about, considering you're talking about "frying everyone in the house and the neighbor's cat."

What router was this? I bet you it didn't cover the whole house. Just getting a little bit of a signal isn't coverage. If I remember a router is about 300 feet outside and less inside for range. And we're not talking hey I have one bar coverage. That isn't coverage. I bet they had access points or a mesh network setup.

Technically the guy at the store was right about having comacst turn off the wifi on their modem. You are clogging up the band with noise. May not be a big deal but in a higher populated area it can make a big deal.

[Kagthul]

What router was this? I bet you it didn't cover the whole house. Just getting a little bit of a signal isn't coverage. If I remember a router is about 300 feet outside and less inside for range. And we're not talking hey I have one bar coverage. That isn't coverage. I bet they had access points or a mesh network setup.

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Please stop acting like you know something when you clearly don't.

Router range is entirely dependent on the strength of the signal being broadcast by the antennas, how many antennas there are, what is in between you and the router (and what that is made of). If you're trying to get signal through walls made with old-school plaster (and wire mesh), well, good luck, but drywall and 2x4 wall studs dont offer much resistance. With the R7000 Nighthawk, i can use my iPad at the corner where the bus stops for my son - 60ft from my property and probably ~100ft+ from the router (as my house is centered on the lot). Signal strength and coverage will also change depending on what band you're using (2.4Ghz or 5Ghz), what kind of other features the router has (like beamforming).

I also think you have no idea how big 300 feet really is. Or even 30 feet. A 4000sq ft house with multiple stories (so not 4000sq ft on one floor) is likely only ~30ft wide by 60ft long or thereabouts. Or smaller if its 3 stories (if the basement is included in the sq footage, which usually it isn't unless it is finished habitable space).

Technically the guy at the store was right about having comacst turn off the wifi on their modem. You are clogging up the band with noise. May not be a big deal but in a higher populated area it can make a big deal.

I really wanted to post the facepalm here again, but ...

No, they need to turn off the router in their modem (which includes the WiFi) because otherwise it think it is still the router and you'd have to set your router to act as a switch and not a router (I.E. not serve DHCP). I know that because that's exactly what would happen every single time the power went out. I'd have to call those idiots and have them send the signal to the Modem/Router to stop acting as a router and just pass through.

Dumbass thing would reset that setting every single time it was powered off even for a few seconds. Thats what led to me just buying my own damn modem.

[Logwyn]

Funny.... 100ft is clearly within 300 foot. So eh.....


Not really. You can still have comcast router handing out DHCP and another router handing out dhcp between the between the comcast modem and the internal network.

Comcast (with DHCP) ----- Router (with DHCP) ----- Rest of the house. This can work you just have to know how it works and set it up.

Besides this is already running:
ISP router (DHCP equipment providing internet to the neighbor hood) ----- the neighborhoods routers with DHCP ----- each houses internal network. Same thing with multiple DHCP devices in the chain. Its no different than the internal setup