I'm looking for suggestions for a new Router

My ASUS router seems to be having some issues; about once a week one of the devices connected to it (wirelessly) will lose it's connection and I have to reboot the router and modem in order to restore service. I think that it's time for a new one.

I have two computers, two printers, three Roku boxes and two phones connected to the router via the wi-fi. I also have one computer connected to the router via ethernet. However, usually there are no more than two devices actually using the wi-fi at any one time. I also don't do any gaming. Can anyone suggest a router that will meet my needs with a little room for expansion beyond my current usage?

Thanks in advance.

When selecting a new router, consider factors like speed, coverage, security features, and ease of setup. Popular brands like TP-Link, ASUS, Netgear, and Linksys offer a range of models to suit different needs. Look for routers that support the latest Wi-Fi standards (like Wi-Fi 6), have multiple Ethernet ports, and offer features like MU-MIMO and beamforming for improved performance. Additionally, consider whether you need advanced features like VPN support, parental controls, or mesh networking for larger homes. Reading reviews and comparing specifications can help you find the best router for your specific requirements.

When selecting a new router, consider factors like speed, coverage, security features, and ease of setup. Popular brands like TP-Link, ASUS, Netgear, and Linksys offer a range of models to suit different needs. Look for routers that support the latest Wi-Fi standards (like Wi-Fi 6), have multiple Ethernet ports, and offer features like MU-MIMO and beamforming for improved performance. Additionally, consider whether you need advanced features like VPN support, parental controls, or mesh networking for larger homes. Reading reviews and comparing specifications can help you find the best router for your specific requirements.

I'm a little confused about a router with a built-in VPN. Normally, from what I understand, a VPN routes your internet traffic through a different computer so that the destination does not know the true IP address of the computer that sent the original traffic. Now, if I want to log into my bank and the VPN in the router is enabled, they will not recognize the computer and I'll have to go through some kind of identity verification. Is this true or do I misunderstand how the VPN router works.

You can think of VPN as the sum of two ends of a network. Therefore, the network must have two ends. One end will be the VPN client software in your router, and the other is typically a commercial VPN provider service.

Such services usually offer endpoints in various countries, so when your bank tries to geolocate your setup, it will see you as being in whatever country whose endpoints you've chosen. That being said, I've heard that some banks actually check for IP ranges of common VPN providers and reject logon if you're using an IP from that range. I would imagine this would vary by institution, so maybe check with your bank to be sure.

How about some basic details on your current ASUS router? How have you confirmed that your router is the problem? Have you actually gone through the process of mapping out your home's WiFi coverage?

Unless you have at least a simple analysis of your WiFi coverage it could be a matter of just repositioning or relocating your ASUS router. Buying a new router and setting it up in the same way could just result in the same problem occurring. Or not given a good router with multiple antennas will out-perform an older, less capable router. So again, what model ASUS router do you have?

If you have an Android mobile device, try using this 'WiFi Analyzer (open source)' app to make basic WiFi heat map of your home:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.vrem.wifianalyzer&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1

Stand a few feet in front of your ASUS router to get a baseline measurement (check both 2.4GHz and 5GHz), then go to different locations in your home and get some WiFi signal strength numbers. Using actual, numeric data to make educated decisions are better than just assumptions and guesses.

You might be able to fix any weak spots by just focusing on where you have your router set up:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2020/02/the-ars-technica-semi-scientific-guide-to-wi-fi-access-point-placement/

If your ASUS is too dated as an adequate router, I'll just tentatively suggest this TP-Link AX-21 router:

https://www.xda-developers.com/tp-link-archer-ax21-70-deal/

This is a budget-class router but I picked one up several months ago and it's a very capable router.

But a lot of your choice in a new router should also involve just how big is your home? Something like this AX-21 should work out well in a relative small home but if you have a substantially large household, with multiple users, you might want to look into upgrading into a mesh WIFI setup. Generally, if your home is over 2300 sq. ft. in size, a single router won't be adequate. You could get a router and then extenders, or get a mesh router/nodes that can provide a more extensive WiFi network.

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/best-wi-fi-mesh-networking-kits/

The router is an ASUS RT-AC66U B1 AC1750 Dual-Band WiFi Router. It has three antennas. It's set up in the basement, per a security video that I saw a few years ago. I bought the router in 2020. The house is about 1200 square feet and is all on one level. There are three Roku boxes on the wi-fi and all of them show excellent signal strength. The main desktop computer that I use shows good signal strength. The two recurring issues that I see are:

1) Occasionally, the router seems to drop a device. The device shows that it is receiving a good to excellent wi-fi signal, but the device can't connect. I have to reboot the modem and router and then everything is back to normal.

2) Maybe once a month, the data download rate becomes very slow. If I run Speedtest, it shows about 2.5 Mbps. Rebooting the modem and router brings the speed back up to 240 Mbps.

My smart phone is an Android device, so I'll try installing the Wi-fi Analyzer that you suggested and see if it shows anything.

Does the router have the latest firmware installed?

Have you experimented with WiFi settings on both router and client devices?

Do these connection drops/data slowdowns display any particular pattern?

-Time of day?

- Day of the month?

- Particular device/brand of device/location of device?

Have you checked the router logs to see what happens during/just before these slowdowns/connection drops with clients?

Edited by Shplad, 18 April 2024 - 05:19 PM.

I installed the wi-fi analyzer on the phone and did some testing. Near the router, the power was about -25 dbm. At the farthest point in the house away from the router, it was about -45 dbm.

The router firmware has not been updated since I bought and installed it.

I haven't done anything with router or client settings. I just connect to the router thru wi-fi for all devices except for one which has an ethernet connection, using the network password. What kinds of setting should I investigate? I'm not very literate in networking. I haven't checked the router logs.

There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for the problems. They seem to show up at random times of the day.

Are all devices connecting via 5GHz, and later protocols (such as 802.11ac) as opposed to legacy protocols?

Are there any electrical devices anywhere near the problem client devices? If so, please list them.

The router's web interface will have a screen showing all connections. I suggest you take a screenshot of that, upload it to an image hosting site such as Google Drive, MS OneDrive, etc. and post a link here. 

Edited by Shplad, 19 April 2024 - 03:47 PM.

Wi-Fi 6, ushered in faster top speeds and better efficiency for crowded networks with lots of devices. The next big update, Wi-Fi 7, is expected to arrive in 2024, and it stands to offer even faster top speeds and better use of the 6GHz band once it becomes a fully ratified standard

Wi-Fi 6, ushered in faster top speeds and better efficiency for crowded networks with lots of devices. The next big update, Wi-Fi 7, is expected to arrive in 2024, and it stands to offer even faster top speeds and better use of the 6GHz band once it becomes a fully ratified standard

Oh great. Another person who can copy and paste from ChatGPT.

The router is an ASUS RT-AC66U B1 AC1750 Dual-Band WiFi Router. It has three antennas. It's set up in the basement, per a security video that I saw a few years ago. I bought the router in 2020. The house is about 1200 square feet and is all on one level. There are three Roku boxes on the wi-fi and all of them show excellent signal strength. The main desktop computer that I use shows good signal strength. The two recurring issues that I see are:

 

1) Occasionally, the router seems to drop a device. The device shows that it is receiving a good to excellent wi-fi signal, but the device can't connect. I have to reboot the modem and router and then everything is back to normal.

 

2) Maybe once a month, the data download rate becomes very slow. If I run Speedtest, it shows about 2.5 Mbps. Rebooting the modem and router brings the speed back up to 240 Mbps.

 

My smart phone is an Android device, so I'll try installing the Wi-fi Analyzer that you suggested and see if it shows anything.

That's a nice, capable router so it should be quite adequate. And that 45 dBm measurement is still a good, strong signal so WiFi coverage doesn't seem to be factor to your problem. Having to reboot your router so frequently shouldn't be required though. Try resetting your ASUS router to its original, factory defaults and then spend some time going through its setup menu to set it back up. Don't just use the default settings, optimize them so your home network is a) secure and stable and reliable. And you want to avoid having to restart your router so often. Here's a guide with some good security tips:

https://routersecurity.org/index.php

I have to ask again, why haven't you updated the firmware on this router?

There are roughly 28 firmware updates for this router.

https://www.asus.com/networking-iot-servers/wifi-routers/asus-wifi-routers/rt-ac66u-b1/helpdesk_bios?model2Name=RT-AC66U-B1

It's unwise not to update to the latest version, even if it doesn't fix your problem. There are patches, important security fixes and feature enhancements.

Edited by Shplad, 19 April 2024 - 03:58 PM.