Buying a new cable router

Efour · 16 May 2017 at 06:47

Currently have an Asus ac56 (something like that) but it has flakey range and doesn't seem to handle VoIP stuff well when streaming TV too.ill give it another week, fiddle with QoS, but if all this fails I want a new beefier all in 1 solution.

Must be capable of adding a usb HDD. For NAS Thats 1 nice easy feature of the Asus router.

Any recommendations? Preferably under 200 quid... But I'm open to more if justification can allow.

Not seperates must be all in 1 please.

Orcvader · 16 May 2017 at 09:11

RT-AC56U? Have you tried the Merlin firmware on it? That usually includes extra features as well as fixes to some issues and limitations.

What sort of VoIP issue is it? And is it a certain streaming service?

Efour · 16 May 2017 at 09:27

Yes that router.
Its skype over wifi is awful dropping out every 30seconds.
also now i come to think of it Tune in radio also buffers way too often on wifi.

I've heard about the Merlin firmware ill look into it.

Efour · 28 May 2017 at 05:02

Transfering files to the attached usb3 HDD is causing this thing to need reboot once or twice a day.

I just don't think it can handle what we are putting it up to.

Any very beefy routers out there? I don't mind paying 200+

BigT · 28 May 2017 at 07:30

It sounds like the router is struggling to keep up its routing duties while you're making use of the HDD. Why not offload the NAS effort to something like a Raspberry Pi which could d it with your HDD plugged into that? You may find the current router copes better and even if you still need to replace it, putting the Pi in the mix isn't the worst idea.

Efour · 28 May 2017 at 08:13

Maybe yes. It's another plug socket, more wires, more things on the desk. I know it's a poor excuse but that's sadly the situation.

Ideally I could just get a real NAS or the better router, the 5g signal is pretty turd on this one tbh.

pcfarrar · 28 May 2017 at 09:12

Efour said:
Any very beefy routers out there? I don't mind paying 200+

Synology RT2600AC has decent NAS capabilities and good performance.

Efour · 28 May 2017 at 10:45

Reviews look pretty good for that router, thanks for the tip.

DIABLO · 28 May 2017 at 21:20

You're asking a lot from a all-in-one device TBH. The NAS capability on a Combo unit is alright at a pinch but start streaming HD video and performance for its other duties is going to plummet. I really would consider off loading the NAS duty onto a dedicated device.

Efour · 29 May 2017 at 08:18

I know. I don't think its crazy though. Nearly every router advertises itself as a home media solution these days...

If i go down the router route..

How about this http://www.linksys.com/us/p/P-WRT3200ACM Its on special today only.... ~150 quid/1600SEK. Ive not ownedLinksyssys router for nearly 15 years.

Avalon · 31 May 2017 at 12:35

So you're telling us the top ranked AC1200 router that has the same CPU/RAM as the AC68U, that's been shown to handle a combined 1250+Mbps with proven 35MB/s writes on NTFS and 50+ reads via USB3 isn't capable of your Skype video calls and your NAS usage? Something doesn't add up here, if you replace the router and it's not router related you're £200 down, so why not work your way through the issue and see what's going on.

https://www.smallnetbuilder.com/wir...-band-wireless-ac1200-gigabit-router-reviewed

Personally i'd look at Merlin's firmware, confirm it's not the WAN connection, eliminate wifi as the issue by testing via wired etc.

https://www.mediafire.com/folder/bkfq2a6aebq68/Asuswrt-Merlin

Efour · 1 Jun 2017 at 23:13

Swapped to it yesterday

Efour · 3 Jun 2017 at 21:32

Massive improvement on the Merlin firmware.

Thanks. Still got ****y range but i can just about live with that until i move to a bigger apartment.

Avalon · 4 Jun 2017 at 22:16

Wifi range is subjective depending on positioning/construction, technically you're better seperating wifi AP's from the router (Ubiquiti Unifi AP's are your friend - seamless handoff), this means you can move away from single position antennae to better coverage and easier upgrades. I use wifi for mobile devices and convenience, i'm WAN limited to 52mbit and large file transfers aren't exactly the done thing over wifi, so stability and range is more of a priority than speed.