Gigabit router recommendations?

valve90210 · 13 Jul 2016 at 21:59

I'm looking to upgrade my home network and would like to replace the technicolor router I got when I had fibre installed about 3 years ago, with a suitable gigabit router.

Does anyone have any suggestions for suitable routers? I'm not looking to spend huge amounts as I don't need all the bells and whistles, just the simple things really and gigabit speeds would do me fine.

Thanks

philip2009 · 13 Jul 2016 at 22:15

Are you getting FTTP?

Pretty simple, and cheap, to put together a low cost Celeron(with AES-NI) pfSense box with zero moving parts that'll do gigabit, and 400Mb(?) VPN. I use a Asus N3150I-C motherboard(£70(?) - plus dual port Intel NIC card) but you can pick whatever takes your fancy.

bremen1874 · 13 Jul 2016 at 22:21

Have you considered the option of keeping the existing router and adding a Gigabit switch?

valve90210 · 13 Jul 2016 at 22:29

philip2009 said:
Are you getting FTTP?

Pretty simple, and cheap, to put together a low cost Celeron(with AES-NI) pfSense box with zero moving parts that'll do gigabit, and 400Mb(?) VPN. I use a Asus N3150I-C motherboard(£70(?) - plus dual port Intel NIC card) but you can pick whatever takes your fancy.

Nope, just bog standard fttc fibre.

bremen1874 said:
Have you considered the option of keeping the existing router and adding a Gigabit switch?

How would that work, would devices not be talking through the switch which is only 10/100?

bremen1874 · 13 Jul 2016 at 22:34

Connect a Gigabit switch to the router with a single cable.

Connect all of your devices to the Gigabit switch.

Traffic won't go to the router unless it's destined for the internet. Traffic between machines on the LAN will be at Gigabit speeds (assuming they support it).

bledd · 13 Jul 2016 at 22:40

bremen1874 said:
Connect a Gigabit switch to the router with a single cable.

Connect all of your devices to the Gigabit switch.

Traffic won't go to the router unless it's destined for the internet. Traffic between machines on the LAN will be at Gigabit speeds (assuming they support it).

This.

Buy a 5 or 8 port gigabit switch for £10-20 and connect it to the router.

philip2009 · 13 Jul 2016 at 23:00

valve90210 said:
Nope, just bog standard fttc fibre.

Ah, as I half suspected from your post you don't need to route at gigabit speeds - like everyone has said, you just need a cheap switch for LAN traffic.

valve90210 · 13 Jul 2016 at 23:10

That's good to hear, I figured I'd need a gigabit router, that makes life much simpler, cheers guys.