Something to replace my Asus RT-N66U

Lisapete · 1 Mar 2016 at 21:23

Had it some 3 years I think. Want better and faster for my 80/20 connection.

I've a far chunk of stuff I need to setup on port forwarding and also need good wifi range.

Ideas

Avalon · 2 Mar 2016 at 14:03

Replacing the router won't give you a faster connection, the router you mention doesn't have an integrated modem so that side of things would still be handled by the modem unless you choose a AIO solution but they're still not 100%. If it's better wifi you want then add a decent Ubiquiti Unifi AP, it'll wipe the floor with any consumer grade router you can currently buy in terms of range.

Lisapete · 2 Mar 2016 at 21:27

I know the physical connection wont be better but the response time on the network will be loads better and more relaible I hope.

I'll have too keep the OpenReach VDSL modem for now, AIO doesn't do it for me.

Wifi id like both 2.4 and 5.8

Just seen the ubiquiti edgerouter lite, can that replace my Asus and then add an AP on to it along with switch

Spudgun · 2 Mar 2016 at 21:59

Asus 68U occasionally comes up for less than £100 at some retailers.

Alternatively, give Merlin's firmware a go on your current N66U and see if it gives it a new lease of life

flowrider99 · 2 Mar 2016 at 23:07

The Asus you already own is one of the better routers. I second the above recommendation re Merlin firmware.

Avalon · 3 Mar 2016 at 11:06

Lisapete said:
I know the physical connection wont be better but the response time on the network will be loads better and more relaible I hope.

No, it really won't be. The LAN speeds you get from any recent consumer grade router or switch will be near enough identical like for like. If you have a problem with reliability (details help) then investigate it, if the issue is wifi related then look to add a decent AP (I love to pimp Ubiquiti for this application as they make great CPE AP's).

Lisapete said:
I'll have too keep the OpenReach VDSL modem for now, AIO doesn't do it for me.

Wifi id like both 2.4 and 5.8

Just seen the ubiquiti edgerouter lite, can that replace my Asus and then add an AP on to it along with switch

Yes, you can, but again you'll be a few hundred quid lighter and the only change will be wifi is potentially faster over a greater range, you can do that by just adding a Ubiquiti AP to your existing set-up. Adding an edgerouter isn't something i'd suggest most people need to do or will benefit from in any obvious way. It's not consumer grade kit, it's not designed to be as user friendly as consumer kit and it's quite likely that you will at some point end up having to drop to command line though with each update they're getting better. Nothing you've said so far suggests that you have a need or would benefit from getting one.

Your call, but i'd at least spend some time looking at the issue before blindly throwing money at it in the hope that something fixes it, as the odds are it won't.

Lisapete · 3 Mar 2016 at 13:47

Already running Merlin. Did it day one I got it.

Regarding the wifi when looking I'm finding mixed products

james.miller · 3 Mar 2016 at 13:51

You're really not explaining yourself. You should tell us how your asus is under-performing then perhaps people can help you. there should be absolutely no issues with the asus saturating an 80/20 connection.

Lisapete · 3 Mar 2016 at 14:02

It's slow to respond and this across varying devices using both wifi and wired network.

Have tried reset and update but no change

Steveocee · 3 Mar 2016 at 14:11

Edgerouter + Your current Asus in AP mode.

"Slow to respond" is a bit of a blanket and doesn't explain what you mean, the gui on the router is slow? the ping times to a game server are slow?

Avalon · 3 Mar 2016 at 15:23

Steveocee said:
Edgerouter + Your current Asus in AP mode.

"Slow to respond" is a bit of a blanket and doesn't explain what you mean, the gui on the router is slow? the ping times to a game server are slow?

Seriously? The op's struggling to give any meaningful or relevant information about the issue with consumer kit that's dumbed down and you want to spec him a SOHO/Business class router that's well known for it's less than user friendly config that used to require you to drop to command line to config it?

Op, based on your earlier posts and ability to describe problems then please, please don't buy an edge router, it's a device that has an expectation of basic networking knowledge that from your description of the issue you have it appears you just don't have. I'm not trying to be rude here, what you've got as it's a more than capable router so I suspect the issue is going to be something else. 'Slow to respond' with no context could be the device you're accessing on For example if you're hitting a local server then spinning up an HD will take time, the remote site you're accessing could be slow, someone else on the LAN is hammering your uplink to oblivion or hundreds of other things that aren't anything to do with your router.

So if you could elaborate on 'slow to respond' and possibly give us a clue about what you're actually doing and what else is going on then we could save you a few hundred quid. If not then don't be surprised if you have the same issues and have paid a few hundred quid for the privilege.

Steveocee · 3 Mar 2016 at 17:02

Avalon said:
Seriously? The op's struggling to give any meaningful or relevant information about the issue with consumer kit that's dumbed down and you want to spec him a SOHO/Business class router that's well known for it's less than user friendly config that used to require you to drop to command line to config it?

Op, based on your earlier posts and ability to describe problems then please, please don't buy an edge router, it's a device that has an expectation of basic networking knowledge that from your description of the issue you have it appears you just don't have. I'm not trying to be rude here, what you've got as it's a more than capable router so I suspect the issue is going to be something else. 'Slow to respond' with no context could be the device you're accessing on For example if you're hitting a local server then spinning up an HD will take time, the remote site you're accessing could be slow, someone else on the LAN is hammering your uplink to oblivion or hundreds of other things that aren't anything to do with your router.

So if you could elaborate on 'slow to respond' and possibly give us a clue about what you're actually doing and what else is going on then we could save you a few hundred quid. If not then don't be surprised if you have the same issues and have paid a few hundred quid for the privilege.

I did end my statement saying that the description wasn't great. ERL always (and I'm a MikroTik *****).

joeyjojo · 3 Mar 2016 at 17:13

Avalon said:
So if you could elaborate on 'slow to respond' and possibly give us a clue about what you're actually doing and what else is going on then we could save you a few hundred quid. If not then don't be surprised if you have the same issues and have paid a few hundred quid for the privilege.

This, plus might be useful to have a description of the property. Big difference between requirements for a warehouse and a 4 storey house with loads of metal stud walls.

Avalon · 4 Mar 2016 at 09:28

Steveocee said:
I did end my statement saying that the description wasn't great. ERL always (and I'm a MikroTik *****).

Yes you did, but you also went in with a suggestion to buy something that it's reasonably clear is possibly not ideal for the op's skill set

I'm kind of expecting a slow to spin up NAS device or similar to be the cause here.

beachBOYken · 4 Mar 2016 at 11:31

Lisapete said:
Already running Merlin. Did it day one I got it.

Regarding the wifi when looking I'm finding mixed products

Try John's fork version, it uses much older wireless drivers which are considered the best for this particular router and a few other routers I think.

He continually works on new versions of the fork keeping the security side of things fully up to date.