Wireless Router Advice

[PieEater]

I recently 'upgraded' my Virgin Media Hub 2 with a used RT-N66U and although wireless range has improved a little it hasn't been as good an improvement as I would have liked, I'm only using the 2.4GHz radio as the 5GHz radio doesn't have a useful range at all. Also speeds seem to fluctuate a lot with little to no reason i.e. one minute I'm getting 45Mbps the next its 1.5Mbps and that's without moving. I have never been that convinced that the N66U is firing on all cylinders so am thinking about replacing it and would like some advice as to what the best option would be. My gaming PC and HTPC are cabled the wifi is only for a couple of tablets and a couple of phones. The highest potential use would be wanting to stream a couple of Netflix sessions simultaneously on 2 devices. The main requirement is range but that's not exactly that demanding we are in a 3 bed 2 story terrace with a tiny back garden that I want coverage in.

I have been looking at the options and seem to have narrowed it down to;
1) TP-Link Archer C7 (£70)
2) Linksys WRT1900ACS (£120)
3) Asus RT-AC68U (£110)

I have read one review that suggests I don't need anything better than the C7, several reviews that say the WRT has the best range, and a few reviews that say the 68U is better than the WRT but I'm not sure if that includes range.

Would really appreciate some advice so I make the right choice.

 

[ChrisD.]

I'd be focussing on why the current Asus router isn't performing because it should be able to do what you want with ease.

 

[PieEater]

I'd be focussing on why the current Asus router isn't performing because it should be able to do what you want with ease.

I kind of expected it to which is why I bought it but I'm suspecting it may have been replaced by its original owner because it wasn't performing very well. I have flashed it with the latest Merlin firmware and have googled for recommended settings, made sure the bands it is operating on are the best available and signal strength is at max. If anyone can suggest some troubleshooting / diagnostics that would be great, otherwise I'm still looking at replacing it to see if I can get the performance I'm after.

 

[TJM]

If you aren't getting any range on 5GHz from a N66U, it's likely that the building is the cause and a new router won't help. Would it be possible to run an ethernet cable to another position in the house where you could set up an access point? You could also use Powerline for this but it's a bit rubbish.

 

[PieEater]

I've moved the router slightly and things seem to have improved so maybe it is a location issue rather than a problem with the router itself.

 

[Orcvader]

If you have thick walls it can hugely affect the range. If there is also a lot of wireless networks in the area that could affect it too.

Another option is to buy a couple of APs, and put them on opposite ends of the place?