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Cpt.DipStick

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Word!

TLDR; I'm looking for a new router which doesn't randomly drop, where I can game happily while the family watches 4k Netflix.



I have a home network setup, but... The backbone TP-Link Archer C20 supplied by my ISP is more like a backache.
I experience random network drops, where myself and other wireless users of the network remain connected, but it becomes unresponsive (ie. I can't even access the routers backend).
I've tried resetting the router, updating the firmware, pretty much everything short of voiding the warranty and installing OpenWRT (since my ISP technically still owns it).

With that said, I think I'm in the market for a new router, as I'd also at some stage like to look into getting better Wi-Fi signal in other parts of my house (but will deal with that at a later stage).


The only main requirements I have is that:
  • I have the ability to bandwidth limit devices on the network
  • There's dual band Wi-Fi, so I can still stream Netflix in 4K from my TV
  • There's 4 or more 1gbps network ports for future upgrades
Can anyone recommend a decent router, without me losing a limb to pay for it? (anything in the price range of R500-R2000, maybe more)
 
Ubiquiti Unif AP's or AmplifiHD

Or just go ahead and install OpenWRT - backup current firmware so you can revert

Would you recommend just a simple AP and Router to be sufficient?

I've been itching to try out OpenWRT, but I have a strong feeling that the drops I'm experiencing are a hardware fault :/
 
I'd stick with kit from the same stable - perhaps this router for a cost effective but still very funtional approach

 
Go for the EdgeRouter. They're pretty solid and I've had no issues with mine, been up and running for several months without a hiccup. Traffic shaping, limits, QoS are available. It's quick to set up with the basic wizard if you're not too bothered about going in-depth (If you are, it's fine for that too). Couple that with a Unifi NanoHD and you're good to go.

 
Go for the EdgeRouter. They're pretty solid and I've had no issues with mine, been up and running for several months without a hiccup. Traffic shaping, limits, QoS are available. It's quick to set up with the basic wizard if you're not too bothered about going in-depth (If you are, it's fine for that too). Couple that with a Unifi NanoHD and you're good to go.



His budget is quite low - so the EdgerouterX and the AC lite seems a better prospect for his budget I reckon - virtually the exact same functionality on a budget
 
Go for the EdgeRouter. They're pretty solid and I've had no issues with mine, been up and running for several months without a hiccup. Traffic shaping, limits, QoS are available. It's quick to set up with the basic wizard if you're not too bothered about going in-depth (If you are, it's fine for that too). Couple that with a Unifi NanoHD and you're good to go.


I would be keen to go for something of that scale, but the size of my house is pretty small (<100m^2). With that price range I could also just go for something like this, which comes with 2 APs:

I might be able to get the hardware purchased with a dealer account on Scoop too
 
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His budget is quite low - so the EdgerouterX and the AC lite seems a better prospect for his budget I reckon - virtually the exact same functionality on a budget
I would be keen to go for something of that scale, but the size of my house is pretty small (<100m^2). With that price range I could also just go for something like this, which comes with 2 APs:

I might be able to get the hardware purchased with a dealer account on Scoop too
True. The AC Lite would do just fine. The difference in range between the two isn't all that much. As for the EdgeRouter. The price difference between the ER-6 and ER-12 is negligible, but you're getting quite a few extra ports with the ER-12 + built in switch. Maybe go for the EdgeRouter ER-X and upgrade or get a switch at a later stage if you need it?

 
Would you recommend just a simple AP and Router to be sufficient?

I've been itching to try out OpenWRT, but I have a strong feeling that the drops I'm experiencing are a hardware fault :/

I used to have 2 TP links trying to cover my home, but I replaced them with a RB962UiGS-5HacT2HnT and don't even need the second AP now.

RouterOS is great, worth changing just for it, even though it's a learning curve, you will probably find videos online that can help.

I would recommend getting a router with a SFP cage in case you want fibre direct into your router.
 
I used to have 2 TP links trying to cover my home, but I replaced them with a RB962UiGS-5HacT2HnT and don't even need the second AP now.

RouterOS is great, worth changing just for it, even though it's a learning curve, you will probably find videos online that can help.

I would recommend getting a router with a SFP cage in case you want fibre direct into your router.
So with that said, I'm pretty comfortable working with RouterOS, which is why I was considering going Mikrotik. Is the signal on that little router that decent?


We have a larger rack mount Mikrotik router and AP at work and was thinking of going for that combo, since I can get Wi-Fi signal on the toilet too
 
I used to have 2 TP links trying to cover my home, but I replaced them with a RB962UiGS-5HacT2HnT and don't even need the second AP now.

RouterOS is great, worth changing just for it, even though it's a learning curve, you will probably find videos online that can help.

I would recommend getting a router with a SFP cage in case you want fibre direct into your router.

Had a look at the router you mentioned, would this one not be better too? Seems to be half the price for better CPU, higher gain Wi-Fi, etc

 
I purchased an Edge-router X this year. Enable Smart Q (QOS) has made my gaming/ streaming much smoother no buffering on at 1080p streams . I will Recommend it any time. You can change that C20 into an Access point. And get an Ubiquity ap ac lite or LR in the future. Smart QOS has been managing my bandwidth well. +1 Edgerouter X

edit:
What line speed do you have?
ISP also?
to clarify it was 2 1080p streams on 10mb line and it was smooth. I was blown away
 
I purchased an Edge-router X this year. Enable Smart Q (QOS) has made my gaming/ streaming much smoother no buffering on at 1080p streams. I will Recommend it any time. You can change that C20 into an Access point. And get an Ubiquity ap ac lite or LR in the future. Smart QOS has been managing my bandwidth well. +1 Edgerouter X

What line speed do you have?
ISP also?

That sounds magical. Was it specifically this one?


I'm with Cool Ideas over a Metro Fibre 100mbps line (y)
 
Had a look at the router you mentioned, would this one not be better too? Seems to be half the price for better CPU, higher gain Wi-Fi, etc


Should be then, I get signal on the other side of the house, maybe 12m away through a slab and couple walls. Maybe get the new RB, test it out and then get a second AP if needed. It sounds like the unifi is only worth having if you have multiple of them for seamless transitions, but maybe the mikrotik cAP will be just a good?

And in that case you can use the SFP on the rack mounted router if you want and power the new router via the POE out if it has? That's basically my configuration now.
 
I'll also go with mikrotik. Check around on carb, those units last for ages.

I picked up a RB3011 and 2 x rb951g-2hnd for R2k total.

It provides me with coverage of my whole house and at the AP i have 4 extra 1gbps connections.
 
EdgeRouter X is perfect for lines up to around 100Mbps with QoS and DPI. But you'll want to up it to a more powerful model if you've got anything above 100mbps. I'm running gigabit with ER-12 and it's spot on. EdgeMax over Mikrotik or a consumer grade brand, any day.
 
I'll also go with mikrotik. Check around on carb, those units last for ages.

I picked up a RB3011 and 2 x rb951g-2hnd for R2k total.

It provides me with coverage of my whole house and at the AP i have 4 extra 1gbps connections.
EdgeRouter X is perfect for lines up to around 100Mbps with QoS and DPI. But you'll want to up it to a more powerful model if you've got anything above 100mbps. I'm running gigabit with ER-12 and it's spot on. EdgeMax over Mikrotik or a consumer grade brand, any day.

So i've also known Mikrotik to last for eons, but RouterOS can be sticky to setup without help from the forums for niche settings.

Came across a Carbie selling an ideal Ubiquity setup:

Are Ubitquity devices also reliable? I don't want to be going from one unreliable setup to another too
 
So i've also known Mikrotik to last for eons, but RouterOS can be sticky to setup without help from the forums for niche settings.

Came across a Carbie selling an ideal Ubiquity setup:

Are Ubitquity devices also reliable? I don't want to be going from one unreliable setup to another too
Their stuff is well made in terms of both hardware and software. I've used Mikrotik before I went with Ubiquiti, and much prefer Ubiquiti. The CLI (if you decide to use it) is very similar to Cisco and Junos.
 
Have you installed the EU firmware on the TP link?

Had an issue with mine recently and it was one firmware version out of date.

Since the update, no more drops.
 
Have you installed the EU firmware on the TP link?

Had an issue with mine recently and it was one firmware version out of date.

Since the update, no more drops.

Yo man - missed your post completely. Will double check when I get home, I believe it is the latest version, not sure which region though. 😕

What were the symptoms of your drops? Exactly the same as mine?
Also, could you share your Firmware version for me to compare?

Cheers!
 
Yo man - missed your post completely. Will double check when I get home, I believe it is the latest version, not sure which region though. 😕

What were the symptoms of your drops? Exactly the same as mine?
Also, could you share your Firmware version for me to compare?

Cheers!

Well i have the Archer C2, so my firmware will differ from yours but they should have similar bug fixes.


Basically what would happen was i would have internet throughout the night and morning, then when i got home there is no internet. CPE has all the lights but activity lights arnt blinking.

Going into the router would show i have an external IP so there should be internet.


If i went to the WAN options and clicked on release then renew it would work.


If the EU firmware says "Fixed the bug that the device would be unable to access internet when special IP address and gateway are offered by ISP." Thats what fixed my issue.
 
Well i have the Archer C2, so my firmware will differ from yours but they should have similar bug fixes.


Basically what would happen was i would have internet throughout the night and morning, then when i got home there is no internet. CPE has all the lights but activity lights arnt blinking.

Going into the router would show i have an external IP so there should be internet.


If i went to the WAN options and clicked on release then renew it would work.


If the EU firmware says "Fixed the bug that the device would be unable to access internet when special IP address and gateway are offered by ISP." Thats what fixed my issue.

Ah I see, that makes sense

Looking on the site for the latest of my router, it doesn't give anything like that :

Modifications and Bug Fixes:
1. Added AP working mode.
2. Added the QR Code of Tether App in the web management page.
3. Enhanced the compatibility of L2TP/PPTP dial-up.
4. Enhanced the stability of the IPTV function.
5. Enhanced the system stability and the security of the device.
6. Optimized the mechanism of IGMP packets forwarding.
7. Fixed some problems of PPPoE dial-up.
8. Fixed the bug that configuration bin cannot be restored in some cases.
9. Fixed the bug that cannot login management page by domain name with IPv6 address.
10. Fixed the bug that IE11 browser cannot open the web management page normally after modify the LAN IP of the device.

Notes:
1. For Archer C20(EU)_V4.0
2. New features have been added into this new firmware, so your device’s current configuration will be lost after upgrading and also the old configuration files will not be accepted by the new firmware.
3. It is NOT suggested to upgrade firmware which is not for your region. If this site is not for your region, please click here to choose your own region and download the most suitable firmware version.

The only other regions listed are VN (Vietnam) and SP (Spain) which sucks

I wonder if it's not actually worth just contacting my ISP and asking if other people have had the same issue
 
Word!

TLDR; I'm looking for a new router which doesn't randomly drop, where I can game happily while the family watches 4k Netflix.



I have a home network setup, but... The backbone TP-Link Archer C20 supplied by my ISP is more like a backache.
I experience random network drops, where myself and other wireless users of the network remain connected, but it becomes unresponsive (ie. I can't even access the routers backend).
I've tried resetting the router, updating the firmware, pretty much everything short of voiding the warranty and installing OpenWRT (since my ISP technically still owns it).

With that said, I think I'm in the market for a new router, as I'd also at some stage like to look into getting better Wi-Fi signal in other parts of my house (but will deal with that at a later stage).


The only main requirements I have is that:
  • I have the ability to bandwidth limit devices on the network
  • There's dual band Wi-Fi, so I can still stream Netflix in 4K from my TV
  • There's 4 or more 1gbps network ports for future upgrades
Can anyone recommend a decent router, without me losing a limb to pay for it? (anything in the price range of R500-R2000, maybe more)
I'v had the same of late " where myself and other wireless users of the network remain connected, but it becomes unresponsive (ie. I can't even access the routers backend). "

Physically connected to the LAN, but no internet or access to my router (Asus) or any other AP. I would then have an IP range of 10.0.88.x , where as my network is set to something TOTALLY different.

Try this - when it happens check your IP, and if its off from what it usually is, then manually put in the correct IP range, subnet and GW, should be 192.168.0.xx / 255.255.255.0 / 192.168.0.1 (TP link default IIRC).

What seems to have fixed it was to call my ISP and have them reset the account.

If you end up wanting a new router, with good QoS , get the Edge routerX , its < R1k . Enable SMQ , it will do you well. Otherwise if you want something more business grade, throw PFsense on a old PC with 2-4GB RAM and enable its QoS.

 
I'v had the same of late " where myself and other wireless users of the network remain connected, but it becomes unresponsive (ie. I can't even access the routers backend). "

Physically connected to the LAN, but no internet or access to my router (Asus) or any other AP. I would then have an IP range of 10.0.88.x , where as my network is set to something TOTALLY different.

Try this - when it happens check your IP, and if its off from what it usually is, then manually put in the correct IP range, subnet and GW, should be 192.168.0.xx / 255.255.255.0 / 192.168.0.1 (TP link default IIRC).

What seems to have fixed it was to call my ISP and have them reset the account.

If you end up wanting a new router, with good QoS , get the Edge routerX , its < R1k . Enable SMQ , it will do you well. Otherwise if you want something more business grade, throw PFsense on a old PC with 2-4GB RAM and enable its QoS.


Ah interesting, I was trying to consider other ways to debug it - I checked the log on the device but it didn't show any events during the period that hinted at what it might be.

Before I got annoyed by it and reset my router recently, I had my network setup on the 192.168.1.x range, but you're right - it defaults to to the 192.168.0.x range. I assigned some devices static IPs (like my PC, the TV, and some others) to give them their own bandwidth settings. To test out what you were mentioning, should I remove the static IP and just leave it as DHCP?

When you called your ISP, what did you tell them was the issue you found? How did you explain it to them (out of curiosity)?
 
I would be keen to go for something of that scale, but the size of my house is pretty small (<100m^2). With that price range I could also just go for something like this, which comes with 2 APs:

I might be able to get the hardware purchased with a dealer account on Scoop too

For a 100sq I would do that one but this one instead.


Save your money.
 
For a 100sq I would do that one but this one instead.


Save your money.

Hahaha of course, I'm exploring all of my options here trying to find a good + cost effective solution for me
 
Ah interesting, I was trying to consider other ways to debug it - I checked the log on the device but it didn't show any events during the period that hinted at what it might be.

Before I got annoyed by it and reset my router recently, I had my network setup on the 192.168.1.x range, but you're right - it defaults to to the 192.168.0.x range. I assigned some devices static IPs (like my PC, the TV, and some others) to give them their own bandwidth settings. To test out what you were mentioning, should I remove the static IP and just leave it as DHCP?

When you called your ISP, what did you tell them was the issue you found? How did you explain it to them (out of curiosity)?
1) Do you assign the static IP's on the router via MAC addy or on the device locally?
2)Leave DHCP for something you'll notice fast IE phone / pc , then when it happens check you IP. Do a tracert to 8.8.8.8 or 1.1.1.1 or any website, you'll prob get 0 results or it wil stop at 192.168.0.1.
2.1) After doing steps at 2) insert a static IP (192.168.1.x) thats not in use, and see if you can then tracert as per 2) or atleast ping 192.168.1.1 (router).
3) plug your pc / laptop directly into the TP-link & see what happens if you ping / tracert 192.168.0.1.

I told them that the CPE was not NAT'ting correctly & asked them to reset the account / connection. Did this > 24hrs ago and since I'v not had any issues. It did seem that the issue was my local DHCP server but after resetting 2x different Asus routers, the issue continued, until my call to them yday.
 
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Upgrade the firmware on the router before buying anything.


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