What Router are you using?

Well to your last point thats easy, ISP supplied routers are always shit. Netgear as an example is slightly less shit.

However anyone buying a belkin or a dlink is jumping into the fire.

Don't get over scientific!  Any proof of what you say?

I urge you to look at your recent posts

Why?  The over scientific bit was a joke and I genuinely would like to know what router is the best or at least which ones are very good.  But I would like a few facts to back it up.

It's been mentioned before, in this thread and elsewhere, but I would also endorse the Asus RT-N66U as a quality home router... No idea if it's the best, but certain it's very good. Absent new devices where wireless ac is needed, and the newer RT-AC66U might be of interest, this is a perfect pick at a decent price. 

The RT-N66Uhas a decent gigE switch, top-of-class wifi, and a boatload of features at a middle-range price.

I use it in Access Point mode and that's easy to administer and very good for local traffic management on its internal switch (in this mode, you can use the WAN port to connect to the network, thus leaving all four LAN ports free for local devices, a bonus). WiFi performance is double what I had on my ISP provided (SagemCom) router and all the test sites show above-average wifi throughput and range. As a switch, it works fine: I routinely get sustained transfer speeds of 50 MBps between my Mac mini (upstairs) and my Synology NAS (WD Red drives; downstairs), noting that there is another Asus 8 port "smart" gigE switch downstairs; I also get sustained 25 MBps up and 25 MBps down speeds when transferring between two NASes downstairs initiated and mediated via the file manager on the Mac mini upstairs (yeah, I know... but it's easy and I don't care!). 

In router mode, it has a full suite of things that you might like, and all work well (including solid routing, DHCP, and multiple guest networks on both wifi frequencies). You can read about that in a million reviews, where it often comes out on top in this class.

It has two USB ports and you can enable DLNA streaming of media; it works fine with Naim kit and nStream (I only tried MP3 and FLAC). I haven't tried them, but there are other features including the usual USB printer sharing and a torrent client for managing downloads. 

This is a favorite of folks with complex intranets and/or those wishing to use open source firmware (which Asus makes easy to install and remove). It runs hot, less so when installed vertically with lots of space, but I have not had any issues. 

Scientifically ly speaking, however, there is only one thing you need to know: it is, literally, the Bat Man of routers. 

Regards, alan

Alan when I started this thread I was rather hoping that someone would have experience of the Asus switches.  So thanks very much for that info - I might just go for one of the two you mentioned.

I detailed both of these on page two.

Chaps,

For those that are interested in the Airport Express or Time Capsule as a router, here is a very good review getting under the skin and real world tests (Although 2011 models)....still useful.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/...eview-faster-wifi-/4

Jason.

p.s. I lose interest when the figures start flying around for performance testing but for Big Bill and others, a delicate bedtime read.

Jason, the reality is an apple router review from 2011 is history. i purchased one of the new ac models and sent it back four days later.

apple need to stuck with stuff they are good at.

Are you talking about airport express or extreme?  I used the extreme as a router and liked it.  The express is not really a router but I suppose it could be used as one.  I now have an all in one modem/router from my ISP (comcast) which I do not really like but it is what it is

Fair enough Gary, your negative experience/ views of any Apple router device is well known, but there are Forum members who use them curiously succesfully. I post the linked review because it goes deeper than most and seems to be interesting and this guy seems to know his stuff...perhaps you beg to differ?

The review is plane and simple with a plethora of Big Bills wanted facts and figures, so consume and ponder.

Jason.

p.s. I meant to say 'Airport Extreme' In my previous post.

Dont get me wrong, i am a router whore, i have had a lot or routers including every iteration of apples.

other peoples experience of the New router differ significantly. A quick poke around smallnetbuilder will give you all the info you need.

apples newest router is not as good as practically every other manufacturer in the band. They are ok to set up, but sit mid range in this group of routers (ac wireless) with throughput speeds on wired and wireless far slower than the asus range.

Of course if someone plumbs for it as a start of, they will probably be happy. And perhaps the firmware has been updated to deal with the issues i experienced.

however for me. Someone that has used apple and mostly only apple for computers since 1991, their routers sit only in the ok category. For the money far better exist. And for that reason i cannot recommend them. Especially as most other routers are now a doodle to set up as well. 

No probs with the Apple AirportTimeCapsule here for home use..and I use it with a DrayTek ADSL modem with BT.

Simon

Have used three generations of Apple routers since 1999 and they two of them are are still working realiabley.  

The HDD in a previous Apple Time Capsule packed up after five years (not an issue for me as a replacement had the latest  features and specficicatiins).

It's true that Apple's routers are not the highest performing, but their reliability isn't an issue.  

So, unless there is a need for the highest throughput or the most sophisticated network configuration in your home network, they are great (which is the majority of people).

J 

But what do they offer the non-Apple user that other routers don't, can they even be used to connect Window/Linux PCs?  I don't know.

OK Jason I have now read that article and I can see that you can connect Windows PCs with this router.  It may have seemed a strange question but you often see reports in Amazon reviews that claim the Apple routers and other networking devices (not sure which models) can't connect to Windows PCs.

For me with Apple networking products there are a number of problems

(a) The stupid names they use are not helpful and adding the word 'Extreme' or 'Time Capsule' to a newer or more powerful model is not helpful.  Can I only use them in the future in Airports?

(b) The fact that they piggy-back extra things onto products, for example a hard disk in this case, I would rather keep my backup separate.  One of the points made in the comments section was that he would rather they have put RAID 1 in the box rather than the single disk?????  Get a NAS and configure RAID yourself, for me RAID 0+1 is the ideal.

Although that article would make good reading for someone with an earlier generation of Airport (or Railway?) Extreme (or non-Extreme) boxes it didn't make any comparison of outside of this sphere.

I have to agree with you Jason that it was a great bit of work by Mr Klug but it didn't help me much.

Apple routers do not offer any additional features to non-Apple users.  

I know that they can be configured by Windows OS as Apple supply software for Windows (not sure about Linux, need to check the Apple site).

It is also possible to do some configuration via an iDevice.

The unique benefit of Apple routers is to be able to configure it easily, IMO.  Also, the Airport Express is useful for music duties as many on this forum use it.

J 

FWIW, although I am using a BT supplied modem (rather than a BT HH), I am able to log into BT hotspots when I am out and about.  So, I'm not sure how tightly BT enforce the opting in/out policy.

J

    but add +1 to that

Apples’ marketing has always amused/angered me

In some respects they do a good job, but I get left with a feeling of entrapment to the brand & OS with things like nStream. 

But don't start me off,  I might get into pricing  .........  

Yes Gary I did see your post about the 68 and how you rated it highly but you didn't seem to be using it as a router in your home Machine Room (err garage) or at work.

Can anyone explain in simple terms why the 68 is better (?) then the 66 please?  I have even been in to the Asus site and clicked the Compare checkbox for the 66 & 68 but could not see how to do the comparison.

Dont get me wrong apple routers work, but the set up is not as easy as it should be. There is a veneer of ease because it has an auto find app. But all routers have that now.

when you plug an asus in, its the first webpage you goto in a browser. You dont get easier than that.

as for reliability, thats an odd one. I have owned drayteks, asus, apple, netgear. They all lasted as long as till i moved them on and upgraded. Apple is not better in thus regard.

all i am saying is dont assume that their routers are 'better' they are not. At most they are in the middle of the pack.

how much is new time capsule? 230 quid? You can have the latest ac asus and a 2tb usb harddrive to plug into it (for its built in time machine) for the same money. Faster, more configurable, ddns!' upnp/dnla etc etc. 

I'm a real fan of Apple stuff, but I've not had very good experiences with their routers/Airport kit. The Airport-thingamy blew it's power supply & the wireless signal strength was nothing to write home about. The Airport Express I've got is no longer compatible with the latest software and anyway only seemed to work intermittently.

I finally settled on A Billion modem/router which works faultlessly. We recently switched to Sky broadband & the freebee router they supplied is surprisingly good, with a truly astonishing wireless range.

As it goes i have a new macbook pro retina, and it without doubt the best laptop on earth. They get most things right

A bargain  you cannot be serious !!! 

The basic iPad mini is £200 at the well known rain forest tax dodgers in UK 

Samsung Galaxy Tab (mini eq) is £120

Note to Self - must stop calling mine an iPad

- thats what I mean by entrapment - corral & control.

- but I said wasn't getting started on pricing      

+ 1 with the macbook pro retina, excellent bit of kit.........