Internet routers

[bush_basha]

I am just wondering if the routers you get from the service providers are any good or should they be upgraded to a good one, if so types and brands?

Reason I ask is we have NBN with the standard service provider router, speeds are ok but downloading through utorrent its not overly fast, and I've never really had speeds to write home about, granted i am only on the 25 speed one anyway.

Also occasional the Internet is crappy and slow and hardly works (wifi and sometimes Ethernet) but a turn off and on of the router fixes that. Surely I shouldn't have to reset the router every couple of days though?

[Devil CV8]

Without searching to see if you've answered before, what ISP are you using, what NBN variant do you have and what is the model of the router.

[bush_basha]

Using TPG, on the 25/5 I think speeds. The lower of the lot. Went the lowest to start with yo test it out. The router is the ISP standard issue a netcomm wireless N300

[Phizzle]

The router is the ISP standard issue a netcomm wireless N300

Then you can definitely improve!
Pick one in your budget https://www.ple.com.au/ViewCategory.aspx?CategoryId=624

Anything around the $150 will blitz it. If you plan on upgrading to better NBN speeds, spend a bit more on the top of the wazza gear

[munz]

what has been your max download mb/sec through utorrent

[bush_basha]

Thanks for that. I figured I could improve just wasn't sure if it's worth it. But I guess it is. Is there a better brand or something I should be looking at obviously Tri and dual bands aren't going to be useful to me?

Most of the house is Ethernet at the moment so the TVs and equipment run on Ethernet just the things that can't run on cords are Wifi.
What I saw last night is I have 7 devices on wifi, with the Ethernet plugged in will the device still pick up and use wifi over Ethernet?

The most I have ever seen on Utorrent is like 1.1mb, Only briefly though it mainly sits around 500kb or under

[team illucid]

uTorrent used to be fast but about 4 years ago discovered fast food. Try a faster client like Deluge for a start. I am on ADSL and manage to sit at 1.2 constantly. As for the router, I doubt spending any money will get you much speed boost given your connection speed. The NBN is no magic bullet at 25/5.

[bush_basha]

I've just started to use qBitTorrent to see and I think the max was 1.2 on that the other day but it doesn't sit there.

I'm not overly worried about speed boost as much because I can go higher on my plan,
It's more so to do with my last paragraph in the original post, occasionally the router will need resetting because the Internet is slow and crappy and once reset it goes good again.

Will devices still use wifi for Internet even with Ethernet plugged in as I show I have 7 devices on wifi but at least 4 of them are plugged in to Ethernet.

[team illucid]

You can configure the Ethernet port to disable wifi whilst connected or just disable the wireless adapter manually through network properties.

[C4B]

Set the ethernet so it has priority over WIFI. The WIFI will still stay connected, but it will only be used if the ethernet connection is disconnected.

Here's an ok blurb to save me typing the process (it's similar for most versions of windows):

http://www.addictivetips.com/windows-tips/give-ethernet-higher-priority-over-wifi-connection-in-windows-10/

[bush_basha]

So should that be done on all devices TVs gaming consoles etc? If the wifi is connected does that mean it's running on wifi and not the Ethernet essentially getting slower speeds?


One thing also I'm using plex on the laptop and then streaming it to a TV (both on Ethernet), is it relying on an Internet connection so if the Internet is slow and crappy that day will the playback not work as it should?

As last night it struggled to play back the media I was watching, it would play then stop and play for a bit then stop etc. then I had enough and reset the router and it was good for that movie until I went to the next one

[C4B]

So should that be done on all devices TVs gaming consoles etc? If the wifi is connected does that mean it's running on wifi and not the Ethernet essentially getting slower speeds?


One thing also I'm using plex on the laptop and then streaming it to a TV (both on Ethernet), is it relying on an Internet connection so if the Internet is slow and crappy that day will the playback not work as it should?

As last night it struggled to play back the media I was watching, it would play then stop and play for a bit then stop etc. then I had enough and reset the router and it was good for that movie until I went to the next one

If you've got devices that are always connected via ethernet, just delete the wifi connection (on some devices it's called "Forget Connection"). There's no point in having it connecting to the WIFI if it's always hardwired.

[Micks]

Or Ol mate could get himself a decent wifi device like this: http://www.ubiquitishop.com.au/192_7_picostation_m2_hp.product :yup:

[C4B]

Or Ol mate could get himself a decent wifi device like this: http://www.ubiquitishop.com.au/192_7_picostation_m2_hp.product :yup:

It's hilarious when you see the dual/tri band wireless AP's on the market. People think if it's dual band it must be better and a have longer range. What they end up with is a hole in their wallet of a few hundred dollars (or more) and everything connects on 2.4Ghz anyway.

I doubt most of the sales reps even understand that the higher the frequency the less effective it is at penetrating obstacles. If a 2.4Ghz AP won't reach that back room 5.8 sure as hell won't.

[bush_basha]

Is it even worth getting tri or dual for future planning or not worth it at this point in time.

Can anyone recommend a decent router. The netgear nighthawk or linksys among others seems to get good reviews however I was reading some reviews and some specs of different routers said router: yes modem: no, isn't the modem the part that access the Internet or was that in the past

[team illucid]

Modem accesses the Internet, router provides traffic movement. Personally I have the Fritz 7490 and also the Asus AC68u. 5ghz range from the house out into the garage no issues, have all the apple stuff running at 2.4 on one network and the non-Apple stuff on 5. Depending on your device chipsets, And budget, dual band is worth the small investment.

[duke5700]

I also have the Fritzbox.. good unit. Has more flexibility than I will ever use at home.

I have a Netgear dual band extender..($99) it was cheap, it works. Mainly for covering the shed as I didn't want to run my ethernet out there.. rest of the house (TV's, Xbox, Desktop, Audio System) is hardwired. I nearly went a Picostation.. but it really is overkill.

As for the 5Ghz, it doesn't have the penetration capabilities through walls/laundries etc but my S5 connects to it and works great all through the house.

[C4B]

We just did an installation this morning for a client with ongoing WIFI drama's. A fairly large office which had been using a Billion WIFI Router but 3 of the office weren't covered.

Disabled the WIFI on the Billion and installed a UBNT Rocket M2 and now the whole office is covered as well as the outside lunch area.

Client is over the moon and can't believe a physically smaller device can outperform their old Billion.

[bush_basha]

Modem accesses the Internet, router provides traffic movement. Personally I have the Fritz 7490 and also the Asus AC68u. 5ghz range from the house out into the garage no issues, have all the apple stuff running at 2.4 on one network and the non-Apple stuff on 5. Depending on your device chipsets, And budget, dual band is worth the small investment.

Basically do all routers come with Modems these days as the article I read had a list and most of the routers said no to modem which I thought was weird?

That fritzbox says adsl2+ router. Can it be used for the NBN.

How do you know if the equipment can run at 5. Not that it matters to me I guess as most my stuff is hard wired or will be if it can be, except for things like phones and tablet anyway

[Micks]

Reckon your better off with a separate modem & router. Had my current cable Motorola one now for 14yrs & never missed a beat even with speed upgrade too.

[C4B]

Basically do all routers come with Modems these days as the article I read had a list and most of the routers said no to modem which I thought was weird?

That fritzbox says adsl2+ router. Can it be used for the NBN.

How do you know if the equipment can run at 5. Not that it matters to me I guess as most my stuff is hard wired or will be if it can be, except for things like phones and tablet anyway

In the home world most devices are modem/router/wifi. So if you're shopping at Harvey Norman / JB etc. you'll see mostly the all in ones.

In the corporate world (maybe with the exception of ma and pa businesses) modem (or NTU,) Router and WIFI are almost always separate items. Why? Because they are infinitely more reliable. Not necessarily faster, but they never need to be reset.

The Downside? That all in one Billion/Netgear/Dlink/TPLink you get at JB maybe $150-$250, whereas the enterprise grade Wireless Access Points can be upwards of $2000 each (eg: Cisco Meraki).

[bush_basha]

In the home world most devices are modem/router/wifi. So if you're shopping at Harvey Norman / JB etc. you'll see mostly the all in ones.

In the corporate world (maybe with the exception of ma and pa businesses) modem (or NTU,) Router and WIFI are almost always separate items. Why? Because they are infinitely more reliable. Not necessarily faster, but they never need to be reset.

The Downside? That all in one Billion/Netgear/Dlink/TPLink you get at JB maybe $150-$250, whereas the enterprise grade Wireless Access Points can be upwards of $2000 each (eg: Cisco Meraki).

So are those all in one units still ok and never need to be reset, or at least reset basically every couple of days.

I have a switch and patch panel that I use for my Ethernet so I'll need something that will do wifi and Internet. I guess eventually I can get one of the roof mounted wireless AP which I was planning to do so I can get the whole house in wifi.

[Micks]

I don't know of many routers that don't need resetting. I power mine off frequently for other reasons.

[XUV]

I don't know of many routers that don't need resetting. I power mine off frequently for other reasons.
I got a a tp link d7, the only thing is that sometimes my pc dosn't pick it up and have to click troubleshoot and it resets

but other than that, had it 2 yrs, all good, handled the 5 kids needing wifi no probs over christmas.

Has 1 NBN 1000 socket and 3 100 socket and both wifi's, and they're less than a hundred bucks now.

[bush_basha]

In the home world most devices are modem/router/wifi. So if you're shopping at Harvey Norman / JB etc. you'll see mostly the all in ones.

In the corporate world (maybe with the exception of ma and pa businesses) modem (or NTU,) Router and WIFI are almost always separate items. Why? Because they are infinitely more reliable. Not necessarily faster, but they never need to be reset.

The Downside? That all in one Billion/Netgear/Dlink/TPLink you get at JB maybe $150-$250, whereas the enterprise grade Wireless Access Points can be upwards of $2000 each (eg: Cisco Meraki).

NETGEAR NightHawk X6 WiFi Router AC3200 R8000

Have you or anyone on here used or dealt with the router above? Is it a great router i found a deal currently for $210 that I might consider getting if it's a good router/ modem

And is it NBN capable

[C4B]

NETGEAR NightHawk X6 WiFi Router AC3200 R8000

Have you or anyone on here used or dealt with the router above? Is it a great router i found a deal currently for $210 that I might consider getting if it's a good router/ modem

And is it NBN capable

Haven't had any first hand experience with this one (there are a million to choose from these days). The reviews are mediocre, in particular relating to the WIFI range on the 2.4 band. I find the Netgear stuff a bit pot luck, we've got one of their mid range routers (prosafe) and it's 100% dependable and never needs to be reset. By the same token we've got a client that has a fleet of their Unified Threat Management Routers and they are constant trouble. If I had to choose a home grade router I'd probably go with something from Billion. We don't use their equipment but the reviews and people I know who have Billion gear all seem generally happy with it.

The ones I'd personally steer clear of are TPLINK and DLINK. If we go to a new client and they have either brand we immediately bin it.

[Smitty]

....

I have a Netgear dual band extender..($99) it was cheap, it works. Mainly for covering the shed as I didn't want to run my ethernet out there.. rest of the house (TV's, Xbox, Desktop, Audio System) is hardwired. I...........

how did you get it to work?.... I have had 5 different extenders in the past 12 months with the aim being the same as yours (covering the garage).. None have worked ( i want to stream internet music out there as well as use the old
laptop for service DVD viewing ) The setups routines are painful.. I have a Netgear D6200 which covers the whole house brilliantly and just gets to the garage, hence the need for an extender.

Tried the Netgear EX6200 (6100) and the WN3000 plus extenders from TP-Link Netcomm and DLink.(want minimum 300mbps) all useless....
the biggest issue is they cannot see/connect to the D6200 (but I have no problem connecting both our phones, my home laptop, my work laptop and the missus' laptop)

any thoughts?

[white lie]

Setup routines? Don't you just press the buttons and they find each other?

[duke5700]

I just followed the setup guide.

I set them up next to each other, so no wireless issues. Used a laptop and plugged directly into both to configure as I wanted the same security configs etc

Like as has been said sometimes, things like laundries, sheds etc do a very good job of impeding the wireless signal. You might need to look at something with a little more grunt to cover the distance.


how did you get it to work?.... I have had 5 different extenders in the past 12 months with the aim being the same as yours (covering the garage).. None have worked ( i want to stream internet music out there as well as use the old
laptop for service DVD viewing ) The setups routines are painful.. I have a Netgear D6200 which covers the whole house brilliantly and just gets to the garage, hence the need for an extender.

Tried the Netgear EX6200 (6100) and the WN3000 plus extenders from TP-Link Netcomm and DLink.(want minimum 300mbps) all useless....
the biggest issue is they cannot see/connect to the D6200 (but I have no problem connecting both our phones, my home laptop, my work laptop and the missus' laptop)

any thoughts?

[Smitty]

Setup routines? Don't you just press the buttons and they find each other?

.. no, that is the silly part
walk in with a new ipad/laptop under your arm and it finds the D6200 straightway (enter the SSD password and you are away)
but
these things that you push a button on... and also push the WPS button on the D6200 at the same time
no connection ever happens. :(

frustrating as....

[duke5700]

I've never had much success with the WPS buttons either.. I havent tried it in a while though, generally just configure the old fashion way.

[white lie]

Ive got a fairly cheap Netgear (model below the nighthawks) and the WPS button has worked every time. Have set up a pair of repeaters with it. Even "pressed the button" remotely with the app 1200kms away while I got the Mrs to press the one on the printer so she could set it up.

Most devices like phones, tablets, PC etc it's easier to just search and put the password in but for devices without a keyboard it has always worked well for me

[XUV]

how did you get it to work?.... I have had 5 different extenders in the past 12 months with the aim being the same as yours (covering the garage).. None have worked ( i want to stream internet music out there as well as use the old
laptop for service DVD viewing ) The setups routines are painful.. I have a Netgear D6200 which covers the whole house brilliantly and just gets to the garage, hence the need for an extender.

Tried the Netgear EX6200 (6100) and the WN3000 plus extenders from TP-Link Netcomm and DLink.(want minimum 300mbps) all useless....
the biggest issue is they cannot see/connect to the D6200 (but I have no problem connecting both our phones, my home laptop, my work laptop and the missus' laptop)

any thoughts?
How far are you trying to go?

[Micks]

All I can say if you don't take C4's advice you will most likely end up with a piece of shit jobbie that will be binned prematurely :yup:

[white lie]

Along a similar line here, does anyone run custom firmware on their router? Any recommendations?

[team illucid]

Don't use WPS unless you want every local kid hacking into your wifi.

[IJ.]

Along a similar line here, does anyone run custom firmware on their router? Any recommendations?

I had a custom Firmware in my old Netgear when I was in Melbourne, it let me crank to power so I had access in the shed, when I moved up here I got a Draytek, the shed here is a long way from the house and it's just useable down there stock, having said that I don't really have any need for it down there... ;)

[Plenty]

Along a similar line here, does anyone run custom firmware on their router? Any recommendations?

For what purpose? Are you trying to run a VPN through it? If so, a router with dd-wrt installed is the best option

[white lie]

Possibly VPN usage, better QoS than I have now, possibly crank the coverage and speed up a touch. Haven't really looked in to it as I only just read about it but seems like it could be a good thing

[bush_basha]

Anyone got any thoughts regarding the linksys xac1900, bloke I know at jb recommended it, said he has it aswell and it's fine. Looks pretty decent seems to have decent reviews

[white lie]

Anyone got any thoughts regarding the linksys xac1900, bloke I know at jb recommended it, said he has it aswell and it's fine. Looks pretty decent seems to have decent reviews
Had the 1200 and it was good but needed another access point/extender to properly cover our house. With the antennas on the 1900 it should be a lot better. I didn't find the software all that great if you need parental control and things like that.

[bush_basha]

Thanks. Nah don't need any of that stuff (maybe one day) basically want to plug it in and it work as it should. Maybe ad statics and stuff like that but I assume that's standard stuff