Selecting a router for 3000sqft

[cammil334]

Hey all!

 

So I plan on upgrading our WiFi setup for the house my roommates and I just moved into. I have a modem in mind to get since the one I brought is something like 10 years old and doesnt take full advantage of the 250mbps we pay for; which I do understand we wont get fully cause thats how it goes, however we went from an 1100 sqft duplex to a 3000 sqft 3 story home and the current hardware wont cut it once we have everything setup.

 

I want something that I can centralize in the house so we have good coverage throughout the whole place. I've been looking at things like the Nighthawk x10 and the like, however it's A: Expensive and B: Has a lot of negative reviews and issues. I can do a bit on the pricey side but if I can save some cash then I'll try to.

 

We have a bunch of gaming consoles hooked up, 5 different rooms that we stream netflix and stuff from, and 3 gaming PCs.

 

I would like to keep the setup to just the modem and router but ill look into any suggestions and try to answer questions you might have for suggestions.

 

Thank you!

[WereCatf]

11 minutes ago, cammil334 said:

I want something that I can centralize in the house so we have good coverage throughout the whole place.

Unrealistic. For such a big house, you really should go with at least one access-point on every floor.

[cammil334]

2 minutes ago, WereCatf said:

Unrealistic. For such a big house, you really should go with at least one access-point on every floor.

So WiFi extenders that plug into the wall or something?

[WereCatf]

Just now, cammil334 said:

So WiFi extenders that plug into the wall or something?

WiFi-extenders increase range but reduce speed, but they're cheap, so whether that's for you or not is for you to decide. Personally, I'd get proper routers with WiFi for each floor and connect them together with Ethernet.

[cammil334]

Just now, WereCatf said:

WiFi-extenders increase range but reduce speed, but they're cheap, so whether that's for you or not is for you to decide. Personally, I'd get proper routers with WiFi for each floor and connect them together with Ethernet.

I would definitely do that however my roommates dont want wires spread through the house. Very anal about that sort of thing.

[WereCatf]

Just now, cammil334 said:

I would definitely do that however my roommates dont want wires spread through the house. Very anal about that sort of thing.

You can tell them that they have a choice between shitty speeds/no connectivity at all or running a couple of Ethernet-cables.

[cammil334]

1 minute ago, WereCatf said:

You can tell them that they have a choice between shitty speeds/no connectivity at all or running a couple of Ethernet-cables.

Fair. I'll look into it.

[WereCatf]

18 minutes ago, cammil334 said:

Fair. I'll look into it.

Oh, as for the routers: you don't need anything particularly fancy. Also, don't fall for marketing-speech. Just check that the routers you buy can do both 2.4GHz 802.11n and 5GHz 802.11ac, and that all the LAN-ports (and if there is a WAN-port) are gigabit. Even to this day many manufacturers boast all sorts of stupid-high numbers for WiFi, but LAN-ports are limited to only 10/100 - speeds, meaning that actual Internet-traffic over WiFi will also be limited to that -- don't fall for this, always check the LAN-port speeds.

[cammil334]

3 minutes ago, WereCatf said:

Oh, as for the routers: you don't need anything particularly fancy. Also, don't fall for marketing-speech. Just check that the routers you buy can do both 2.4GHz 802.11n and 5GHz 802.11ac, and that all the LAN-ports (and if there is a WAN-port) are gigabit. Even to this day many manufacturers boast all sorts of stupid-high numbers for WiFi, but LAN-ports are limited to only 10/100 - speeds, meaning that actual Internet-traffic over WiFi will also be limited to that -- don't fall for this, always check the LAN-port speeds.

Duly noted. Thanks for the tip!

[Donut417]

3 hours ago, cammil334 said:

I would definitely do that however my roommates dont want wires spread through the house. Very anal about that sort of thing.

If the place is wired for Coax, then look at Moca adapters. Hell I think I seen a Moca adapter with a couple of Ethernet ports and WiFi. It would at least be a good solution to get WiFi through out your new place. 

 

Router wise Id look for one that supports at least AC. Like @WereCatf stated, watch for the cheap crappy ones with the 10/100 Ethernet ports. Make sure its Gigabit via LAN and WAN.