Best Router for Heavy Internet Using Family

[lynxinursinks]

As the title says, the basic Verizon Fios gigabit router we have just does not cut it for the amount of users we have online at once, and the devices at use. At one time we can have up to TEN seperate devices all using the internet, and it really bogs down connection speeds (not to mention we're already throttled by our ISP, surprise surprise). We do pay for gigabit but at most I can only get up to 100Mbps up/down.

 

So, I need recommendations from not articles, and some better reasonings as to why because I'm a home networking noob who also wants to wire the house for modern day internet (and if you so wish, some tips on that please!!). Most devices we have run on the 2.4GHz WiFi frequency aside from phones and my sisters/my PC's. We live in a decently large size home and the routers location is the living room, main floor, smack dab in the middle of the home basically, open air.

 

If by chance there are other things that I can do settings wise to mess around with the router, other setups I can try that are low budget/low-medium effort, before I try replacing, that would be fantastic to know and at least give a shot. I'm open to anything. If you need more info on what we're running, feel free to ask and I'll try my best to provide

[Radium_Angel]

8 minutes ago, lynxinursinks said:

As the title says, the basic Verizon Fios gigabit router we have just does not cut it for the amount of users we have online at once, and the devices at use. At one time we can have up to TEN seperate devices all using the internet, and it really bogs down connection speeds (not to mention we're already throttled by our ISP, surprise surprise). We do pay for gigabit but at most I can only get up to 100Mbps up/down.

 

So, I need recommendations from not articles, and some better reasonings as to why because I'm a home networking noob who also wants to wire the house for modern day internet (and if you so wish, some tips on that please!!). Most devices we have run on the 2.4GHz WiFi frequency aside from phones and my sisters/my PC's. We live in a decently large size home and the routers location is the living room, main floor, smack dab in the middle of the home basically, open air.

 

If by chance there are other things that I can do settings wise to mess around with the router, other setups I can try that are low budget/low-medium effort, before I try replacing, that would be fantastic to know and at least give a shot. I'm open to anything. If you need more info on what we're running, feel free to ask and I'll try my best to provide

Tom's Hardware just wrote an article on this subject 6 days ago

 

https://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-wifi-routers,review-2498.html

See if that doesn't answer some of your questions

[Sauron]

4 minutes ago, lynxinursinks said:

We do pay for gigabit but at most I can only get up to 100Mbps up/down.

If you're only getting 100Mbps at the modem and you have 10 devices hammering the connection then the problem isn't the router, it's just the "slow" internet connection.

 

Regardless if you want to have a better connection to your local network you should get a dedicated router (as in, without the modem or the wifi access point) and then run wires to dedicated access points around your house. I'm using a ubiquity edgerouter but I've had good experiences with both netgear and tp-link, look around to find something in your budget and read some reviews to figure out what's best for you.

[lynxinursinks]

15 minutes ago, Sauron said:

If you're only getting 100Mbps at the modem and you have 10 devices hammering the connection then the problem isn't the router, it's just the "slow" internet connection.

 

Regardless if you want to have a better connection to your local network you should get a dedicated router (as in, without the modem or the wifi access point) and then run wires to dedicated access points around your house. I'm using a ubiquity edgerouter but I've had good experiences with both netgear and tp-link, look around to find something in your budget and read some reviews to figure out what's best for you.

We don't have a modem, just the router (FiOS G3100, what they sent us), and whether it's 10 devices or two our internet speeds are still underwhelming compared to what we pay for. Should I still at least try a different router to see if it helps or is there something else I'm not looking at?

[Electronics Wizardy]

13 minutes ago, lynxinursinks said:

We don't have a modem, just the router (FiOS G3100, what they sent us), and whether it's 10 devices or two our internet speeds are still underwhelming compared to what we pay for. Should I still at least try a different router to see if it helps or is there something else I'm not looking at?

Are you measing these speeds with a computer hard wired into their router?

 

HOw mig is your house, you might be hitting the limits of range.

[lynxinursinks]

1 minute ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

Are you measing these speeds with a computer hard wired into their router?

 

HOw mig is your house, you might be hitting the limits of range.

I have tried being wired directly into the router, over wifi, over wall outlet ethernet extenders, the results are almost always the same, give or take 10Mbps. Our house is large but it's not so large that devices are out of reach in each corner, everything still has relatively strong and stable connection over wifi.

[Electronics Wizardy]

Just now, lynxinursinks said:

I have tried being wired directly into the router, over wifi, over wall outlet ethernet extenders, the results are almost always the same, give or take 10Mbps. Our house is large but it's not so large that devices are out of reach in each corner, everything still has relatively strong and stable connection over wifi.

that makes me thing think there mihgt be a link speed limit of 100mbit, try using a different cable. What link speed does the router show?

[Sauron]

18 minutes ago, lynxinursinks said:

We don't have a modem, just the router

That means the modem is integrated in the router.

[lynxinursinks]

19 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

that makes me thing think there mihgt be a link speed limit of 100mbit, try using a different cable. What link speed does the router show?

well I went through the trouble of cutting and crimping my own Cat6 cables to needed lengths.

The router states: up to 1000Mbps ethernet, supported LAN speeds up to 2500mbps over coax... and WAN up to 100mpbs...

I think you just helped find the issue...

I think my router has us connected through WAN when we don't need to be

Edited September 29, 2020 by lynxinursinks
Clarification

[lynxinursinks]

1 hour ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

that makes me thing think there mihgt be a link speed limit of 100mbit, try using a different cable. What link speed does the router show?

now what I don't understand, I've been tinkering and can't get speeds past 140mbps and im the only one using internet right this moment, is why FiOS sends a router where in the manual it states that WAN only supports speeds up to 100mpbs yet instructs users who are paying for speeds greater than that to have that plugged in? I'm getting more questions than answers now

[Electronics Wizardy]

Just now, lynxinursinks said:

now what I don't understand, I've been tinkering and can't get speeds past 140mbps and im the only one using internet right this moment, is why FiOS sends a router where in the manual it states that WAN only supports speeds up to 100mpbs yet instructs users who are paying for speeds greater than that to have that plugged in? I'm getting more questions than answers now

what model of router do you have?

 

Can you plug your own device into the cable that goes to the wan port?

 

Try getting a new model of router from ther.

[lynxinursinks]

Just now, Electronics Wizardy said:

what model of router do you have?

 

Can you plug your own device into the cable that goes to the wan port?

 

Try getting a new model of router from ther.

FiOS G3100, apparently their latest and greatest unless they "accidentally" downgraded us. 

Heres the user manual link in case you're curious and have a better eye for detail: https://www.verizon.com/supportresources/content/dam/verizon/support/consumer/documents/internet/fios-router-user-guide.pdf

[SMITHBEATZ]

I use the Netgear Nighthawk AC1900 Dual Band Router. The app is easy to use when monitoring and setting up the router. I pay for speeds of 200Mbps, but test at 230Mbps. The range on the 2.4Ghz band is very far and not as far on the 5Ghz band, but faster speeds it can handle. This is the case for all routers though. Most likely, your speeds will be well within the range of this gaming router.

[Electronics Wizardy]

1 minute ago, lynxinursinks said:

FiOS G3100, apparently their latest and greatest unless they "accidentally" downgraded us. 

Heres the user manual link in case you're curious and have a better eye for detail: https://www.verizon.com/supportresources/content/dam/verizon/support/consumer/documents/internet/fios-router-user-guide.pdf

thats supports gigabit wan, so thats not your issue

 

 

Try testing by plugging your device directly into the ont, or the cable going into the wan port on their router.

 

Have you tried calling their support?

[lynxinursinks]

58 minutes ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

thats supports gigabit wan, so thats not your issue

 

 

Try testing by plugging your device directly into the ont, or the cable going into the wan port on their router.

 

Have you tried calling their support?

So i plugged my PC directly into the router on both the LAN and WAN ports getting similar results to what ive been having before. I then power cycled the router just to see if maybe all the plugging and unplugging was making it act weird and... I get over 900up/down plugged into either the routers LAN port or the ont for WAN

[Electronics Wizardy]

2 minutes ago, lynxinursinks said:

So i plugged my PC directly into the router on both the LAN and WAN ports getting similar results to what ive been having before. I then power cycled the router just to see if maybe all the plugging and unplugging was making it act weird and... I get over 900up/down plugged into either the routers LAN port or the ont for WAN

seems to have just needed a reboot.

 

You look like you can complet replace their router, so you don't need the verizon router at all.

 

What speed do wifi devcies get now?

[lynxinursinks]

1 minute ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

seems to have just needed a reboot.

 

You look like you can complet replace their router, so you don't need the verizon router at all.

 

What speed do wifi devcies get now?

My laptop and phone ran about 250-300 up/down, which is considerably faster than before. I'm assuming the more devices we have wired, the less bogged down the wifi will be?

[Electronics Wizardy]

Just now, lynxinursinks said:

My laptop and phone ran about 250-300 up/down, which is considerably faster than before. I'm assuming the more devices we have wired, the less bogged down the wifi will be?

yea more devices on wired is better.

 

THose speed seem expected for wifi, its hard to get much more without perfect conditions.

[Donut417]

4 hours ago, lynxinursinks said:

We don't have a modem, just the router

You should have an ONT, which in the Fiber world is equivalent to a modem in a way. It converts the Fiber to copper at the house. Verizon historically has converted Fiber to Ethernet or Coax, depending on if you have TV service. 

 

4 hours ago, lynxinursinks said:

FiOS G3100

Looks to be a WiFi 6 router, it also have built in F connector for coax. Seems this router is built with Ethernet and Moca in mind. 

 

Are you connected via Ethernet or Coax for WAN on the Verizon router?