Best budget router

[79wjd]

I'm going to add a second wireless router in AP mode to get coverage into one room that I can't manage to get coverage to otherwise. I don't need anything crazy as there's only a going to be a firestick and maybe a single phone+ipad+laptop connecting to it, however the Firestick will potentially be streaming blu-rays now and potentially 4k blu-rays in the future (which still shouldn't require anything crazy as a 1080p bluray is <30mbps).

 

Anyway, I was probably going to pick up a Netgear WNR2000 ($25~) unless someone had any better suggestions. 

[DrMacintosh]

What is the maximum budget? 

[79wjd]

Just now, DrMacintosh said:

What is the maximum budget? 

I don't really have a budget -- I'll spend whatever I decide is worthwhile spending, but I don't see why I would need more than something basic. 

[DrMacintosh]

If you want to stick it to the CIA you could get this:

 

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MC414LL/A/airport-express?fnode=58

 

But its not necessarily a value for money buy

 

Apparently they can't break into this line of router. 

https://www.macrumors.com/2017/06/16/apple-escapes-mention-wikileaks-cia/

[79wjd]

Just now, DrMacintosh said:

If you want to stick it to the CIA you could get this:

 

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/MC414LL/A/airport-express?fnode=58

 

But its not necessarily a value for money buy

 

Apparently they can't break into this line of router. 

https://www.macrumors.com/2017/06/16/apple-escapes-mention-wikileaks-cia/

Considering my main router, which I'm not replacing, is almost guaranteed to be vulnerable, I don't see the point.

[DrMacintosh]

Just now, djdwosk97 said:

Considering my main router, which I'm not replacing, is almost guaranteed to be vulnerable, I don't see the point.

ahhh

[ARikozuM]

TP-Link Archer C-series?

[Timothy11]

I would not get the one that you originally suggested as it looks like a single band N wifi access point and the firestick is dual band AC. If you are wanting to stream 4k Blu Ray single band N is not going to be enough. Going to a dual band ac access point will also cut down on interference from others and from devices like microwaves.

Do you plan on running Ethernet between the two devices or do you just need a Wifi range extender?

[Megah3rtz]

20 minutes ago, DrMacintosh said:

Apparently they can't break into this line of router. 

Shh don't tell them. 

[DrMacintosh]

Just now, Megah3rtz said:

Shh don't tell them. 

lmao

[79wjd]

43 minutes ago, ARikozuM said:

TP-Link Archer C-series?

The cheapest is like $90, and I don't really see a need for AC considering the load. 

33 minutes ago, Timothy11 said:

I would not get the one that you originally suggested as it looks like a single band N wifi access point and the firestick is dual band AC. If you are wanting to stream 4k Blu Ray single band N is not going to be enough. Going to a dual band ac access point will also cut down on interference from others and from devices like microwaves.

Do you plan on running Ethernet between the two devices or do you just need a Wifi range extender?

Interference shouldn't be a problem, especially because it's going to be nearby to all the devices that are connected to it. And just because the firestick is dual band ac doesn't mean single band N will be insufficient. 4k bluray would be <120mbps, which N is more than capable of delivering.

 

Also it will be an AP as I said in my initial post, so wired -- range extenders are garbage. 

[Timothy11]

44 minutes ago, djdwosk97 said:

The cheapest is like $90, and I don't really see a need for AC considering the load. 

Interference shouldn't be a problem, especially because it's going to be nearby to all the devices that are connected to it. And just because the firestick is dual band ac doesn't mean single band N will be insufficient. 4k bluray would be <120mbps, which N is more than capable of delivering.

 

Also it will be an AP as I said in my initial post, so wired -- range extenders are garbage. 

The router you linked is 2.4 GHz only and will not get the max speed of N which is in the 5GHz range, also real world N speeds are about 50 Mbs which is less than half what you need for 4k Bluray and will not even let you stream standard Bluray if you are using a wireless bridge which would need 30Mbs to the firestick and the existing router at the same time. Also the switch in that one is only 100Mbs so I do not think you could stream 4k Bluray at 120Mbs even if you ran Ethernet to it and by some stroke of luck you where getting more than that out of wireless N at 2.4GHz.

 

Get a dual band AC accesspoint and run Ethernet to it, even then you could run into Wifi speed issues with 4K Bluray depending on the placement of the access point as real world AC speed are 100 to 200 Mbs.

[The Benjamins]

wouldn't a AP be best, not a router in ap mode?

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-AP-Unifi/dp/B00HXT8R2O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1497965256&sr=8-3&keywords=ubiquiti+access+point

 

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497965367&sr=8-1&keywords=UAP-AC-LITE

[79wjd]

6 hours ago, The Benjamins said:

wouldn't a AP be best, not a router in ap mode?

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Networks-Enterprise-AP-Unifi/dp/B00HXT8R2O/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1497965256&sr=8-3&keywords=ubiquiti+access+point

 

https://www.amazon.com/Ubiquiti-Unifi-Ap-AC-Lite-UAPACLITEUS/dp/B015PR20GY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497965367&sr=8-1&keywords=UAP-AC-LITE

It shouldn't make any difference. The only downside to a router in AP mode is that you're paying for extra features, but I haven't found any AP that's cheaper than a router anyway. 

 

Although, I'm thinking about going another route and getting a Fire TV instead and hardwiring it. Although the Fire TV doesn't have a gigabit ethernet port, so it caps out at 100mbps, but that would still probably be sufficient for a 4k bluray stream.