I have Verizon FiOS 1GB service and currently the CR1000A router. I have a Verizon extender wired backhaul and speeds aren’t consistent, WiFi drops, teens whine and complain constantly.
I used to have an Asus router (old dual band model) for a 5400sqft house and, other than basement behind furnace, had decent service, range and parental controls. Been researching routers prepping for Black Friday and weeded decision down to (a) XT9 - AX7800 on sale 2-pack for $350 or (b) ET12 - AXE11000 on sale 2-pack for $700.
Question I have is (a) how much do I care about having 6E dedicated and 12 internal antenna (ET12) vs no 6E and 6 internal antenna; and (b) will either or both of these choices almost assuredly improve over Verizon’s CR1000A? So many posts about the VZ router having issues for years and I’m seeing them all.
If the XT9 has an extremely high probability of giving major speed, reliability, range and consistency improvements over the CR1000A, it’s a no brainer to pull “a trigger” - at which point I’d just need to know which trigger makes the most sense. Is the ET12 worth $350 more?
In case it matters I’d love to continue having separate 2.4, 5, 6, guest and IoT connections, but it’s not a showstopper. Thanks in advance.
No one’s gonna respond to your thread probably, I ran across it, so I will:
ISP supplied routers, especially WiFi ones, are woefully insecure and have shitty performance. The ISP has an incentive to make money, not give you the most expensive router on the market, just because you have service.
Most if not all consumer grade routers, especially in the $200-350 range have far superior performance to any ISP supplied router, not to mention you have control over that hardware and don’t need to call them to ask for the admin password, or have to give it back when your subscription ends (like, if you move).
As for WiFi drops and issues, that’s down to physics and electromagnetic properties. Slower waves penetrate mass better - faster waves have better speeds. 5.2 GHz and 6.0 GHz won’t travel as far as 2.4 GHz. Do your research, but ideally, you want WiFi version 6 as a minimum for reliability, and 6 GHz if you’re in a city or something.
Otherwise, go wired to the specific rooms if you’re in a McMansion with lead-lined concrete walls and deploy APs as necessary on 5.2/6.0 GHz high-speed.
Wired > Wireless. Basically always.
Thanks all. I think the XT9 is the winner then. I definitely want more control that the ISP router gives me as well, and I miss the features my old Asus used to give. I used to have Comcast and put the modem into bridged, then used the Asus for everything wireless. I was thinking of doing the same with the ET12’s or XT9’s.
I like the idea of wired APs, though. I’m thinking - if I just turned off all WiFi broadcasts from the CR1000A, I can use the Asus mesh for WiFi and potentially even use MoCa adapters and leverage the existing coax in the house for a few wired APs.
Pardon my ignorance but if I wanted to use one or two wired WiFi access points in addition two the two Asus units (vs. buying a 3rd or 4th), would a switch be helpful? If so - where in the architecture should it go? I’m assuming in between ISP modem and various Asus units would be okay - but I’m wondering if it actually would need to be after the main Asus router and the satellites/APs?
Thanks again.
So your topology ideally goes like this.
Modem/ONT -XT9- switch - everything else.
But it’s fine to go
Modem/ONT -XT9 - XT9- everything else