Is my router Toast?

For a family of that size, I'd go with the biggest cable modem/router I can afford. You want atleast a 16x4 cable modem which can handle a WAN link up to 686MBps. AC1600 router wifi might not be strong enough so I'd look at a AC1900 model or higher.

Netgear C7000 AC1900 cable modem/router lists for $179 on Amazon. There's also this model - Netgear C7500:

Motorola MG7700 AC1900 cable modem/router lists for $169 on Amazon and sports a 24x6 cable modem which means it can work with a gigabyte cable speeds.

Arris SBG7400 AC2 (AC2350) cable modem/router lists for $141 and also has a 24x6 cable modem. Arris also has the SBG7600 AC2 (AC2350) for $172.

I suggest looking at the Motorola or the Arris. There are others from Dlink and Asus but they can be really expensive. Case in point: Asus Modem/Router with a 32x8 cable modem & AC2600 router lists for $249.

I've been on coax-based Internet for over 20 years and I use a standalone cable modem (Netgear CM500) along with a pfSense router/firewall. WiFi is being provided by an Asus RT-AC3100 router set as an access point. This used to be my primary router for wireless and wired but I went to a standalone router/firewall because of the added network control and security.

 

Yeah, I considered going that route but flashing 3rd party firmware may be a bit too techy for a novice. He could very well end up bricking his unit.

 

How do you like pfsense? I was considering doing it and am running a pretty decent setup currently - router with multiple wireless APs/switches so everything is gbit hardwired to wireless APs, full speed on devices wireless/wired on isp (only paying for 400 mbit but getting that or above for internet) - anyway I want more control/custom setup to run clients through VPN at the router and do more than standard wwdrt etc.

I have looked into it and was going to do it, but never got around to it. I had a lot of plans and ideas but unfortunately I've just been pretty busy with other projects, so kind of just left it... I mean my current setup really doesn't have issues but.. Pfsense sounds like it'd be pretty cool.

 

I have my cable connected to a Netgear CM1000 modem with a Netgear R7000 (with DDWRT) as my router and currently have the WIFI turned off on that unit. I have a second R7000 router (with DDWRT) set up to handle all of the WIFI located in the center of my house. My setup is really overkill because I took the time to run ethernet connections to my entire house with multiple separate connections in areas where we have televisions and gaming systems. The WIFI is really just for our phones and laptops. Now that my son is grown and lives in Houston and my daughter is only home for a few months in between college graduation and starting school at UTMB this coming summer, it is way more than my wife or I will ever need. I love tinkering with this type of stuff and have done a lot of beta testing with DDWRT.

 

I really like it. It's not intended for the novice user but for someone with IT experience, it is a lot easier to work with compared to IPChains. I used to build my pfSense boxes using old VIA or Intel chipsets along with dual NICs but I decided to go get one of the Intel Atom-based units from Protectli. These units are small and work great. I'm able to easily segment my network and setup secure wifi. I'm also able to use QoS to allocate bandwidth according to usage as well scan incoming net traffic for malware, etc.. pfSense's new GUI is really all you need and you also access it via the CLI. But the reporting and logging capabilities are what really makes it shine.

 

That's a really cool setup you've got there. You can never have too much bandwidth . Like yourself, I also ran ethernet cables throughout the house so most of my devices are hard wired to the LAN. I tinkered with DD-WRT a long time ago when I was using older Asus and Linksys routers. Now I use Asus-Merlin firmware for my Asus unit because it's a bit more functional than their stock firmware. My son is still at home attending college locally and he's also on the eSports team so he's the one who sucks up most of the bandwidth these days. Now, with the wife also working from home, we spend the day working in our respective rooms only coming out for food and the requisite bathroom break.

 

So, reading through this thread, here's what I do with routers.

First of all, make sure you have a good surge protector. You can't really do any better than the APC 12-outlet SurgeArrest. Researched these years ago for work. They basically have the highest joule protection rating out there, and they've got 12 sockets to boot. For $34. You can buy them online or at the store. I have every computer at work, everything in the IT room, and every piece of expensive electronics at home on these things. I've bought dozens and dozens of these things.

Ok, so routers. After trying just about everything out there over the years, I only buy Netgear routers now. Period. Brand loyalty without question. They're rock solid and easy to work with. And you can even find refurbed ones on Amazon that work just as well. I don't just just use them as routers. I buy multiple ones and use them flexibly as wifi hotspots in different places as well. All you have to do is turn off DHCP, and you've turned a router into wifi enabled network switch. But it can always still be a router.

How do I choose my Netgear routers? Easy. I go to this website, and see what they have DD-WRT Kong firmware for: https://www.myopenrouter.com/download

See, Netgear actually straight up approves and encourages the 3rd party firmware community. Like 10 years ago now, I bought a Netgear WNR3500L for like $60 at Fry's. The L meant it was specifically open to 3rd party firmware, and it linked to the website I just mentioned on the package. That sumbitch has been running our office flawlessly since then. Recently, I've bought some more advance routers mentioned on that site, and I just need to find an excuse to sub out the WNR3500L workhorse. Anything on that site can be turned into a professional level router worth 5-10x the price. So I say buy the best thing you can afford on that list.

What if you don't need DD-WRT or Tomato or another 3rd-party firmware? Well, this way you have the option if you some day do. The stock Netgear firmware works just fine. I often just leave it. The hardware is excellent. But if I do want some additional degree of functionality, I have the option to flash DD-WRT, and it's really very easy. I have never bricked a router having done over half a dozen times already. The instructions on that website and failing that on the DD-WRT website are very easy to follow.

TLDR: Netgear

 

I agree with you on everything especially the Netgear recommendation. As I stated in another post I love DDWRT and always put it on my routers. I agree Kong is the man however it is unfortunate he is no longer working with DDWRT having switched to supporting OpenWRT. I tried OpenWRT a long time ago but preferred DDWRT because it seemed more user friendly. I have not updated my routers since Kongs last DDWRT firmware update. Now that Kong has switched I will have to either move forward with Brainslyer's DDWRT builds or follow Kong to OpenWRT. I could possibly try one of the others like Merlin which @HillBoy says he uses.

 

Hmm, I didn't realized he'd moved on. I literally only check this stuff whenever I get a new router or when it might need a firmware update. I'm not in deep enough to follow devs movements and all that. I'll probably stick with DD-WRT as long as it does the things I need it to do. When it gets to the point that I need to go login to the router to check some setting, the last thing I want is to have remember how to find what I'm looking for. For kicks, I installed Tomato on the WNR3500L I put in at our old house, and every time I had to look into it, I just wished I'd been consistent. Not that it was bad firmware. Just different user experience.

As long as the folks at myopenrouter.com are happy, I'll just use whatever they use. I didn't even know about Kong until I saw their files. I used to just get everything from the DD-WRT website.

*sighs wistfully* I miss my days of tinkering with this sort of stuff. Being the unpaid IT guy for my company burned me out on these fun little projects many years ago.

 

That's awesome! Thanks for the feedback, I'm very interested in doing it, and have an extensive background in IT, my main holdup are other projects around the house... If I get time I'm definitely going to do this. I think I've been planning to do this for years now... So I should probably just do it. Thanks again!

 

Do not buy a combo. The modem is based on internet speed. You need a Docsis 3.1 modem (3.0 will work, but are capping your future speed and will have to replace fairly soon).

https://www.asus.com/us/Networking/RT-AC86U/



https://www.bestbuy.com/site/motorola-32-x-8-docsis-3-1-cable-modem/6105800.p?skuId=6105800

Yes...you are paying more...but you won’t have issues and future proofing

I have 1Gig Internet.

 

Aw no - I can assure you that over time you'll get the hang of it. A good resource to check out is the Smallnetbuilder Forums - https://www.snbforums.com/. They have a wealth of information on DD-WRT and modem/router hardware.

 

I got a set of refurbished Netgear Orbi RBK50 for $209 at Microcenter a couple of months ago. Very happy with its signal strength, range, stability and ease of use.

 

Up here in Dallas Microcenter is about the only place locally you can still get networking gear. Fry's is as empty as BoB's head while Altex Electronics is focused more on infrastructure equipment like racks, cable and power units. Needless to say, they are packed and you have to register on a wait list before you can enter - they send you a text when it's your turn. Last time I went I was 72nd in line and my wait time was for over an hour.