Best 2.4Ghz N Router for Range.

Hi,

I'm currently looking to replace my DIR-655 Rev A3 with a DIR-655 Rev B1 (better CPU and upgraded Atheros chipset).

I've been using the DIR-655 for over a year and yes it has it's share of problems but I'm very use to the D-Link configuration and the range/performance has been very good. I have four laptops in the home all with Atheros chipset WLAN which works very well with the DIR-655 which also has Atheros hardware.

Are there any other routers out there with better range on wireless N with 2.4Ghz and works well with Atheros chipset WLAN?

Thanks,

 

The WNDR3700 is a dual-band router but it's all Atheros and worked pretty good with my Intel and Broadcom stuff so it should be good with other Atheros too

 

I was looking into the WNDR3700 as a lot users on DSLReportsForum have said it's very good but I'm unsure if it uses a Atheros chipset like the DIR-655.

Also, many users have reported the WNDR3700 V2 (which replaced the V1 in stores) is not as good as the V1 range/performance.

I like the way the router looks as it goes good with my Motorola modem but range/performance and works well with Atheros chipset WLAN is my top priority.

On top of all that it has to be an upgrade from my current DIR-655 Rev A3 in range/performance and Atheros WLAN compatibility.

 

Got the WNDR3500Lv2 and when I accidentally turned on a free WAP had half my apartment building on it. It gets good range and is 2.4 only.

 

So the WNDR3700 V2 sounds good right now even though I don't need 5Ghz wireless (I think 5Ghz can be tuned off) but I can use the Gigabit LAN/WAN ports for my single wired desktop and Motorola modem which has a Gigabit port.

I just hope I get a WNDR3700 V2 (02R4) as reported by users is good or else a V1 would do.

 

Atheros chipset is not a requirement. 801.11n is far from its beginnings and all devices work OK with all kinds of chipsets.
If it's the 2.4GHz range you're after Linksys E4200 is the best by far. It's a bit pricey though.

 

I did some more research last night and the Netgear 3700 cannot run in N more only like the DIR-655 which is a minus for me plus the NetGer costs $140 as oppose to $75 for the DIR-655. I'm just not sure it's worth double the cost if I'm not using 5Ghz and all my devices are on N wireless.

I'll look into the Linksys E4200.

Thanks,

 

E4200 is quite expensive but take a looks at this table:
Cisco Linksys E4200 Maximum Performance Wireless-N Router Reviewed - Wireless Performance 5GHz, Competitive, Closing Thoughts - SmallNetBuilder

Locations E & F are the ones that are far from the router.
As you see E4200 manages close to twice the throughput of WNDR3700 and WNDR3700 v2 in those locations.

The thing is- if all you care is good coverage and speed in all places you'd be better off spending $70 on a Netgear WNR3500L and buying two simple routers like WRT54G (the old Linux ones) to work as WDS.

Buying WNDR3700 or E4200 you're also paying for a lot of RAM, 5GHz band capabilities that you don't seem to need.

 

I found this Asus RT-N16: Newegg.com - ASUS RT-N16 802.11b/g/n Gigabit Wireless Router up to 300Mbps DD-WRT Open Source support with USB Storage, Printer And Media Server

The router seems to fit me needs perfectly, 2.4Ghz N and Gigabit WAN/LAN ports.

Most users report the router is very good and an upgrade from the DIR-655 in range/performance and the price looks good too.

Of course the only thing about the RT-N16 is that the stock firmware is very buggy and I'll be either running open source DD-WRT or Tomato.

 

Buffalo nfiniti kicks a for range. Bought one for about 110€ worth every penny. Sends a strong signal straight through cement walls let alone other things.

 

Very interesting, I'm looking at this BuffaloTech WZR-HP-G300NH: Newegg.com - BUFFALO WZR-HP-G300NH 802.11b/g/n Nfiniti Wireless High Power Gigabit Router up to 300Mbps/ Open Source DD-WRT Support

And according to this: Asus RT-N16 vs Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH? - Overclock.net - Overclocking.net they both run DD-WRT firmware just the Asus has bit more powerful hardware runs Tomato firmware and also runs a bit hotter, range should be the same on both.

In Canada:

BuffaloTech WZR-HP-G300NH = $65
Asus RT-N16 = $88

I'll do some more research on the BuffaloTech WZR-HP-G300NH as it's $23 cheaper which justifies the lower hardware but also runs cooler and looks better IMO.

 

I used to recommend Buffalo too but there are multiple reports of this routers dying. So many in fact that it's not just occasional complaining.
Just a few days ago one of our users wrote about it in this very forum.
I also recall few other people writing about this but at that time it seemed like something that happens once in a while regardless of the brand and router model.

 

I just did a little research on the Buffalo, apparently the Buffalo router model I want to get officially support DD-WRT from Buffalo but a lot users in Buffalo forums are reporting WiFi connection lost and random resets due to hardware problems. This happens with both Buffalo Friendly firmware and Buffalo official DD-WRT firmware as well as 3rd Party DD-WRT firmware.

So the Buffalo is out of the question for me. Pity cause Buffalo uses Atheros hardware as oppose to Asus Broadcom.

So the Asus RT-N16 with Tomato is looking very good right now for me and is probably my best choice since I do not need 5Ghz. I just have to make sure I flash to Tomato correctly once I get the router or I could end up with a brick or Asus crappie/unstable firmware.

In Canada:

Buffalo WZR-HP-G300NH = $65 (Not an option anymore)
Asus RT-N16 = $88 (Good bet with Tomato)
DIR-655 Rev B1 = $68 (Some as current router just upgraded faster hardware)
WNDR3700 = $120 (Expensive no need for 5Ghz)


Will update on what goes on but more opinions are welcome.

 

If you don't need 5GHz look at the Netgear WNR3500L it's dd-wrt friendly, and mine has been great so far. Not too expensive either and it's got gig ports to boot.

 

Thanks for the info, the WNR3500L is definitely better than the Buffalo which has been eliminated but only 3 internal antennas worry me. It uses the same CPU as the Asus RT-N16 but is clocked lower at 453 as oppose to 480Mhz, not a big deal to me cause it probably runs cooler too. Both the WNR3500L and RT-N16 support OpenWRT/DD-WRT and Tomato firmware. The RT-N16 also has more ram, flash and has and extras USB. Also according to the Tomato USB forum the Asus receives has better range and reception probably due to the external antennas, I live in a two story home so this might make my decision: Asus RT-N16 vs. Netgear WNR3500L - TomatoUSB.

In Canada narrowed down:

WNR3500L = $65
RT-N16 = $88

I guess the $23 difference is price justifies for the 3 external antennas, faster clocked CPU, more ram/flash and extra USB.

 

Don't want to be annoying but you've started a thread looking for a router with good wireless range and ended up with two which are both good (Netgear being my favorite) but none of those two can be described as a router that has good wireless range.

If you take a look at smallnetbuilder's wireless tests in location F (the farthest one) you get the following for downlink 2.4GHz 20MHz

Linksys E4200: 23mbps
Netgear WNDR3700 v2: 10mbps
Netgear WNR3500L: 2mbps
Asus RT-N16: 2mbps

I'm pretty sure that's not what you're looking for.
If you want a good all-rounder and don't care much about wireless performance- go for WNR3500L. It has a lot better firmware than Asus and as a result better performance. You still get 3rd party firmware support but in Asus you have to use it whereas in Netgear you don't.

 

Where does the DIR-655 measure up in the test?

I just placed a pickup order for the Asus RT-N16 for $85 price matched but I could cancel the order for something else.

Just keep in mind I do not want to spend the extra cash for a 5Ghz N router, so let's just keep in the 2.4Ghz N with Gigabit ports.

The Netgear 3500L sounds really good to me and looks sexy too being black but I fear the worst for range as it has built in antennas as oppose to Asus RT-N16 external antennas.

And from the Tomato forum link above, the user states he has both routers and the Asus gets more range. Also on Newegg user reviews 3500L does not favor range and is closely compared to WRT54G range both with Tomato firmware as oppose to the N16 user reviews favoring more range than the WRT54G both with Tomato firmware.

This is a very hard decision for me, I know the Netgear has good firmware off the back without the need for DD-WRT or Tomato as oppose to the N16 which has buggy/unstable firmware from Asus and needs to flashed to DD-WRT or Tomato. But considering user reviews on range for both the Asus wins I think. The Asus is $20 more but I'm paying for better hardware so the money difference in not a lost.

I really just want an upgrade from my DIR-655 which cannot handle Torrents without reset a couple days.

 

I trust smallnetbuilder on that one- the range will probably be the same.
Both use the same radio anyway. As for external antennas it doesn't seem to make any difference- it's been tested and to both reviewer's and my surprise internal antennas did as good as the external ones.

The advantage of external antennas is that you can always upgrade them if you feel like it which may be useful in your situation.
Asus RT-N16 is a good router- a bit too pricey compared to WNR3500L but a good router nonetheless.
I've recommended it to a friend over a year ago and it works fine in a 3 floor house- it's on the middle floor and the range is decent in most places.
Off course it didn't work well out of the box- but DD-WRT fixed it.

So if you've already ordered don't bother cancelling- it's a good router- just not one famous for its range. If it's any consolation I couldn't find anything with both good range and gigabit Ethernet for a reasonable price- so it's not like you had a choice

 

I'm really split right now, I may end up with any of the my two remaining choices between the WNR3500L or RT-N16. The performance is very close between my existing DIR-655, RT-N16 and WNR3500L but the two new ones have better hardware and can handle Torrent congestion. What I really like about the Netgear is that it is $20 cheaper than the Asus, looks sexy black and can be used out of the box with stock firmware.

I don't think I can make a wrong choice with the remaining two routers Asus and Netgear. Heck even my DIR-655 is not bad but I could use the extra horsepower of any of the two new routers for heavy Torrent downloads.

Many thanks for everyone's opinions, I'll let everyone know which one I ended up with by next week.

 

The range is lacking. Weak output.

If range is the issue, Buffalo is still the best choice. They use signal amplifiers on the HP models and the FCC reports indicate much high signal strength than any of the competitors. The WHR-HP-300N is an alternative, if you don't need a USB port. Reliability is actually quite good for the brand overall. It just comes down to users that don't bother to figure out DD-WRT.

If you're willing to sacrifice range, go with Asus. If you really, really don't mind a short range router, go with the WNR3500L.

 

Once the Asus arrives I'll be flashing it to Tomato firmware. I'll configure the best I can as I'm a novice to Tomato features and GUI. Then comes the testing, range/performance and heavy Torrent downloads. If all goes well and the Asus has bit shorter range then my current DIR-655 but does not need to reboot from heavy Torrent loads then I'll keep the Asus but if the Asus resets within the week then I'm taking it back and probably just keep my DIR-655 until 5Ghz routers drop in price.

My current DIR-655 Rev A3 is very good router for everyday use, it does not need to reboot if no heavy Torrent downloading is done.

 

Reliability of a brand isn't very important; reliability of particular models is very important.

Uhm no it doesn't. there are a LOT of reports from old dd-wrt hats like myself of the two Buffalo N routers just dying or starting to drop connections for no reason. google it or read reviews all over. the WHR and WZR HP 300N has a pretty significant failure rate with old salts running them, not somebody who's never updated firmware etc.

Send me postage and I can send you one if you wanna see the behaviour for yourself.

Edit just to add: And what exactly is someone forgetting to do with dd-wrt that causes the wireless to just stop working, and start producing errors in the log files about dropouts? Or is "figuring out dd-wrt" writing scripts to keep your router working when it gets these errors and restart it? cause that's one of the fixes out there. I've used dd-wrt for a while, and with all my routers it's been straight ahead, install it, adjust things like max sockets on older versions, nothing much on newer ones, setup wireless AP and security and go. After that you might need to tweak to get max performance, but no router other than the Buffalo WZR HP 300N seems to start losing wireless connections randomly.

 

I agree with Sxooter on the reliability issue. This particular Buffalo is not reliable and it has nothing to do with people not liking DD-WRT. Something's wrong with it which is very unfortunate because it was my "go-to" router for good performance and good range. Now there's nothing except the outrageously expensive E4200.

@ Nemix77

Be honest with yourself- DIR655 is not a good router. It's not doing what you expect it to do and it's not like you're expecting too much.
It was always the case with D-Link and 655 is a notorious model.

 

LOL, so true.

I cancelled the order for the Asus RT-N16 and going with the Netgear 3500L. According to smallnetbuilder.com the range should be the same at close range and better with 2.4Ghz/20 at location E than the RT-N16 and DIR-655 plus I can use stock firmware if I like out of the box. Also according to smallnetbuilder.com flashing with DD-WRT and Tomato for that matter does not improve wireless range/performance on the furthest locations E/F. Another plus for the Netgear 3500L on my setup is that it has omnidirectional antennas, I have my router/modem right in the middle of the second floor of a two story home. So there you go, I said it really doesn't matter which one I end up with between the Asus and Netgear cause the performance between the two is so close unless of course I somehow convince myself to dish out the extra cash for a 3700v2 (most like not going to happen but you never know).

 

What's messed up about this situation is that there's a lot of iffy data floating around. I see a lot of folks who think it's only an issue with fresh dd-wrt installs, it's not. It affects plenty of W[ZH]R HP 300N routers running stock firmware. Also, it happens to a lot of routers only after they are a few months old, which tells me that there's some kind of signal degradation thing happening over time, sometimes they fail after a short period, sometimes after a longer one. My WZR HP 300N ran for a week or so on stock firmware, no dropped wireless, then for about 3 months on dd-wrt with no dropped wireless. then it started dropping wireless once a week. Then once a day, then once an hour or so. I never cranked up the tx power, all settings were stock It was a GREAT unit for all of 3 months. And a lot of the reports of problems are that it works for 2 or 3 months then starts having wireless problems. I'm guessing that the transmitter isn't properly thermally coupled to keep it cool and it degrades over time, and they'll all be dead within 3 years. Definitely NOT designed by the same engineer that gave us the WHR HP 54G...

 

What's wrong with the Netgear WNR3500L or WDNR37000? They're not reliable routers with very good to excellent performance?

Seriously I'm not dishing out $250 for a E4200 that some guy supposedly claims as the go to router for reliability and performance that has yet to be seen with time since the router is still new and firmware updates are still to come.

I find it hard to convince myself to buy a WDNR37000 for $120, I find the WNR3500L for $65 much more approachable even though it's hardly an upgrade from my DIR-655.

 

Everything I've seen personally and read about says the 3500L is rock solid. It's got decent but not great range and is plenty fast enough to work as a small office router.

 

It's a lot of an upgrade from DIR-655, really...

 

I thought the WNDR3700v2 took over so why do people keep referring to it as the WNDR3700?

 

The WNDR3700 is still a lottery hear in Canada depending on where you buy from, you could end up with either or.

I'm seriously considering a WNDR3700 hopefully I get v2 if I do get one even though I specifically said I do not need 5Ghz but 8 antennas and faster hardware makes me very envious if I were get a WNR3500L.

Also, I know if I get a WNR3500L now a few months down I'll want to upgrade to a WNDR3700 as it's Netgears most popular and best router ATM. It already happened once to me already when I got a DIR-628 then upgraded to a DIR-655 (for the same reason most popular and best at the time) but good thing is I know when to stop for upgrades.

I'll just wait a day or two for Easter sales to come into effect and decide of which Netgear from there.