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    wireless router with the best reach

    Discussion in 'Networking and Wireless' started by trvelbug, May 28, 2013.

  1. trvelbug

    trvelbug Notebook Prophet

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    what the title says.
    i am looking at the asus rt-n66u, is there another model which will give me more range?


    edit:
    since my laptop cant connect to the 5ghz band, im looking for a router with the best range in 2.4ghz.
    tia
     
  2. WhatsThePoint

    WhatsThePoint Notebook Virtuoso

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    Every environment is different with walls floors and the material they're made of plus interference from large metal objects,microwaves,cordless phones,bluetooth signals,channel and channel width selected etc.

    So what's working well in my environment my not be as great in yours.

    The NEW dual band Intel Wireless-AC 7260 wireless card that will be out at the same time as Haswell powered notebooks combined with a 802.11ac router should produce great signal strength and range on 5ghz.

    Not all 802.11ac routers are the same.Some are rated 1200,1300 up to 1750 Mbps.

    Next Generation Wireless Technology - Wireless AC1750 for optimized performance and reliable coverage delivering high-quality HD video streaming, gaming and file transfers.
    Dual Band Performance - Up to 450Mbps (2.4GHz) + 1300Mbps (5GHz) to deliver fast wireless speeds and less interference for maximum throughput

    The Intel Wireless-AC 7260 will max out at 867 Mbps on the 5ghz band and 300Mbps on the 2.4ghz band.

    ARK | IntelĀ® Dual Band Wireless-AC 7260
     
  3. trvelbug

    trvelbug Notebook Prophet

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    thanks, im actually looking for a router not a wireless card. but thanks for the heads up. ill probably get that for my notebook
     
  4. heehee62

    heehee62 Notebook Consultant

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    Asus RT-AC66U 802.11ac Dual-Band Wireless-AC1750 Gigabit Router Review - Routers - CNET Reviews - page 2

    Go to the above link and you will see two charts showing the range and throughput of a number of routers for both 2.4 and 5 htz (with longer bars indicating better performance).

    Since you're getting an ac card, your best bets according to those charts are the Netgear R6300 and Asus AC-rt66u. Looks like Netgear R6300 and was measured as providing slightly greater range but slightly less throughput than the asus AC-rt66u. The difference isn't that great though so I'm not sure if you'd even notice the difference between the 2 in terms of range/throughput so might want to judge them based on other factors.

    If you have other devices that you can't get an ac card for, you might look at their performances at 2.4 and 5 N as well which are also shown on that chart. Good luck finding the right router for you.