PC Peripherals Looking for a Gigabit router

gourav

Well-Known Member
Disciple
I have been looking to upgrade to a Gigabit router. Today there is a sale on Amazon where TP-Link Archer C80 AC1900 is available for ₹3400 as compared to its usual price of ₹4500.

Is this a good router and should I go for it?
 

TinTinSnowy

Active Member
Disciple
Hey. It's a good router if you don't need openwrt support.
 

gourav

Well-Known Member
Disciple
I have never used Openwrt and honestly, I don't think I'll ever actually use it. Apart from the basic WAN connection and DHCP, the only other feature of the router I use is Address reservation. I have never touched any other setting and don't understand most of it anyway. So I don't think I'll miss having Openwrt support.

It is a bit surprising though that this router doesn't support Openwrt. I was under the impression that all TP-Link routers do.
 

TinTinSnowy

Active Member
Disciple
Archer A9 is not recommended. TP-Link is not good following hierarchical in naming scheme. If you want to stick to TP-Link camp then only 2 models are recommended under 5K - C6 v3 or A7/C7 (openwrt support). Rest all is crap.
 

gourav

Well-Known Member
Disciple
Wow, this is all so confusing. Since the discount coupon is available only for the first two models, and not for the models you recommend, I guess I'll hold off for another couple weeks as I'm waiting for Airtel to tell me whether they can give a connection here. If they do, then I'll probably not need to buy a router anyway.

Can you explain what factors to look at to determine whether a router is good or not? The Spec sheet on TP-Link's website doesn't seem to list the processor model, RAM/ROM etc.
 

TinTinSnowy

Active Member
Disciple
Those models were on sale 2 weeks back. Keep tracking the prices.

You need to search in google with particular model with hardvare version to figure out the cpu. Company website hardly list all those information. You can also get the information from FCC ID Database. https://fccid.io/company.php?search=tp-link

Try to find the models and there you can see inner photos with proccy details. Example of my router. https://fccid.io/KA2IR1260A1/Internal-Photos/Internal-Photos-4916312.pdf

Look for at least 128 MB RAM, 16 MB Flash Memory and a dual core processor. For openwrt support confirm with their website database.
 

gourav

Well-Known Member
Disciple
Thanks.
I think dual core processor will be hard to come by in sub-5k routers. I'll look for it over the next few days and will also take a look at the D-link router suggested by you.
 

gourav

Well-Known Member
Disciple
Would this be a good option? https://www.amazon.in/D-Link-DIR-1950-Internet-Network-Wireless/dp/B093WYM7Z7

My apartment is not very big, so range should be fine. However, I stream 4k movies over wi-fi from NAS (which will be connected to via Ethernet) and TV can't be connected via ethernet. So I'm looking for a future proof solution (at least 3-4 years) with gigabit speeds both over Ethernet and Wi-fi.
 

chetansha

Well-Known Member
Skilled
I see you are looking for a nas drive too. I suggest you buy a router with usb ports it can serve as a nas too with a usb hdd attached to it.
I was using r7000 in that way , now i am using asus rt ac 3100 flashed with asus merlin xwrt as main router + nas and the r7000 i have repurposed in asus mesh wifi.
 

gourav

Well-Known Member
Disciple
I actually already have a NAS setup on a Raspberry Pi. I recently got a Synology NAS and am looking to migrate to it now.
 

sauravghosh

Well-Known Member
Adept
Someone who has in-depth knowledge of networking and not a self-proclaimed expert, how much does a good router affect routing? I mean say my ISP provides a basic Rs. 1000-ish router, and say I change that to an expensive one would that make the routing better?
 

gourav

Well-Known Member
Disciple
Definitely not an expert, but I just want to clarify one thing. Many usecases for routers don't have anything to do with the ISP. For instance, in my case, NAS (Network Attached Storage) device is used to store and share movies/TV shows (and other files as well) so that we can access it from any device. It's primarily accessed from my smart TV though. So my TV and my NAS talk to each other via the router. Since the traffic is all flowing within my house, therefore, my internet connection doesn't matter at all in this setup. It's doing the routing internally.
 

sauravghosh

Well-Known Member
Adept
gourav said:
Definitely not an expert, but I just want to clarify one thing. Many usecases for routers don't have anything to do with the ISP. For instance, in my case, NAS (Network Attached Storage) device is used to store and share movies/TV shows (and other files as well) so that we can access it from any device. It's primarily accessed from my smart TV though. So my TV and my NAS talk to each other via the router. Since the traffic is all flowing within my house, therefore, my internet connection doesn't matter at all in this setup. It's doing the routing internally.
Click to expand...
Understood. I understand that usage and the requirement for a specific router for that purpose or similar purposes. But what I am trying to understand is, whether a really good router makes any impact on routing or is it entirely depended on how my ISP handles it and irrespective of cheap/ expensive router routing will remain the same.
 

cisco_tech

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Routing part handles by your isp. Moment the packet left from your home to your isp.Your router's job is done. Be it 1000 rs router or 10k router.
 
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BluDev

Active Member
Disciple
Take a look at Asus rt ac59u v2 for just under 5k
I prefer Asus for their user interface options and app ease of use
 

gourav

Well-Known Member
Disciple
Thanks for the suggestion, I'll look at this model.
 

TinTinSnowy

Active Member
Disciple
Why not get 2 routers instead of 1? Connect them via ethernet and keep one closer to TV. (So you get faster speeds with minimal interference for streaming from NAS)
 

gourav

Well-Known Member
Disciple
Currently it's not possible to run a LAN cable from the router to the TV. And I live in a rented apartment, so I'm not willing to spend money on wiring (assuming that would even be allowed by the landlord), since it will just go to waste.

I am, however, trying to bring in the cable directly to my drawing room, which will allow me place the router and NAS close to my TV. But it's proving difficult since the only opening in the room is the window, which I need to be able to close.