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All,
In another thread related to computer security (Safe Computing – My Horrifying Experience) Dan Beard suggested upgrading your router if you have one that is more than a few years old. I encourage the same thing. Kathy and I have had very good luck with this router – ASUS RT-AX58U Dual Band WIFI Router (RT-AX3000) (Renewed) ($89.00) – and shopping for a neighbor yesterday I found these renewed ones for like $50 less than the usual price. As many as they have available I submit they are not “renewed” they are overstock that is being cleared out. Regardless, four gigabit ports, blazingly fast and capable of being grouped in a mesh network; that is a steal.
If you are not familiar with “mesh” networking, think of it as a new and enhanced hardware range extender. But that is a massive oversimplification because mesh networks do a lot more, including having the added benefit of the SSID being the same in all spots. Your devices seamlessly move from one hotspot to the next without it or you knowing which one it is hooked to, it is just hooked to the strongest of them. It is a proprietary mesh called AiMesh, but that just means you have to buy more of their brand devices if you want to expand the mesh network, not uncommon regardless of brand.
If you have a long house with dead spots and an outbuilding, buy three. Hook one up wherever you wish, configure the other two and then move one to the far end of the house and the other to the outbuilding. If you have ethernet cable connecting them that is best, but if you have a place that you can’t get cable to but it can “see” the rest of the mesh network, it will work as a really good range extender.
You can use an app on your smartphone to upgrade firmware, reboot them, check the network status, etc., from home or abroad. The security is outstanding and I really think that you will be thoroughly happy. Now, for $100 more per device can you get more? Sure, hardware VPN and all kinds of things. But this router is far and away superior to most if not all that you will find anywhere locally and the price is just fantastic.
Phillip
Nice box!
Looks like something which would be right at home on the command deck of a Klingon Warbird. I went the Synology route.
It’s only slightly less evil looking. ‘Tis mesh capable as well, but in a house this small, we suffer not the need.
Dan,
I help a couple of local widow ladies with stuff their husbands used to do. Today I installed two of these, one in a house and one in a detached garage with Cat 5 cable in grounde between them, and the setup just could not have been faster or simpler. The performance rocks and I just think they are a great value, particularly at this price.
Take care,
Phillip
Have to agree with that! Price point can make all the difference. The ASUS was in the top three running when I did my pre-pull-the-trigger research. The fine-grained security and the OS involved turned the trick in favor of the Synology. But those are aspects the average user wouldn’t care about, much less use.
I did all my cable runs here with CAT6e, but if I had it all to do over again, I’d use CAT6A. I really don’t think it would make that much of a difference — other than making my wallet a lot thinner and my braggin’ rights more specific. 😛
Well done on the neighbor tech support, BTW.
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