top notch router required - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 02:04:27 pm
content: it has become apparent that my shitty Tenda router really is shitty so I'm after another one BUT, I WANT:dual channel wifi (2.4 & 5 GHz)Gigabit lan portsbuilt in modemAny recomendations without flooring my bank account.

author: grumpydoc
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 02:07:38 pm
content: ADSL, VDSL or both?How many LAN ports?IPV6 ?Vlans?

author: AndrejaKo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 02:10:16 pm
content: You won't find a good router with a built-in modem.The ones with a modem are usually the cheapest of the cheapest and are sold in bulk to ISPs, mainly for their price.Looks like my info is a bit outdated. By the way, you didn't even specify the type of modem you need!If you have enough money, you might consider new generation of 802.11ac routers, otherwise, look for a 802.11n router with dual radios.What kind of coverage do you need for wireless, how big is the load on your wired Ethernet ports going to be? What's your Internet speed?Also how hackable should it be? OpenWRt/DD-WRT and others can bring you VLANs, IPv6, embedded print server, FTP server, torrent-box and similar to large amount of routers available today.Finally, how big exactly are your funds?

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 02:29:33 pm
content: well whatever uk phone lines use. It seems to be impossible to get access to my NAS from outside unless I have a combo router modem.I'm just asking for a decent router not a space ship.

author: AndrejaKo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 02:42:03 pm
content: I'm pretty sure that a combo router/modem is not needed, but it might be simpler to set up. What might be needed are appropriate settings on the router. I for example have no problems accessing servers via my ADSL line. It could be a double NAT issue for example or something similar. Also you can always (well most of the time, depending on how UI for router and modem is done) set things up so that modem works just like a dumb modem and have the router log in onto the provider's network and do all the administration. In that case, accessing NAS remotely would only require punching a hole through the firewall and setting NAT up correctly so that NAS can be accessed externally.Also you failed to specify what it is that you consider "decent". From my experience, most of the routers which match your specification are going to fit in the upper range of consumer routers, so there isn't going to be much from them to space ships. Also there's the "top notch router required" as well.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 02:51:59 pm
content: does not need to be hakable my NAS does most stuff I just need to be able to connect to it with a decent router

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 02:56:27 pm
content: Quote from: AndrejaKo on October 05, 2013, 02:42:03 pmWell basically I'm after a decent router from a reputable manufacturer (which Tenda certainly is not) as in the past I've had problems with the poor interface and combinations of dongles and routers failing to work.I spent hours trying to get my NAS to work and had to give up, it seemed to be the modem blocking access and I could not do much to it so prefer to set one peice of equipment up rather than 2. unless I can get a decent modem also.As I have a nas I'd like the higher speed of connection with a gigabit port and decent speed wireless.

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 03:01:24 pm
content: Quote from: Simon on October 05, 2013, 02:29:33 pmWhich protocols do you use to access the NAS? FTP, SMB or HTTP? The DSL modem isn't involved in any IP routing, it just encapsulates PPPoE in ATM and transports that via DSL and vice versa.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 03:03:59 pm
content: uh not sure really, I'd want to access it from over the internet to get at my files, I've not done any ftp with it yet but torrent yes. my main problem was that between the modem and the router they were blocking the connections, I think it was the router

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 03:36:59 pm
content: Quote from: Simon on October 05, 2013, 03:03:59 pmPrivate files and torrent? Are you running a private tracker just for yourself? Anyway, it doesn't make much sense to use torrent to access private files remotely. It's a P2P protocol to distribute large files.QuoteIf the modem is just a plain DSL modem it's only doing layer 2 stuff, no IP.

author: AndrejaKo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 03:44:14 pm
content: Well look, that's a big problem.Do you even know what you need to do to set up remote access? I don't see how bittorent would be an efficient way to access your files over the Internet. Usually what's done is to set up FTP server on the NAS. Many NAS devices already have FTP servers installed, so you should just set up the credentials. Next step is to set up port forwarding on your router. It should be somewhere in firewall/nat settings. What you basically need is to set up some port, NOT THE DEFAULT FTP PORT and I say again NOT THE DEFAULT FTP PORT so that when a computer tries to access your router over that port, the data is redirected to your NAS and your computer somewhere on the Internet talks to your NAS. Often you'll have set-up where you can pair incoming port on the outside of the router to port and address on your local network. You should also set up the firewall to allow outside computers to talk to router over that port which you'll use.Then you just point the FTP client on your remote compute to router's IP address and port mapped to the NAS FTP server and it should work. If you have a dynamic IP address, you can use one of the dynamic DNS services so you can match the address to a hostname, so you'll get something like simon.dyndns.org or whatever it is you'll use. There is such an option on most routers available today. If your IP address changes, the change will be automatically reported to the dynamic DNS provider and the link will update.I hope this all makes sense when you read it. I wrote it because just getting a new router, won't necessarily solve your issues. You'll still have set-up to do with the new unit and that can be hell sometimes.

author: AndrejaKo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 03:49:51 pm
content: QuoteIf the modem is just a plain DSL modem it's only doing layer 2 stuff, no IP.Some (well all I've seen) DSL modems are actually routers with just a single Ehternet port. If it's not configured properly, it might try to do all routing by itself instead of keeping to the layers 1 and 2. I for example have combination of TP-LINK TD-8816 "modem" and TP-LINK TL-WR1043ND router. With the default setup, as soon as I set up the DSL stuff on the modem, it will turn on DHCP server on its LAN side and if I connect it to WAN side of the router, the router's WAN side will receive a private IP address given to it by the modem and effectively there will be two routers and two NATs between the LAN side and the Internet. If the router is set up for RFC 1483 Bridging, then it should only work as dumb modem. I fear that Simon may have problems of the first type I mentioned.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 04:12:31 pm
content: well I've ordered a WNDR3700 V3 it seems to be a good bit of kt, I once bought a V1 one but it was locked to the US and I had problems with it. I'l have to look into changing the modem seperately

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 04:27:15 pm
content: Quote from: Simon on October 05, 2013, 04:12:31 pmV1 is supported by OpenWrt but not V3. If you still have the V1 you could install OpenWrt which is much better than the Netgear firmware.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 04:55:26 pm
content: Well really i just want a reliable router, i'm not into hacking them yet.

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 05:15:57 pm
content: Quote from: Simon on October 05, 2013, 04:55:26 pmThe funny thing is that OpenWrt makes them more reliable. It has got a nice web GUI too. I'm running several TP-Link boxes with OpenWrt for some time now and I'm very happy with them. And IPv6 works great also. Before that I had D-Link stuff which had several issues with unreliable WLAN and missing firmware updates for security holes.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 05:21:33 pm
content: well I'm sure they will catch up with my model

author: fluxcapacitor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 06:04:17 pm
content: Quote from: Simon on October 05, 2013, 04:55:26 pmIts not just a case of hacking them it generally makes them more reliable.Which ISP are you using btw ,and do you know whether you have a fixed IP address or dynamic.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 06:05:17 pm
content: The IP's are dynamic, LG who make the NAS have a service to redirect to it.

author: fluxcapacitor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 06:28:41 pm
content: Right , the LG is doing the ddns dynamic dns , i think youve complicated matters though by having a seperate modem and router, you could have got an all in one adsl modem/router .e.g.http://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-TD-W8980-Wireless-Gigabit-connections/dp/B00B1NSB8SWhat model number is your tenda .

author: true
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 06:45:38 pm
content: Quote from: Simon on October 05, 2013, 05:21:33 pmNo, it won't.WNDR3700 v1 and v2 are Atheros-based chipsets.WNDR3700 v3 is a Broadcom-based chipset. You might get Tomato eventually.That said, you probably only need a fast router with port forwarding? Probably doesn't matter what you get; as long as you avoid the new Linksys stuff any GigE router will probably work fine for you. Honestly it sounds like you don't really know what you need though and have bad assumptions about it.---I've installed over 60 1043s with OpenWRT AA on them, most as routers or WAPs, and a few doing a lot of building automation. They're solid pieces with very low cost...single band though. But OpenWRT makes them solid and I can do anything I want with them.I run WNDR3700v2 with OpenWRT AA at home as a WAP and I never have any problems, I never have to think about it.

author: AndrejaKo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 08:17:39 pm
content: My 1043 is running OpenWRT too and it's been running great! Much better than original firmware.What about TP-LINK's newer routers? They have both bands and run on OpenWRT as well. For example TL-WDR4300 has all that's needed, except for the modem.Anyway Simon made his choice, let's hope he likes it. I still think that this is all just a configuration issue. As true wrote:"Honestly it sounds like you don't really know what you need though and have bad assumptions about it."

author: Smokey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 09:07:08 pm
content: From today's slashdot article. Some good info here. I also recommend buffalo hardware running openwrt.http://ask.slashdot.org/story/13/10/05/1548257/ask-slashdot-best-open-source-project-for-a-routerwi-fi-access-pointOr if you really want to go crazy, do the laptop + linux thing.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 09:12:22 pm
content: Quote from: madires on October 05, 2013, 03:36:59 pmNever heard of bit torrent sync?Accessing private files from many locations and keeping them synced is exactly what it's designed for.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 09:37:57 pm
content: i meant i'd used the torrent function of the nas as stated it's not worked for much else

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 05, 2013, 10:17:22 pm
content: Quote from: Psi on October 05, 2013, 09:12:22 pmThere is a huge difference between accessing files remotely and synchronizing files. And after readinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BitTorrent_Sync#TechnologyI'm sure that I don't like to sync my private files that way. I'd go for rsync via ssh. FTP and HTTP are a bad choices because of clear text password transmission. SMB is very bad anyways, but it's what most people consider convenient. If you would setup a VPN connection (IPsec) to the router at home you could use those protocols over the VPN connection. Otherwise HTTPS, sftp and ssh/scp (could be mapped as a filesystem with an additional tool for convenience) would be ok.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 06, 2013, 12:32:52 pm
content: I'm going to get the TP one and cancel the netgear one or resell it if it turns up.

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2013, 01:42:34 pm
content: Quote from: Simon on October 06, 2013, 12:32:52 pmPlease checkhttp://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/start#tp-linkfor support of the model (and hardware version) you like to buy, even if you are going the use the original firmware first. If TP-Link stops supporting the model you could move to OpenWrt easily.

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 06, 2013, 02:44:17 pm
content: TP-Link TD-W8980 N600 is not supported

author: AndrejaKo
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 06, 2013, 07:02:56 pm
content: Does OpenWRT support ANY router with built-in modem? I thought that they decided not to support them due to modem driver license issues.UPDATE: Looks like they don't support Broadcom modems, but others with free drivers are OK. Source:http://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/buyerguide#modem

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 06, 2013, 07:05:00 pm
content: Well that might be the reason. As I'm having to spend so much I'd rather have something that does the whole job, uses less power combined and will hopefully be easier to setup with the NAS although that is secondary as at the moment I just want a stable internet connection.

author: true
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2013, 03:16:29 am
content: Quote from: AndrejaKo on October 05, 2013, 08:17:39 pmWe experimented with them (mostly TL-WDR3600)Radio power output can't be set as high as the 1043, and actual signal at the same reported level isn't nearly as strong as the 1043 (and is about on par to slightly less than other competing models). Overall operation of software on the unit is faster. More RAM is always nice. Radios were a bit more finicky when roaming but not too bad. There are reports of overheating in the field and other minor bugs; we haven't had any of this yet but I do notice they get hotter than the 1043. 5GHz is very weak compared to my 3700s but very fast when in close range.We stopped using them except if the customer really needs dual band or has existing dual band equipment. I think I have only one left. Yet just today I installed 3 more 1043s...

author: NiHaoMike
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2013, 04:01:59 am
content: So far, I haven't come across any affordable unit that could match an old PC repurposed into a router. For wireless, your best bet is a cheap(ish) router used as an AP. Upgrading the heatsinking (the routers I have taken apart just use thin sheet metal as a heatsink, if there's any to begin with) and adding more bypass caps will help a lot for overclocking or just getting better stability.And where bandwidth counts, cheap CAT6 will beat wireless every time. Use that if you can.

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2013, 09:41:28 am
content: Quote from: true on October 08, 2013, 03:16:29 amI've got two TL-WDR4300 running OpenWrt and I'm quite happy with them. The WLAN works excellent, much better than the D-Link stuff I had before (which was 2-3 times more expensive). The only caveat is that OpenWrt doesn't support the built-in hardware NAT (proprietary).

author: smoothtalker
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2013, 04:28:20 pm
content: Asus all the way for quality router!http://www.asus.com/Networking/RTAC68U/I'm using a D-Link rounter right now. DO NOT buy dlink, they are horrible. The wireless on 2.4Ghz is only 60mpbs max.Over here in singapore our fibre broadband reach 1Gbps for download. I'm paying for 200mbps. Can't even get half the throughput on DLink. Asus easily hit 90mbps on 2.4ghz

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 08, 2013, 04:40:23 pm
content: Well router arrived and easily installed, now have a much more reactive internet.

author: fluxcapacitor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2013, 11:28:00 pm
content: Quote from: Simon on October 08, 2013, 04:40:23 pmcan you access your NAS .

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 09, 2013, 05:37:47 am
content: well I had a bash at setting it up and it seems to be working, I can log in from my phone on mobile connection but will hold until I test at work to be sure

author: SeanB
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2013, 06:41:51 pm
content: Now add the remote webcam behind a good SSL tunnel so you can see the yobs and you will be set.

author: HyBird
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: October 12, 2013, 03:02:07 pm
content: I know its to late now, but i think you should have a look at the FritzBox 3370 International Version.Based on your Annex version and DSL Profile, this Gateway schould work to on your Isle.Supporting VPN, Multiple DynDNS Providers, remotemanagment and much more Goodies.If you not at home and you need a File from your Computer, you can esyly logon to yourFritzbox and push the WOL button that belongs to the computer/server/NAS then yourcomputer/server/NAS begins to boot.... then you can download files via remote.

author: Smokey
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2013, 05:53:47 am
content: incase you needed another reason to NOT go DLink...http://www.devttys0.com/2013/10/reverse-engineering-a-d-link-backdoor/

author: madsci
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2013, 07:19:52 am
content: If one is feeling adventurous and wants to run OpenWRT *right away*, get a DLink DIR-825. It's cheap, the hardware seems to be reliable (4 in service for a year, no issue) and it has dual band WiFi with all GbE ports. The antennas are connected with SMA so you can use it with other, better performing dual band antennas.Most versions work with OpenWRT and with OpenWRT flashed in, you don't have to worry about DLink'sterrible and sometimes downright dangerousfirmware. The only gripe is the bright blue LEDs and 5GHz radio is not very powerful.They should just ship them with OpenWRT and disband their FW dev team...their dev team sucks anyway!

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 15, 2013, 11:51:53 am
content: Quote from: madsci on October 15, 2013, 07:19:52 amD-Link's hardware is ok. A few years ago they sold some stuff with a warranty of 11 years. I had two access points with that extented warranty but the crappy firmware ruined them completely and unfortunately the APs still aren't supported by any of the alternative firmware projects. So I had to sell them and put D-Link routers & APs on my personal blacklist. I won't buy any new SOHO router or AP if it isn't supported by OpenWrt.QuoteDo you got a soldering station? Then the problem with the blue LEDs could be easily fixed :-)QuoteI'm not sure about the dev team. It could be also the management forcing them to produce cheap firmware.

author: Eliminateur
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 16, 2013, 08:07:27 pm
content: Quote from: true on October 05, 2013, 06:45:38 pmi love my 1043ND, 3 big antennas, 4 giga ports(would love to have 6 or 8...) and very fast.I'm still running stock FW(can't complain but sometimes i'd love more visibility on my network, like instantaneous BW used, realtime flow monitoring, some sort of rudimentary QoS, more flexible addressing on port types and being able to select only G/N and not BGN -_-).why openwrt and not dd-wrt?are you using plain 12.09 AA?(isn't 12.09.1 out yet?), any particular tips you recommend?, any caveats?

author: echen1024
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2013, 12:06:56 am
content: The ASUS black diamond (AC86) I believe, seems to be the best router that's out there now. There is also the N66, which was the best router, until the AC replaced it

author: true
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2013, 01:44:48 am
content: Quote from: Eliminateur on October 16, 2013, 08:07:27 pmActually, it has 5 - the WAN port is GigE and is part of the same switch. This has been helpful for me in situations where I install a WAP and need a port for uplink and need all 4 ports for devices (say an Apple TV, blu-ray player, game console and control system)Quote from: Eliminateur on October 16, 2013, 08:07:27 pmBecause it works. Reliably. Every time. And I can install only what's needed, and do more than DD-WRT. I also know how it works; it isn't blackbox.Also, I don't know if DD-WRT is on TL-WR1043ND. I don't care, either.Quote from: Eliminateur on October 16, 2013, 08:07:27 pm12.09 AA, yes. Vanilla distribution.No tips or recommendations; it just works. VLANs, QoS, high power WAPs, multiple WiFi networks on various VLANs, public WiFi using WPA2 that changes weekly (in a business right next to poor housing) and has a web interface to show the simple generated code, public WiFi with custom captive portal and logging / statistics, controlling lighting and locks in a building based on the status of an alarm system,working as a basic reliable router,other stuff I can't think of. Great little machines.The only bug I have noticed so far is that in LuCI, one can't change the NTP server fields. This bug did not exist in prior AA releases. The workaround is to ssh in and vi /etc/config/system. Minor bug, slightly annoying, but something that's set-and-forget thankfully.

author: Eliminateur
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2013, 04:02:24 am
content: "controlling lighting and locks in a building based on the status of an alarm system,", you're using it for THAT?, HOW?, are you using the GPIO pins to some sort of contraption?.i count 4 usable as the wan is pratically always used, but i run short with 4: 3 PCs, 1 NAS, 1 long-haul and i need one free just in case i need to plug something at giga speed

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2013, 12:11:13 pm
content: Quote from: Eliminateur on October 18, 2013, 04:02:24 amThere are tons of 5 port desktop GE switches for €20.

author: Eliminateur
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2013, 12:35:36 pm
content: yeah i know there are very cheap switches( tplink/dlink) but it's adding another thingy to an already cluttered "behind desktop".i know the culprit are the switch chip manufacturers that are fixated on 5 measly ports chips dunno why(5 external, 3 MII-"internal"), router manufacturers COULD use those MII and hookup to externals PHYs but they're lazy and cheap...Also the ammount of space on the back of the device is a problem, with the antennas and all that... (you could argue they can put a couple ports on front, or sides).I have an old SMC Barricade router that has EIGHT ports(PLUS one dedicated WAN port) and METAL casing and direct IEC C13 input(internal PSU), it is an absolute delight (it was my router for years until i moved to an "all-in-one" adsl+router+switch thingy that burned on a storm and then moved to this tplink) and was using it as a "emergency" backup on the office when a customer has problems or i need something temporary but the router part broke sometime ago (never gets ready), but still works as a switch(FE tho, it's old..).I wonder why they don't make stuff like that anymore, 8 ports plus 3 antennas on metal casing....BTW, 12.09.1 should have been already out(august/september) i think i'll wait for it before upgrading(see what they fixed)

author: strobot
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: October 21, 2013, 01:02:56 am
content: I also have the WNDR-3700 V3 and have been nothing but pleased with it. Running stock and haven't had the need to flash DD-WRT or any other aftermarket firmware.

author: madires
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 23, 2013, 04:43:29 pm
content: In case someone got a WNDR-3700v4 with the original firmware please seehttp://shadow-file.blogspot.de/2013/10/complete-persistent-compromise-of.htmlfor a nice login bypass feature :-)

author: quarros
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2013, 02:28:33 pm
content: First let me state: It is not my intent to side-rail the subject of the topic!But were talking about top notch, affordable routers and until now no one mentioned Mikrotik?Kinda hard to believe.

author: Eliminateur
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2013, 03:37:17 pm
content: QuarrosQuote from: quarros on October 24, 2013, 02:28:33 pmnot really, mikrotik is highly versatile but that versatility makes it a bitch to configure properly and it's very easy to make mistakes or get completely lost to implement simple functionality(that in other "home/SOHO" routers is a turnkey checkbox).they also don't have good models available: the only integrated AP/router they have(that does not occupy an entire 1RU) is the RB951-2n which is crap:has TWO internal 1.5dBi antenna but they're 1x1! so they're diversity crap(UTTER CRAP compared to the tp-link massive 3 to 5 dBi external ones with 2x2:2 and 3x3:2/3 depending on model)only 2.4Ghz(again, at the same price you can get a WDR3600 simultaneous dual-band one)only fast ethernet (any tplink from the 1043 has gigabit at the same price or lower)no usb ports(gimmick i know but it doesn't have it...)paltry cpu (300mhz mips on utik vs 400/560mhz mips for various tp-link routers) and also less ram(32MB vs 128MB)So, shit hardware at the same price with a far more complicated software?, no thanks

author: quarros
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2013, 11:19:42 pm
content: Quote from: Eliminateur on October 24, 2013, 03:37:17 pmIm sorry to hear that you view them as such.But I have to disagree their product are anything but crap. Almost all of their product are rock solid, stable and reliable, unlike most of the competition. (I know I know OpenWRT DD-WRT can help a LOT with that, I used these for more than 6 years and liked them)I Don't know when was the last time you checked out their product line but there is much more new option than what you list (RB951Ui-2HnD, RB951G-2HnD, RB2011UAS-2HnD-IN for example). Also the RB951-2n is a very bad example because it is only an AP and advertised as such. It was never intended as a full fledged router so it is not fair to compare that to the competition. In that regard it is more realistic to compare thehttp://routerboard.com/RB2011UAS-2HnD-INto the competition, or mine.However I totally agree with you that the versatility of configuration on the Mikrotik's OS can be a really big pain in the ass, but don't forget that it gives you much more option too. I prefer them mostly because of the stability and reliability that I still couldn't get with any TP-link, Asus, Netgear, etc... branded router. I currently have a RB951G-2HnD as my main router in the house and from the start I had zero problem with it, unlike any previous device. (In fact the wireless signal quality is far greater than what my previous TL-WR1043ND was able produce with 3x 8dBi antennas).But as I said I'm not here to start a debate on whether or not mikrotik routers are real bang for the money.I was just baffled that no one mentioned them at all.

author: Eliminateur
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 24, 2013, 11:48:20 pm
content: Quarros, i checked RB site whilst replying to see the current lineup and i missed those you mention, checking again and filtering for gigabit+integrated wifi the only one is the RB951G-2HnD (the 2011 is toolarge "super-router" that's hardly home/SOHO, it even has SFP, on that specific model it's a complete shame they put 5 gigabit and then ruin it with 5 FE ports... why not put straight on 10Gbe internally bridged between switch chips?), now that is a decent spec sheet compared to that other crap i had seen:600Mhz cpu very good, interesting to note it's the SAME Atheros 9344 as TPLink and others use(the WDR3600 and 4300 use that same SoC)1W Radio, only 2.4Ghz (no wonder you might get good signal compared to the 200/250mW~ of the tplink routers, it looks liek it's not using the SoC internal radio)2x2:1 MIMO with 2.5dBi antennaes, that's actually a normal gain, still too bad only 2 chains, ther'es something odd the datasheet mentions it only does MCS7 which is 150Mbps, but seeing the board it apparently has 2 chains so it should be able to do MCS15...)5 Gbe.. standard fare there1 USB -albeit getting a "media/smb" server working off that USB port on a utik will be complicated if not impossible...I view them as a pain because i work with them, and they're very annoying to setup properly

author: quarros
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2013, 12:16:20 am
content: Quote from: Eliminateur on October 24, 2013, 11:48:20 pmThat I can completely believe, the complexity of it can really ruin your day big time. But honestly at the same time certain tasks are far far easier faster with Mikrotik's if you're using Winbox.About the RB2011... well compared to my old Netgear routers (FVS318) it is only a little bit largerBut the most interesting gimmick in that router is that it has a built in LCD display for showing realtime trafic data, and managing...No I'm not kiddingbut the usefulnesses of it is rather questionable.

author: Eliminateur
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2013, 12:38:56 am
content: i didn't knew it had an LCD!, that's so wanky-badass! hahahahaha, winbox on the LCDthe problem with that is that usually the router is tucked behind a computer case or in some inaccesible place rendering it quite useless being in the BACK TOP of the device(if it where front..., but that would make it quite tall)now at USD 129 MSRP, with 10 ports(albeit 5 gimped-ethernet) PLUS a touchscreen backlit LCD and external antennas is a very good value, but yeah, it's quite wide.... too bad with import and markup even my reseller local price would be north of 170 USD, and the value goes to hell at that price (whereas i can get tplinks 1043/3600 between 50 and 80)

author: quarros
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 25, 2013, 12:53:24 am
content: Quote from: Eliminateur on October 25, 2013, 12:38:56 amI think it was originally designed to be mounted on a wall hence the front Ethernet connectors and top-corner LCDThe LCD is connected with a relative long flat flex and you can route it out of the casing as I remember(But don't quote me on that one)As for price. Yeah you're completely right it is pricey. Not as much as any Cisco would be. But hey you get basically the same functionality.Also:I assume you're in the US so look at this:http://www.ebay.com/itm/MikroTik-RouterBOARD-2011UAS-2HnD-IN-RB2011UAS-2HnD-IN-/281193802068?pt=COMP_EN_Routers&hash=item417874e954Update: I see you updated your flag and I assumed your nationality wrongly. Sorry about that.