Hi, I'm planning on buying router for sqm since I'm suffering from Buffer bloat with my mode/router device, where I live the best packet for Wi-Fi is 10mbps downstream and 1mbps upstream, I'm planning on getting a router from amazon for now this are my picks NETGEAR 6260, TP-Link Archer A7/C7 and the TP-Link Archer A6 V3 ( I don't trust this one because I saw a post of someone who got a V3.2 instead of a V3 and couldn't install OpenWRT), I can get the A7 for 56 dollars, the A6 for 40 and the netgear for 35. Any recommendations?
Add 10 bucks, get the RT3200 on eBay.
I don't have a recommendation but I'll say that my R6260 has served me well for a year. Installation was easy and updates worked. With its dual setup in flash, it should be easy to recover without using a serial console but the serial access for the boot loader makes it very hard to completely brick if the flash gets really messed up. Other candidates on your list may have similar or different brick recover-ability. I didn't check.
As frolic sugested, the RT3200 might be good since it has better wifi if that might be of interest to you.
Look at the device info for each candidate as well as reading forum entries on each to get a feel for what others have written for their experience especially with real-world sqm performance.
Good luck.