User friendly router available in the UK to replace Shell Broadband router under £100?

Hardware Questions and Recommendations
1

Hi,

I have Shell Broadband 50Mbps up and 10 Mbps down with a Technicolor DGA0122 (VDSL) which is pretty terrible but the landlord pays for it so I can't complain. That said, every day or so the internet stops working over WiFi altogether until it is reset. Wired connection stays connected. I'm hoping a new router connected to the Technicolor in bridging mode will solve the WiFi issue.

Last time I installed custom firmware on a router was about 15 years ago on a Linksys WRT54G. I'm familiar with the process but it's been a long time so I'm looking for something that is easy to setup and is stable. I don't do any gaming. I'm in a two bed, two story flat so pretty small area to cover but coverage at the furthest points can occasionally drop. 10-15 WiFi devices connected and 3 connected to the Ethernet. Budget is around £100 max.

Three I've considered
ASUS RT-AX53U
NETGEAR R7800 (ebay)
TP-Link ARCHER C6 V3.2

I might be missing something about them though so any warnings/advice appreciated. The Belkin RT3200 is on the radar but over budget at the moment on Amazon (£120).

Thanks in advance.

2

CR25wing on ebay, if you don't need fast wifi, or replace the landlords device by a BT home hub 5a.

2 Likes
3

Thanks, BT Home Hub 5a is pretty appealing given the price on eBay.

4

ZTE mf286d, £40ish from cex also has mobile as a backup if required.

3 Likes
5

Just to give a different perspective/option.

Is your landlord paying for the hardware or are you paying from your own pocket?

If the wired network is fine then you could consider getting an access point. It would be a simple fix to your issue, WiFi dropping out.

2 Likes
6

I'm paying but I'd prefer not to have to run a cable across the flat to a suitable point if possible.

7

I suppose any equipment you bought would be in the same location as the existing stuff?

So in theory you would just need an access point that provides decent coverage.

A more expensive bit of equipment would provide more flexibility though, it would just be more expensive. I suppose nothing stopping you from taking it with you to your next accomodation! So could be a good investment.

Just thinking out loud.

1 Like
8

Looks like a neat little device. What's the WiFi coverage like? Nice to have the RJ11 ports so you can use minutes on SIM card if you want to use the cat12 LTE modem.

Regardless I presume this could shape at 50Mbit/s.

9

Thanks, appreciate the ideas as I'd not really considered an AP. It would be in the same location as my current router. A quick glance at Amazon and it looks like they vary quite a bit in price so will do a bit of research. Cheers.

10

Out of interest, are there any reasons why the three I listed above wouldn't be suitable?

Someone on eBay is selling BT Home Hub 5a with openwrt installed for £20 so quite tempted by one of those assuming it'd have enough range.

11

They are, but it depends on the price asked ...
I'd probably skip the C6 though, since it's only a AC1200 device.

You could also have a look at Mercusys MR70X, same chipset as the Asus, but cheaper (on Amazon). Would however need some light hands on, since it's not officially supported, although there's an open PR to have it added.

FYI the AX1800 devices are roughly as fast as the D7800, wifi wise.

I'd go for the Home Hub, add an AP, if range isn't enough.

1 Like
12

ASUS RT-AX53U is £70
NETGAR R7800 depends on ebay but probably around £50ish
Another on the radar after watching OneMarcFifty video is the D-Link DIR-2660 which is also around £50

Part of me just wants a new toy, but the Home Hub does seem the cheapest option and should fit my needs. Thanks for the advice.

13

That's expensive, for a used device.

Also look for Archer C2600, AsRock G10, Zyxel NBG6616, TP-Link RE650, Netgear
XR500 (stripped down 7800), they're all AC2600 devices, just as the DIR-2660 and 7800.

If you only want an AP, the Archer VR2600 is another option, it's a *DSL modem,
but the *DSL part's not supported by Openwrt.

if you want something really un-killable, get the CR25Wing, it's x86_64 - a PC.

And yes, the RE650 can be used as router or AP.

2 Likes
14

I'm probably the wrong person to ask, @IceG and most of the eko.one.pl forum would be better to ask that question to.

I'm using mine to access TP-Link Tapo cameras over the 2.4 only.