Greetings Guys, I want to buy a router, install open wrt on it and I would like to know your opinion.
I read that a modem/router combo should not be used for internet optimization and more security.
I currently have technicolor tg582n and tp link w9960 v1.2
I currently have ADSL with a down speed between 13mbps - 19.5 mbps. and thinking to upgrade to VDSL but I guess the down speed won't change much.
Do you think the 'TP-LINK archer c20 c750 for 27 USD' is good or should I get something else?
PS: My current budget is between '0-30 USD' (considering my bad financial situation right now)
Edit: we currently use 3-5 devices everyday except for some days this number goes to 7-9 max.
Your speeds are low enough that most anything will work, you do not need expensive stuff. On other hand that price range is pretty tight. If you save for a month or two and could double the range to $60 you'd have a lot more options it seems.
I don't know anything about the C20 other than it's a fairly low powered device and has several versions.
Oh my bad!
I should've mentioned that my real (WIFI/ethernet 2.4 GHZ speed) is about 10 mbps (+- 20%).
And because I live in an apartment there are a lot of routers that are using 2.4 ghz and I want to get the best of my connection I thought about getting a dual band.
I thought about replacing the old flat 2 wire cable that is currently in the same tubes as the electrical cables into maybe a cat 5e one that runs alone but I really don't know if that'll make any difference or it is the modem/router setup?
As far as I know and my ISP technician told me that I am getting on the NID a speed of 19.5 mbps, in my router/modem combo I get between 13-15 mbps and using my ethernet or wifi I get a speed of 10 mbps (when tested with an external device).
Plus, Security is one of my concerns.
After a long talk.... and maybe overwhelming... What should I do? Could it be improved? Is it worth it?
Are you getting the maximum out of the DSL connection? That would require getting good wiring between you and the DSLAM in the wiring closet down the street... The only part you can really control is the part between your device and the exterior demarc point on your house. Upgrading those wires is a good idea. It's against any kind of code to run telephone lines through electrical conduit for very good reason, any damage to the lines could feed power onto wires that shouldn't have power. It's a good idea to replace this.
Security: everyone should run their own router, not one controlled by the ISP. Obviously we all think OpenWrt is a good choice. I'd recommend to run one of your modems in bridge mode and get an OpenWrt compatible router.
WiFi speeds: 2.4GHz in a crowded region will fall over. It really doesn't work well with 13 other APs on overlapping adjacent channels etc. I like the android app WiFiAnalyzer (the version by VREM) to see what the channels are and how they overlap with your neighbors etc. You might get a lot of benefit by adjusting channels.
Adding 5GHz this is a good idea, it works much better because it doesn't penetrate so far so you generally don't have as much interference from neighbors.
For about $40, the GL.iNet GL-AR750 works with openwrt easily out of the box (just install the standard version over their "custom" one). It's got both bands. Uses a 100Mbps ethernet port which is plenty for your ~ 20Mbps service and has decent flash size, RAM, and CPU speed for the money. I've got a friend who's using them as access points in a house with a long extended floorplan and it works well.
yeah. sucks. that's why your wifi is so terrible. How about in the 5GHz band? take a screenshot of the band maps and upload them. 5GHz will need to be supported on your devices though. If I lived in a place like what you're describing I'd just turn off 2.4GHz and use 5GHz only.
Also I recommend to wire in as many things as you can. Desktop computers should be wired. put a switch near where you like to use your laptop so you can plug it in. Plug in a smart TV instead of relying on wifi. that kind of stuff.
It's worked 100% of the time since Nov for my sister in law. Seems good.
basically no. You have to add a 5GHz radio. If your router is like a modular thing, like a server computer or something then maybe, but not for a consumer device.
One more thing, how (from where) can I learn the networking stuff and more about routers? I know a little bit about electronics but it seems that I know nothing (lol).
how to make a 5ghz radio? a 5ghz antenna won't do the work?
