Routers

[Medicine Man]

If lockdown has taught me anything its that Virgin 'Super' Hub is indeed a colossal heap of shit. I've really always known it but now that everybody's home and sucking down bandwidth like nobodies business its been firmly hammered home.

I'm sick to the back teeth of folk moaning at me for this connection dropping or that connection dropping, its a right royal pain in the arse. So the time has come to relegate the aforementioned heap of shit to modem mode and seek an alternative router and what I need from you good people is recommendations. It's been decades since I've had to buy a router so I figured you handsome people would have your fingers on the pulse as my googling has been in relative vain.

Don't know if its worth noting but my house is made of bricks, it has an upstairs with 3 bedrooms and router placement is far from ideal without running cable all over the house. Oh and I'm poor so lets not go mental budget wise.

Thanks!

[Drarok]

Is the router part of it actually a problem? I kept mine in router mode but disabled its wifi, and replaced that with a BT mini mesh network: https://www.amazon.co.uk/BT-Seamless-Co ... B07RRWL39N

Connection is more stable, and stronger now, meaning neighbours aren't encroaching on my airspace.

[Alan]

The virgin router does suck but also dont expect wifi miracles because theyre all limited in power because of regulations. I just upgraded from a decade old R7000 to a AX12 and its only slightly better out in my bathroom through some thick stoney walls.** If you have an older house with thicker walls you'd want a mesh router. Is your main gaming stuff connected on wifi? If it is you might be much better off using some powerline plugs - thats one ones that route your network through your mains power wires. Also might as well go with something thats Wifi6 since that'll be on all devices going forward and your router/mesh will be with you for a good whack of years.

If you want to go cheap you can always use wireless extenders to boost the range instead of using a mesh system.

edit
**contrary to how this sounds, I do not have an outhouse.

[Drarok]

Wireless extenders have always been dogshit in my experience, steer clear IMO.

[Snowy]

Homeplugs can be a godsend, but beyond that I can't help you, I know sod all about routers.

[Medicine Man]

We used to have home plugs a while back then we had the main breaker box replaced and they stopped working. Something to do with different rings for upstairs and downstairs or some such.

The PC is wired but everything else is on the wifi. Xbox, PS4 the telly ipads and all that.

Will have a look into the mesh set up as we have tried wireless extenders and they're for the most part utter keech. If that doesnt work then it'll be running flipping great rolls of cat6 throughout the house, something I'd rather avoid tbh.

Thanks chaps

[Medicine Man]

Ending up getting a mesh solution in the end. TP-Link Deco M4 for anyone that's interested. Managed to get it fairly cheaply from John Lewis and so far no moaning. That's going on a week now, happy days!

Just thought I update the old thread just in case any of you couldn't sleep for worrying about my wifi situation.

[Sly Boots]

At last I can rest...

[Medicine Man]