high bandwidth WiFi router

[JodyH]

I just had 1000mbps fiberoptic installed at the house.
Now I'm looking for a 802.11ax WiFi router that can push out a solid 500-750mbps to the living room which is about 40' away.
I'm not looking to spend stupid amounts of money, but up to $500 is doable.

[Nephrology]

Huge fan of the Netgear Nighthawk line. Lots of different models you can select between per your needs.

https://www.amazon.com/R7000-100PAS-.../dp/B00F0DD0I6

edit: Missed the 802.11ax bit, but there is a Nighthawk model for that too (RAX120). . Some googling suggests that people like their Orbi model better for Wifi 6.

[johnson]

No suggestions on the router/switch/access point combo (aka wireless router) but do all your client devices support WiFi 6 and how many streams are they capable of?

[SeriousStudent]

I have used Cisco, Ubiquiti and Netgear Nighthawk systems without issue. I recently set up one of these at my daughter's place:

https://www.netgear.com/orbi/find-my-orbi.aspx

The Netgear Orbi system is really fast, very easy to use, and passes your speedtest requirements. It also has the 802.11ax capability you seek. With the base station about the 40 foot distance away, we got 578 Mbs in the living room running a speedtest with their built-in app.

Something I really like about the Orbi is the pair of RJ-45 ports on the back of the satellites. That makes it very handy for the DVR and DVD player in the living room, and plugging into an unmanaged switch for a home office.

I'm debating removing the Cisco gear in my home and installing this, that's how much I like it.

Good luck with your search.

[Erik]

I use the Orbi router also. It's been great for me. Not a tech guy, but I'd recommend it based on my experience.

[johnson]

I have used Cisco, Ubiquiti and Netgear Nighthawk systems without issue. I recently set up one of these at my daughter's place:

https://www.netgear.com/orbi/find-my-orbi.aspx

The Netgear Orbi system is really fast, very easy to use, and passes your speedtest requirements. It also has the 802.11ax capability you seek. With the base station about the 40 foot distance away, we got 578 Mbs in the living room running a speedtest with their built-in app.

Something I really like about the Orbi is the pair of RJ-45 ports on the back of the satellites. That makes it very handy for the DVR and DVD player in the living room, and plugging into an unmanaged switch for a home office.

I'm debating removing the Cisco gear in my home and installing this, that's how much I like it.

Good luck with your search.

Was that speed test from the main router to modem or satellite to the main router or phone/laptop (connected to WiFi network) to the internet?

I've always had the option of making an Ethernet drop or running a line to a more central location to hard wire an access point so haven't messed with mesh systems too much. Do you think you'll be giving up anything with your current system if switching to Orbi? I've used the Ubiquiti AC-LITE, AC-LR, and AC-PRO but have switched to Ruckus Wireless access points (R500, R600, R710) for better performance.

[SeriousStudent]

Was that speed test from the main router to modem or satellite to the main router or phone/laptop (connected to WiFi network) to the internet?

That was from the Orbi speedtest management app on the cell phone on that wireless network, through the wireless network through the router to the Internet. Last test was 638 Mbs down, and 37 up. Her location and mine both using Grande Communications home Internet. Paying for their 1 Gig service and consistently averaging over 600. I need to replace the Netgear modem in her house, it's capped under 1 gig. Mine averages between 780 to 805. I'm perfectly happy with that for the money.

Grande's support is very good, they are all local in Texas with nothing off-shored. The only outages I have had are last-mile fiber cuts - a drunk driver hit a pole and knocked out service for about 3 hours last year, and then Jethro with a backhoe cut a buried cable a year before that. Obviously, neither of them were their fault. Only downtime I have had in 8 years of service.

I've always had the option of making an Ethernet drop or running a line to a more central location to hard wire an access point so haven't messed with mesh systems too much. Do you think you'll be giving up anything with your current system if switching to Orbi? I've used the Ubiquiti AC-LITE, AC-LR, and AC-PRO but have switched to Ruckus Wireless access points (R500, R600, R710) for better performance.

I'm running Cisco gear because I got it for free from a gig I did. ASA for the firewall, ISE for VPN, router, switches, WAP's etc. I honestly like Palo Alto for firewalls because of Panorama and identity awareness, but that last rounds of vulnerabilities they released didn't give me a warm fuzzy. Plus, just about everyone I know runs the Palo/F5 combo these days.

If you do not get an entire Cisco suite as bartered goods, I'd take a look at the Orbi. I don't know a whole lot of people that need/want two separate DMZ's in their house - one for their guest WiFi and the other for their cell phone using Google Fi. But that's what I set up. I wanted three air-gapped VLAN's, and I can do it this way.

Hope that helps.

[Chance]

Who makes a decent, bare-bones AP these days? A lot of these systems have amazing performance, but if you have to create an account to use their app to manage something on your own network, I get kind of weary.

[johnson]

That was from the Orbi speedtest management app on the cell phone on that wireless network, through the wireless network through the router to the Internet. Last test was 638 Mbs down, and 37 up. Her location and mine both using Grande Communications home Internet. Paying for their 1 Gig service and consistently averaging over 600. I need to replace the Netgear modem in her house, it's capped under 1 gig. Mine averages between 780 to 805. I'm perfectly happy with that for the money.

Grande's support is very good, they are all local in Texas with nothing off-shored. The only outages I have had are last-mile fiber cuts - a drunk driver hit a pole and knocked out service for about 3 hours last year, and then Jethro with a backhoe cut a buried cable a year before that. Obviously, neither of them were their fault. Only downtime I have had in 8 years of service.

I'm running Cisco gear because I got it for free from a gig I did. ASA for the firewall, ISE for VPN, router, switches, WAP's etc. I honestly like Palo Alto for firewalls because of Panorama and identity awareness, but that last rounds of vulnerabilities they released didn't give me a warm fuzzy. Plus, just about everyone I know runs the Palo/F5 combo these days.

If you do not get an entire Cisco suite as bartered goods, I'd take a look at the Orbi. I don't know a whole lot of people that need/want two separate DMZ's in their house - one for their guest WiFi and the other for their cell phone using Google Fi. But that's what I set up. I wanted three air-gapped VLAN's, and I can do it this way.

Hope that helps.

Thanks for the clarification. I do reading on home networking forums every now and then and have seen complaints about actual download speeds not matching the management app speed tests (not specific to Orbi) because the apps are measuring speeds from the router, not the client device.

[CleverNickname]

Who makes a decent, bare-bones AP these days? A lot of these systems have amazing performance, but if you have to create an account to use their app to manage something on your own network, I get kind of weary.

Find the hardware that meets your specs, and then put OpenWRT on it, after checking it's on their (rather extensive) list of supported hardware.