Good Wifi Router?

G’day,

5 years ago iiNet supplied me with their TGiiNet-1 router (and Arris modem - cable broadband).

In general I’ve been reasonably happy with it, but during lockdown, working from home, home schooling… there’s been a lot of frustration, which was assumed to be “the connection” - and not “the router”.

I’ve just read a review on the TGiiNet-1, which basically says it is CRAP.

Can someone recommend a good wifi router?

There’s 3 iPads, 3 iPhones, 2 Apple Watches, Macbook Air and Macbook Pro, plus a Thinkpad or something that my son uses for high school all connecting via WiFi, plus XBox using a pair of EoP boxes.

Is there a difference in machines based on it being a Cable connection, as opposed to NBN?

Cheers

cosmic

Deco M5 is awesome if you want something that is expandable to a mesh system. Love mine

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Wow that looks like a great idea! Didn’t know the world of routers had moved on from bridging to this mesh idea.

I could see that working pretty well for me, with the exception of my current VOIP phone. It needs a telephone socket… (cheap Vtech from Kmart/Target). I see from a quick Google that other people have had VOIP work with the Deco M5 via WiFi…

Alternatively, I just get my dad to call my mobile phone, seems he’s the only person who uses it…

Mesh systems are excellent, but can be pricy.
One point to consider is support by your ISP.
My son had an Optus supplied modem/router. It sucked (that is a technical term). He complained to Optus and they supplied their latest and greatest for free. Its performance solved his throughput problem and offered greater range.

Mm. Interesting!

Will shoot them a line and see what falls out.

The Deco range are great.
If have you have Ethernet backhaul, get the M5.

I’d you don’t, get the M9. It’s tri band and uses the third band to run a dedicated link between units to maintain performance.

Few options depending on your budget, but mesh options are a pretty solid choice for most people to ensure good coverage.

Got these for my parents at the beginning of the year, they’ve been rock solid. Even my Dad managed to set them up.
https://www.scorptec.com.au/product/networking/modems-&-routers/86507-mk62-100aus

I have just had a conversation with the wife (always dangerous) and - VOIP is required, not optional. (She calls home on the VOIP phone sometimes to speak to the kids, so doesn’t want to lose that feature.)

Someone on Whirlpool said I could keep the iiNet router, and add the Deco M5’s to create the better/wider WiFi network - however this will take away a lot of the Deco’s functionality. Would it be possible to do it the other way round? Plug the iiNet router into one of the Deco’s, essentially treating it as a VOIP box?

I thought alternatively, there may be a tp-link router with a VOIP socket, and then I could add 2 of the Deco M5’s… but I can’t see any tp-link routers with the phone style socket…

Am I going to have to look for a different solution?

Not too many routers outside of those provided by ISP’s, have VOIP functionality built in. There isn’t a huge demand for it these days outside of the older generations who would rarely need more than the ISP’s router in the first place.
You can always get a dedicated VOIP box and attach it to almost any router on the market. Clunky setup due to having another box, but it works. That’s how my folks are managing it.

Mm - thinking that the Deco M5’s are still going to be the best option then, and for the short term I’ll put them “after” the iiNet router, to keep the VOIP function, and just turn off the iiNet box’s WiFi.

The Deco M5’s have some interesting features for filtering content based on Pre-teen / Teen / Adult, as well as setting time limits for devices. I already have time limits set up with the iiNet router though, which seem to be holding my 13yo at bay for now… (After also recently needing to change my iPhone’s password, as he was getting up in the middle of the night, and turning my HotSpot on, to get around the WiFi limitations I’d set… Clever little shit…)

Looking forward to this battle with my own kids when they get a bit older.

lol enjoy the peace while you can! :slight_smile:

He’s a good kid… just trying to find that line between letting him run rampant and letting him know he has some freedoms but not to abuse it…

iiNet have just responded to my query about slow WiFi speeds.

They are going to send me a new faster modem, and new faster router free of charge.

So - for the minute, I’m going to hold off on the Deco M5’s… and see if the new set up resolves our problems!

Thanks for the idea, @snarl

I probably have a slight advantage given I work in I.T security. But it was my Dad trying to restrict my access when I was a kid that probably drove me down this career path. Anyone remember At Ease back on Mac OS 7.x.x? That was the my first hurdle.

LOL Oh yeah - the Math lab had At Ease installed. I know we used to get around it because we would want to play our own games instead…

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They sent me a Cable Gateway Pro KOAN CG2200. I gather it is a modem and router in one.

Haven’t set it up yet… will be very interested to see if it is indeed better at its job.

Not thrilled when one of the only references I can find online is someone talking about adding a router to it, and getting bad thru-speeds. If i do need to add a secondary system for the WiFi - may be in for trouble.

Might run round with the laptop using Apple’s WiFi tool to test speeds at different corners of the house, before I swap to the new one… then compare.

An initial WiFi survey sounds like a great idea.

BTW, it sounds like this is a legacy cable connection, rather than the NBN. Is there a reason why you are not on the NBN? Price, availability, performance …?

Yep - I’m on cable, not NBN. $80/month unlimited… 240 / 40mbps speeds.

iiNet’s NBN packages - to get that kind of speed (actually, less) is $100/month (though - it does included some streaming memberships? Not sure if they are included or just apps??)

FYI, iiNet gave us an upgrade to 200Mbps for 6 months earlier this year. They have since offered it to us for $89.99 per month.

Existing Router:
Using the “Performance” function of the Wifi Analyzer app on my MacbookAir… Quality ranges from 75% (directly next to the router) to 25% in my upstairs bedroom, at speeds of 130Mbps to 104Mbps.

I’ll set the new one up tonight after everyone’s gone to bed; apparently I need to call iiNet to get them to activate it, so don’t need screaming kids (and wife) complaining about no wifi…

Slight hitch - iiNet Cable team had gone home for the day… can’t get it connected until tomorrow morning.

Mmm - now I’m supposedly online, but the connection is erratic, keeps dropping out. Not a good start…