# Need Suggestions for Wireless router Under 3K



## RumbaMon19 (May 29, 2021)

Hi,


     I am setting up ethernet in my house. I need a router suggestion which will be able to manage both WiFi traffic and Ethernet traffic.
My basic needs are these :-

Should have 5 Ports on it. I would prefer 1 port to be gigabit, but it is not necessary.
Dual Band will be better. I will be placing in centre of house so range is not a problem.
Should not heat much and be able to run for long continously
Should last atleast 3-4 yrs.
should be compatible with JioFiber( i read something about v1 or v2 of routers is that applicable?)
There will be 4-5 devices on wifi and 4 devices on ethernet, so it should be able to manage traffic.
i would prefer brands like tp-link, d-link etc. and not xiaomi.
Lastly it should be in my budget of 1.5-2.2k

@whitestar_999 your help required buddy.
others also please suggest.


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## khalil1210 (May 29, 2021)

Archer C6 for 2.5k

*www.amazon.in/TP-Link-Archer-C6-Wireless-MU-MIMO/dp/B07GVR9TG7


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## RumbaMon19 (May 29, 2021)

khalil1210 said:


> Archer C6 for 2.5k
> 
> *www.amazon.in/TP-Link-Archer-C6-Wireless-MU-MIMO/dp/B07GVR9TG7







what is this to do? I will use ppoe as used by my provider. Am a noob in network so pls tell abt this….


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## omega44-xt (May 29, 2021)

RumbaMon19 said:


> View attachment 20299
> what is this to do? I will use ppoe as used by my provider. Am a noob in network so pls tell abt this….


Not sufficient info IMO. Generally Archer C6 is a pretty popular router & good one as well.For FTTH, most likely you will have a modem where the connection lands first, then you connect the modem to the router. It's kind of inevitable.


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## RumbaMon19 (May 29, 2021)

omega44-xt said:


> Not sufficient info IMO. Generally Archer C6 is a pretty popular router & good one as well.For FTTH, most likely you will have a modem where the connection lands first, then you connect the modem to the router. It's kind of inevitable.



Ya, it works this way, PPoe is basically interface for logging in, and using ftth Right now I am using dlink DIR-615 X1. Not much info is available on the net regarding it.It was provided by provider and its speed maxes out at 6MB/s(48MBPS) but ethernet goes till 8MB/s( 64MBPS) and my connection plan is 12.5MB/s. It does get full 100MBPS speed as I have tested by pc by directly using the modem out.


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## Nerevarine (May 29, 2021)

Wierd, DIR-615 X1 has a 100mbps ethernet jack, it should still deliver near 100 mbps performance, perhaps its cpu is getting overloaded and its unable to reach it's theoretical max speed.


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## RumbaMon19 (May 29, 2021)

Nerevarine said:


> Wierd, DIR-615 X1 has a 100mbps ethernet jack, it should still deliver near 100 mbps performance, perhaps its cpu is getting overloaded and its unable to reach it's theoretical max speed.



Exactly this is happening. It is evident as it heats a lot too and I have to switch it off as then it's performance deteriorates. Seems I am putting too much pressure on it. Also it's a entry level router, so upgrading to a higher performance one should help...


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## khalil1210 (May 30, 2021)

RumbaMon19 said:


> View attachment 20299
> what is this to do? I will use ppoe as used by my provider. Am a noob in network so pls tell abt this….


Not sure about it,

I bought Archer c6 v2 (Archer C6 | AC1200 Wireless MU-MIMO Gigabit Router | TP-Link India) from amazon on Sep 2020 for 2.5k. I am very happy with the purchase. It works fine with PPPoE setup. I am using with ACT fibernet. Not sure about JioFiber.






 The version available in amazon is new one ( v3.2 ) with model slightly changed.


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## omega44-xt (May 30, 2021)

RumbaMon19 said:


> Ya, it works this way, PPoe is basically interface for logging in, and using ftth Right now I am using dlink DIR-615 X1. Not much info is available on the net regarding it.It was provided by provider and its speed maxes out at 6MB/s(48MBPS) but ethernet goes till 8MB/s( 64MBPS) and my connection plan is 12.5MB/s. It does get full 100MBPS speed as I have tested by pc by directly using the modem out.


MB - Megabyte; Mb - Megabit

I get ~50Mbps on WiFi 2.4GHz but do get full 80Mbps on my bad router+modem provided by BSNL. But the BSNL modem provides 50Mbps on WiFi only speedtests. While browsing, it rarely hit 8Mbps (1MBps). So I added another cheap TP Link router I had lying around for just WiFi & that helped push higher real-life speeds via WiFi. 

Not sure why you don't get full speed on ethernet though. Maybe its just too old now.


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## whitestar_999 (May 31, 2021)

Archer C6 v3.0 comes with mediatek chip while v2.x comes with qualcomm chip which is supposedly being sold on amazon.



@khalil1210 

To be frank, if you are looking for performance boost & a 3-4 years period then at least try to get archer C7 which sells for around 4k(with further discount on card offers) during sale.


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## aby geek (May 31, 2021)

*www.furper.com/products/xiaomi-ac2...vXmLwxKyWT0tp4Yuuwzu2MRgkI9nRbqoaAk5YEALw_wcB
This looks like steal for ac2100 anyone has experience with furper?


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## whitestar_999 (May 31, 2021)

aby geek said:


> *www.furper.com/products/xiaomi-ac2...vXmLwxKyWT0tp4Yuuwzu2MRgkI9nRbqoaAk5YEALw_wcB
> This looks like steal for ac2100 anyone has experience with furper?


The product itself is not sold officially outside China it seems & the site is first time I am hearing about.
*www.wovow.org/xiaomi-ac2100-mi-router-review-2020/


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## RumbaMon19 (May 31, 2021)

whitestar_999 said:


> Archer C6 v3.0 comes with mediatek chip while v2.x comes with qualcomm chip which is supposedly being sold on amazon.



Got it, Qualcomm chip routers also has a good support of custom router software, so might use them after 3-4 years for some extra features.


I am finalising on Archer C6 as of now.


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## whitestar_999 (Jun 1, 2021)

RumbaMon19 said:


> Got it, Qualcomm chip routers also has a good support of custom router software, so might use them after 3-4 years for some extra features.
> 
> 
> I am finalising on Archer C6 as of now.


That's why I said supposedly because @khalil1210 mentioned the latest version on amazon is v3.2 which should have mediatek chip.


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## Nerevarine (Jun 5, 2021)

aby geek said:


> *www.furper.com/products/xiaomi-ac2...vXmLwxKyWT0tp4Yuuwzu2MRgkI9nRbqoaAk5YEALw_wcB
> This looks like steal for ac2100 anyone has experience with furper?


no buyerino from shady site, only amazon or flipkart, because of return policy.


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## whitestar_999 (Jun 6, 2021)

I am taking back my recommendation for tplink archer C6 model after seeing this review on amazon:
*www.amazon.in/gp/customer-reviews/R16ZXQ6RVSU4D2/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B07GVR9TG7


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## RumbaMon19 (Jun 6, 2021)

whitestar_999 said:


> I am taking back my recommendation for tplink archer C6 model after seeing this review on amazon:
> *www.amazon.in/gp/customer-reviews/R16ZXQ6RVSU4D2/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B07GVR9TG7



Lol that was what worrying me, so I have put this purchase on hold. Suggestions are still open.


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## omega44-xt (Jun 6, 2021)

whitestar_999 said:


> I am taking back my recommendation for tplink archer C6 model after seeing this review on amazon:
> *www.amazon.in/gp/customer-reviews/R16ZXQ6RVSU4D2/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_rvw_ttl?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B07GVR9TG7


Damn, shady stuff. 


RumbaMon19 said:


> Lol that was what worrying me, so I have put this purchase on hold. Suggestions are still open.


ACT provided me this router for free:
*www.amazon.in/Tenda-AC10-1200Mbps-Wireless-Router/dp/B07DGPYKLP/
I'm satisfied by it for the most part, but lately saw some issues with WiFi dropping. Didn't troubleshoot, might be solved by resetting it.


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## khalil1210 (Jun 6, 2021)

I am also taking back my recommendation


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## RumbaMon19 (Jun 28, 2021)

Airtel has given a good enough router, So i Dont need to buy any new one, The only problem is range.

So I have decided to get a WiFi extender instead.

I have a few questions:-


What is the difference between Extender and repeater?
What will be the optimal position for extender? Near the router or near the device?
What will be the speed drop?
Also, these are a few questions related to general router

How does no. of channels affect range of router?
What is Bridge Mode and Route Mode on the configuration page of router? It is limited to only ethernet ports. 


Also, Are there any settings which I need to look after so as to increase the range?
Right now, in my room only laptop can get wifi signal, Both my phone and iPad cant even detect the WiFi.

@omega44-xt @whitestar_999 and all others please help on this.

Edit: I didnt mention my budget as I dont have much idea about it. But anything upto 1300-1400 would be good.

Edit 2 : are powerline adapters good?


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## whitestar_999 (Jun 28, 2021)

Extender basically extends existing wifi network while repeater rebroadcasts the wifi signal creating a new wifi network with better signal strength but because of this the wifi network speed(so for 300mbps wifi N connected at typical 100mbps speed it will be reduced to 50mbps) is half of original.

You have to balance the position, if extender is too far from router then it is not much different than directly connecting to router with very less speed & if it is too far from device then again you will face same issue of weak signal strength.

How far is the distance from the main router to weak signal strength area? Best option would be to use another cheap wifi router as wired extender by connecting it via lan wire to main router & place it in/near area of weak signal strength.

@kg11sgbg is using a wifi extender.


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## RumbaMon19 (Jun 28, 2021)

whitestar_999 said:


> How far is the distance from the main router to weak signal strength area? Best option would be to use another cheap wifi router as wired extender by connecting it via lan wire to main router & place it in/near area of weak signal strength.



it is 20 meter, but in way comes 2 doors. 

I am thinking of buying a cheap router as you suggested might as well get a hardwired ethernet connections


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## omega44-xt (Jun 28, 2021)

RumbaMon19 said:


> Airtel has given a good enough router, So i Dont need to buy any new one, The only problem is range.
> 
> So I have decided to get a WiFi extender instead.
> 
> ...


No exp using an extender/repeater.

2.4GHz has a better range than 5GHz but latter has better speeds & lower latency.


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## whitestar_999 (Jun 28, 2021)

RumbaMon19 said:


> it is 20 meter, but in way comes 2 doors.
> 
> I am thinking of buying a cheap router as you suggested might as well get a hardwired ethernet connections


If you place the wired secondary router between 2 doors then it should work so only need to cross one door for wire to connect primary & secondary router. There is another option of using WDS(wireless bridge), see if you can arrange another wifi router with WDS function(usually the cheapest/entry range tplink wifi router models all have this feature) to test.


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## RumbaMon19 (Jun 28, 2021)

whitestar_999 said:


> If you place the wired secondary router between 2 doors then it should work so only need to cross one door for wire to connect primary & secondary router. There is another option of using WDS(wireless bridge), see if you can arrange another wifi router with WDS function(usually the cheapest/entry range tplink wifi router models all have this feature) to test.



I am thinking of doing this only, I can put a second router between the 2 doors.

Actually the current router is in. Literal corner of house and I need access on another corner opposite to it. 

So suggest me any router, as pppoe is no longer needed, so most of them should work. 5GHz is not at all required.


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## quicky008 (Jun 28, 2021)

Is AC1200(Archer C50) by Tp link a decent router for home use?Asking on behalf of a friend who needs a reliable router for using with his cable based internet connection.


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## TheSloth (Jun 28, 2021)

quicky008 said:


> Is AC1200(Archer C50) by Tp link a decent router for home use?Asking on behalf of a friend who needs a reliable router for using with his cable based internet connection.


I have this router and I live in a house of 700-750 sq feet, using it with ACT. I don't get good connection from one corner to another corner of the house with walls in between. I keep router in one corner of room and try to access on the opposite corner, I get wifi signal but without wall. In other nearby rooms even with wall, the signal strength is decent.


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## RumbaMon19 (Jun 28, 2021)

Any idea which brand to look for? I need high coverage router for area of 1500sqrft.

I don't need PPPoE, just ethernet port for wan and with WiFi extender mode


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## RumbaMon19 (Jun 28, 2021)

I saw some reviews and most of them point to TP-Link  Archer C6.

*www.amazon.in/dp/B07GVR9TG7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_0NC216TYTJJE4TDJRJJY
Any idea about its coverage?


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## RumbaMon19 (Jun 28, 2021)

Ok so here is what I gather.

There are two cases
1) Amazon is either selling TP-Link C6 mu Mimo V2 but the case used is of V3

Or
2) the Product image is incorrect.

Now


RumbaMon19 said:


> View attachment 20299
> what is this to do? I will use ppoe as used by my provider. Am a noob in network so pls tell abt this….



I just noticed this review is about Ac1200 and not C6 which is Ac1200 MU-MIMO. The later has good reviews on Amazon instead. 

Except the one which White Star listed. 


All this is very confusing and I need one immediately before 6 July.


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## whitestar_999 (Jun 29, 2021)

Archer C6 V2 was better as it had qualcomm processor, it looks like this:





Archer C6 V3 has mediatek processor & according to some reviews on amazon it is worse than V2, it looks like this(which btw is same as design of archer A6):




Also MU-MIMO impact can practically be ignored in budget range routers so don't focus on it. Just fyi btw, archer C6 v3 has 2x2:2 MU-MIMO configuration as opposed to 3x3:3 in V2 which supports more bandwidth.

@quicky008


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## whitestar_999 (Jun 29, 2021)

Under 3k you don't have much choice, your only options are archer C6 & dlink dir-841/825 models. I think for cheaper routers it is better to buy two of them & use wired extender/wds wireless bridge(if possible) to cover max area.


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## RumbaMon19 (Jun 29, 2021)

Here is what is I have decided 

I have ordered tp link archer C6. 

I will be using it with WDS temporarily. After sometime, I will get hardwired cat6 SF/FTP HDPE cable. I will prefer solid core instead of stranded. I will get it wired for about 10 m and use this router with it. 

As I will be using it through ethernet, PPPoE will not be required and V2 will work with it. 

V2 is better than V3 in many ways except the design which is glossy and fingerprint magnet. But that doesn't matter much for a router anyways.


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## whitestar_999 (Jun 29, 2021)

And how do you know you will get V2, as far as I know on amazon you will get V3 & on flipkart there is a seller who is selling V2 at 3k+ price so not worth it.


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## RumbaMon19 (Jun 29, 2021)

whitestar_999 said:


> And how do you know you will get V2, as far as I know on amazon you will get V3 & on flipkart there is a seller who is selling V2 at 3k+ price so not worth it.



v2 has qualcomm chipset. And amazon listing is also of qualcomm one. I saw a couple of reviews and all of them were of v2 and pointed to the same link. I am not going to buy anything from flipkart as whatever electronics i buy from there either comes faulty or failes. 

if amazon gives me v3, i will get it replaced, as it is mentioned they are selling qualcomm one.


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## kg11sgbg (Jun 30, 2021)

As mentioned by our Friend @whitestar_999 , I am using a Tp-Link Extender(which claims to have a MESH connectivity).
My main Router Archer C6 from Tp-Link is nearly 60 ft away from the room where I open my Laptop. In between there are 3 walls and 3 doors with a variable height in our rooms(olden style Mezzanine Level). The Extender is situated nearly 20~25ft from the Laptop(position where I sit on my bed or upon a chair besides a table).
Distance between main router and extender about 40ft or so.


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## RumbaMon19 (Jul 1, 2021)

@whitestar_999 I got the router today. 

Now I am having some problems enabling WDS. Do i need to just setup the router and enable it? I have enabled WDS as per official guide but it is not working.


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## RumbaMon19 (Jul 1, 2021)

Update:-  I have setup WDS and it is working on my phone, but when I connect it with my laptop, it is not working. the connecting screen is stuck on Verifying.


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## whitestar_999 (Jul 2, 2021)

RumbaMon19 said:


> Update:-  I have setup WDS and it is working on my phone, but when I connect it with my laptop, it is not working. the connecting screen is stuck on Verifying.


Mention exact steps. Does the router settings page shows WDS connected to main wifi network? Have you disabled DHCP in secondary router?


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## RumbaMon19 (Jul 2, 2021)

whitestar_999 said:


> Mention exact steps. Does the router settings page shows WDS connected to main wifi network? Have you disabled DHCP in secondary router?



after struggling for 4 hours it worked now.

i first changed the ip address of router, than enabled wds on 2.4ghz then disabled dhcp.
after that, net is only working on 5GHz and not on 2.4. But that is not a problem for me as 5ghz has enough range.


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