i think i need a new router?

[XWrench3]

my kids have tablets, i pads, a Wi, and a phone that connect to the web, plus our laptops. so we use the internet a lot. but it has always concerned me that we have to run our router unsecure in order for the kids toys to connect. i am not sure if that is because of an antiquated router, or if that is just the way the toys are. anyway, the kids are now complaining of getting poor reception (well, they are complaining more actually) while they are in different areas of the house. and outside reception is a joke. i am certain part of that is because our intenet base is in the basement of our home. we have a tri level, and my computer is there, and my wifes is directly above me. so this is the most conveinent spot. i am sure the one saving grace is the fact that there is a decent amount of space between neighbors here. because of the kids constant whining, and me not wanting to listen to it anymore, not to mention i really would like to run a secure wi-fi, i want to replace this old hand me down router. obviously, i have some questions. i see different types of routers in the stores, and i have no idea what the differences are between them. what is a dual band router? i do not know what a "N" router is, or what the number after it means (300, 600, 750), and is there one brand better than the others. easy to set up is a BIG factor for me also, as obviously, i am NOT a tech genious. i really prefer to not buy a $200.00 and up router, as that would be rough on the budget, especially since we just had to replace a car. but i am not locked in to a super economy one either. one other consideration is we will soon be changing isp. Charter cable internet is great, but their cost keep going up, up, up, and i have had it. you can only get so much blood from a rock, and mine has been gone for a while. so we will be downgrading to what ever comes in a direct tv, or dish network package. so whatever we switch to will require setting up a new connection, and i can not think of a better time to replace the router. i think i have given you all the info needed, but if you have more questions, i will be happy to answer them to try to get the best router value.

 

[carnageX]

What router brand/model do you currently have?

To answer some of your intermediate questions:

Dual band means that it broadcasts both a 2.4GHz and 5GHz signal (essentially 2 SSID's...they can have the same name or different). This is so older devices running 802.11b/g can connect to 2.4GHz band, and 802.11n devices can connect to the 5GHz band, which "separates" traffic somewhat and can make connections faster if there are a lot of devices on the network.

An "N" router means it uses the 802.11n standard and has Wireless-N (5GHz) radios. It was introduced to provide higher bandwidth and be less congested, as a lot of devices run on the 2.4GHz spectrum for various things (bluetooth, some cordless phones, microwaves can cause interference, etc.). The number after the N is the maximum theoretical bandwidth that it can achieve. So 300 = 300Mbps (Megabits per second... not to be confused with MegaBYTES per second, noted as MBps), 600 = 600Mbps, etc.

Now for my suggestion... I had an old Linksys WRT54G router that was giving me issues because I was trying to stream Netflix over my Chromecast, had 1 - 2 game consoles on, and 2 laptops on at my place... even that congested my router and I had to power cycle it literally everday (or if I was lucky every 2 days). Got sick of it...so I bought this guy after seeing a few people I know have good luck with it:
ASUS RT-N66U Dual-Band Wireless-N900 Gigabit Router - Newegg.com

It's been fantastic so far, and hasn't bogged down once. It supports dual-band, so older devices can connect to your 2.4GHz SSID, and newer devices with Wireless-N cards can connect to the 5GHz SSID. You can also setup an unsecure Guest Network that provides limited access (however you set it up). This would solve your security issue (note that most routers also support a Guest network setup - it's not an exclusive feature to this router).

I'd also suggest moving the router up into the middle floor of the house, so it can provide the best coverage to all floors, if possible.

Also, you mention moving away from Charter and over to DirectTV or Dish Network... I'd highly advise not doing that. Satellite internet is super slow for what you're going to be paying, and has very high latency (lag / ping). There's also the good chance of internet going out if bad weather rolls in and blocks connection (just like what happens when a bad storm rolls in and you're watching satellite TV, it can disrupt the signal and you're basically SOL until the storm passes).

 

[XWrench3]

my current router is a Cradel Point MBR1000. / i can not put the router on the middle floor of the house, unless i use 100 foot long cables to connect the 2 desktop computers (or buy wireless adapters) and then it would be at the furthest point from all of the computers. so i do not think that would be a viable option. i know that they make different routers that have a larger broadcast range. so something like that would probably be something we would be interested in, as long as our connection was secure. / you mentioned newer vs. older equipment, is there a general rule of thumb on the date which this occoured? as i really have no clue as to which products have what broadcast band.

 

[carnageX]

my current router is a Cradel Point MBR1000. / i can not put the router on the middle floor of the house, unless i use 100 foot long cables to connect the 2 desktop computers (or buy wireless adapters) and then it would be at the furthest point from all of the computers. so i do not think that would be a viable option. i know that they make different routers that have a larger broadcast range. so something like that would probably be something we would be interested in, as long as our connection was secure. / you mentioned newer vs. older equipment, is there a general rule of thumb on the date which this occoured? as i really have no clue as to which products have what broadcast band.

You can buy higher gain antennas usually to broadcast your signal further. I know in my RT-N66u, I can also increase the output power somewhat, so that I have a larger signal radius.

As for older vs newer equipment... if the device has a 802.11b/g wireless card, it will connect to the 2.4GHz band. If it has an 802.11n wireless card, it will usually connect to the 5GHz band.

You can Google for the model of your wifi card and look at the specs to see which band for sure it will try to connect to (better cards are dual-band).

 

[Joe C]

There's always the power line ethernet option you can attempt too, but it sounds like you'll still need a better router. You might be able to use the Asus router downstairs and then the Cradle Point router upstairs if you use the power line set up. It can be controversial because some people claim to have issues with connection. Personally I have not experienced that yet.
Here is what it's all about:
HowStuffWorks "How Power-line Networking Works"

 

[carnageX]

There's always the power line ethernet option you can attempt too, but it sounds like you'll still need a better router. You might be able to use the Asus router downstairs and then the Cradle Point router upstairs if you use the power line set up. It can be controversial because some people claim to have issues with connection. Personally I have not experienced that yet.
Here is what it's all about:
HowStuffWorks "How Power-line Networking Works"

Mostly depends on how good the wiring is in the house. Older houses sometimes have crappy wiring that isn't shielded well and lets in interference.

 

[JoeEyesDown]

Try the DrayTek Vigor 2830n ADSL router. Works great!

DrayTek Vigor 2830n ADSL Router : Routers : Horizon Telecom IT & Telephony in Gloucestershire

Cheers

 

[Joe C]

Mostly depends on how good the wiring is in the house. Older houses sometimes have crappy wiring that isn't shielded well and lets in interference.

Most residential home wiring isn't shielded at all.... I think they take that into account when they designed those, because of other home appliances

 

[PP Mguire]

DirecTV or Dish does not have internet, that would be Hughes and I can guarantee you that whatever they have the cable would be cheaper. If you're unhappy with your price then simply downgrade your package. Looking at their site they have an internet only package starting at 60Mb for 30 bucks a month. That is WAY faster than what I get for 5 bucks cheaper. If you've been with them for a while give them a call and see if you can't wiggle around your package.

As to the kid's devices I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this yet. No router you get will provide secured wireless access to the Nintendo devices because they don't support WPA. The WiiU might but I know for a fact the handhelds don't. You have to run a WEP network which is not as secure as WPA, BUT it's still better than nothing.

If you have your router in the basement that's your #1 problem for bad reception. All homes are setup differently, but if you have an area outside of your basement door (if it's inside the house) then I suggest getting a wireless AP and running a cable from your router in the basement to the AP outside your basement door. This will give a much better reception in the house because the signal is not being blocked by concrete or brick.