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(Home) What Simultaneous Dual Band Router ?

jamin100

By jamin100
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jamin100

jamin100

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Posted (edited)

Im going to replace my Apple Airport Extreme 'N' router with something else as I need Simultaneous 2.4 & 5ghz bands.

I was just going to replace it with one of the latest Airport Extreme's but is there a better option?

 

I dont need USB ports (have a server) I dont need it to do anything fancy, other than run simultaneous networks

 

ANy recommendations?

Looking for something under the £100 mark

 

Edit:

More Info

 

I have a few devices connected to my wireless network

Mac Mini (5ghz)

3 Apple TV's (5ghz)

2 Iphones (2.4ghz)

Ipad mini (2.4ghz)

Ipad (2.4ghz)

Tab2 (2.4ghz)

HP Microserver (wired)

 

I want to run the wireless on N to help streaming all my iTunes content to the apple TV's faster. My current router does dual band but not simultaneous. Am i better off getting a new router that does, or will homeplugs work if I get some 500MB/s ones with Gigabit Ethernet ports?

 

I also run a small ESXI lab on my microserver and do large backups to the server drives from the mac mini, currently wireless..

Edited by jamin100
Domino

Domino

Posted
Posted

The homeplugs I have work fine for media from my xbmc box to the NAS in the study, not a problem. Of course YMMV

 

Router wise, Have you looked at the netgear wndr3700? I know, I know "netgear, pah!" but it's really quite an awesome piece of kit. And around the 100quid mark. In fact I think there's a newer version out now even...

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jamin100

jamin100

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Thanks, Ill take a look.

 

Ive been looking at the TP-Link TL-WR2543ND 450Mbps Dual-Band Wireless router on Amazon (£73)

(TP-Link - I know)

 

Ive also learned that my mac mini supports 450 mbps on 5ghz rather than just 300.

jamin100

jamin100

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)
I run a ASUS RT-N66U 'Dark Knight' - beast of a router ;)

 

Yeh I looked at that.

Unsure wether its worth the extra over other routers though. Currently £108 on amazon

 

I won't use half the features it provides

 

Although it looks like a beast.

Would I be able to set the VPN in the router so I could connect remotely to one of my servers. That would be handy at times

Edited by jamin100
mac_shinobi

mac_shinobi

Posted
Posted
I got mine from Amazon for £96.05 (along with a DrayTek Vigor 120). I added the router to my watch list on CamelCamelCamel and got an e-mail when it was on offer. :)

 

I went with the airport extreme 5th Gen ( Linky to anandTech Review )

 

Main reason was I had paid for apple care for the mac mini I have and as far as I am aware ( could be wrong ) but think the AEBS is covered by the apple care that I got with my mac mini. Also when looking at reviews given to the 5th gen AEBS on amazon etc some people had gone with the Cisco E4200 and said that the AEBS worked where the E4200 wouldn't and even though it's not as fast throughput wise on wireless you still manage to get a connection.

 

I did see that Asus one but it was more £££ than the AEBS at the time when I got my AEBS.

 

Also Just wondering about buying a Wireless Access Point and hooking that to the OP's original apple router and use the apple router for one wireless band and the WAP for the other wireless band and if you need more network points then a gigabit switch ?

 

Or will that work out more ££££

jamin100

jamin100

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I went with the airport extreme 5th Gen ( Linky to anandTech Review )

 

Main reason was I had paid for apple care for the mac mini I have and as far as I am aware ( could be wrong ) but think the AEBS is covered by the apple care that I got with my mac mini. Also when looking at reviews given to the 5th gen AEBS on amazon etc some people had gone with the Cisco E4200 and said that the AEBS worked where the E4200 wouldn't and even though it's not as fast throughput wise on wireless you still manage to get a connection.

 

I did see that Asus one but it was more £££ than the AEBS at the time when I got my AEBS.

 

Also Just wondering about buying a Wireless Access Point and hooking that to the OP's original apple router and use the apple router for one wireless band and the WAP for the other wireless band and if you need more network points then a gigabit switch ?

 

Or will that work out more ££££

 

Well, at the moment I have my super hub (virgin) in modem only mode and had thought about putting the Superhub on the 2.4ghz channel and leaving the AE on the 5ghz.

At the moment the AE dishes out IP addresses but I found that when I enabled the super hub wireless it also handed out DHCP addresses in a different range and it wouldnt let me change the range or disable dhcp to let the AE do it.

 

It worked for the internet but would mean that devices like out iPhones / ipads would be on a different network than the mac mini so I wouldnt be able to use home sharing to get at my media in itunes or use airplay to the apple tv's

mac_shinobi

mac_shinobi

Posted
Posted
Well, at the moment I have my super hub (virgin) in modem only mode and had thought about putting the Superhub on the 2.4ghz channel and leaving the AE on the 5ghz.

At the moment the AE dishes out IP addresses but I found that when I enabled the super hub wireless it also handed out DHCP addresses in a different range and it wouldnt let me change the range or disable dhcp to let the AE do it.

 

It worked for the internet but would mean that devices like out iPhones / ipads would be on a different network than the mac mini so I wouldnt be able to use home sharing to get at my media in itunes or use airplay to the apple tv's

 

Got mine connected to the sky hub but have it set to be in bridged mode although with your vm hub being in modem mode it will only give you the public ip and think your aebs will have to deal with dhcp

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