Router Recommendation

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Current newsletter: Put a router between you and the modem or gateway router provided by your ISP, and ensure it gets regular firmware updates.

I have a small business, home business. What would be a good recommendation  for a router?

CenturyLink is my ISP and I am using their ZYXEL wireless router for a VDSL connection through the phone lines.

Any recommendations would be appreciated!!!

Thanks

Darrell

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KP

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There are plenty of routers available, but most stop getting updates after a year or three.

The main idea is to get one that is made by a different manufacturer so a flaw in one is unlikely to exist in both and you gain protection from the flaw.

cheers, Paul

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JohnW, Bookman

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@oldfry

I have been checking this site out. The information is great.

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If I was searching for a router, I would go deep immediately and start my education here:

https://routersecurity.org/SecureRouters.php

Windows 10 22H2 desktops & laptops on Dell, HP, ASUS; No servers, no domain.

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firemind, JohnW, wavy, Bookman

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At home I’m a netgear.  https://www.netgear.com/support/product/r7000.aspx to be exact.

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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JohnW

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We use Netgear R7000 also and have good luck.  This is our second one, but the first one lasted quite a while.

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R7000 good router, I use one too!
BTW new firmware out last month!

🍻

Just because you don't know where you are going doesn't mean any road will get you there.

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Susan Bradley wrote:

At home I’m a netgear.  https://www.netgear.com/support/product/r7000.aspx to be exact.

Netgear works for me. Current, and previous home router.

Windows 10 Pro 22H2

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I’ll add myself to the netgear bandwagon. Over the last few years the r7000 and r7000p has worked very well for us and our home clients.

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I’ve been a loyal Linksys router user ever since I needed to plug in a 2nd computer and be able to use it with a KVM…somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 years, give or take.  For me, and for my non-tech-savvy friends I’ve hooked up, I’ve always found that Linksys products have been 100% reliable with 100% uptime.

However, for my home system, I don’t use the builtin Linksys-supplied firmware, I’ve been using DD-WRT in its place.  Although DD-WRT provides extensive features that I have no idea what they do, I’m able to set it up the way I want with addresses and protocols of my choosing, just like the Linksys software.  My thinking, though, is it provides a secondary defense against a ‘router attack/hack’, especially by less learned hackers.

I might add that I have a placed printed label taped to the top of my router, away from the ventilation holes that clearly shows the router security information as well as Wifi info for me (mostly) as well as my guests.  That way, forgetful me won’t lose where I wrote down the info.

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Just another Forum Poster

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Same here!

Currently using a 6 yr old WRT1200AC which still works just fine for my needs.

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For some years, I have used little Mikrotik routers between my ISP’s box and my home networks.  Some years ago I had a need to use PoE, and that is when I was led to a Mikrotik.

I am not saying they are the best or the worst, but they are reasonably priced, and they have products for larger enterprises as well as SMB.  They have worked just fine for me and for a friend of mine who is actually in the ISP business.

https://mikrotik.com/

 

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I have a TP-Link as my secondary. This allows me to split my home network from my ISP network – I also have a guest network for visitors / other things.

cheers, Paul

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Just another Forum Poster wrote:

Same here!

Currently using a 6 yr old WRT1200AC which still works just fine for my needs.

How may firmware updates did you get in 6 years ?

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Don’t really remember

I think maybe it was 2 before I updated it back in 2020 to DD-WRT like @Bratkinson.

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Alex5723

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I just bought a new router from pcWRT. An earlier model was recommended by the guy at routersecurity.org.

It’s a pcWRT CF-WR619AC Gigabit Dual Band Secure WiFi Router with Parental Control.

It took almost two weeks to get shipped from the US, go through customs, and delivered to me.

I had some problems setting it up due to my jumping the gun and then having to get internet to work – my modem needed to be reset. The machine is made in China by Comfast(?) but the software/UI is all pcWRT.

It doesn’t show packets in and out like my old firewall router used to but there is an app to view bandwidth usage, parental control and so on. i was happy that I could turn off all of the apps i don’t want or use but could turn them on later.

I had two complaints that I gave feedback on their forum. The first was that their “manual” was just a series of internet phone links to their forums. No phone = no support. The second was that my router had a typo on the sticker which showed the browser URL and default password. The url didn’t work.

I got the problems worked out and the router is working fine. I did a test at https://www.grc.com/shieldsup and it did better than my old router. It’s also much faster.

I would recommend this router. Just check their forums first and write down any tips you need.

https://www.pcwrt.com/forums/

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