Looking for a good router to potentially replace my eero (based on problems I've had with it)

[RoboCop001]

Hi there.

So I've had this eero for a couple of years now and it's generally been okay. But recently I've noticed that every time the internet connection drops, two things happen.

1. The eero iPhone app no longer displays the network dashboard and reverts to a login screen. There's no way to login and regain access to the dashboard until the connection resumes (this is totally insane behaviour)
2. The eero does not automatically reconnect and has to be power cycled once the internet connection comes back

According to eero support, that's normal.

I enjoyed the ease of use in general and the setup. It was about as easy as my last router which was an AirPort Express.

I'm basically looking for the following features:

• Automatically and quickly reconnects to the internet after a service outage
• Network dashboard is constantly available
• Easy set up via an iPhone and/or Mac app
• Stable connection during long file transfers (sometimes these last hours)
• WiFi 6
• Single piece of hardware (I have a 1 bedroom apartment)
• HomeKit Security (nice to have but not totally necessary)
• Thread is not needed (my Apple TV covers this)
• Available for purchase/shipping to Canada

I'm looking to support these activities:

• Web design (sometimes there are long/large file transfers, and I often work in Adobe XD with cloud collaboration and video conferencing)
• Streaming services via my Apple TV
• PS4 (though I rarely game online)

Any insight and suggestions are greatly appreciated!

 

[hobowankenobi]

Most every router will reconnect automatically. Don't think I have had one that does not.

If you want a solid, easy-to-configure router with a very Apple-like vibe both hardware and software, check out the AmpliFi HD, or the smaller/simpler AmpliFi Instant Router. Both can be extended with more access points if needed.

I also like the Synology routers, but they have more involved interfaces (but with more features and options).

 

[RoboCop001]

Most every router will reconnect automatically. Don't think I have had one that does not.

If you want a solid, easy-to-configure router with a very Apple-like vibe both hardware and software, check out the AmpliFi HD, or the smaller/simpler AmpliFi Instant Router. Both can be extended with more access points if needed.

I also like the Synology routers, but they have more involved interfaces (but with more features and options).

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll take a look at these. I like the sound of the first one at first glance.

 

[DoFoT9]

I second @hobowankenobi with the recommendation for UniFi products. The Amplify HD is a great shout. I personally use all Ubiquiti products for my own personal use, and for my SMB clients, and can't fault them. Goodluck!

 

[Infinitatus]

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll take a look at these. I like the sound of the first one at first glance.

Another easy to configure and very good range is the Netgear orbi system. they are expensive. But so is Ubiquiti. Depends on the models.
I have a system almost 5 years running without problems. I the light or ISP falls out. I will autoreconnect without any problem. If you want more security you can buy a Bitdefender-Netgear subscription. No maintanance needed. The is one caveat. the system likes to control everything. It doesn´t like another server like Pi-hole for example.

 

[satcomer]

I say with todays World get at least a Wi-Fi 6 router!

 

[RoboCop001]

I second @hobowankenobi with the recommendation for UniFi products. The Amplify HD is a great shout. I personally use all Ubiquiti products for my own personal use, and for my SMB clients, and can't fault them. Goodluck!

Thank you!

Another easy to configure and very good range is the Netgear orbi system. they are expensive. But so is Ubiquiti. Depends on the models.
I have a system almost 5 years running without problems. I the light or ISP falls out. I will autoreconnect without any problem. If you want more security you can buy a Bitdefender-Netgear subscription. No maintanance needed. The is one caveat. the system likes to control everything. It doesn´t like another server like Pi-hole for example.

I'll take a look at these too, thanks! I hope they have a model with HomeKit Security. Although, I wonder if that will change with Matter.

I say with todays World get at least a Wi-Fi 6 router!

Definitely going to be considering this!

 

[satcomer]

Dude I just found a sale today at Eeero.com/sales So with 4th sale your should get it!

 

[hobowankenobi]

Dude I just found a sale today at Eeero.com/sales So with 4th sale your should get it!

So...replace eero with eero??

 

[Pezimak]

Hi there.

So I've had this eero for a couple of years now and it's generally been okay. But recently I've noticed that every time the internet connection drops, two things happen.

1. The eero iPhone app no longer displays the network dashboard (this is totally insane behaviour) and reverts to a login screen
2. The eero does not automatically reconnect and has to be power cycled once the internet connection comes back

According to eero support, that's normal.

I enjoyed the ease of use in general and the setup. It was about as easy as my last router which was an AirPort Express.

Are there good routers out there that automatically reconnect to the internet once the connection resumes? I'm pretty sure my AirPort Express did just that after a few moments. And naturally, the app dashboard was constantly available.

(honestly the most confusing thing is that the dashboard is not accessible when the internet goes out... ????)

Anyway... I have a 1 bedroom apartment so I don't need anything crazy. I have several devices, including HomeKit things. I don't need Thread support as my Apple TV does that. I'm basically looking for something that does not do the above mentioned things, has an easy set up, and doesn't necessarily require me to sign up an account.

I also upload/download a lot of files, as I'm a web designer. I occasionally game online. So it would have to be something that is stable during large file transfers (either fewer large files or many many smaller files). These transfers sometimes take a couple of hours. My connection is 60 Mbps down and 3 up.

I'm in Canada. And while not necessary, a HomeKit compatible router is a nice-to-have option if you know a good one.
Thanks!

Bit tricky this one. The Amplifi HD is a good but old system, the only Amplifi with WiFi 6 is the Alien which is alright but a bit big and more expensive. Especially if you want a Mesh system so using 2 routers or wireless points.
Google are rumoured to be working in a new WiFi 6 Mesh system for release later this year, but it's a rumour.
Asus is good but you can do tunes have issues with them, Netgear is the same and I believe they charge you for features like child restriction features in a monthly fee, even on their 1500 dollar system!

I'd say look at the Amplifi HD and Alien, you may be able to use only the single device in your property, you can buy the HD cubes on their own and add another if required. The Alien will have good wireless range too. Both are a few years old now, the Alien being 2, so have had a few firmware updates and patches. I don't think they do WPA3 yet though if that's important to you?

 

[RoboCop001]

Bit tricky this one. The Amplifi HD is a good but old system, the only Amplifi with WiFi 6 is the Alien which is alright but a bit big and more expensive. Especially if you want a Mesh system so using 2 routers or wireless points.
Google are rumoured to be working in a new WiFi 6 Mesh system for release later this year, but it's a rumour.
Asus is good but you can do tunes have issues with them, Netgear is the same and I believe they charge you for features like child restriction features in a monthly fee, even on their 1500 dollar system!

I'd say look at the Amplifi HD and Alien, you may be able to use only the single device in your property, you can buy the HD cubes on their own and add another if required. The Alien will have good wireless range too. Both are a few years old now, the Alien being 2, so have had a few firmware updates and patches. I don't think they do WPA3 yet though if that's important to you?

The Alien is one I'm considering, but yeah it does seem a bit overpriced for my needs. What do you currently use?

 

[Pezimak]

The Alien is one I'm considering, but yeah it does seem a bit overpriced for my needs. What do you currently use?

I am using Eero Pro 6 at present, not impressed with it, it loses ipv6 and takes sometimes up to 2 days to get it back? I have to turn ipv6 off and on which means rebooting the routers twice, which means I have to reset things after as they only reconnect on the 2.4ghz band which I also blame the Eero’s for.
I am in the process of selling my Ubiquiti gear as I couldn’t get it to work to well, and it takes constant fiddling with. But it did provide fast performance when I used it.

So I think I’ll be on the look out for something else, not sure what at present. I may wait to see what the rumoured new Google WiFi 6 system is like, or get an Alien but it is a bit ugly where it will go, had one before and the Alien Mesh system, felt they were a bit ugly and expensive.

In my experience, I like the google system but they never fix any issues and they are a bit old now. Ubiquiti perform the fastest but I found it to be a real pain to setup and I was constantly having to fiddle with it, I’d have to set up a VLAN for instance just so my dogs tracker would connect to it. And the Alien was alright, performed ok, the screen is very cool on it. In the U.K. though the Alien is only sold as a dual band router not tri-band for some reason.

 

[hobowankenobi]

I use 3 Ubiquiti Unifi6 Lite APs, and an Edge router to cover a house, yard, and detached garage.

The router is not really consumer-friendly...but has been rock solid for over a decade. The 3 APs are only about a year old, but replace the previous gen models that were on 24/7 for more than a decade as well.

The downside is cost...and no parental controls. The upside is that it always works, is easy to manage overall (beyond initial router setup), and realistically, needs very little management. I go months without looking at anything. My wife works from home, so I know when there are outages.

The APs can work with nearly any router....so if one had a router they liked, you could simply turn off the wifi, and still use it for wired connections (switch) and routing.

APs + POE switch + data cables = great setup....but cost, install, and configuration make the Alien look very tempting.

 

[RoboCop001]

I use 3 Ubiquiti Unifi6 Lite APs, and an Edge router to cover a house, yard, and detached garage.

The router is not really consumer-friendly...but has been rock solid for over a decade. The 3 APs are only about a year old, but replace the previous gen models that were on 24/7 for more than a decade as well.

The downside is cost...and no parental controls. The upside is that it always works, is easy to manage overall (beyond initial router setup), and realistically, needs very little management. I go months without looking at anything. My wife works from home, so I know when there are outages.

The APs can work with nearly any router....so if one had a router they liked, you could simply turn off the wifi, and still use it for wired connections (switch) and routing.

APs + POE switch + data cables = great setup....but cost, install, and configuration make the Alien look very tempting.

Worth a look! Thanks. Can you describe what happens when you lose your internet connection? Do you need to do anything at all with the APs once the connection returns?

 

[MisterSavage]

Requiring a power cycle after a connectivity loss is bonkers. If that support person knew what they were talking about and was accurate then you're definitely making the right move switching to something else.

 

[RoboCop001]

Requiring a power cycle after a connectivity loss is bonkers. If that support person knew what they were talking about and was accurate then you're definitely making the right move switching to something else.

Yup! And also I completely lose the ability to manage my network. Someone approved this! lol

What do you use?

 

[hwojtek]

I use 3 Ubiquiti Unifi6 Lite APs, and an Edge router to cover a house, yard, and detached garage.

The router is not really consumer-friendly.

Unifi Security Gateway provides same hardware, 99% functionality and much more user-friendly UI. That said, the OP seems to be rather into Ubiquiti Dream Router territory.
Disclaimer: been using Unifi for years now and have it set up in multiple locations, with networks from 12 to 200 clients, can't say a bad word (apart from the annoying lack of out-of-the-box 10G connectivity between an industry-grade router and switches, needs some tinkering to make it work)

 

[RoboCop001]

Unifi Security Gateway provides same hardware, 99% functionality and much more user-friendly UI. Been using Unifi for years now and have it set up in multiple locations, can't say a bad word.

In that specific case, would the Unifi Security Gateway be replacing the Edge router? And the APs would remain?

 

[hwojtek]

In that specific case, would the Unifi Security Gateway be replacing the Edge router? And the APs would remain?

Yes, the USG is a router. Actually same hardware as the EdgeRouter, just different OS and end user-oriented.
It is dead cheap now for the feature set it's got, however I wouldn't invest in it too heavily, as this is a soon-to-EOL product. While it features hardware routing offload (off by default), it tops out at 900Mbps pass-through traffic (no deep packet analysis, stateful firewall only) and drops to ~150 Mbps throughput when all detection and prevention measures are deployed. For a home network with some perspective to expand using additional wired access points (or be it a mesh system that Ubiquiti software allows to set up with a single click from paired APs), a Dream Router gives excellent value for money.

But again, as a SOHO router USG gets the job done, just without the all-in-one simplicity, elegance and bang-for-buck of the Dream Router. It also calls for a dedicated controller (you can run a Java controller on your dekstop computer only at times you want to adjust something, but that is not a sustainable scenario. I commonly use a $5 Raspberry Pi as a 24/24 controller. While not very fast, it's enough for occasional adjustments now and then).

However - add a PoE switch and a single AP to the price of the USG and you can have a nice Dream Router with 4 times the bandwidth, more features, built-in controller and longer life expectancy.

 

[RoboCop001]

Yes, the USG is a router. Actually same hardware as the EdgeRouter, just different OS and end user-oriented.
It is dead cheap now for the feature set it's got, however I wouldn't invest in it too heavily, as this is a soon-to-EOL product. While it features hardware routing offload (off by default), it tops out at 900Mbps pass-through traffic (no deep packet analysis, stateful firewall only) and drops to ~150 Mbps throughput when all detection and prevention measures are deployed. For a home network with some perspective to expand using additional wired access points (or be it a mesh system that Ubiquiti software allows to set up with a single click from paired APs), a Dream Router gives excellent value for money.

But again, as a SOHO router USG gets the job done, just without the all-in-one simplicity, elegance and bang-for-buck of the Dream Router. It also calls for a dedicated controller (you can run a Java controller on your dekstop computer only at times you want to adjust something, but that is not a sustainable scenario. I commonly use a $5 Raspberry Pi as a 24/24 controller. While not very fast, it's enough for occasional adjustments now and then).

However - add a PoE switch and a single AP to the price of the USG and you can have a nice Dream Router with 4 times the bandwidth, more features, built-in controller and longer life expectancy.

Interesting. Thanks for those details! I definitely would want a single piece of hardware, and as little management as possible. I'll take a look at the Dream Router!

 

[Pezimak]

Be warned as the Dream Router can’t run gigabit internet connections, it maxes out at 750 mbps I believe, it also cannot run more then 2 UniFi apps at once. They put a pretty weak processor in it for cost cutting, the Unifi Dream Machine is more powerful but of course limited to WiFi 5 (AC). If you want to go the Unifi route it really is best to get a UDM Pro SE and some access points and decent quality Ethernet cables, and get busy with the wiring. You get expandability and upgradability then.

 

[lostPod]

I use TP-Link's mesh router and its been amazing. Never any issues.

 

[Pezimak]

I use TP-Link's mesh router and its been amazing. Never any issues.

Which model is that?

 

[hwojtek]

Be warned as the Dream Router can’t run gigabit internet connections, it maxes out at 750 mbps I believe, it also cannot run more then 2 UniFi apps at once. They put a pretty weak processor in it for cost cutting, the Unifi Dream Machine is more powerful but of course limited to WiFi 5 (AC). If you want to go the Unifi route it really is best to get a UDM Pro SE and some access points and decent quality Ethernet cables, and get busy with the wiring. You get expandability and upgradability then.

While a great piece of kit (I run a UDM Pro at home) the UDM Pro SE is an overkill for a "just works" home environment IMHO. And it calls for a server rack
We're talking router, the Unifi Apps (video surveillance etc) are an added bonus in this case. My observations in regards of the DR are ~750 Mbps with all security turned to the max. Admittedly, it took a couple of firmware upgrades to reach that, albeit it is said to be resolved now. For $199 it is still one of the best options on the market.

Great point about Wifi6 in Dream Machine, but apart from local transfers I do not notice any improvement with Wifi6 compared to 802.11ac. The distance to the AP is crucial in this case.

 

[RoboCop001]

Be warned as the Dream Router can’t run gigabit internet connections, it maxes out at 750 mbps I believe, it also cannot run more then 2 UniFi apps at once. They put a pretty weak processor in it for cost cutting, the Unifi Dream Machine is more powerful but of course limited to WiFi 5 (AC). If you want to go the Unifi route it really is best to get a UDM Pro SE and some access points and decent quality Ethernet cables, and get busy with the wiring. You get expandability and upgradability then.

For my setup I definitely just want one piece of hardware. It would be going in my living room so the signal would easily reach the bedroom which is beside it (it's just a 1 bedroom apartment).

While a great piece of kit (I run a UDM Pro at home) the UDM Pro SE is an overkill for a "just works" home environment IMHO. And it calls for a server rack
We're talking router, the Unifi Apps (video surveillance etc) are an added bonus in this case. My observations in regards of the DR are ~750 Mbps with all security turned to the max. Admittedly, it took a couple of firmware upgrades to reach that, albeit it is said to be resolved now. For $199 it is still one of the best options on the market.

In terms of my general setup, I work from home and do web design, so sometimes there are large file transfers that take an hour or two. The rest of my usage is streaming services and my PS4 (I don't often play multiplayer). Would you estimate that the DR is sufficient for this setup?