Router recommendations with repeater

I currently have a setup with two Linksys WRT54's with Tomato and DD WRT firmware whereby one of them is set up as a repeater. My house is built with thick concrete so some rooms are typically not well covered, hence my current setup.

These routers are pretty old now and are failing quite often.

Could you provide me with good recommendations for a setup (router + repeater, 2 routers, any other) with relatively new routers?

Thanks,

 

Are you looking at 802.11ac or just 802.11n? Any interest with dual band routers or just 2.4GHz will do? Budget limitations?

 

If I remember correctly, the AC is not backwards compatible, correct?

No preference between dual or just 2.4Ghz

Budget: TBH, my connection speed back home is pretty slow (ADSL 2-4MB) so will not need something extraordinary. If 2 routers, then below $100 should be good

 

802.11ac is backward compatible.

$100 for two or $100 for each (both can be achieved )

 

Hehe. If there is no noticeable difference, then $100 for both is better. (If you recommend two routers)

 

Two of those would set you back less than a $100. Apart from TP-Link firmware which is good in itself also OpenWRT is available for those (and Gargoyle which is based on OpenWRT).

This is single band only (2.4GHz) 802.11n but a decent setup nonetheless.

 

Thanks, I could actually go for this one which is dual band
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00BP0SASI?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

Do you recommend buying two and setting one of them as a repeater? (Any guide to do so? i have done it in the past, but I had to use two different SSIDs which is suboptimal, so is this the only way it can be done?) Is this one also compatible with OpenWRT?

 

It can work as a router but it won't be able to use it with OpenWRT or similar firmware. It's sort of supported but 5GHz radio is not yet supported (and "yet" does not really imply that it will be soon). Secondly the most recent firmware by TP-Link (which the device would most likely be pre-loaded with) requires RSA signed firmwares. That means you could not flash OpenWRT from TP-Link interface like you normally update firmware. You'd have to use serial cable and connect it to J7 connector on the board and use console to flash it.

So I would not recommend it.

As for using the same SSID - repeaters can be configured with the same SSID as the original AP, in fact that's the whole point of a repeater. So it can be done but it would be best if you had the ability to use an alternative firmware like OpenWRT just in case it wouldn't work properly with stock firmware.

 

Perfect, then I'll go for the one you mentioned and configure one as a repeater using OpenWRT.

Thanks!

 

Actually, any thoughts on getting a wireless range extender rather than a second router as a repeater?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...nk extender&qid=1448495817&ref_=sr_1_4&sr=8-4
or
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/...nk extender&qid=1448495817&ref_=sr_1_3&sr=8-3

??

 

That's a neat way of doing this. The more expensive one had an Ethernet port if you want to connect something wired, the cheaper one does not - if you don't plan on using Ethernet devices that are not connected directly to the router you might as well go for the cheaper.

 

Thanks, not planning on connecting Ethernet devices.

Does it have any impact on performance / signal coverage?

I assume it's also much easier to set up correct?

 

It should be much easier to set-up indeed.
I haven't tested such a device but it might have worse coverage than a router would - partly because it will be placed in an electric socket so neither the hight above the ground nor (most likely) the location will be optimal.

Bu as you pointed out it's going to be easier to configure as well as cheaper and overall neater.
You can find emulators for TP-Link's devices on their website - not for this particular one as far as I can see but for other extenders - and all of these are very similar. It does seem very easy to set-up.