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Worth getting the ASUS RT-N56U 300Mbps Dual Band Wireless N Router?

windsortg
Grafter
Posts: 31
Registered: ‎01-02-2013

Worth getting the ASUS RT-N56U 300Mbps Dual Band Wireless N Router?

I am new to PN and will be getting fibre broadband installed on 1st March. From what I have read on the forum, it looks as though the router provided by PN (the Plusnet Technicolor TG582n Router) has a poor wireless strength. I need good wireless strength through my house (2 story). Would anyone recommend the ASUS RT-N56U 300Mbps Dual Band Wireless N Router over the Technicolor TG582n Router?
Amazon are selling the ASUS router for £80. I am just wondering if it is money worth spending?
35 REPLIES 35
Estragon
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Re: Worth getting the ASUS RT-N56U 300Mbps Dual Band Wireless N Router?

There are a few people over here raving about the RT-N66U, which Amazon have at £108.79.
windsortg
Grafter
Posts: 31
Registered: ‎01-02-2013

Re: Worth getting the ASUS RT-N56U 300Mbps Dual Band Wireless N Router?

Thanks for a prompt response but is there anything wrong with the cheaper ASUS RT-N56U? Better than the PN supplied router?
Estragon
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Re: Worth getting the ASUS RT-N56U 300Mbps Dual Band Wireless N Router?

I got one of these when I first got FTTC.  Then when I joined Plusnet I tried the Netgear they used to send out, and ditched it.  The when I upgraded to 80/20 I tried the 582N and have ditched that. The wireless on mine is far better than either.
Estragon
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Re: Worth getting the ASUS RT-N56U 300Mbps Dual Band Wireless N Router?

Just a thought.
What have you got at the moment? Could there be milege in using the Plusnet 582n as your router and your existing one as a WAP?
tijara33
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Re: Worth getting the ASUS RT-N56U 300Mbps Dual Band Wireless N Router?

Quote
but is there anything wrong with the cheaper ASUS RT-N56U?

NO!!!!!!  Smiley
I've been using one for 2 months in my 2 storey house & I'm absolutely delighted with it. It doubled my wireless speed & there is now no loss whatsoever. The dual band capability is very useful indeed. It's a great piece of kit & actually looks quite cool. I also bought mine from Amazon so totally fuss free.
Go ahead, treat yourself, you know it makes sense.
adamwalker
Plusnet Help Team
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Re: Worth getting the ASUS RT-N56U 300Mbps Dual Band Wireless N Router?

I'd advise seeing what your own experience is of the TG582n first as I'm not sure if some reporting issues relating to wireless usage have considered affects from their local environment or have tried alternate wireless channels.
Adam
If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Adam Walker
 Plusnet Help Team
tijara33
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Re: Worth getting the ASUS RT-N56U 300Mbps Dual Band Wireless N Router?

Quote
as I'm not sure if some reporting issues relating to wireless usage have considered affects from their local environment or have tried alternate wireless channels.

Honest, I did all of that Adam with 2 different TG582ns. My Asus is located in exactly the same spot. The higher speed is obtained using the 5Ghz channel, maybe that's the reason.
Bright
Grafter
Posts: 363
Registered: ‎02-02-2013

Re: Worth getting the ASUS RT-N56U 300Mbps Dual Band Wireless N Router?

The ASUS RT-N56U and RT-N66U are both excellent routers with really good wifi coverage. In my experience, far superior to the TG582n for wifi coverage.
But as Adam says, why not try the TG582n first. If it works for you, great. If not, upgrade to an Asus  Smiley
Estragon
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Re: Worth getting the ASUS RT-N56U 300Mbps Dual Band Wireless N Router?

I too am not mistaken about the relative wireless merits of my own router compared to the PN Netgear and 582n. Nor am I guilty of not knowing what other networks surround me.
Currently InSSIDer is showing 19 other than my own. That is on my laptop downstairs. If I take it upstairs near to the router I would expect to see several more.
Eight are on Ch1. One on Ch 3. Four on Ch6. One on Ch 9. Three on Ch 11. Two on Ch 13. One of those on 11 also uses 7 when active, and one of those on 13 adds 9. I think there is another using two channels as well, but it has gone quiet.
There are two 300Mbps and four 144Mbps visible.
In order to connect above 75Mbps with the 150Mbps card in my laptop I seem to need to use two channels. I don't remember the Netgear, but the 582n doesn't seem to have that option. It connects at 65Mbps. I think the Netgear was the same. With a 54Mbps FTTC line that isn't acceptable. As it is, with my own router (these days costing £27 delivered but I paid less!) I'm connected at 150Mbps.
What bugs me about the frequent suggestions by many people, not just Adam, is the simplistic idea of choosing a channel and assuming a week later it is still the right choice. With auto-seeking routers out there things change continually.
Even choosing a channel isn't easily done. There is the issue of the distribution, such as I listed above, plus the  4-channel span, and including the presence of 2-channel usage. Then the relative strength of all these signals is highly relevant.
ejs
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Re: Worth getting the ASUS RT-N56U 300Mbps Dual Band Wireless N Router?

And then there's the issue that counting the number of networks per channel isn't terribly useful, because you don't know how heavily each network is used. And doesn't take into consideration non-wifi interference, nor wifi devices that might be in range but the base station of the network they're on is further away, out of range.
Estragon
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Re: Worth getting the ASUS RT-N56U 300Mbps Dual Band Wireless N Router?

It's showing router details, not device details? InSSIDer also shows the change in signal strength when one is used, and the time graph rather than the channel distribution one helps with the load observation.
Bright
Grafter
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Registered: ‎02-02-2013

Re: Worth getting the ASUS RT-N56U 300Mbps Dual Band Wireless N Router?

Better to use an ethernet connection then. Far more reliable  Grin
tijara33
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Re: Worth getting the ASUS RT-N56U 300Mbps Dual Band Wireless N Router?

Quote
Better to use an ethernet connection then

That's OK if you live in a one roomed rabbit hutch!
adie:green fixed quote
Bright
Grafter
Posts: 363
Registered: ‎02-02-2013

Re: Worth getting the ASUS RT-N56U 300Mbps Dual Band Wireless N Router?

Quote from: tijara33
That's OK if you live in a one roomed rabbit hutch!

I don't. I live in an old Victorian house with very thick walls and lots of them. That's why I bought an Asus RT-N66U. At last I get decent wifi throughput everywhere. No doubt your RT-N56U or Estragon's Buffalo recommendation would also have been a major improvement over the TG582n, which didn't work well in my particular wireless environment (although it works fine for many other customers).
Getting decent wifi throughput can be challenging in the very crowded and noisy wireless environment many of us experience, as Estragon and ejs point out. Maybe a Faraday rabbit hutch is the answer  Grin