F5F Stay Refreshed Power Users Networks Comparing older ASUS devices with newer D-Link routers highlights differences in performance and features.

Comparing older ASUS devices with newer D-Link routers highlights differences in performance and features.

Comparing older ASUS devices with newer D-Link routers highlights differences in performance and features.

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iHaveAGhoulEye
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02-20-2016, 10:02 AM
#1
I find myself in an unusual setup. My bedroom suffers from weak WiFi (the main router is a D-link DIR-842 just five meters away), while the 5G signal fades to three bars at the center using the DWA-182 adapter, and it’s completely absent on my laptop—only a weak 2.4GHz signal reaches it. My desktop and laptop are inside three thick concrete walls, effectively making me live in a Faraday cage. There’s an Ethernet port available, but it hasn’t been used. I’m considering adding another router to create a private LAN for myself, separate from the family network (perhaps just a repeater connected outside).

My current plan is to set up a small local network for my own devices, while keeping the family’s network distinct. I’ll use a Gigabit Ethernet connection for both my laptop and desktop. The laptop relies on Backblaze backups, but the desktop isn’t backed up at all—though I often transfer files from it to USB 3.0 docks for backup. These transfers usually take 10–30 minutes, and I’m concerned about data corruption due to the weak WiFi.

Looking at my options within a ~20 USD budget, I have three routers: ASUS RT-AC55U, ASUS RT-AC1200G+, and D-link DIR-823G. All are AC1200 models, but the DIR-823G is newer (released around February 2018) compared to the others (2016–2017). The DIR-823G has a faster SoC (RTL8197F), while the ASUS models have older chipsets (700MHz and 900MHz). The RT-AC55U only has two antennas, whereas the others have four. It also includes a USB3.0 port, which I don’t think I’ll need for cloud storage—BackBlaze doesn’t support backing up network drives easily, and I’m not sure about using USB 2.0 for that purpose.

I’m considering the DIR-823G because it offers the best performance among the three, supports MU-MIMO, and comes from a more reputable seller. The ASUS models are from 2016–2017, which might be outdated for this use case. The D-link model also has a 1GHz SoC, which could be beneficial if I need higher speeds later.

I’m not sure about the reliability of D-link adapters in 2015, but I haven’t had any problems with the D-link 846 and 182 adapter yet. Perhaps they’re improving. Overall, I’m weighing cost, speed, future needs, and compatibility before making a final choice.
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I
iHaveAGhoulEye
02-20-2016, 10:02 AM #1

I find myself in an unusual setup. My bedroom suffers from weak WiFi (the main router is a D-link DIR-842 just five meters away), while the 5G signal fades to three bars at the center using the DWA-182 adapter, and it’s completely absent on my laptop—only a weak 2.4GHz signal reaches it. My desktop and laptop are inside three thick concrete walls, effectively making me live in a Faraday cage. There’s an Ethernet port available, but it hasn’t been used. I’m considering adding another router to create a private LAN for myself, separate from the family network (perhaps just a repeater connected outside).

My current plan is to set up a small local network for my own devices, while keeping the family’s network distinct. I’ll use a Gigabit Ethernet connection for both my laptop and desktop. The laptop relies on Backblaze backups, but the desktop isn’t backed up at all—though I often transfer files from it to USB 3.0 docks for backup. These transfers usually take 10–30 minutes, and I’m concerned about data corruption due to the weak WiFi.

Looking at my options within a ~20 USD budget, I have three routers: ASUS RT-AC55U, ASUS RT-AC1200G+, and D-link DIR-823G. All are AC1200 models, but the DIR-823G is newer (released around February 2018) compared to the others (2016–2017). The DIR-823G has a faster SoC (RTL8197F), while the ASUS models have older chipsets (700MHz and 900MHz). The RT-AC55U only has two antennas, whereas the others have four. It also includes a USB3.0 port, which I don’t think I’ll need for cloud storage—BackBlaze doesn’t support backing up network drives easily, and I’m not sure about using USB 2.0 for that purpose.

I’m considering the DIR-823G because it offers the best performance among the three, supports MU-MIMO, and comes from a more reputable seller. The ASUS models are from 2016–2017, which might be outdated for this use case. The D-link model also has a 1GHz SoC, which could be beneficial if I need higher speeds later.

I’m not sure about the reliability of D-link adapters in 2015, but I haven’t had any problems with the D-link 846 and 182 adapter yet. Perhaps they’re improving. Overall, I’m weighing cost, speed, future needs, and compatibility before making a final choice.

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