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The More You Spend on a Wi-Fi Router, the Worse It Gets

2 points| gghootch | 4 days ago |criticaster.com

10 comments

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duxup|4 days ago

I run an Orbi system (although it cost far less than $1k like the one mentioned) and I like it.

I'm not sure I agree with the article about scoring and how people should make decisions. I don't think there's any magic in online reviews that actually means a router with a 90% score is objectively better than one with a 70% for anyone. I don't even much trust those scores...

>Most people buy a router once and ignore it until something breaks.

If that's true then most people are doing just fine buying their router and getting what they need.

PaulHoule|4 days ago

My understanding is that WiFi mesh networks are a scam. If you really want good WiFi performance the steps are, in order:

(1) get every device that is on WiFi that you can possibly get off WiFi and on Ethernet

(2) if your cheap WiFi router isn't doing it for you then, get some UniFi hubs and wire them up on Ethernet

https://ui.com/us/en/wifi

The more hops you send data over wireless the more interference it makes, the more chances there are to lose data from packet loss. Look, I understand it, the wives' union has obliterated home theater and people just want to have it all like Apple where it "just works" and you never have to run any wires -- except note that Apple has gotten out of the WiFi business because that ideology just can't deliver WiFi that works and Apple knows it.

gghootch|4 days ago

Interesting, thanks for sharing your perspective! I’ll do some more digging into the Orbi systems.

In my experience buying a product that gets mostly positive reviews from professional reviewers gets you a far better product than one with mixed reviews. I’m surprised that’s not your experience and that you don’t much trust those scores. What else do you make your purchase decisions on then? Purely specs?