globe:

OP to buy a new router.

Any recommendations?

The current HG659 seems to be good for 'up to' 32 devices - I don't think anyone has definitively worked out if that is 16 on 2.4Ghz + 16 on 5Ghz or just a combined total of 32 over both bands (and the ports on the back). It has been mentioned that the 'up to' figure may be a bit optimistic as well.

It's quite scary when you add up all the Wi-Fi devices in your house these days - tablets, phones, TVs, web cams, media devices, smart speakers etc etc

I see Voyager 'rent' a router for $10 per month - if you scope that out on the basis of (say) a router lasting around 3 years (IMHO they seem often to start going a little flaky after this), then that would be around $360. Better to buy or rent?

Probably depends on how much you want to pay. What's you budget and tech level for fiddling with it?

globe: Auckland

nztim:

globe: Auckland

Damm oh well I would have helped you configure a HAP ac3 if you were in the wellington region

they are incredible bang for buck, $160ish

I’ll look into it, whilst I’m no bill gates I can follow instructions pretty well and know how to research a topic, think that,ll be enough?

globe:

 

I’ll look into it, whilst I’m no bill gates I can follow instructions pretty well and know how to research a topic, think that,ll be enough?

 

Some insight is also required.

Spyware:

globe:

I’ll look into it, whilst I’m no bill gates I can follow instructions pretty well and know how to research a topic, think that,ll be enough?

Some insight is also required.

Spyware:

 

Some insight is also required.

 

Think it means they are not easy to set up.

There is a web page on the mikrotik website https://mikrotik.com/software

Part way down, there is an emulator you can play with.

You can open your browser and go to demo.mt.lv or demo2.mt.lv and see what the interface looks like.

The "Quick Set" and set the dropdown to "Home AP" brings up a fairly simple interface.

Going into the other interfaces looks like a maze of options.

There is also an Android (ios?) app for quick setup apparently.

I guess for the average home user the easy interface is probably all you need TBH.

robjg63:

Spyware:

Some insight is also required.

Think it means they are not easy to set up.

There is a web page on the mikrotik website https://mikrotik.com/software

Part way down, there is an emulator you can play with.

You can open your browser and go to demo.mt.lv or demo2.mt.lv and see what the interface looks like.

The "Quick Set" and set the dropdown to "Home AP" brings up a fairly simple interface.

Going into the other interfaces looks like a maze of options.

There is also an Android (ios?) app for quick setup apparently.

I guess for the average home user the easy interface is probably all you need TBH.

 

nztim: 

 

....Snip

 

Spyware:

 

 

 

Some insight is also required.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Setting them up to be “functional” is easy, not exposing them to the internet either via a loose firewall rule or allowing everyone on same BNG as you been able to access your router because you have an open MAC server is the tricky part

Rubbish, just three or four lines of code, done in <30sec :)

Cyril

nztim:

Setting them up to be “functional” is easy, not exposing them to the internet either via a loose firewall rule or allowing everyone on same BNG as you been able to access your router because you have an open MAC server is the tricky part

Geez @nztim - They sound dangerous if its that easy to leave them open to the world!

Are they really that bad? (Not picking on you at all - I am genuinely asking because I thought they looked like excellent value)

Appreciate they may be aimed at the 'professional' end of the market, but that would make them very hard to recommend to all but the most network savvy people.

In other words 99.99% of the population shouldn't touch them with a barge pole?

robjg63:They sound dangerous if its that easy to leave them open to the world!

 

Are they really that bad? (Not picking on you at all - I am genuinely asking because I thought they looked like excellent value)

 

Appreciate they may be aimed at the 'professional' end of the market, but that would make them very hard to recommend to all but the most network savvy people.

 

In other words 99.99% of the population shouldn't touch them with a barge pole?

 

Not 99.99%, but I personally wouldn't recommend anything like a Mikrotik to most people. Finding and following online instructions is easy enough, but it's dangerous to just follow instructions without understanding what it is you're actually doing. That's how things gets missed and mistakes happen. They are great devices for those who are familiar with them, but not suited to the regular user.

Unless you're at least an IT "hobbyist" the currently supplied ISP router is your best bet for support reasons (as mentioned earlier in the thread).

EDIT: By "currently supplied" I mean whatever they are offering to new customers, not the one you currently have.

Thanks for the offer to help set it up but i think if it is that advanced my preference would be to go for something that wouldn't need further support if it goes wrong for whatever reason - build in a bit of self insurance.

Taking that into account sounds like just getting the one from Voyager or another off the shelf option might be the way forward, don't mind spending a bit more to remove the need for IT expertise, 

Cheers

Everyone - please remember your audience is not always technical on here. I would personally never recommend a Mikrotik to anyone who isn't that technical unless if they were getting ongoing technical support for this too, it is just asking for trouble. There are examples like the Meris Botnet (https://blog.mikrotik.com/security/meris-botnet.html) that is running on compromised Mikrotik routers and all it takes is a single slip-up to have one of these exposed to the internet. I understand they're good, I use a Mikrotik myself but also I've been responsible for steering people away to easier alternatives based on a security standpoint as I don't want to ever see anyone's network get compromised.

I always recommend the ISP Provided solution unless there is a very, very good reason to not be using it. @globe get in touch with Voyager to get another router or even perhaps join an ISP like Skinny or 2degrees who offer great routers a bit better fit for purpose.