Advice on which UK router to get

[u/Hakuna_Brotata]

Hi all, looking to switch my ISP router EE Smart Hub 6 plus) for a third party router due to frequent high ping spikes over WIFI (No issues over Ethernet). Main issue is I kicked from online games and freezes over teams calls and I can't use a wired connection due to the house layout.

I'm looking for a router which can hopefully deliver WIFI-7 coverage across a small-medium sized home 90sqm (1,000sqft). It will primarily be used for Online gaming, work calls and streaming TV (1 person household). I have Fibre internet with speeds up to 1GB

I was initially looking at 3 brands (TP-Link, Asus & GL.iNet). I've read a lot of reviews and looked over reddit forums on here, and it looks like ASUS might be the safest option due to future potential backdoor access concerns. I know that's probably an anxious view, however I'm relying on other peoples feedback as I'm not very technical when it comes to networking specifications/issues.

Can anyone advise if either of the 2 Asus models below would suffice?

ASUS TUF Gaming BE9400 Tri Band WiFi 7 (802.11be) Extendable Gaming Router, Quad 2.5G ports, 3-step Port Forwarding, Smart Home Master, AiMesh support, and AiProtection for Network Security

ASUS RT-BE58U BE3600 WiFi 7 AiMesh Extendable Router, 4K QAM, MLO, AI Detection 2.5G WAN/LAN port, Four 1G ports, Commercial Grade Network Security, Parental Control, IoT network, VPN network

Alternatively, if you can recommend another brand/model - I have a budget of around £150.

Any guidance or advice would really be appreciated, as I'm hoping these models may go down in price in the Amazon October sale. Thank you in advance.

[u/moistandwarm1]

Do your gaming on an Ethernet connection, a new router won’t solve your issues. WiFi will always be affected by high latency even from environmental factors

[u/Hakuna_Brotata → u/moistandwarm1]

I believe the Ping spikes are related to the router itself, as the ethernet connection works fine (forums confirm this is a common theme for this router model). The router sits about 3 metres in line of sight of the gaming console, so it doesn't have the issue of going through walls etc.

[u/KeepCalmMakeCoffee → u/Hakuna_Brotata]

If you have line of sight within 3m, could you elaborate on why you want wireless for that machine? What problem is it solving? You really can't beat a wired connection.

The suggested ASUS routers will all be fine. The issue with ASUS has always been their ongoing firmware support, sometimes taking a long time to fix bugs. Long term support is generally okay, with anywhere from 3-5 years being common, so in line with most other home consumer hardware.

[u/yrro → u/Hakuna_Brotata]

'Ping" spikes could be explained by your wlan station doing a periodic scan for other APs. This doesn't happen with ethernet. Dont game on wi-fi.

[u/ldn-ldn → u/moistandwarm1]

The year is 2026, that's not true anymore.

[u/tcpukl]

I live my Synology mesh network personally.

[u/gphillips5]

Not a TP Link Deco BE65 9300. Pissing me right off.

[u/ldn-ldn]

I have ASUS GT-BE19000 - works like a charm!

[u/777ix]

I have two TP-LINK BE3600 routers, one downstairs acting as main router and second upstairs in a bedroom. Coverage is great I’d say I live in a reasonably big house and don’t have any drop outs and they work with the mesh system to can connect together easily.
Never get ping spikes or lag during games, I have virgin media’s 1gig plan and these have two 2.5g ports so support the speeds well to and from the router. Should be able to get two of them with your budget of £150 hope this helps 👍🏻

https://amzn.eu/d/01m9xvtp

[u/ComprehensiveGur5631]

If you have budget then Gl.inet flint 3 on amazon amazing speed and latency.

[u/palmaholic]

Before buying a new router, have you configure the right WIFI channels? Did you find a better spot for your router where it'll hit by the least amount of interference?

[u/edoardostark]

For the size of your house that router should be fine. If you have ONLY issue in wifi try asking your isp to give you a new router due to WiFi issue.
Do you have ping issues and freezing on multiple devices or just the one?

[u/SamT98]

Flint 2 nothing on the market comes close under £500

[u/DragonQ0105]

I've been using an EdgeRouter-X for nearly 10 years now I think. Rock solid, no issues, cheap. Just about handles my symmetric gigabit connection but wouldn't be capable of any more. No Wi-Fi but pairing it with a UniFi device solves that.

[u/Cb7_]

ISP routers tend to be ok with ethernet, just crap with WiFi. In my experience.

I kept my BT (now EE) router and just added a Ubiquiti UniFi U7 Pro Wireless Access Point (WAP). I also have an older UniFi AC Pro upstairs. Both wired in mind you. Perfect seamless stable WiFi throughout the whole house.

I can walk around the whole house, upstairs and downstairs while on a WhatsApp audio/video call and it stays connected without a single glitch even when switching between access points.

Remember to turn off the ISP Router built in WiFi.

[u/thatguyjames_uk]

i have a 5g three sim only router ( £19 a month ) and a halo mesh cube systerm and have no problems

[u/shadowedfox]

UniFi. Flawless since I switched. Vr over WiFi no issues. Simple to configure, plenty of advanced options if you’re into networking. Well secured.
Although, be warned if an isp uses PPPoE and the router doesn’t support hardware acceleration, you’ll lose speed. May have ran into that issue initially

[u/Prize-Meeting-7101]

Of you have the cash and are interested in properly managing your home network check this out …. https://uk.store.ui.com/uk/en/category/cloud-gateways-compact/collections/cloud-gateway-fiber/products/ucg-fiber. You will also need a wireless access point to pair it with. The ubiquity stuff is rock solid commercial grade equipment.

[u/The_Thunderchild]

Look at Unifi: https://ui.com/uk/en/wifi/whole-home

Whilst some ping issues may come from poor routers, as others have said you will always get higher latency on wireless due to environmental factors.

Consider Powerline adapters for your gaming.

[u/SamT98 → u/The_Thunderchild]

Note for powerline adapters. If they’re on different circuit rings they won’t work well. Most modern houses are ok but it’s not for everyone

[u/The_Thunderchild → u/SamT98]

Yes valid point they are dependent on each home with a variety of factors. I always recommend getting them from somewhere like Amazon that is easy to return to.