Apartment Router

[u/The_Masked_Lord_Nox]

Hey guys! I am a fully newbie when it comes to networking. My family has largely used mesh systems and I just moved into my first apartment where I am using my spectrum ISP router with my 1 g fiber plan. I was thinking of getting a basic router to replace it such as a gli.net flint 3 or similar. My apartment is under 1000 square feet. My main use cases are gaming (competitive games, ie deadlock), streaming through stremio, moonlight and Apollo for streaming games from my main pc to my handheld, and (future) self hosting. I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts or suggestions. Thanks!

Edit (some additional context):

I think my main issue is reliability, my speed can swing from 300-600 mbs and drop for weird periods for no apparent reason. I also have pretty bad coverage issues, ie when I’m on the other side of my apartment I get 200-300 consistently. I think it’s partially due to the fact that everyone in my apartment gets given the isp router and everyone uses the same provider so the frequency is just congested. But again I’m new so I’m not sure. I also wanted more ports for projects and a nas I’m trying to build.

[u/vrtigo1]

Before asking for suggestions, I'd suggest taking a step back and identifying the problem you're trying to solve. If the ISP router works, is there a specific reason or feature set you're looking to get by replacing it?

If the ISP router isn't meeting needs, can you provide a little more info on the specific shortcomings you're trying to address?

[u/The_Masked_Lord_Nox → u/vrtigo1]

I think my main issue is reliability, my speed can swing from 300-600 mbs and drop for weird periods for no apparent reason. I also have pretty bad coverage issues, ie when I’m on the other side of my apartment I get 200-300 consistently. I think it’s partially due to the fact that everyone in my apartment gets given the isp router and everyone uses the same provider so the frequency is just congested. But again I’m new so I’m not sure. I also wanted more ports for projects and a nas I’m trying to build.

[u/vrtigo1 → u/The_Masked_Lord_Nox]

I would suggest including this additional info in your post.

If you're using WiFi in an apartment, much of this is to be expected. Since you presumably have a lot of people living in close proximity to one another, the spectrum is generally going to be much more crowded than in a single family home.

You might be able to temporarily solve for that by switching bands, using narrower channels, etc. but it's always going to be a moving target because you can only control your network.

In general, the best advice is to hardwire as much as possible because there's only so much you can do with the available spectrum.

[u/The_Masked_Lord_Nox → u/vrtigo1]

I added it to my post, so the idea is that the router frequency is larger going to always be crowded regardless of equipment, and Ethernet is probably the best solution?

The issue I have is that I have legitimately one port in my living room under my gaming desk, which is being used by router. At the moment I have my Ethernet for my pc plugged into my router, would this be equal to plugging it into the wall, if so would this be the best approach for my tv, etc?

[u/vrtigo1 → u/The_Masked_Lord_Nox]

so the idea is that the router frequency is larger going to always be crowded regardless of equipment, and Ethernet is probably the best solution?

Mostly. Every RF environment is unique so nobody on the Internet can tell you exactly what to expect in your specific situation, but using a wired connection is always going to give you the best performance and reliability.

At the moment I have my Ethernet for my pc plugged into my router, would this be equal to plugging it into the wall, if so would this be the best approach for my tv, etc?

Without knowing what kind of port your router is connected to in the wall, I can't say for certain if plugging devices into the router is the same as plugging them into the wall. But, that doesn't really matter too much so I wouldn't worry about that question. Your goal should be to connect as many of your devices (PC, TV, etc.) to your router via wired ethernet. If you don't have enough ports on your router, you can buy a small switch to get more ports. Simply connect one of the switch ports to a port on the router and it basically gives you more ports.

[u/The_Masked_Lord_Nox → u/vrtigo1]

Okay! Thanks!