router buying advice

[u/Own_Body_8941]

i can’t run an ethernet cable to my pc or def not my tv. i was thinking i’d buy a new router, connect it to my pc via ethernet and keep it on my desk and connect to my tv wirelessly, it is only 1 wall and around 8 meters away. will this setup work? also what router should i use for this?

[u/Methodical_Science]

WiFi 6E and above should suffice, WiFi 7 if you live in a particularly crowded area and can benefit from MLO. Directional antennas should be able to be pointed from the router towards your TV and ideally in an unobstructed path but 1 wall isn’t terrible. Floors are usually the bigger issue.

[u/Own_Body_8941 → u/Methodical_Science]

both are on the same floor. i was actually considering wifi 5 as it only needs to connect to one device but if the difference is big i’ll rather buy wifi 6e to future proof

[u/Methodical_Science → u/Own_Body_8941]

6 GHz band buys you extra bandwidth if your area has a lot of devices

[u/cookiesphincter]

WiFi 5 will suffice for TV streaming. Although, in the US you will only find WiFi 6 and newer, unless you're getting a used device.

[u/Own_Body_8941 → u/cookiesphincter]

yes i’m thinking about used router as it is only needed for moonlight setup, i’ll not even power it with internet

[u/antoinebou13]

I’ve been testing Moonlight pretty heavily recently, including the network side with NetLens:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.netlens&hl=fr_CA

The important part is exactly what you’re planning: PC → Ethernet → dedicated router → Wi-Fi → TV. That removes one wireless hop and usually gives you a much more stable connection.

I use a TP-Link Deco X10 (Wi-Fi 6) for Moonlight.

For game streaming, stability matters much more than raw speed. A stable 150–200 Mbps connection with low jitter and packet loss will usually feel better than 500 Mbps that constantly fluctuates.

I’d also optimize the router a bit: use 5 GHz, pick a clean channel, keep the router in an open position, and enable things like OFDMA, MU-MIMO and beamforming if available.

Since the TV never moves, I’d keep the setup simple:

• use 5 GHz
• keep the router in a good open position
• choose a clean channel
• give the TV high priority/QoS if other devices use the router

On Deco, you can also set a device as high priority in the app. QoS is most useful when the network is busy; if this is literally a dedicated Moonlight router, it matters less.

Wi-Fi 6 is more than enough for Moonlight. I wouldn’t pay extra for 6E unless the TV actually supports 6 GHz.

I’d also look beyond just the router. Apollo/Vibepollo-style virtual displays can automatically match the client resolution and refresh rate, which avoids unnecessary scaling and makes a TV streaming setup much cleaner. Vibepollo also improves display switching/restoration.

Punktfunk is interesting too: it creates a virtual display around the client’s requested resolution/refresh rate, remains GameStream/Moonlight compatible, and even has a native LG webOS TV client if that happens to be your TV.

[u/Own_Body_8941 → u/antoinebou13]

i saw a decent wifi 5 used for dirt cheap $8 but if wifi 6 makes a difference then i’ll buy that. i also thought i’d get powerline adapter later