My first non trash router - VPN, Load Balancing, ARP table, Wifi, Gigabit LAN - Mikrotik RB951G-2HND or not for newbees

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Newbee79

Commendable
Jan 11, 2017
3
0
1,510
Hi guys,

I am looking into purchasing my first router that is not trash you get from ISP. I have asked distributors around and this Mikrotik RB951G-2HND was their recommendation as the cheapest good router that has all functionalities I asked for.

I would need it for gaming, streaming, home automation devices, priority traffic setting to have gaming has first priority, VPN to setup devices that are inside and outside of home.

I have few questions:

1.Is there any other router that is better and cheaper then this one with these functionalities like: VPN, Load Balancing, Wifi AP and Gigabit LAN (bonus would be ADSL port)?

2. This Mikrotik seems very complex to setup from I have read on forums and I am a newbee. Do you recommend taking it?

3.Can this Mikrotik RB951G-2HND or any other recommended router take connection from the ADSL modem/router I have that I got from ISP. It is some trash TP link that doesn't even have setting up table of static IP addresses connected with devices MAC addresses. I would want new router to take connection and handling of network from ADSL modem because Mikroitk doesnt have ADSL port so I believe there is some bridging I need to do, is this section in this tread what I need:
"**The Ultimate Modem/Router Setup Thread**" section > Chaining Two Networks Together In a Cascading Fashion (Modem handles PPPoA)
http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/33700-42-ultimate-modem-router-setup-thread?5876263784842=reload


Thanks!

Newbee
 
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bill001g

Titan
Aug 9, 2012
28,283
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There is no magic router that will be easy to configure that will do this. Most the features you want are not common so manufacture have removed them. They don't want to confuse all the poor idiots that are lucky if they know what cable to plug into the wall outlet to get power.

ADSL ..as well as any modem.. greatly limits your selection of routers. You are much better off buy a very inexpensive route that you can put in bridge mode and then run pppoe on your main router. They also make dsl modems but they are not real common.

Your best bet to get a router that has adsl modem and a lot of the advanced features is asus. There base code in general has more feature but to get many of what you want you will have to load the asuswrt. This is not the same as asuswrt-merlin. The merlin software is more advanced but it will not run on the dsl based boxes.

Most the issue with dsl is the drivers are not public domain so it makes it much harder to have firmware with them integrated.

So if we go back to a separate dsl modem and router you can consider may third party firmware. These run on many of the common router platforms. Mostly what is important is cpu and memory. Asus and tplink tend to have the most selection.

dd-wrt is the most common third party firmware but there are many others like tomato or openwrt.

Still no matter which you choose you are going to have to do a lot of work to get it configured the way you want. There is no click box that says "games get priority". How can router software possibly know all the games on the market and give them priority. It can be done but you are the one that is going to have to tell the router how to detect game traffic.
 
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Newbee79

Commendable
Jan 11, 2017
3
0
1,510
Hi Bill001g,

Thanks for your response. In regards to 3 topics I cover here:

1. I will check Asus thanks for suggestion. I understand that there is no magic box that will have everything easily set up, but what I have read from different forums is that in the case of Mikrotik mentioned they tend to have more complex setting up then other vendors. I have also read a lot about dd-wrt, tomato and other firmware's, but since I checked that my ISP given tp link can not have many of needed functionalities even with different firmware, I will anyway have to buy another router.

So my idea was not to meddle with another expertise and spend a lot of time figuring what router can be best and cheapest for these open source firmware, but instead find a descent out of the box router with all needed functionalities and pay a bit more if needed and then learn how to use it. In the end I saved a lot of time in this way and I don't need to develop expertise for these open source firmware and if you look how much time I would need for small price in difference I would go for more out of the box solution. Since I work in one company and also manage my own I have limited time to learn stuff. I want more free time for gaming and home automation gadgets. :))

2. Does anyone have to say something about this mention Mikrotik, it seems like a descent router with all things I need, but is it really that hard to set it up?

3.Thanks for answer. As I understand its possible to make ADSL modem as a dumb device that sends all traffic to other router whatever that router is and from there to manage everything that I mentioned without need to do anything ever on ADSL modem.
 
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Newbee79

Commendable
Jan 11, 2017
3
0
1,510
Thats the point I will be using advanced featuers. I have many devices in the network that I can not all connect, like light switches, other power plugs, remote air conditioning and air purifier, home automation devices that connect all remote controls into one, NAS server, virtual windows servers, IP camera, several mobile phones and several computers...

So I have a lot of devices and I need static IP table to tag all devices (this is not possible with present router) as well as to put them in VPN. I will be needing load balancing also, cause I must give priority in such a network to certain devices and this present router can not do it. I can learn setting up more complex router I just want one with firmware which is more user friendly and easier to setup if possible.
 
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nigelivey

Splendid
Dec 6, 2011
2,648
50
29,540


What is your current router, I have never seen one that doesn't allow static IPs on the LAN. What do you mean by "load balancer"? Do you have more than one WAN, if not, you are not load balancing. What do you mean by putting them in a VPN, what are you trying to achieve with a VPN?

 
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rarevirus01

Commendable
Jan 25, 2017
1
0
1,510
Hi Newbee 79, if you want a highly performing router, then it is best to get one from a VPN internet provider. I used to have an asus pure VPN router and it worked okay. When i changed to Astrill, they provided me with their own router and it really works great at home.
 
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Marlonnichols

Prominent
May 31, 2017
1
0
510


Hi rarevirus01 I agree with you I use to have express then change to astrill and buy their VPN router that is plug and play and works great!
 
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