Recommendations welcome. Every few years another Netgear goes belly up. Aside from the that, they've been decent routers. I especially like the software. Currently I have an N300.

I'm also looking at TP Link, less so Linkysys. I don't see any other brands worth mentioning. In a two-story house I have the slowest DSL speed from ATT with my Netgear router navigating the wireless for a ten year old Mac running 10.6, a ten year old Dell laptop running Windows 7, a three year old Dell desktop running Windows 8.1, an old white Macbook running 10.7, an iPad, and an Epson all-in-one printer. But not all at once. Network has been working pretty well until recently.

I've researched a lot on the web. I'm wondering whether to get the Archer C7 instead of another Netgear. I don't see much need in going over $100, as the latest features have no appeal for someone with low speed DSL. I would like to keep using OpenDNS. I would like to have better range. Reliability and speed with Netgear has been good, but Netgear often shows up in the news due to security holes. Updates still work, even on this old computer, but as I said, the Netgear routers don't last very long.

I am using Plume WiFi that I am VERY happy with.

• It is a mesh system where the band (2.4/5 GHz) is invisible
• Setup took maybe 30 seconds.
• I have a strong signal throughout my house (which is more than Netgear or Apple could do even with repeaters)
• Inconspicuous
• Reliable
• Fast (very short latency)
• Only downside, some 2.4GHz band only devices do not work with it but most do.

FULL DISCLOSURE I have no relationship, pecuniary or otherwise, with Plume other than that of a satisfied customer.

Typo on your last downside: "some…do not work with it but most do." [yes?}

Yes and thanks. I corrected the original post.

I would add as an alternative for consideration: Eeros WiFi

I encourage making price a lower criterion in the purchase decision. As with purchasing a computer, routers (& switches) are products where high quality & reliability merit being principal criterions.

I prefer the original airport extreme (white) gigabit. acceptable price, outstanding performance. (I'm hard on my routers)

I bought the TP Link Archer C50 for $45, which was $15 off. So far it works, but I haven't had it long enough to judge if it's better than my Netgear N300. The Archer C70 was sold out, probably because I went after a holiday.

The setup would have been faster if I hadn't let it "auto detect", which it did incorrectly. So I had to do some research just to get past step one. That's always discouraging. I had gotten accustomed to the friendly Netgear interface. Recent versions of the Genie program no longer work on 10.6 but even connecting through a browser has an understandable, if slow interface.

Quantity of features doesn't interest me. Range, speed, stay connected, easy access, easy to understand and set up. That's what I want. Get it done, leave me alone.

The interface for the TP isn't much. You have to know what you're doing to enter any of the settings, because there's no helpful text at all and there's no manual included except for a quick-start foldout. Fortunately, I've learned a few things, but there are still settings here I will have to learn. It's a real bare bones item, not at all like the nice Netgear packaging and hand-holding of the past.

I don't see a place to check for firmware updates. I don't know if that's good or bad. Netgear issued firmware updates about once a year, but that's because their routers had security holes.

My hope was to get a router reliable enough that I never had to call tech support or get support through a company web site. In recent years I spent time on the Netgear site that wasn't v. productive. I was given the wrong information more than once. But that's a normal day in the computer world. It's amazing how much I've had to learn and troubleshoot without getting paid for it.

I have found wireless troubleshooting among the most difficult, prob. because so much of it is out of my hands and hard to understand. But as the years went by routers got better, and the Netgear interface made my life much easier.