Router upgrade worth much on this config?

[iwih2gk 93]

Soliciting some opinions with upgrading a router.  I don't want to waste money needlessly.  I am currently using a mid-grade NetGear consumer router ($130.00 ish) as follows:

 

My VPN (privacy) computer is connected via Cat6 to a gigaport slot on the router and then directly my ISP's docsys3 modem, to a 60 meg line.  Using Cat6 connectivity in this fashion I get approx 45 meg on the Air servers (various html5 speed tests) with reasonable latency (< 5 ms), and that even happens with an SSL wrapper on the tunnel via the client.  Probably doesn't matter but its all linux here.

 

The wireless VPN performance is horrible and that is being nice.  Regular unencrypted devices such as smartphones do OK with speeds of 35 meg during peak hours.  VPN wireless performance may see 10 meg.  I don't care about wireless VPN because I will always use Cat6 anyway.  I just connected to determine if my consumer grade router can handle the traffic through that little processor with all the computational needs of the tunnel.  No unless I want to go from 45+ to 10.  No thanks.

 

My ISP is raising this connection to 100 meg shortly.

 

So now the question after my rambling.  Assuming I connect directly to a gigaport slot on my current router - OR - to a high end router's gigaport slot, how important is the router's processor? The higher end routers are sporting 1.3 -1.5 ghz processors.  I don't know how the current router will handle 100 meg until the upgrade hits later this month.  If Santa grants my wish I'll get my ASUS high end router so I can use 802.11 ac + MIMO with my Androids, and mostly for the increased range over simply speed.

[zhang888 1066]

Just a small note:

In case you don't run the OpenVPN client on the router -itself-, the CPU of the router does not matter here, as it does not have to encrypt/decrypt the packets, it just forwards them.

So if you are planning on keep using OpenVPN on the computer, any router that meets your WiFi demands is good to go.

 

Generally, I suggest you to look on models that can run OpenWRT/DD-WRT, it will have a huge added value, both from performance side and the community support.

 

http://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/tp-link/tl-wdr4900

 

This is a very good choice, for example.

[2Cents 7]

AC68U (bought of Ebay for 140$) oc'd to 1.2Ghz dual core CPU / 800 Mhz MEM with 2 OpenVPN servers (static) and 2 OpenVPN clients runing (AirVPN DE, US) with selective routing and I am maxing out my 50Mbit/s connection on both wired and wireless clients using three SSIDs - one for ISP, one for Guests and the other for VPN traffic... The router's CPU utlization is under 15% (with one core at anytime) when maxing out the connection with several other scripts running and anywhere between 10 to 15 clients connected ie. ad blocking, dnssec, dnscrypt, unbound including debian wheezy

 

My 2cents..

[iwih2gk 93]

Just a small note:

In case you don't run the OpenVPN client on the router -itself-, the CPU of the router does not matter here, as it does not have to encrypt/decrypt the packets, it just forwards them.

So if you are planning on keep using OpenVPN on the computer, any router that meets your WiFi demands is good to go.

 

Generally, I suggest you to look on models that can run OpenWRT/DD-WRT, it will have a huge added value, both from performance side and the community support.

 

http://wiki.openwrt.org/toh/tp-link/tl-wdr4900

 

This is a very good choice, for example.

 

 

 

What you posted makes perfect sense.  I don't intend to run any VPN credentials ON the router.  I will be keeping all VPN chains + TOR on my hobby/privacy computer only.  I want all network hardware to appear normal (everyday homeowner) when my hobby computer is absent from the network!  No other network devices or computers will be using traffic encryption.  Of course all wireless is wpa-2 to the router, but that is not what we are talking about here.

 

So, my head scratcher is that running an encrypted tunnel on wireless drops me to maybe 10 meg (lots of times only 5) on VPN1.  Of course I experiment with different ports, protocols, keep low circuit latency, etc....   Now connect Cat6 to the same router, with nothing else changed, and bam VPN1 is up to 45+ all day long.  Much smoother too.

 

I do understand your post, but then help me understand what is happening on my router.  Let me say in candor that my circuit always uses at least four hops and/or relays in combination.  I have "unofficially" concluded that the wireless config just gets overrun with all that heavy encryption going and coming.  Don't know why but Cat6 doesn't seem to experience anything but smooth sailing.  Any explanations??

[iwih2gk 93]

Well my line change happened.  I was upgraded by my ISP and get around 115 meg on my raw line now.  Getting at least 2/3 that on the Air servers.  Still running that mid-grade router using a Cat5e/6 connection.  I just looked on a TOR circuit I was using during a (speedofme dot com) test via TBB and with VPN's in front of the VM:  amazing slightly over 8 meg on TOR circuit.  Never thought I would see 8 meg on TOR.  Must have just had all the good relays get picked.  LOL!!

 

Guess I'll just keep this router for now.  Still have 802.11 ac + MIMO on my wish list for wireless.  The gear I want runs around 260.00, which is not going to happen just yet.