Need new router....which one is best for my needs?

[Qballgreg]

Replacing an older router since we are now streaming our tv viewing....we have upgraded to 100 meg service. We do not do gaming, but have the following items using wi-if in our home. 3 TVs (use only one at a time) each with a Roku +, 2 ipads (use simultaneously), 2 cell phones, 2 wi-if computers (use only one at a time)...but it is not used much, one wi-fi printer used infrequently, and one Alexa. Our cable,company installed their router, but it is not working well...so I id like to know if our answer would be a multi-band router, whereby I can assign different instruments to,different bands, or networks....is that how it works?

 

[kellys_eye]

Pretty irrelevant regarding channels, bands etc. It all boils down to the speed at which your provider can get the data to you i.e. your broadband speed....

This download speed will be 'split' between all devices connected to the router and the more you connect the slower the individual devices will receive the downloads.

 

[Qballgreg]

I had been running a Netgear WNDR4500 (about 7 years old) then the broadband provider put in a combo modem/router which is an Arris DG3450. I plugged the Netgear into one of the LAN inputs on the Arris, and am running a couple of items off of it, which seems to have helped a little....so....overall, I have numerous ‘buffering’ pauses while watching tv, which I did not have prior to going from a 50mb to 100mb service...any ideas would be helpful....

 

[kellys_eye]

The Arris device has it's own wi-fi capability. Why are you plugging your Netgear device into it? Surely the Arris can do it 'all-in-one'?

 

[Qballgreg]

While only using the Arris, I had one tv that was not viewable do to slow buffering, so I was trying numerous things, seeking improvement...as a last resort, I plugged the Netgear into it and then signed the tv onto a network delivered by the Netgear, and it is now watchable, but could be better...a long winded way to say, that I’m looking for improved performance, since it has declined since doubling my bandwidth and introducing a new router...I’m really not savvy enough to know which direction to look for improvement, thus the reason I posted this issue...

Why is a multiband router used if all items just share the bandwidth?
If a router has both a 5g and a 2.4 network, it would seem there are setups that are faster, by signing different items to different networks...

 

[kellys_eye]

The frequency used depends on the device(s) receiving the data. Unless your 'receiving' devices are 5G-capable then they'll only work on the band(s) they are capable of receiving.

This is why newer router/wifi devices have multi-bands - to make them backward compatible with older devices but also allow the most recent products to be used. No matter what bands are used the actual throughput of data remains the same and the more devices you connect the slower the individual devices will be.

If your TV is 802.11n then it is the 'older' 2.4 system.

If you are getting 'stalling' then use some online speed testing service to see if it is working properly and/or check the configuration files of the router. You should be able to get HD TV services over a 2Mb connection let alone a 100Mb one!

What about signal strength? Is the TV within 'decent' range of the router/wifi?

 

[Qballgreg]

Thanks so much for the help...the problem tv is next to the router...a 4K UHD...the problem may be somewhere in the hookup of the Roku thru an av receiver....so I’ll need to check the manual, since it’s a few years old...

Would the 2.4 or 5G networks need to be assigned or does the router send the signal to the appropriate network, 2.4 or 5G automattically?

 

[kellys_eye]

Assignment will be automatic - regardless, if your receiving device doesn't have 5G it won't be able to use it!

 

[Qballgreg]

The AV receiver has several HDMI inputs, one of which is used to connect the Roku, which I’m using to stream programming, so I assume I am fine there...so I am rather lost as to where to look...I doubled my service from 50mbs to 100mbs, and then my problems began. My ISP sent a tech who installed their new router/modem and did a signal test confirming 100mbs hard wired...any ideas? Thanks again...