Topic: Looking for a dual-band Wireless-N or -AC router

[scottws]

The 2.4 Ghz WiFi band is very crowded in my neighborhood and I'm looking to take advantage of the much quieter 5 Ghz band.  My current WiFi router is a Buffalo WHR-HP-300N 802.11a/b/g/n device that has only 2.4 Ghz WiFi and 10/100 Ethernet ports (non-gigabit).

I'm looking for a device that is either 802.11a/b/g/n or 802.11a/b/g/n/ac that can do 2.4 Ghz and 5 Ghz at the same time.  Gigabit ports are a plus, but not required.  I'd prefer removable external antennas, but fixed ones are okay too.  I'd like to stay away from internal antennas for range reasons (especially for the 5 Ghz band).

Does anyone have anything like this that they are happy with?  Bonus if it is fully DD-WRT-, OpenWRT-, Tomato-, or Tomato-by-Shibby-compatible.

[Xessive]

I'm using the Linksys EA6700 and it's pretty awesome so far. I'm doing the same thing, by using the 5GHz band for my own system since the area is congested with a lot of interference from neighbours. I have noticed that 5GHz has lower range overall but cleaner transmission as long as you're close enough.

The router I was originally planning on buying is the Asus AC66U but since I couldn't find it in any stores here I conceded to the next best option.

[idolminds]

Sorry man, I got nothing in the 5Ghz range.

[Xessive]

I did a bit more reading on dual-bands out there and honestly there are some great devices out there from Linksys, D-Link, Buffalo, Asus, NetGear, and US Robotics. They're all quite competitive in terms of performance and quality. It really boils down personal preference (especially with software UI) and price.

[scottws]

I want something reliable and with good range.  I've seen far too many reviews of devices that overheat and require weekly rebooting or drop packets constantly.

I've heard good things about the Asus devices.  They seem more expensive that what I was expecting to pay, but maybe I need to pay a premium to get a good product in this category.  I've also considered going up a class and getting something for around $300 that is designed for small businesses (something like a FortiWifi).  In that case I'll get a far better product, but then you get into the annual subscription territory.