Balance Router Selection

I need some assistance in selecting a dual WAN router for my home network.

I currently have the Comcast cable Internet service (260 MBps), but I want the ability to add a 2nd WAN service for redundancy if I switch to VOIP and to avoid a Comcast lockin. The 2nd service could be ATT or a wireless interface.

My current configuration:

  1. Comcast Service 260 MBps
  2. Motorola MB8600 Cable Modem (10/100/1000 WAN port)
  3. Netgear FV114 router (10/100), this is an old router that I want to replace which is limiting my download speed to around 25-30 MBps. A laptop connected directly to the Cable Modem had a 250 MBps download speed test.
  4. Structured Wiring Panel with Cat5e Ethernet cables to various home computers.
  5. Most of the home computers have 10/100/1000 Ethernet interfaces.

I have been reviewing the specs for the Balance 20 router, and I think that router has a throughput bottleneck.

  1. The Balance 20 WAN ports are 1 GBps
  2. The Balance 20 Stateful Firewall Throughput is 150 Mbps
  3. The Balance 20 LAN ports are 1 GBps

So my questions:

  1. Will my actual throughput be limited by the Stateful Firewall Throughput at 150 MBps?
  2. If so, are there better router options without breaking the bank?

I’d suggest looking at the Balance One: Router throughput (which is what you should care about, never mind the Ethernet ports speeds) is 600Mbps, enough to handle balancing your two WAN connections.

I don’t know about your bank, but its price point is very good for what it offers.

For a bit more future-proofing, there is the Balance Two (available for pre-order), at 1 Gbps router throughput. Some of our locations have fiber access at 1 Gbps and support for that is rather nice.