Which router . So many choices is overwhelming

Product Discussion
1

I’ll try to keep this short as probably these questions get ask all day long.
There are so many choices I am overwhelmed trying to purchase one.
Looking for a router for work from home.
3 WAN : Starlink + DSL(10/3) + aT&T lte
Bonded - VoIP calls and zoom calls all day don’t want drops.
Fam watching Netflix and all that normal home internet use stuff.

Thanks for any advice proffered !
Ryan

2

Balance 20x is a good value i think for home use. That is what I have, although I only use 1 WAN, no bonding or failover. the B20x has built-in CAT4 modem but pluggable CAT12 modem module can be purchased (not cheap) if higher speeds and bandwith required for LTE connection.

It has 1 ethernet WAN port, but USB WAN can also be used as second WAN.

Using Speedfusion cloud profiles, you can direct voip and zoom through the bonded tunnel, and have the rest go through your main WAN.

Edit: if you are also looking at adding access points, the Balance 20x has built-in AP controller for centralized management, but you can also use inControl2 subscription (which would be included in your prime care license along with Speedfusion cloud for the Balance 20x; free for the first year). I use it to manage 2 AP One minis. Works great.

3

Thank you for the info .
I was looking at the b20x also.
I am unable to determine if the USB WAN port can be made to work in Ethernet mode with a USB Ethernet adapter or if it has to be used with a USB pluggable modem. If I use the Internal lte , then I would need two Ethernet wan ports to accommodate the dsl and Starlink.

4

You can use a usb ethernet.

5

Excellent , sounds like the b20x is the one !

Edit: and that was a super fast reply LOL ! Thanks

1 Like
6

I’ll likely be doing the same setup with a 20x.
I haven’t decided if I need it or if I just wanted to have more horsepower, but the other options I have considered would be
A balance two and a max adapter on the usb port.
or a 380x with a cell module or br1 attached to one of the wans.

I currently run a balance 30 LTE
and the hd2 dome cell1 on wan1
and the hd2 dome cell2 on wan2
with a DSL on usbwan

I like the build in LTE on the 20x and the 30 LTE , but I’m just not sure I can get good signal so I put the hd2 dome on the roof.

I’m also considering overkill and doing a 580x
so I would do
#1 DSL or Fiber(if it ever arrives)
#2 Starlink
#3 HD2 dome cell1 VZ
#4 HD2 dome cell2 Tmobile
#5 HD1 dome cell1 or ATT direct cell (cat16 outdoor unit they provide)

We are a peplink partner in the US if you need to order anything, pm me.

7

FWIW, @QuantumThief I do exactly what you describe using a Balance30LTE and SpeedFusion Cloud, and it works amazingly well. In fact, I’ve now dropped the LTE portion of the system and use only Starlink and a local WISP, as I can’t remember the last time we need the LTE, which was basically a tertiary failover. My wife and I both work from home, and I do Teams/Zoom for hours each day while people in our guest house are often doing the same (while their kids stream content), with no issues. In fact, I’m now more stable than some of my employees on Verizon Fios with their stock routers.

If I hadn’t needed LTE before Starlink I think a Balance20 would have been a contender. That said, I’d think about throughput for future proofing. Starlink may soon be routinely capable of more than 200 mbps down (again, MAY) so if you want to prepare for that possibility, do look at those specs before purchasing (I haven’t, for the B20X).

Anyway, what you’re proposing to do works well.

8
9

Thank you ! I was looking for a compare function all night last night not sure how I missed it on the web page. Very helpful !

10

Thank you, @Madcodger , Awesome to hear ! haven’t moved into the new remote location yet(couple weeks out), so not 100% sure on LTE signal quality anyway.
I think it would be smart to future proof as well, I will likely look at the 20x for this reason.

Thanks, @Jonathan_Pitts , question with AT&T - is there an advantage to doing the external unit you mention vs the internal unit in something like the 20x with just a dome antenna on the roof ?

11

@QuantumThief
If you can get fixed wireless it is like $59 a month for 300gb of data.
It’s also professional installed, extra $99 and directional pointed to the correct tower.
They may or may not offer it in your area, check here.

I’ve yet to climb up and try to remove the sim to see if it will work in a peplink.
When I do I’ll let you know!

12

Ok so not available in my area. Internal SIM it is.

13

Oh man… $150 CDN for me for ZTE LTE modem no external antennas, and 50GB a month in Canada.

14

You can also try tmobile @home service.

1 Like
15

no go. I am in the middle of nowhere, but there is a tower close enough for vdsl … odd.