Low budget (<=S$200 for two AP and <=100 for one AP) wireless solution for typical HDB flat

[xiaofan]

Original post on 3-March-2024.
Usually I will recommend solution > S$200. For example, the minimum Asus router (main router) I will recommend is Asus TUF-AX4200 which is already at around S$229. Then sometimes an extra node is needed which I will recommend Asus RT-AX3000P at around S$80, total cost will be at S$309.

I will still recommend to go with the better router you can afford. But it will be interesting to know people's recommendation for <=S$200 solution and even <=S$100 solution. I am not good at finding lobangs so maybe the people will have better ideas.

The discussion below should be based on an assumption that there is no ISP issued router in the picture. For example, if you go with M1 500 Mbps plan there will be no router provided. Or if you go with no-frills plan with no bundled wireless router.

Edit to add on 6-March-2025.
Now no-frills plans are popular, from ISPs like the low cost providers like SIMBA and Whizcomms. Then ViewQuest and MyRepublic also offers no-frills plans.

The post also applies to those cost concious users who are still using very old routers (eg: out of contract) or those who have sold the bundled router to have low effective cost (eg: M1 users selling the bundled Archer BE805 or Asus ZenWiFi BT10).

For those who want to reuse old routers or buy old routers, please read Post #34 of this thread about security fix support status. Out of support routers can post great security risks for your home network (eg: virus, spyware, ransomeware, botnet, etc).
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/...ypical-hdb-flat.7006182/page-2#post-155509541

Edit to add on 9-March-2025
Asus EOL list: Asus has EOLed all the consumer AC routers, as well as RT-AX56U_V1 and RT-AX92U.
https://www.asus.com/event/network/eol-product/

TP-Link Duration of Security Support
https://www.tp-link.com/sg/support/faq/3182/

Netgear Singapore Home product EOS list
https://netgearstore.sg/pages/end-of-service-for-home-products

Linksys EOL and EOS query
https://www.linksys.com/pages/linksys-product-end-of-life

D-Link Singapore EOS list (old info, as of 30-Sept-2021) -- D-Link DIR-865L and DIR-868L have been out of support for a long time.
https://www.dlink.com.sg/Downloads/EndofSupportService.pdf

Singtel router support info
https://www.singtel.com/personal/support/broadband/routers-ont

Starhub router support:
https://www.starhub.com/personal/broadband/routers.html
https://www.starhub.com/personal/broadband/routers/smart-wifi-series.html
https://www.starhub.com/personal/support/article.html?id=LfNB5odcBt0mTG6Pr7GSB7

 

[xiaofan]

For the lucky ones which can use single wireless router in the central location to cover the full flat, then I think there are pretty decent wireless routers below S$100.

1) One example is TP-Link Archer AX72 (AX5400 rated) which can be bought at around S$80 BNIB from Carousell.

For those who need two nodes, you can get two of them at around S$160.

TP-Link Archer AX72 has 512MB RAM, supports EasyMesh using Ethernet Backhaul (better performance) or Wireless Backhaul. It will also be supported by TP-Link for security fix until 1-March-2028.

2) Update on 12-Jan-2025
A new good one is TP-Link Archer BE230 (dual band WiFi 7 BE3600, dual 2.5G ports, three 1G ports) which has the price falling below S$100 now (dumping by M1 and MR users). It has dual 2.5G ports so more suitable for 2.5Gbps/3Gbps plan than Archer AX72.

As of now, TP-Link commits to support Archer BE230 at least until 31-July-2027, but I expected the support to be extended as it is newer than Archer AX72.

3) TP-Link Singapore Duration of Security Support
https://www.tp-link.com/sg/support/faq/3182/

Duration of Security Support

TP-Link will provide security update support to the following products up to 1st March 2028, and extended support may be provided after the stated date.

Archer AX10, Archer AX20, Archer AX23, Archer AX50, Archer AX53, Archer AX55
Archer AX6000, Archer AX72, Archer AX73, Archer AX90, Archer AXE75
Archer C20, Archer C24, Archer C50, Archer C54, Archer C80
Archer C64, Archer AX11000

Duration of Security Support

TP-Link will provide security update support to the following products up to 31th Jul 2027, and extended support may be provided after the stated date.

Archer BE700
Archer BE700 Pro
Archer BE550 Pro
Archer BE400
Archer BE230
HB710(SGMRP)
HB611-SGST
TL-MR105

 

[xiaofan]

For those who need absolute low cost, then older WiFi 5 routers like Linksys EA8100 v1 can be used. You can get used unit at about S$10 per unit from Carousell. Two units will cost at S$20. Three units will cost at S$30.

You can even install OpenWRT to have better security and routing performance. You can start with the main router node.

OpenWRT discussions:
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/threads/openwrt-router-firmware.5967482/

 

[xiaofan]

Updated on 24-Nov-2024

For ONR users.

1. For those who use Singtel/WC GPON ONR (Huawei, Nokia and ZTE)
(Singtel 500Mbps/1Gbps/2Gbps/2.5Gbps plans and WC 2.5Gbps plan)

• Huawei HG8244H ONR
• Huawei HG8240T5 ONR
• Nokia G240 ONR
• ZTE ZXHN F620 ONR

You can also consider Asus RT-AX3000P which can be bought from Carousell at around S$80 per unit. Two units will be at about S$160. It supports AImesh.

I do not recomend it to be used as the main router since it has only 256MB RAM. But if you have only few devices it can also be used as main router. In that case, it is also suitable for ONT users.

Older RT-AX55 can be considered as well if you can get them a bit cheaper than the RT-AX3000P.

Comparisons of RT-AX3000P vs TP-Link Archer AX72:
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/threads/which-router-is-better-asus-or-tp-link.6952537/
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/threads/m1-upgrading-from-500mbps-to-1gbps.7030419/

2. For those who use Starhub issued Nokia XS-2426X-A ONR with wireless AX6000 function built-in
(Starhub 5Gbps and 10Gbps plans, including HomeHub+ bunle plans)
1) If itself can cover your flat, that is good. Zero extra cost.
2) Starhub S$29.55 per month 5Gbps special offer comes with one Nokia Beacon 2 to be used as mesh node for the Nokia ONR. If this combination is good enough for you, zero extra cost.
3) You can also get Nokia Beacon 2 at about S$40 to S$50 as mesh nodes to go with Nokia ONR. If possible, use Ethernet backhaul.

Edit to add on 6-March-2025: Starhub no longer offer ONR based plans. Now they have free HB410 for 3Gbps plan and free HB710 for 5Gbps plan, using XGS-PON ONT.

3. For those who use Singtel/WC XGS-PON wired ONR (no Wireless function)
(Singtel 5Gbps/10Gbps plans and WC 10Gbps)

• ZTE F8648P ONR
• Nokia XS-240X-A XGS ONR

You may want to follow the first one. I do not recommend to go with Singtel's lousy mesh solution. But if you can get lower cost WiFi 6 mesh extender to go with your Singtel AX5400 router, that may be an option as well.

You can also consider Xiaomi BE3600 and BE5100 China version as mesh solution in AP mode. There are other options.

Xiaomi BE3600 2.5G version at RMB 249 (or lower at about RMB 219 during promotion)
Xiaomi BE5100 at RMB 279 (or lower during promotion).

 

[xiaofan]

Low cost China WiFi 7 router can be considered as well. Some of the low cost ones can even be used with 2.5Gbps plan and M1/MR 3Gbps plan.

Eg: single AP <= S$100
Xiaomi BE5000 (2.5G port): RMB 329 (just announced), offer price RMB 279
TP-Link TL-7DR5130 BE5100, RMB 329 (single 2.5G port, 512MB RAM)
ZTE BE5100 Pro+ （中兴巡天BE5100 Pro+）: dual 2.5G ports -- price 329
TP-Link TL-7DR5130 BE5100, RMB 429 (quad 2.5G ports, 512MB RAM)

Eg: two APs <= S$200
Xiaomi BE 6500 Pro + BE3600 = RMB 699 + RMB 299
ZTE BE7200 PRO+ ZTE BE5100 PRO+ = RMB 599 + RMB 329

More info about Chinese WiFi 7 routers
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/threads/wifi-7-routers.6905228/#post-147664804

 

[firesong]

From my own case, get to know friends who do SI or camp on eBay/Carousell. It helps if you can get lobang for clearance.

I've seen quite a few hardware upgraders around who clear out APs at low cost. They may not be the latest and greatest, but will definitely be the most bang for buck for wireless stability.

I've seen U6-LR going for $120 each ($440 for all 4 with free UniFi CK1) in Dec '23 but I didn't have the time to switch ecosystems so I didn't spring for it.

 

[sglandscape]

I'll add my preferred set up, as a general rule of thumb, the number of APs you want in a place is about number of room in the house - 1 to get line of sight 5Ghz coverage. I typically would minimally put at least 1 AP in the living area, and another 1 in the master bedroom.

Also get a N100 PC for SGD 150-200 to run pfsense and the controller software. If you need to get a switch, always get a managed switch in case you want to segment your network or have more complex use cases in the future. Managed switches are fairly cheap if you look and wait long enough on carousell.

TP-Link Omada for the more conscious, or Unifi if you're a fan boy and prefer their entire ecosystem (router, IP CCTV, door bell etc).

 

[firesong]

I'll add my preferred set up, as a general rule of thumb, the number of APs you want in a place is about number of room in the house - 1 to get line of sight 5Ghz coverage. I typically would minimally put at least 1 AP in the living area, and another 1 in the master bedroom.

Also get a N100 PC for SGD 150-200 to run pfsense and the controller software. If you need to get a switch, always get a managed switch in case you want to segment your network or have more complex use cases in the future. Managed switches are fairly cheap if you look and wait long enough on carousell.

TP-Link Omada for the more conscious, or Unifi if you're a fan boy and prefer their entire ecosystem (router, IP CCTV, door bell etc).

Second this. I would not go with a PoE+ switch the next time around. It was hard to get PoE+ and Managed.

Instead, get a good Managed switch and use injectors. Not the port-by-port injectors, but the PoE midspan injectors instead. They look like these:

It will help to maximise the utility of devices, and you can get better switches for the money, and still run PoE fairly cleanly since the mess will be at the Switch area rather than having hardware injectors popping up randomly all over the house. You just need short run cables to keep it all neat. Even if one only expects to do 2-3 APs, I'd still get an 8-port for future purposes - doorbells, webcams, switches, IP phones, etc can all be PoE powered downstream, which greatly simplifies setups as a single Ethernet cable run is better than trying to provide power points at strange places.

 

[jasonho]

Second this. I would not go with a PoE+ switch the next time around. It was hard to get PoE+ and Managed.

Instead, get a good Managed switch and use injectors. Not the port-by-port injectors, but the PoE midspan injectors instead. They look like these:
View attachment 47385
It will help to maximise the utility of devices, and you can get better switches for the money, and still run PoE fairly cleanly since the mess will be at the Switch area rather than having hardware injectors popping up randomly all over the house. You just need short run cables to keep it all neat. Even if one only expects to do 2-3 APs, I'd still get an 8-port for future purposes - doorbells, webcams, switches, IP phones, etc can all be PoE powered downstream, which greatly simplifies setups as a single Ethernet cable run is better than trying to provide power points at strange places.

This looks like a POE-powered patch panel . Is this thing common for POE users?

 

[sglandscape]

This looks like a POE-powered patch panel . Is this thing common for POE users?

Definitely not common, standard configuration would be either a POE switch, or a POE injector.

 

[fromnuaa]

For those who need absolute low cost, then older WiFi 5 routers like Linksys EA8100 v1 can be used. You can get used unit at about S$10 per unit from Carousell. Two units will cost at S$20. Three units will cost at S$30.

You can even install OpenWRT to have better security and routing performance. You can start with the main router node.

I am happy for LInksys EA8100 v1 and EA7500 v2 as Singtel main router (connected to ONT and wifi is disabled), quite stable and ipv6 works perfectly.

My two APs are TL-XDR3010易展版 v2.0 from Taobao, they are stable enough.

 

[Mach3.2]

PoE+ and Managed

Very expensive proposition if all you have is a few PoE devices.

PoE injectors are the way to go for 1 or 2 APs imo. It's not as nice as managed PoE switches, but it's also a lot cheaper.

 

[TanKianW]

This looks like a POE-powered patch panel . Is this thing common for POE users?

The uncommon POE user (aka myself ): Using a shorter 4-port version to power my 2x antique APs and 2x room routers/switches.

 

[xiaofan]

Haha, PoE powered solution like router, AP and Switch will probably not fit in the low cost ≤S$200 scope.

Interesting read though.

My own solution will still be using Intel Mini PC + Consumer wireless router as AP. I will need to get a 2.5G managed switch since my existing 2.5G switch is an managed version.

 

[jasonho]

The uncommon POE user (aka myself ): Using a shorter 4-port version to power my 2x antique APs and 2x room routers/switches.

wa. eh why not green leh?

novice questions : does this support 2.5 or even 10g speed ?

 

[xiaofan]

I am happy for LInksys EA8100 v1 and EA7500 v2 as Singtel main router (connected to ONT and wifi is disabled), quite stable and ipv6 works perfectly.
My two APs are TL-XDR3010易展版 v2.0 from Taobao, they are stable enough.

Personally I think the weak MT7621A CPU in Linksys EA7500v2 and EA8100v1 has shown its age and they have only 256MB RAM. So to me they are more suitable as wireless AP and less suitable as a wireless router.

On the other hand, since you are only using it as wired router (disable wireless), I tend to think it is okay.

When you say SingTel IPv6, is it native SingTel IPv6 through DHCPv6 (not the old 6rd)? If yes, where is your location? Thanks. I think SingTel has not deployed native IPv6 to the whole island yet.

On the wireless AP side, yes there are many cheap WiFi 6 routers from China, from vendors like TP-Link, Xiaomi, ZTE, H3C, Ruijie and Huawei. Now they even have very cheap dual band WiFi 7 router (no 6GHz band) below RMB300.

 

[firesong]

Definitely not common, standard configuration would be either a POE switch, or a POE injector.

It's significantly cheaper than trying to get a PoE powered switch with the feature set.

Worth noting that, when it comes to EOY and tech refresh cycles, a lot of corporate IT stuff can go for dirt cheap or even free. They may be too weak for corporate networks, but could be good enough for home use. However, I don't see switches as part of that because they can last. There are still companies deploying 10/100 switches around, even while home users are toying with 10Gbps switches.

 

[xiaofan]

On the wireless AP side, yes there are many cheap WiFi 6 routers from China, from vendors like TP-Link, Xiaomi, ZTE, H3C, Ruijie and Huawei. Now they even have very cheap dual band WiFi 7 router (no 6GHz band) below RMB300.

Older post in the Xiaomi thread.
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/...i-ax3200-ax3000-redmi-ax3000t.6438353/page-21

Xiaomi Taobao/Tmall Flagship Store 11.11 offer for reference.

Xiaomi AX3000T -- RMB 179 (good buy for low end)
Redmi AX5400 -- RMB 279
Xiaomi AX6000 -- RMB429
Redmi AX5400 Gaming Edition (with 2.5G port) -- RMB 459
Xiaomi 6500 Pro -- RMB 699 (good buy if you have Mijia IoT devices)
Xiaomi 7000 -- RMB 799 (good buy)
Xiaomi AX9000 -- RMB 949
Xiaomi 10000 (10G/2.5G ports) -- RMB 1499 (good buy for the high end)

acwifi Chinese router buying guide: I have taken out brands like ZTE and H3C as they are not popular here. Then it becomes Xiaomi/Redmi vs TP-Link.
https://www.acwifi.net/25941.html

1) very low cost (<RMB 200)
Xiaomi AX3000T -- RMB 179

2) low cost (RMB 200 - 299)
TP-Link XDR5410 -- RMB 279
Redmi AX5400 -- RMB 279

3) Mid-range: RMB 300- 399
TP-Link XDR5410, RMB 399
Redmi AX6000, RMB 399
TP-LInk XDR6010, RMB 399

4) Mid-range with 2.5G port, RMB 400 - 499
Xiaomi AX6000, RMB 429

5) Higher mid-range, RMB 600-799, dual 2.5G ports or more
TP-Link XDR6088, RMB 679
Xiaomi 6500 Pro, RMB 699
Xiaomi 7000, RMB 799
GL.iNet MT6000, RMB 659 (11.11 promotion pricing).

 

[xiaofan]

Low cost China WiFi 7 router can be considered as well. Some of the low cost ones can even be used with SIMBA 2.5Gbps plan.

Eg: single AP <= S$100
Huawei BE3 Pro (1G port version, 512MB RAM): RMB399
Huawei BE3 Pro (2.5G port version, 512MB RAM): RMB499

Eg: two APs <= S$200
Huawei BE3 Pro 2.5G + Huawei BE3 Pro 1G = RMB 499 + RMB 399
Xiaomi BE 6500 Pro + BE3600 = RMB 699 + RMB 299

More info:
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/threads/wifi-7-routers.6905228/page-12#post-151478961

More info from the above.

I'd better update my post about China WiFI 7 router.

Chinese WiFi 7 router options (no 6GHz band, no 320MHz channel bandwidth, got MLO, 4096QAM, MRU, etc)

Huawei
Huawei BE3 Pro (1G port version, 512MB RAM): RMB399, not recommended as no 2.5G port
Huawei BE3 Pro (2.5G port version, 512MB RAM): RMB499

Xiaomi
Xiaomi BE3600 (2.5G port): RMB 299 (just announced) -- not recommended as main router since it has only 256MBRAM, okay as an AP
Xiaomi 6500 Pro (quad 2.5G ports, good for 2.5G plans): RMB699
Xiaomi 7000 (quad 2.5G ports, good match for 2.5G plans): RMB799
Xiaomi 10000 triband (dual 10G ports, maybe good for 10G plans): RMB1499

TP-Link:
https://www.tp-link.com.cn/product_cat_wifi7.html
TP-Link TL-7DR3610 BE3600, RMB 229, not recommended as no 2.5G port
TP-Link TL-7DR3630 BE3600, RMB 249 (single 2.5G port). not recommended as main router, okay as AP
TP-Link TL-7DR5130 BE5100, RMB 279 (single 2.5G port), not recommended as main router, okay as AP
TP-Link TL-7DR6560 BE6500 (quad 2.5G ports, good match for 2.5G plans), RMB 559
TP-Link TL-7DR7280 BE7200 (quad 2.5G ports, good match for 2.5G plans), RMB 1699
TP-Link TL-7TR13090 BE13000 triband (dual 10G ports, maybe good for 10G plans), RMB 2199

ZTE
https://www.ztedevices.com/cn/product/中兴问天be7200pro路由器/
ZTE BE7200 Pro+ (中兴问天BE7200Pro+, dual 2.5G ports, good match for 2.5Gbps plans) RMB 599

H3C
https://www.h3c.com/cn/Products_And...lProducts/Star_Products/Home_Network/BE18000/
H3C BE18000 triband (one 10G port and three 1Gbps port) -- RMB 1799

 

[TanKianW]

novice questions : does this support 2.5 or even 10g speed ?

Sadly, nope.

That is why I need to purchase a TP-link 2.5G POE++ switch specifically for my new Ruckus R750 APs.

New APs seemed to be more power-hungry. I will expect this trend moving forward.

I don't think there is a requirement for 10G POE (likely will be POE++) since no 10G switches/APs are currently POE....yet.​