Need some advise on home routers regard reliability.

Current service is just home use on a low speed connection (1-3mb rural RF connection).  Typical stuff like iPads, laptops and AV stuff.  Nothing demanding.

My issue is that I'm basically only getting about a year to 18 months of life till the router starts to go flaky with dropped connections, wifi resets, and such.  I'm using both wireless and hardwire and both seem to flake out at the same time.  I'm now using your typical Linksys, Netgear or other consumer brand from WallyWorld, Best Buy, etc.  The router diagnostics typically don't give me any errors or hint that it's going bad.  Everything just magically gets better after replacement.

Just trying to see if there is something better I could buy to get 2 yrs or more out of instead of a new one every year or so.  It's not that the $50 is breaking my wallet, but it's the two days of reconfiguring everything and such AFTER I figure out it's going bad - which is usually the harder part.

If your old ROUTER (not the wireless function, but the part that hands out IPs to your devices) is still functional, turn off its wireless function and get a ubiquiti wireless access point.  Like this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA1EA0CD6551

I went from the best buy type wireless router combos to one like that (i got the long range version) and was blown away by the increase in speed and reliability.  

When installed that one looks like a smoke detector.  They also make wall mounted ones too.

2 thoughts.
heat and dust kills.
where are you putting these things that they die in under 2 years?
most don't have fans in them, but still vent air. consider some preventitive maintence? blow them out, put them in a cooler spot but off the floor so they don't suck up dust.

consider another brand, or even step up to a enterprise level router? might be a bit more, but it should be more robust. for other brands I have liked buffalo routers. I own like 4 of them.
had only one die early. the rest got replaced when I needed more speed. a couple have been running over 8 years, where I can still live with g being the fastest wireless.

Current location is on the TV stand out in the open.  Incidental dust is the only issue as I'm kind of a neat freak about that.  Not major dust bunnies or anything for sure.  Temperature is as good as it can get too.  It's out in the open with full ventilation.

I'm fully open to spending higher $$'s on better hardware.  Just not looking to go the $1,000 Cisco path.  . All recommendations are welcome.

The Buffalo stuff looks interesting.  Never heard of it before.  Are you using the N300 series stuff or which?

No direct sunlight?  That will also kill a router.

 

http://www.amazon.com/BUFFALO-AirStation-HighPower-Wireless-WHR-300HP/dp/B0096239EC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405538351&sr=8-1&keywords=buffalo+router

this is the one I have right now.
it is little over 2 years old.
edit to add: I remember why I replaced it. lightning strike ate the port. plus all my nic card ports on all pc's plugged in.

the last one I think dropped a port, but didn't have any wifi issues.
I have a few others as I said that are older.

I know I found that I had bought one back in 07 that is still running. I know I have one older than that that is a G that links the upstairs to downstairs.

CradlePoint

I use an MBR1400.

Geared towards business/remote office.  

Very flexible and rock solid... especially if you want to manage multiple WAN connections.

Don't know what exact router you are using today but you could try and flash it with dd wrt - new firmware that probably offers a lot more functionality if it isn't a hardware issue

Either of these...

The sun may be an issue.  I'll have to see about relocating as it does get direct sunlight during the winter months when the sun dips lower.

Surge protection should not be an issue.  I don't have your typical $20 MOV strip.  Brick Wall

I'm looking at the Cradlepoint stuff and the Buffalo WZR-300HP.  Not sure I need to move up to an AC level device since I've got a fairly low speed connection.  The Buffalo WZR seems to offer everything I would need and the open source software also.

Have you tried replacing the wall-wart, or opening up the router to see if any caps have failed?

I've had 2 routers in the last 10 years.  Both sit in the same place getting sun through a window half the day.  Never blow the dust out either.  My first one was so sun faded the colors were completely different

When your old one's "go bad" do you try resetting them completely to factory defaults and see if they work better?  Some times things just need a refresh

Other than that I would invest in a nice UPS.  Your power may not be very good.

You could build your own using pfsense or buy one of their ready made appliances.  I have one running on an Atom 330 processor that has been going strong for 4 years now.

pfsense on an old pc.

ubiquity unifi ap for wireless access.

done, will last years.