yo for a $200 budget with Proxmox, NAS, and remote streaming needs, you're gonna want something that can actually handle the load. your current C54 is definitely choking with 14 devices and Tailscale encryption.
under $200 options that make sense:
· TP-Link Archer AX55 ($80-90) - AX3000, 2.5G port, handles VPN decently. plenty for 14 devices and Jellyfin transcoding won't phase it
· ASUS RT-AX58U ($150ish) - better QoS, actually useful for prioritizing gaming traffic when someone's streaming from your NAS. AiMesh ready if you expand later
· MikroTik hAP ax2 ($120) - if you're running Proxmox you probably don't mind tinkering. RouterOS is powerful, handles WireGuard/Tailscale like a champ. steeper learning curve but way more control
· GL.iNet Flint 2 ($180) - OpenWrt based, built for VPNs, has 2.5G ports. Tailscale works great on it
for your use case specifically:
since you're hosting Jellyfin remotely, look for something with hardware NAT and good VPN throughput. the AX55 or Flint 2 are solid. stay away from super cheap WiFi 7 routers at this budget - the dual-band ones perform similar to WiFi 6 anyway
your 2-room apartment doesn't need massive coverage so focus on CPU power for handling Tailscale encryption + multiple streams
For a 1,200 sqft apartment with 2-3 people and multiple devices, you don't need anything crazy. A solid dual-band WiFi 6 router in the $80-120 range will handle this easily.
The TP-Link Archer AX55 (\~$80) or the ASUS RT-AX58U (\~$100-120 on sale) are both strong picks in your budget. WiFi 6 matters here mostly because you have a lot of devices it handles congestion better than older standards, which makes a real difference when everyone's on at the same time.
since you're plugging your gaming PC into ethernet anyway, the router's wifi performance is mainly for everyone else's phones/laptops, so you don't need to overspend chasing the fastest wifi specs. Just make sure whatever you get has a decent number of ethernet ports if you want to wire anything else in.
Top WiFi Routers on Reddit
1
GL.iNet
GL-MT6000 (Flint 2)
91% positive of 199 users
OpenWrt enthusiast's choice; good value, but lacks 6GHz.
Amhaeng_Eosa
