Nighthawk AX5 5-Stream AX4200 WiFi 6 Router (RAX42)

The way you described it sounds like you need a modem - If you need a modem this ain’t it. Modems are cheap, and I even have a spare I’d send you for the cost of shipping. This is a router, and routers matter on the usual factors (layout of home, neighboring networks etc), but I would never use a Nighthawk again. Their web UI is crap and they try to force you through their app to manage it.

I'm using WiFi right now, 30 ft and one level below my router, and have no issues. Max of 60ms ping.

I have one. Do not recommend: \- Region locked. It is possible, yet problematic to unlock. \- WiFi 5GHz with OFDMA breaks as soon as RAX encounters an Intel WiFi client. I have to operate it with OFDMA off. \- No Openwrt support. \- The device is EoL.

I have a 3,000sq two-story house and am currently running with a Nighthawk AX5 AX4200 WiFi Router(RAX42v2) that I bought last year. We have a decent spot right in the center of the house downstairs to place it and it covers everywhere just fine. YMMV but if you're just looking for general use, this might be a good fit for you.

With a descent router wireless is nearly as good as wired these days. I speak as someone who was once a 'wired network' purist for the same reasons as you, and also someone who works from home. A good router, set in a centralized place will probably be a cheaper and simpler solution than wiring everything together. I use one of those nighthawk routers with four antenna. Alternatively, doing data cabling runs throughout your house can be in DIY territory. It would be much cheaper than hiring a contractor and you could be done with it in about a day depending on how many rooms you want patched in and how much you care about wire enclosures being visible. Lots of people just put cable mounts in the corner near the ceiling and run them outside the wall.

With a descent router wireless is nearly as good as wired these days. I speak as someone who was once a 'wired network' purist for the same reasons as you, and also someone who works from home. A good router, set in a centralized place will probably be a cheaper and simpler solution than wiring everything together. I use one of those nighthawk routers with four antenna. Alternatively, doing data cabling runs throughout your house can be in DIY territory. It would be much cheaper than hiring a contractor and you could be done with it in about a day depending on how many rooms you want patched in and how much you care about wire enclosures being visible. Lots of people just put cable mounts in the corner near the ceiling and run them outside the wall.

Considering that you’re using a very old 802.11n-only device, an upgrade to a decent WiFi6 device will modernize you greatly. These can be very inexpensive. I picked up a used Netgear Nighthawk WiFi6 router for $30 and it covers my apartment perfectly, despite the 200 neighbors. Then, when the future arrives and it’s time to expand, I’d buy something new. WiFi7 prices are only going to fall faster and WiFi7 clients will become all that more common, so it will pay to wait. Network gear is one of those things that you can’t future-proof. The tech changes fast enough, and the prices change fast enough, and the client support lags enough to the point where it’s is more efficient to buy for today, and not for 24 months from now.

Netgear nighthawk for 6. Using tplink easy mesh for 7 and been happy so far