Need a router rec

I've got 4+ years out of a TP-Link Archer C7. Recently added a switch and a Ubiquiti POE Access Point. Will your access point work with any router/switch? My Ubiquiti was around $80 and I plugged in the ethernet cable and set it up using their app on my phone. Now I have the TP-Link 2.4 and 5G networks, as well as the AP 2.4 and 5G networks. Also hardwired in everything I could. Really the only devices using the WiFi now are phones and tablets. And it is simple to switch back and forth between which network to use depending on where I am in the house. The kids are only allowed to use their devices in the living room or other downstairs rooms so they all connect to one.

In almost every case, when a router fails it's just the wifi part that stops working or gets flaky. They usually continue to work just fine as a router and hardwired switch, so you can just buy a standalone wifi access point (I like Ubiquiti, they are cheap and work very well) to plug into it and get better wifi coverage than before.

I think consumer wifi routers are shitty due to the constraints consumers put on them. We want one device that serves as a router, firewall, switch, and wifi access point, and we want it all in a small and silent (no active cooling) package. It's just not reasonable to expect a long life out of such a device when you look at it that way. People are paying $300+ for crazy looking high performance routers, but they are still prone to the same problem: overheating. You can spend a lot less money, and get better performance and longer life out of the devices at the same time, at the cost of taking up a bit more space and just turning the router's wifi off and using a standalone wifi AP.

I'm a fan of consolidation and simplification, but I'm a bigger fan of devices that just work indefinitely.



Sorry for the rant, but the TL;DR is don't replace that router that will likely work for another 5-10 years. Instead, just disable the wifi and augment it with another standalone access point. You will save $50+ right now, and much more in the long run since you won't be replacing it again in 2 years. And as a bonus you will probably get better wifi coverage, as well.