What is your experience? Gaming Routers for DCS

[Mike Force Team]

What is your experience with using gaming routers for DCS?  I know popular brands such as Netgear, Asus, and Tp-Link are likely to be used. I am asking the DCS community if there is one particular brand that works well.  Are you using mesh or stand alone? I am asking if you are using a router or a mesh wifi system.

Mike Force Team

[BitMaster]

You do not want to use any Mesh-System of any kind for gaming that is FPS based, you add considerable latency by using any Mesh.

 

One should understand what a Mesh system is and how the specific one in use reacts and routes traffic.

One Router and one Client do not need a Mesh nor do they present one. You need at least 2 AP's in addition to a router with WiFi to create a so called Mesh system.

By definition, the Mesh is rerouting your traffic on another path if the AP you are connected lost connection on the shortest path to the gateway but the Mesh system has another route, aka MORE HOPS usually = more latency, to the gateway..or whatever destination inside your LAN. By logic, the 2 AP's ( often fed by WiFi only, no LAN connection to the router ) must be able to communicate via WiFi to have the option to reroute traffic. Some systems, like AVM's Mesh include LAN  and WiFi connected Access Points and use intelligent steering...either way...all adds lag in DCS...it is not great for gaming per se !

If you need a good router, built it yourself with Linux if you can, it's not that hard...or choose a company that has proper and long term support and cares for their devices. I would absolutely stay away from Asus and all brands that do not do network devices as their prime business, let me tell you that as someone who works in IT. If you are in Europe, get AVM Fritz!Box, that is a very good box. If you cant get one of those, consider DIY, with a Mini-PC or older PC and one of the many ready-to-boot-usb-linux versions. The knowledge you gain pays back.

[The_Nephilim]

On 6/23/2025 at 3:59 PM, BitMaster said:

You do not want to use any Mesh-System of any kind for gaming that is FPS based, you add considerable latency by using any Mesh.

 

One should understand what a Mesh system is and how the specific one in use reacts and routes traffic.

One Router and one Client do not need a Mesh nor do they present one. You need at least 2 AP's in addition to a router with WiFi to create a so called Mesh system.

By definition, the Mesh is rerouting your traffic on another path if the AP you are connected lost connection on the shortest path to the gateway but the Mesh system has another route, aka MORE HOPS usually = more latency, to the gateway..or whatever destination inside your LAN. By logic, the 2 AP's ( often fed by WiFi only, no LAN connection to the router ) must be able to communicate via WiFi to have the option to reroute traffic. Some systems, like AVM's Mesh include LAN  and WiFi connected Access Points and use intelligent steering...either way...all adds lag in DCS...it is not great for gaming per se !

If you need a good router, built it yourself with Linux if you can, it's not that hard...or choose a company that has proper and long term support and cares for their devices. I would absolutely stay away from Asus and all brands that do not do network devices as their prime business, let me tell you that as someone who works in IT. If you are in Europe, get AVM Fritz!Box, that is a very good box. If you cant get one of those, consider DIY, with a Mini-PC or older PC and one of the many ready-to-boot-usb-linux versions. The knowledge you gain pays back.

Hey BitMaster which company in the USA that has proper and long term support? Do you have any links for the Linux based Routers? I built a Linux based Cloud setup and it has been working great. would be curious to look into a linux based Router..

 

Thnx

Neph'

[BitMaster]

If I had to pick one that is free I would likely pick opnsense or pfsense. I have played around with it in VMware a while ago and it's pretty straight forward for standard setups.

If you've build a cloud setup, then it will be not much different. 

 

I have no first hand info on what's popular in the US. I use Lancom over here if I can choose, but often I have to deal with the Router that there is, that's part of my job.

Looking back through the years, I know which companies I don't prefer, mildly speaking. SInce I have used my own DIY Linux Routers back in ISDN years, 1998, I don't have

to accept, I had and have options. But to be fair, I use a Provider owned Fritz!Box! Cable edition for years, 1Gbit, static IP etc., it's all I need. I have just sold an enterprise UTM Firewall

Appliance, Linux based, on eBay for good money as the last thing I want and need in my Home/SoHo is a firewall that needs constant attention. So there is a gap between what one needs

at home and what`sreally available on the market. Reliable, secure, LONG term support, OpenSOurce, Expandable,   Asus, Netgear, etc.  all have nice boxes but miserable support, lousy

software, things AVM does 10x better with the Fritz Eco System. So to fill the gap, use a DIY Linux opnsense/pfsense on a mini-PC.

 

For the kicks,

You can install & configure it in VMware in such a way, that you dont have WAN until you fire up your virtual router, aka, test it on your rig before you deploy it. VMware is free meanwhile btw.

 

Edited Thursday at 10:38 PM by BitMaster

[Mike Force Team]

@BitMaster Thank you for suggestions and comments.

Mike Force Team