What's the best car brand? Or the best beer brand? Now, every brand can offer something "good enough" for a specific customer and best router brand is a very large margin answer. Look, we are here to answer your question, but for some who deal with networking stuff, your question has multiple answers. Will try to respond but without sounding "smart a$$". Understand that we always strive to give the best helpful answer. What do you need? What problems you need to solve? A home router with good LAN and WiFi speeds? Answer can be found quickly. Do you need anything above a home router, do you need features covering specific tasks? What is your budget? Do you have already a router or what type of connection do you have FTTH, FTTP, ADSL, shared. A good router can be a off the shelf appliance like TP Link, Fritzbox, Asus, Linksys, Netgear..or a router that can support open firmware like DD-WRT, OpenWRT, and also devices made to run a enterprise level OSs like pfSense, OPNsense, Microtik, Untangle, Fortinet and Ubiquity. In most scenarios, in SOHO the ISP deployes an modem and a router, or an ONT and a router or in the best case a router who is 3 in 1 device: ONT, Router/switch and Acces Point. Most routers and underpowered and struggle to do the basics...that why they're offered for free to the customer. For your knowledge and presented in a very simple and clear, concise way. Not promoting pfSense, but this is the best explanation for understanding home routers bar none.
Yes, self made is the best rewarding route - pun intended. Also, nowadays one is spoiled for choice regarding OSs needed for a router. DD-WRT, OpenWRT, pfSense OPNsense Microtik OS Untangle Sophos XG Firewall Zentyal The list goes on. Hardware wise, strive for the most open platform and most important, best power consumption efficiency. Build your own router. Why? Think about it. We, here in our community, strive to build the best computer using the best parts, a balanced build who will cover the tasks needed (gaming, editing, etc.) and then we loathe off-the-shelf computers, premade with underpowered choice of components, sold at a steep price. Understand that now one can build also a router in the same way, choosing all the parts for the best intended result. Off the shelf computer = normal router vs. DIY computer = DIY router. Typical scenario: a small business is going bananas because their router is acting up and their communication is poor and unstable. Solution: ONT : Ubiquity Fiber Loco Router/Firewall : OPNsense Acces Point : Ubiquity Nano HD UAC Costs more? Depends.Yes and no. No, because the downtime and lost communication cost money. In the long run, this setup will provide solid connection and security. Yes, because it cost more that your average router. In a home, without too much hassle a Fritzbox router with included ONT could be a viable solution.
self made with open sense or pfsense is usually good, i use a udm pro, which is slowly becoming decent as the firmware is improved.
i use cisco switches and cisco access points and have two juniper firewalls running behind my isp modem. i set this up once years ago (really yeaaaars ago) never touched it again
