Less dropped wireless signals
I can only get 1.5 mbps from CenturyLink at our house (I can't seem to get an answer from CL why this is so). I have the combination modem/router from CL. Using my laptop wirelessly in another part of the house, my connection seems to be turned off and on erratically. Buffering is very slow and frequent when I watch movies. Will this router improve my internet situation?
Short answer: Absolutely!!
Like anything in life that comes in a combo your modem/router combo is really good on the modem side and totally sucks on the router side. Get the NetGear router and make sure to have your current router turned off so they aren't interfering. I'm certain you will no longer have any connection issues. For years I fought this with ATT combo modem/routers and constantly had weak signal issues as well as printer connectivity issues. Finally a technician for HP recommended a third party router and since that day no more issues. That was 2010 fwiw. My current home has 24 connected devices to the NetGear Nighthawk and it performs flawlessly. Of the 24 I have an iMac, 2 matchbook pros, 2 iPads, 3 iPhones, 2 printers, 5 directv boxes, a ps3 and several smart tv's connected to it. I'm certain I have left out some but you get the idea. :)