So I finally upgraded wifi router from a D-Link DIR-655 to a Netgear AC1750 (R6300) which had mixed reviews on various sites but was recommended on C-Net as a top wireless router of 2013. My D-Link is still working but I was experiencing an unstable signal on my Galaxy Note 3 which apparently is more a problem with the phone and not the router. So all said and done the upgrade was more for a bump in throughput speeds (as you can see in my wifi comparison: 65Mbps to 263Mps) rather than penetration of my 1 bedroom condo (with concrete foundation walls). And of course my Macbook Air 2013 can enjoy the bump up from N to AC wireless speeds.
Set up was fairly painless. Simply disabled DHCP on my D-Link and connected it to my new Netgear. Then connected the Netgear to my cable modem and configured the router (through a direct ethernet connection). I definitely noticed the speed bump but it wasn't a revelation of any kind. But at $119 for a refurbished Netgear AC1750 on Amazon.com (click the link below) it's certainly a bargain worth jumping into the AC speed lane. At one point during the year I had purchased the Western Digital N900 router for something like $80 but had so many problems with it that I promptly returned it.
