I'm looking for an affordable router (att fiber modem) to install opendns for kids devices, nordvpn for the network, and pierce the walls of my 3400 sq ft brick and wood home. Any suggestions?
This is what you want, op. Realistically, covering a space like this means running some cable and using it to connect everything. You'll have one router that connects to the fiber gateway then probably two or more access points connected to the router, those can be old routers if you have one or more laying around, or just WAPs (wireless access points).
Using wired access points is always way better than a wireless mesh system, it does bring so some difficulty in potentially pulling cable though the wall or ok the outside. If that can be overcome, it's WAY better.
Depending on how technical you are, look at open WRT. GLI net sells good devices, fairly inexpensive, and has open WRT pre-installed. I have several of the devices in their rock solid
I have the ASUS RT-AX86U (AX5700) Dual Band WiFi 6 Gaming Router and it can do all of those things. It's also mesh compatible, so you can buy a second router and use it as a node if you end up with any dead spots behind brick walls.
How technology inclined are you? Build a PFsense/Opensense router from an old pc with two network adapters then get Unifi access points. They have been the best wifi experience in my whole life. This route is very technical but will give you the best coverage but will learn a lot. Also running cat6 drops or using power line adapters would be one of the best ways to get the connection around the house. But I have experienced with gfci breakers they can cause problems with them working.
With that kind of surface area to cover, and with how higher frequencies are not passing through these kinds of walls easily, you'll have trouble finding a single router that covers it all.
You could try a router that can do a mesh network with a dedicated wireless backhaul to ensure good coverage, but if the walls are impeding the signal too much for the wireless backhaul to operate to a satisfactory speed then you may need to go with a wired backhaul, which is to run Ethernet wires from the main router to the mesh nodes.
I have 5800sqft and use 3 ASUS ZenWiFi AX6600s. I think you'd be good to do 2 unless you have a very odd layout. They are definitely on the more expensive side but they do very well.
It does. I lived in a place with aluminum wiring. The pigtailing defeated the adapters. The place I'm in now is all copper, but the connection can be flakey.
alternatively the neighbor in ASUS' product stack: the AX92U - also available in a pack of 2 (with a separate product name and page), for just a little more than the AX88U, so you can cover the area more efficiently with their easy to use meshing feature.