what is the best type/brand of home use internet router?

Depends on how big your home is and what all you are doing but one of the best is the ASUS RT-N66U

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2028227/asus-rt-n66...

I checked out the stores selling routers and talked to the techies and they were generally in agreement with the ASUS brand and the NETGEAR which you never mentioned. The N series of routers seems to be getting phased out in favor of the AC but that would be another question.

You can try My WIFI Router software, that's what I'm using right now.It turn my laptop into a hotspot just with a click.So I can switch my ethernet to wireless network just with a click. And it can create Ad hoc or WPA 2 encryption network.

personally--I think this one rocks

http://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Nighthawk-AC1900-Gig...