In article , Walter Boyd
wrote:

My old Linksys E4200 router has performed admirably for quite a few
years now, but may be getting a little long in the tooth. I've been
browsing routers for awhile now. Yesterday an ad for the Linksys AC2200
popped up in my inbox. It looks perfectly well-suited for my home
network (3 Win 10 PCs, two android tablets, HVAC system, 2 Windows
phones, network printers/scanners, Amazon TV, and of course internet
connectivity)...

The kicker is that it requires downloading an Android or iOS app in
order to set it up. We still use Lumia 950 Windows phones. Why would I
need Android or iOS to install a router which will be running a Windows
wi-fi network?

because it's generally easier to set up and just about everyone has at
least one android or ios device. you say you have two android tablets,
so it's not an issue.

you can still use a browser if you want.

Second question - when I do decide on a router, will I need to
re-install all the peripherals or will the new router recognize the
current network and take over from there?

the latter. there is no 'install peripheral' for a router.

however, you will probably want to reboot all of the devices to renew
their dhcp leases.