Another drawback of the new basestation is lack of gigabit ethernet support.

At least one other brand makes an 802.11n router with gigabit, but currently NO ONE makes one with 802.11n, gigabit ethernet and dual range (2.4ghz and 5ghz) support. You need 5ghz to get the best speeds from 802.11n and you need gigabit to get those speeds with a wired PC (or Mac).