Wireless Access Points/Bridges Buying Guide

Introduction

No one can really survive without WiFi these days. Whether you are doing homework, running a business, or simply checking your email, you need WiFi to get by.

Since WiFi has never been so important, good WiFi has also become essential. You can’t run the risk of not having strong and reliable internet from every corner of your property or business.

This is where wireless access points and bridges come in handy. While they both serve different purposes, they are both needed if you want to ensure that you only have the best, strongest, most reliable WiFi for your home or business.

What do these two things do and why do they typically go hand-in-hand for someone who is looking to super boost their wireless internet? You might not think you need an access point or bridge but the truth is that they can only help you and your business and everyone who needs to use your WiFi.

What Is The Difference?

What’s the difference between a bridge and an access point? They might not be the same thing but they are quite similar in terms of the end goals.

An access point will tie multiple wireless devices together to a single router, which will provide internet to each of them. As for a bridge, it will join two or more networks into a single network that can pass around your date.

So, what do you need to keep in mind and look for when you are hunting for the right access point or bridge for you or your business?

What To Look For

Speed

Whether you are looking for an access point or a bridge, you definitely want to be sure that you are getting a very fast one. WiFi won’t serve you or your customers any purpose if it is painfully slow.

A lot of data will be surging through your new access point or bridge. Therefore, you want to be sure that whatever access point or bridge you buy will be able to move it all along quickly.

You should be looking for a speed rating that moves data at 300 Mbps or 900 Mbps. 900 is going to be better for networking in nearly every single case.

Range

When you are connecting devices, whether through an access point or a bridge, you want to be sure that you can reach a long distance, otherwise your wireless gadgets will be completely useless and struggling to remain online.

Wireless bridges usually have ranges around 2, 3, or 5 miles. Based upon the requirements that you have and what you are needing to do with your internet, this should be more than enough.

However, you need to keep in mind that there are certain things that could get in the way of good speed and you will want to optimize your devices to make sure you are getting the true potential from them.

Antenna Strength

You will need to have a strong antenna strength for all of your devices, otherwise you will be limited in the amount of things that you can do.

While the range of your device will tell you the distance that you can cover, you need to know more. You need to make sure that you have a good antenna strength, which will improve the overall performance of each device and keep them better connected at all times.

A high antenna strength, something like 16 dBi, will get you very strong performances from your devices. You do need to keep in mind, however, that most antennas are based upon the direction that it is pointed. So you will need to toy and tweak your approach to where you place the antenna and how you direct it to other devices.

The Number Of Bridges

Setting up a wireless bridge means that you need to have two networks, with the bridge acting as the thing that ties them together and lets them send data back and forth.

Many bridges come in packs of two, which is a great value for the money that you spent. With so many options for multiple bridges currently on the market, you should always make sure that you get the most bang for your buck and only buy a package deal that will give you multiple devices, seemingly for the price of one.

The Warranty

Obviously you want everything to work so well with your new access point or wireless bridge. And everything probably will be okay but there is a chance that the new devices just don’t work out for you.

Maybe you find something cheaper, maybe they don’t fit in your home or business’s aesthetic, maybe they are just not performing as you imagined.

Whatever the reason, if you are not going to keep using your bridge and access point, you need to be able to return it - or have it repaired if it’s not working well. And that is why you need a good warranty.

Typically, most wireless bridges and access points are going to come with at least a one or possibly two year warranty. Obviously, that is more than enough time to know if you are truly happy with the device. But you should think of a warranty as a reason that something might cost more at checkout in the store. Therefore, you should only be paying more if the warranty is good and worth it.

Why would you want a longer warranty? Isn’t that just going to make it cost more? Yes, it might. But imagine if your device works very well for a year and then it stops performing for some reason. What will you do then? If you have a warranty, you will have a way to get the device exactly as you imagined it.

Conclusion

If you are trying to take your WiFi to the next level then you need both an access point and a bridge. These two items will give your wireless internet a huge boost and will have you far more productive in a short matter of time.

It’s important that you choose the device that is right for you and that can be done if you are aware of what to look for and stay adamant about only buying something that checks all the boxes.