Wireless Routers Buying Guide
Introduction
What do you have when you don’t have a fast, reliable, strong internet? Nothing, you have absolutely nothing.
But you can’t get that if you don’t have a fast, reliable, strong wireless router. And there is good news and bad news about finding a good router that is right for your home or business. The good news is that you have access to so many choices these days, it’s never been easier to buy one.
Yet, the bad news is that with all those options, you might feel overwhelmed. There are so many choices, in fact, that you might not know how to start or what to look for.
Thankfully, there are certain features to look for, multiple things to keep in mind, and stuff to be aware of when you are shopping for your brand new wireless router. By doing so, you can be assured that you will only fire up the strong, fastest, and best internet, whether it be at home or at your business.
You need good internet and, therefore, you need a good wireless router. So this is what you should be looking for when you’re hunting for one.
Don’t Rely On Your ISP
Everyone who is using the internet is doing so because they have an ISP, or internet service provider. They are the companies that come into your home and hook up your internet. Without them, most people wouldn’t be able to get WiFi.
Your ISP will give you a modem and router when they set up your internet, sometimes in the same device. Your modem will connect your home to the internet while the router will connect your devices to the modem.
You will likely be charged a rental fee when you use the device provided to you by your ISP and you will probably not get a great return on that investment. The router and modem given to you will be basic and will hardly get the job done. That is why it is so much smarter to buy your own router if you want the sort of blazing-fast internet that will help you work, stream, and do everything you want.
Different Types Of Routers
Believe it or not, there are actually multiple types of routers out there and each one works differently, while ultimately serving the same purpose.
Single-Band Routers
This is going to be a cheaper type of router. It’ll get the job done but not very well. Your ISP will likely provide you with a single-band router and that gives you a good idea of just what to expect.
It is single-band because it only uses - you guessed it - one frequency band: 2.4GHz. This band is great for a lot of reasons. For example, it’s wonderful at powering through walls in a home and floors too. And most devices are compatible with 2.4 GHz so you don’t have to worry about it not aligning with your items.
But it is definitely slower than other types of routers and you will notice that when you are attempting to surf the web and download things. This is doubly true if you live in a big city, where the speed will feel even slower.
Dual-Band Routers
As you’d imagine, a dual-band router is going to give you two frequency bands that you can rely on: 2.4GHz or 5GHz.
If you are living in a highly-populated area, then 5GHz will be a huge help to you. 5GHz experiences far less interference from other signals and seems to provide better, faster, and stronger connections.
However, it doesn’t get through walls as well as 2.4GHz. Therefore, a dual-band router is great because you can use either the 2.4 or the 5. No matter what you are doing and where you are located, you are sure to get strong WiFi from this type of device.
You should also keep in mind that not a lot of devices support 5GHz. That means that the 2.4GHz will probably get used more often than the 5. Will there come a time when more items use 5GHz? You bet, and when that day comes, your dual-band router will be even stronger and a smarter purchase.
Tri-Band Routers
If you thought two bands were good, wait until you get a load of three!
A tri-band router is one that gives you access to 2.4GHz and 5GHz too. In fact, it gives you access to two bands of 5GHz.
This will greatly help with fighting congestion and interference from other WiFi networks. That means that your internet will be able to reach higher speeds most of the time.
If you use the internet a lot and live in a big, busy city then a tri-band router might be perfect for you. It is also good if you have multiple devices connected to your network at one time. In the future, tri-band routers will be even more important so it’s smart to get in on one now.
But you should not expect lightning-fast speeds all the time just because you invest in a tri-band router. If you aren’t hooking up a lot of devices to your network, you might not notice much difference from before. However, you will in the future and as you add more and more internet hog devices to your network.
Conclusion
Your WiFi network is only as good as the router that you are using. Therefore, if you only invest in a cheap router, you will only get cheap internet.
For some people, that isn’t a problem but the number of people who need good wireless internet is growing by the day. For businesses and people who want to stream content, play video games, or work remotely, fast internet is a must-have.
That means that you need to buy the WiFi router that is right for you. There are many to choose from these days and you might feel daunted by all the selections. But finding a good, ideal, fast WiFi router has never been easier if you keep certain things in mind.
