How to choose a router: everything you can and cannot save on

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Without specialized knowledge, choosing a good router can seem like a daunting task. Life hacker explains how to choose the right model and not overpay.

A router is a very complex device with many technical characteristics. We will focus on those that play an important role for the buyer.

WAN port type and connection protocols

The WAN (or Internet) connector is used to connect an Internet cable to the router. This is the first detail to look out for when buying a device. It depends on it whether the router will work with the provider.

A typical router has a WAN port in one of two formats:

1. DSL (ADSL, VDSL and other subtypes) - to connect to the Internet via a telephone line.
2. Ethernet - to connect through a special channel of the provider.

There are also universal devices that support several formats, including DSL and Ethernet. But they are much less common.

In the now quite popular fiber-optic networks, access to the Internet is carried out through a GPON terminal, to which the router is connected. Some routers have an appropriate connector for connecting the provider's fiber optic cable directly. This allows you to get rid of the terminal, which often suffer from power surges and remove an extra link in the chain.

Provider compatibility

Internet service providers use various technologies to connect subscribers. Some of them are massive and are supported by default in all routers, others are less common and not available everywhere.

For example, many service providers use L2TP, which does not work on every router. Therefore, before buying, it is advisable to check with the provider's support service whether their networks support the router you are interested in.

If, instead of DSL and Ethernet, the provider uses specific connection technologies, which rarely happens, then it is better to trust specialists in choosing and configuring equipment.

Number and type of LAN ports

Computers, consoles, TVs and other stationary equipment that need stable wired access to the Network are connected to the LAN ports of the router. This connection always guarantees the maximum speed, which is independent of distance and interference.

And the more such connectors there are in the router, the more devices you can connect to it via a wire. Typically, routers are equipped with four LAN ports. But if this is not enough for you, choose a model with additional connectors.

The maximum speed of data exchange between the router and other devices connected to it via a wire depends on the type of LAN ports.

There are two such types:

1. Fast Ethernetprovides speeds up to 100 Mbps.
2. Gigabit Ethernet- up to 1 Gbps.

If your provider offers Internet access at speeds greater than 100 Mbps, choose a router model with Gigabit Ethernet ports. This will help you make the most of your channel.

Wi-Fi standards

The maximum possible speed of data exchange between the router and the fleet of devices connected to it wirelessly depends on the Wi-Fi standard. There are two standards in use now:

1. 802.11n - a widespread, but already outdated version, which is supported by the vast majority of gadgets. Possible speed - up to 600 Mbps.
2. 802.11ac - the current standard, provides the highest speed - up to 6, 77 Gb / s.

But don't be confused by the specs: these values are only theoretically possible within the technology. Real speed indicators are much lower.

The speed indicated by the manufacturer is also often unattainable in practice. This is only a possible value, excluding distance and interference.

Thanks to backward compatibility, any gadgets can be connected to the 802.11ac router via WI-Fi. Even though they only support 802.11n and older. But to unleash the full potential of 802.11ac, both the router and all other devices on your wireless network must support this standard.

Number of Wi-Fi bands

Some routers can operate simultaneously in different frequency bands. In this mode, the router is capable of supporting not one, but several independent Wi-Fi networks at once.

Many popular models are able to distribute data transfer between two ranges. Thus, they create two networks at frequencies of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, respectively.

1. Frequency 2.4 GHz ideal for connecting smartphones and office equipment.
2. Frequency 5 GHz provides a more stable and faster connection, and therefore is better suited for multimedia devices working with video and other heavy content. So, if you don't want to connect a TV or set-top box via wires, you can use Wi-Fi at a frequency of 5 GHz.

These networks can operate in parallel without limiting each other. But again, their total speed will not exceed the limit set by the Internet provider.

In addition, not all gadgets support the 5 GHz network.

Number and type of antennas

In addition to the standard and frequency of Wi-Fi, the speed of the wireless network depends on the number of antennas in the router. The more there are, the faster the exchange of data between the connected devices and the router.

The 802.11n Wi-Fi speed limit for the single antenna model is 150 Mbps. With two - 300 Mbps, with three - 450 Mbps. That is, with each antenna, the maximum possible speed increases by 150 Mbps. And in the 802.11ac standard - at 433 Mbps.

Recall that we are talking about theoretically possible speeds under ideal conditions. In fact, these figures are much lower. In addition, do not forget that the final speed of Internet access via Wi-Fi cannot exceed the provider's limit.

Antennas can be built-in or external. As practice shows, in the conditions of a typical city apartment, the type of antennas is not so important. Contrary to popular myth, the difference is subtle.

But for large rooms, it is still worth choosing a router with external antennas so as not to have coverage problems. In addition, if the external antennas are removable, if necessary, they can be replaced with more powerful ones.

USB port

By choosing a router with one or a pair of USB connectors, you can connect additional devices to it. For example, a USB drive will provide remote access to shared file storage from any device on a Wi-Fi network. And a wireless USB modem will become your backup way to go online if the cable Internet stops working.

Brief instructions for choosing

Let's go through the key points of the article again. This checklist will help you choose a good router.

1. Find out the provider's requirements for the router: the type of WAN connector and connection protocols. Only then choose a model.
2. For Internet speeds higher than 100 Mbps, buy a device with LAN ports in the Gigabit Ethernet format (1 Gbps). If the speed is lower, Fast Ethernet connectors (100 Mbps) will suffice.
3. If you need access to the Web only for browsing websites and working with documents, you can limit yourself to a router with one antenna and support for the wireless 802.11n standard.
4. But if you watch streaming video, play online games, use a lot of wireless devices, often download large files and are not used to denying yourself, then choose a dual-band router with multiple antennas and support for 802.11ac.
5. If you wish, you can buy a model with a USB port to connect a storage device or a wireless modem to it.