How to Choose a Wireless Router
Are you already in possession of the dream PC set that you’d always wanted to game on? Is your PC equipped with the perfectly capacious computer memory and has the right storage devices with up to many gigabytes of Solid State Drives (SSDs)? However, despite having the perfect processor (CPU), memory, and storage, you might still be far from achieving the ideal gaming experience or might not be able to reach your full designing potential only due to a bad internet connection.
In order to incorporate your PC with a high-speed internet connection that boosts up your day-to-day performance, you first need to understand the basic elements or factors that account for a good internet connection.
To deliver a fast and stable internet connection, you need to make sure that the device carrying out this job is good enough to provide extensive coverage. If you need such a device to offer an extensive range for a vast audience, then a wireless router should do the job for you.
Choosing a good wireless router that delivers a high-speed and reliable internet connection can be a tough nut to crack, especially if you have no prior knowledge of the subject. The product specifications and product names provided by most router companies can be confusing, with all the acronyms that sway past your head. In reality, the function and specs of a router are just that simple if you get the basic understanding of it all. Below is a full guide to choosing a router that best suits you. Take all these factors into consideration before laying your hands on a good wireless router, and you shall be good to go.
Processing Unit and RAM
The motherboard that lies inside your router holds immense significance, especially when it comes to the processor and the RAM (Random Access Memory) of the router. Your router should have at least a dual-core processor if your internet has a lot of traffic over it and is likely to get congested. The use of Wi-Fi in a typical household or a firm has grown excessively. People use wifi to surf the internet, stream HD videos, play heavy games online, and much more.
In such a scenario, where many people are dependent on one router, you need to make sure that the router can process all of that data sent to and fro over the internet. For that, the router would require at least a dual-core or a quad-core processor and a considerable amount of RAM storage. The recommended RAM size that a router should have is 128MB, at the very least. The ideal storage capacity would be 256MB or even more. If you require very high internet speeds, you can also opt for greater RAM capacities, with 512MB or even 1 Gigabyte.
Single or Dual Band?
Another essential factor to consider when picking a quality wireless router for yourself is its frequency. Single-band routers are now old-fashioned. The new entree in the world of wireless internet connections is a dual-band router that operates on not one but two separate frequencies. There are even greater frequencies available, such as a tri-band router that produces three different frequencies to provide a fast-speed internet connection.
A single-band wireless router operates on a fixed frequency of 2.4 GHz always. The benefit of this is that it is compatible with older wifi devices and renders extensive coverage; however, it is much slower and can be prone to congestion in small areas where all other routers operate on the same frequency.
A dual-band or a tri-band router also uses a second frequency, i.e., the 5GHz frequency, which takes the internet’s full speed up many levels. This frequency is less frequently used, so congestion hardly ever becomes a problem.
So, if you’re looking for a router to integrate into a household of people that require a lot of high-speed wifi for streaming and uploading content, then you should consider getting yourself a tri-band wireless router. Even if you want to install a router in your small-scale organization with all the staff entirely dependent upon the internet for work, a tri-band wireless router is your top choice.
USB Ports
The importance of USB ports is quite immense when it comes to connecting external devices like hard disks or printers to your wireless router. When purchasing a wireless router, make sure that the router has at least one USB port available, with a USB 3.0 type.
Some expensive and reliable routers also come with another kind of USB port, Type C, allowing you to connect modern mobile devices via a wired connection to the wireless router.
Do Not Fall For Naming Conventions
Most router companies use complicated product names and codes that suggest the internet speed that the router offers. However, you should never trust the hypothetical internet speeds mentioned on the product page in the specifications. These naming conventions and acronyms are entirely useless. In reality, router companies never really tell you the actual speed offered by the router that they’re selling. Wifi speeds just depend on a couple of factors that decide which router is better. These factors can be hardware configuration, type of manufacturer and the manufactured date, firmware updates, and the place that you would use the router in.
For example, an AC1800 router can be more functional than an AC2600 router, depending on these factors. It is crucial to choose your router after doing thorough research, rather than just falling for the naming convention and thinking one router type is better than the other.
However, you should never get a router below AC1200. Any model of a wireless router below AC1200 simply makes use of outdated technology and is not suitable for places where high-speed, reliable internet is a must-have.
Anti-Virus Software
A lot of wireless routers come with advanced security features and software like firewalls and VPN that are used to protect your internet from viruses or hacking. For additional security, you might want to get a router that has these features built-in. However, one thing that you need to be aware of is that older versions of some wireless routers are not equipped with the hardware that can effectively run a heavy anti-virus software or a firewall. So, getting yourself a cheaper router with this feature might not give you full functionality and protection.
Hence, to ensure good service from your wireless router, it is better to get yourself a more advanced router with at least dual-core processors and a lot of RAM capacity.
Conclusion
Choosing the best wireless router can be tough but with the right knowledge and information about things, it becomes a fairly simple process. Just keep in mind that for a fast and stable internet connection, you need to invest some money into a modern router with a multi-core processor and a large memory. However, it is worth noting that with these advanced features, the pricing of the router will also go up. So, if you’re on a low budget, then you’re going to have to settle for less.
If you’re looking for a place to buy reasonable routers, then Bulk Devices is our top recommendation.