Many people love the freedom that goes along with wireless connectivity, even if it’s primarily within the confines of a home. A router helps you achieve this goal by allowing all your wired and wireless devices to operate at the same time. A router doesn’t connect you to the internet itself, which is why it’s often combined with a modem. If you’re on the hunt for a Wi-Fi router that meets your needs, continue reading to discover some tips on selecting the best router for your home.
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Brand Name Alone Doesn’t Indicate Quality
Don’t go by brand name alone. Simply because a well-known or generally trusted manufacturer makes a router doesn’t automatically mean it will be the best one for your home. Fortunately, there are some other more reliable factors and indicators to pay more attention to that can help you find the right router.
Choose the Right Router Speed
One of the things to pay attention to when selecting the best router for your home is the speed at which data can be transferred. Wi-Fi routers are available in different speeds, which are indicated by letters. The three common speed-indicating letters to look for with Wi-Fi routers are G, N, and AC. These routers can help increase your internet speed at home.
• G routers: These routers transfer data at rates up to 54 Mbps. A G router could work for you if you don’t use Wi-Fi all that much or have significant data download or video viewing needs in your home.
• N routers: N routers: With N routers, you’ll get data to transport capabilities up to 900 Mbps. Consider routers in this speed range if you have more moderate-to-heavy Wi-Fi usage needs – e.g., streaming movies or other online videos on multiple devices, playing online-based games, etc.
• AC routers: Data transfer speed for these routers can get up to 5300 Mbps. Routers within this speed range are good for households where there’s a lot of Wi-Fi activities going on, especially from multiple devices at once. AC routers also tend to work well in more densely populated areas.
Bandwidth Is Equally Important
With bandwidth, routers can be single-band, dual-band, or tri-band. Bandwidth refers to how Wi-Fi singles are delivered based on the frequency range. Again, what’s right for you will depend on how you normally use and access wireless connections in your home and what your household habits are with online usage and activity.
• Single-band routers: These routers are affordable and they tend to work well with an assortment of devices commonly used in homes. The weaker signals can pass through walls and some other barriers fairly easily, but you’ll still need to be mindful of router placement.
• Dual-band routers: You’ll get twice as much bandwidth with a dual-band router. This is a good choice if you have devices like next-gen smartphones and gaming consoles that require more bandwidth to operate well. This is also recommended for those people who love watching their favorite TV shows and movies on streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, GoLatino. TV and other popular streaming services.
• Tri-band routers: With a tri-band router, you’ll get three times the bandwidth that’s offered by a dual-band router. Consider this option if you need faster speeds to use multiple devices or get faster downloads.
Determine If You Need a Signal Booster
Some routers aren’t powerful enough to maintain sufficient signal strength in all areas of your home. If you have some limitations with where you can place your router, consider getting a signal booster for your router. An easy way to determine if you might need a booster is to do a little experimenting to see how far away from your router can be from a device before the connection suffers.
Consider the Size of Your Home
Also, consider the overall size of your home when choosing a router. With a larger house, for instance, where different household members are typically scattered around in different rooms using newer 5G devices, you may need a more powerful router to keep everyone connected. You can also use a mesh Wi-Fi kit if you prefer not to invest in the more expensive and powerful router.
Finally, take a look at router reviews before you make a purchase or upgrade what you already have in your home. See what other customers have experienced to determine if you’ll be getting a router likely to be suitable for your needs.
