Choosing a wireless router that will
give you excellent coverage and deliver fast and reliable Wi-Fi can be a
challenging and tough task, especially if you have no previous experience with
the wireless router or you are a beginner.
Do you want to buy a wireless router?
Are you worried about what things to consider when choosing a wireless router?
Well, don't worry, in this article, we will guide you about things to consider
when it is time to choose a wireless router. So read on!
10 things to consider when choosing a wireless router
- When choosing a wireless router, the first thing you
should consider is the processor and the quantity of RAM because these
things matter a lot. It should have a multi-core processor and at least
256 MB of RAM because wireless routers need a lot more processing power.
But it is recommended for you to choose a router with 512 MB of RAM. And
if money is not an issue, then go for 1 GB of RAM.
- A wireless router
works on two different frequency bands, such as 2.4GHz and 5GHz. Single-band router offers 2.4GHz, whereas
dual-band offers both means you can simultaneously use 2.4GHz and 5GHz. But a single-band is compatible with old networking devices so
you should consider this thing. However, you should choose dual-band or
more (tri-band or more) because single-band routers have become a thing of
the past.
- When choosing a
wireless router, you should consider router naming conventions such as
AC1900, AC1750, etc. and never choose one below AC1200. But you should not
choose one just because of the naming convention. Because there are
differences in hardware configuration, Wi-Fi technologies, firmware
updates. So it would be better if you do some research and then choose one
which matches your preference like speed, stability, and security.
- Consider verifying
the real-life speed of the wireless router online that you are choosing.
You will not find the specifications of a wireless router in its
packaging. So it will help if you read the reviews of people or search the
model online to know about its speed.
- Choose a wireless
router that has a smartphone app. The preferable one is that it allows you
to use it from anywhere on the internet. Don’t forget to consider this
smartphone app feature if you want convenience.
- You should consider
the wireless router that you are choosing should have at least a USB port.
But the most preferable one would be if it has a USB 3.0 port as it will
allow all kinds of USB devices like external hard disks, printers, USB
modems, etc.
- It will be best to
consider the advanced QoS instead of plain QoS when choosing a wireless
router. Because advanced QoS or
Quality of Service is a positive feature that you don't want to miss
because it is useful, for example, it manages how the bandwidth is split
automatically.
- It is essential to
consider the wireless router you choose has a smart-home integration
feature like Amazon's Alexa smart assistant. This integration feature will
help i.e., you control it through voice commands sent to Alexa and do
things like turn off the LEDs on the router during the night or prioritize
gaming traffic.
- It will be helpful if
you consider your wireless router to support mesh Wi-Fi systems. Because
nowadays, it is getting popular and all-new routers support this system,
whereas before mesh Wi-Fi systems and routers were different products but
now advanced wireless router comes with mesh Wi-Fi capabilities.
- You should consider the wireless router you choose to
have a VPN, antivirus, firewall, and other modern advanced security
features to protect the Wi-Fi network from any kind of attacks such as
malware.
Hopefully, this article will provide
you enough knowledge about things to consider when choosing a wireless router.
If you want to know more about wireless routers you can learn from
wikirouter.com.
