How To Choose a Wi-Fi Router
We demand fast internet speed for our professional and personal needs, right? And a well-set Wi-Fi router is the most suitable and reliable option. It offers the fastest internet connection you often desire ardently. But choosing the best Wi-Fi router per your requirement could be a little hectic. And I am here to help you how to choose a Wi-Fi router best suitable for you.
There are a lot of brands and models of routers in the market, which can confuse you. So, to help you lessen your research, I am sharing some essential tips. From budgeting to the supportive internet speed, I have discussed all the necessary information to help you.
Now, let’s start the journey to find the best Wi-Fi router for your regular need and demand.
How to Pick a Wi-Fi Router
1. Budgeting
Routers vary according to their price and features. You need to spend a little more than average for highly qualified features and specifications. So before purchasing, budgeting your cost is necessary to fix your demands. First, consider the features you need most, and then fix your budget.
There are many types of Wi-Fi routers available in the market; choose the right one according to your work and budget.
2. Consider the needed internet speed
Before buying a router, know the internet speed you need for your work and the price for that as well. This is how you can ensure that your buying speed doesn’t get wasted. Look for the router’s maximum supporting speed for any expansion in the future.
Read reviews to know the performance of the routers for practical information. And also, authentic reviews by users and specialists will help you get the suitable device. This is the most helpful way to know what you get when buying a router. Just a personal tip; for high-speed internet, connect your router with an ethernet cable to avoid compromising the connectivity.
3. Choose mesh Wi-Fi or extenders
When you are looking for a Wi-Fi router, you surely want it to cover most of the spaces of your residing place. And for your convenience, all the routers estimate how much area they can cover. So, choose the router according to the spaces you want it to cover.
Don’t worry if your Wi-Fi signal doesn’t reach the furthest corner of your place. For such an issue, you can have a Wi-Fi extender or a mesh Wi-Fi system to strengthen the reach of your Wi-Fi signal.
4. Decide the number of devices to connect with
Decide how many devices will be connected to the Wi-Fi network for regular use. Putting more than the specified load wouldn’t be a good idea. So you should never hit the point when the connection slows down for devices overloading.
Choose the capacity of the Wi-Fi router concerning the number of devices you will connect with. Choose the most upgraded one for fast internet speed and more connectivity allowance. Never compromise with the price of your work.
5. Look for a router with a multicore processor
When choosing a Wi-Fi router, you must know the quality of the processor and its operating frequency. A router requires a lot of processing power for video streaming, downloading, backups, gaming, and other activities. So, for your multi-type activities, a multicore processor is the best one to have.
Try to have a router of 128MB RAM or more than that so that it processes the work as quickly as possible.
6. A router with a dual-band or more is a plus point
A dual-band or tri-band router transmits signals in more than one frequency. This means better network connectivity and wide area coverage. One of the benefits of dual or tri-band is that the frequencies work with old wireless standards Wi-Fi 4 and new Wi-Fi 6. You can also use different network names and passwords for different standards.
If you want a fast network for your high-end gaming PC, the dual or tri-band router will serve better.
7. Choose a router with a smartphone app
Look for a router that comes with a smartphone app. This would allow you to manage it from anywhere using the internet. Using the smartphone application, you can view the router’s working state and control its features. The apps let you set Wi-Fi passwords frequently. Moreover, some proprietary router apps provide advanced options to configure the features.
8. A USB port is necessary
Nowadays, all devices are connected to other devices by using a USB port. Hence USB ports serve as an essential medium of connectivity. Look for a router with at least one USB port to connect to other devices if needed. Sometimes we need to connect our router to external devices such as a hard disks, phones, printers, and many more.
9. Routers with smart-home integration option
Many people use smart devices and sensors like Alexa to assist them in arranging their technical tasks. And there are Wi-Fi routers that can be blended with such technologies. Combining both technologies allows you to control Alexa and Wi-Fi only using your voice command.
There are also intelligent device-integrated Wi-Fi routers, such as the ASUS Lyra Voice router.
10. Look for a few more optional features
Quality of Service (QoS):
Routers with QoS help you to prioritize the device and internet connections according to your need.
Multi-User- Multiple-Input & Multiple-Output (MU-MIMO):
MU-MIMO lets the router divide the bandwidth and support all connected devices simultaneously. With the MU-MIMO option, the user can support many wired and wireless connections. Without MU-MIMO, the router can only share bandwidth with a single device simultaneously.
Security features:
Look for a router with strong VPN servers, antivirus, and other security features to protect your Wi-Fi network from internal and external attacks.
Conclusion
Go through the entire article thoroughly and understand your need, then calmly choose the perfect Wi-Fi router for your purpose. Don’t rush to buy anything. Always think, learn, and know your need first. And earn much profit by purchasing a specific device or object.