Some let you restrict access to the internet on a per-device basis at certain times of day, or limit it to a certain accumulated amount of time some even provide category-based web filtering. If you have kids, you might want to choose a router with built-in parental controls. What other features should I look out for? In practice, you’re not likely to find much use for these abilities: sure, you can give your NAS box a super-high-speed link to your router, but when you want to actually access your files, the connection from the router to your laptop will act as a bottleneck. Some high-end routers let you aggregate two ports into a single 2Gbits/sec connection, or may even have special high-speed ports rated as high as 10Gbits/sec. We’d suggest you look for a model that has at least four ports – although if need be, you can buy a low-cost Ethernet switch to attach more wired devices to your router. Many “smart” home devices come with low-power hubs that need to be wired into your router, and if you plan on adding a NAS drive to your network at any point, that’s also going to occupy a port. READ NEXT: The best Wi-Fi extenders to buy How many wired Ethernet ports do I need?Įthernet ports are far from obsolete. In reality, no single device will get a connection faster than 867Mbits/sec, and the real-world transfer speeds you see will probably be less than half of that.ĭon’t get too hung up on extreme speeds: it’s nice to be able to quickly copy big files around your personal network, but when it comes to downloads and video streaming, the limiting factor is usually your internet connection rather than the router. For example, if a router has a 2.4GHz radio that supports speeds up to 400Mbits/sec, plus two 5GHz radios rated at up to 867Mbits/sec, the manufacturer may tot these up to advertise a total speed of 2,134Mbits/sec. They also have a misleading habit of adding up the speeds of different radios to come up with a total data rate. Router manufacturers advertise some very fast transfer speeds, but these are theoretical maximums: you’ll never get close to them in real life. If that sounds good, check out our guide to the best mesh Wi-Fi systems on the market. A mesh kit will be more expensive than the average router, but if you’re struggling to get a decent connection in the far reaches of your home, it could be the perfect answer. What’s the difference between a wireless router and a mesh system?Ī mesh system does the same basic job as a router, but alongside the main unit it comes with additional “satellites”, which you place around your home to help distribute the wireless signal more widely. This applies especially to 802.11ac – so a tri-band router contains two separate 5GHz radios, allowing twice as many devices to communicate simultaneously at full speed.Īs we’ve mentioned, though, 802.11ax copes much more elegantly with simultaneous connections, so tri-band technology is generally unnecessary with the new standard. So far so good, but when multiple clients try to connect to the same radio, contention and interference can slow things down. The 5GHz band is fast, but some older devices don’t support it the 2.4GHz band is slower, but it has a longer range so it can be good for big old houses with thick walls. What’s the difference between dual-band and tri-band?Īll modern routers can transmit and receive on two radio bands at once. And don’t worry about your older devices: they’ll still be able to connect, as all 802.11ax routers are backward-compatible with 802.11ac. And since it’s designed for the connected age, it gets bogged down much less than 802.11ac when lots of devices want to connect at once.Īlthough 802.11ax routers may be more expensive than older models, it’s now very widely supported, and we’d suggest it’s the right choice for most people. It also has better penetration, so that all corners of your home or office can get a decent signal. Wi-Fi 6 – or 802.11ax, to give it its proper name – is the current wireless standard that gives you a faster connection than older Wi-Fi 5 networks. READ NEXT: The best mesh Wi-Fi routers for the ultimate in coverage Should I upgrade to Wi-Fi 6? However, in this configuration your new network will technically be a subnet of the old one: this could cause issues with communications between devices, or if you want to set up port forwarding. If it doesn’t, you can connect a new router to a spare Ethernet port on the old one, and use this as your main home network. If you don’t have a standalone modem, check whether your ISP-supplied router offers a “modem mode” that will let it do the same job. Most however just offer a WAN port, and expect you to provide your own modem. A few models have built-in ADSL2+ or VDSL2 modems, allowing them to connect directly to DSL or fibre broadband services. How to buy the best wireless router for youīefore investing in a new router, think about how it will work with your internet connection.
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