It is more important to have a good idea about what to look for before buying a wireless router. There are so many things to consider before buying a WiFi router. However, you can choose a good router, considering the content of today’s article.
However, it is not possible to connect these devices with wires or cables. And that’s why a WiFi connection is needed here. These WiFi routers work.
But it was the work of connecting many devices. So what do we ordinary people mean by WiFi router?
WiFi router is a wireless communication system. Where we get internet service on multiple devices by providing an internet connection, whether at home or in the office, on a university campus, or in a cafe, we can’t imagine without WiFi now. And our WiFi router continues to meet this demand.
The brief details that different router companies use to market their products are not enough to buy a good router. Moreover, a good quality WiFi router can never be selected by looking at the name of the company.
So, before buying a wifi router, read this article in full on our router to choose the best router for you based on budget and need. Hope you will benefit a lot.
So let’s take a look at the things to look for before buying a WiFi router –
The IEEE 802.11 standard is commonly used for wireless routers. There are many versions of 802.11 prescribed by IEEE, such as 802.11n and later specifications – 802.11ac and 802.11ax, as well as 802.11b and 802.11g, the first home-made wireless standard router whose use is currently declining.
In our country, IEEE 802.11 b / g / n model routers are used more, and if you buy a router, you will find routers of this standard available. You can buy these 802.11 b / g / n standard routers for normal use at home and in the office.
Again, if you want to use a wireless router of the latest upgraded standard, then you can purchase routers of 802.11ac and 802.11ax. These are updated versions of 802.11 b / g / n. However, if you want to get the 5 GHz data transmission facility of 802.11ac, then the smart device you are using must have a 5 GHz data transmission capacity. However, low-budget mobile devices do not support 5 GHz data transmission. S,o thinking about the general 802.11 b / g / n is still the standard.
The price of the 802.11 b / g / n model router is relatively cheap. The 802.11ac and 802.11ax, on the other hand, tend to be a little more expensive.
However, if you think that your WiFi user is alone and that the smart device you are using has a 5 GHz data transmission capacity, then you can purchase a router of 802.11ac model.
How do you know which is a single-banded and which is a dual-band router?
Notice in the table above that if the data rate of your WiFi router is only 802.11 b / g / n, then it is a single-band router of 2.4 GHz. And if the data rate is only 802.11ac, then it is only a single-band router of 5 GHz. But if the data rate of your router is both 802.11 b / g / n and 802.11ac, then that router is a dual-band router of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. In addition, 802.11ax data rate routers are updated versions of 802.11 b / g / n / 802.11a; these routers are mainly used for media streaming.
Note: If your internet connection is 1 Mbps, then you will not get more than 1 MB speed whether your WiFi router is 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. Another important point is that 2.4 GHz single-band routers are up to 300 Mbps. S, an expensive router or a dual-band router that will have more speed, is not the issue at all.
Now the question is, which one will you buy? Which one do you need?
The matter is very simple for those of us who use WiFi at home or in the office; there are different types of devices connected at the same time. For example, even if your used mobile has a 5 GHz data transmission capacity, the rest of the mobiles may not be supported by 5 GHz.
It turns out that a WiFi router has 4 Internet users connected, two of whom have a mobile 5 GHz network supported, and the other two have a mobile 2.4 GHz supported, so if you keep your router at 5 GHz, the other two users will not be able to use the Internet.
So, even if you buy a dual-band wifi router here, you have to use it in a single band. But if you are a single user on your router or want to get an occasional 5 GHz data transmission facility, then you can buy a dual-band supported router.
However, it must be remembered that in the single band of 2.4 GHz, you will not get that amount of range in 5 GHz as far as the network coverage. Also at 5 GHz, you need to be as close to the WiFi router as possible.
This means that the network range coverage from 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz is relatively low.
But there is no reason to worry, there is a solution to this problem, if you want to get a 5 GHz data transmission facility as well as long-range coverage, you can buy a router of 802.11ax model even if the price is much higher. The 802.11ax band routers are designed to solve this problem of coverage and for big tasks like media streaming. Here, you will get a data transmission facility of more than 5 GHz as well as coverage of 2.4 GHz.
This is because a large amount of data is transmitted in this type of work, due to which the processing capacity of the router also needs to be higher.
Normally a single-core processor and 32 MB RAM router are enough for us. But that’s not enough to do big things like a media stream. So, if you are a heavy user, then before buying a route,r you must choose a router with at least a dual-core processor and 128 MB RAM.
Good brand routers must mention the amount of RAM. However, if you buy a cheap Chinese brand router, there will be no mention of RAM or processor. You won’t even get 32 MB RAM in them.
Of all the smart devices in the home or office, the WiFi router puts a little more pressure. For example, multiple devices are always connected at the same time, albeit with less than one router. For example, mobiles, laptops, various streaming devices, gaming consoles, etc. And because of this kind of overload, the performance of a router can be known.
A practical example can be given of my testing. I use two WiFi routers at the same time. One is a Netgear WNR614 (2 Antenna), and the other is a Tenda F6 (4 Antenna).
First, the Tenda F6 (4 Antenna) router gets the same network coverage as Netgear WNR614 (2 Antenna) with the same network coverage.
Second, when too much is overloaded, that is, if 7-8 devices are connected at the same time, some devices are automatically disconnected from the Tenda F6 (4 Antenna) router, meaning that the Tenda F6 (4 Antenna) router is not able to carry enough overload. But on the other hand, the Netgear WNR614 (2 Antenna) router provides an uninterrupted connection no matter how much it is overloaded.
One more thing to note here is that the Netgear WNR614 (2 Antenna) WiFi router is priced at $20 while the Tenda F6 (4 Antenna) router is priced a little less than $2 if it has four antennas. So buying a good brand router will cost a little more, and its service will be satisfactory. Otherwise, if you are attracted to see more antennas at a lower price, you will not be very profitable in the field of work.
Based on that calculation, you need to fix the location of the router and buy a router with the coverage you want to get the network coverage of the router for how far.
One thing you need to know beforehand is how the network coverage of a router works.
The network coverage of a router largely depends on its antenna position. This means that if the antenna of your router is in a horizontal position, it will not be able to provide network coverage as far as vertical or vertical network coverage on the other hand.
That is, if your router is in a two-story room and your router’s antenna is vertical, it will not get as much network coverage in the adjoining rooms as it does in the 3rd-floor roof or 4th floor.
So, if you think that your router is getting a horizontal network in the same way as it is getting a vertical network in Vertical, then it is a wrong idea.
However, there is a solution: if your router has two antennas, then one antenna is horizontal, and the other antenna is placed vertically. This means that wherever you want more network coverage, place your router’s antenna in the same way.
Another important aspect of network coverage is that if the network coverage of a router is 500 meters, it does not mean that you will get the network up to 500 meters from the location of your router.
Notice in the picture above that if the network coverage of your router is 500 meters, it means that you will get 250 meters to the right and 250 meters to the left from the position of your router, that is a total of 500 meters of network coverage.
With this idea, you need to determine the location of your router. That is, set a location for your router from where all your homes get the same distance network.
In this case, also there is no alternative to a good brand router. As I said before, my Netgear 2 antenna router gives network coverage as far as the Tenda 4 antenna router gives network coverage at the same distance.
Read the following article on another website to learn more details about this topic –
WiFi Antenna Position and Placement WiFi Router Range and Direction.
So, it is necessary to know about its network coverage before purchasing a router.
Suppose two more of your friends have an internet connection from your wifi router, but you don’t want them to go full speed. Then you need to control the bandwidth.
For example, suppose your internet speed is 10 Mbps, and you don’t want your friends to get more than 5 Mbps, then you can reduce the Download Limit and Upload Limit of your friends’ devices from the bandwidth control settings of the router.
Or it could be that at some point,t you need to download an important large file, and at that time,e you can do your job very quickly by reducing the speed of the rest of the users through bandwidth control.
This means that the user will not be able to use the internet at a speed higher than the speed you set in the Download Limit and Upload Limit.
This is a very necessary feature for those of us who play games online. So, before buying a router, make sure that it has a bandwidth control facility.
Suppose you like to play online games or stream media like Netflix. In that case, this option will give the router the performance that you are doing at the specified time. This means that when you play online games or stream media, your WiFi router will give you more bandwidth for that purpose.
These features are also found in WiFi routers with weak hardware, but they may not work well. So, if you want to make better use of advanced services like VLAN, then don’t buy cheap and low-performance routers, if you want to get these benefits, you must buy a WiFi router with powerful hardware and more RAM.
No, there is nothing to be surprised about. It is not a very important feature for everyone. We use different types of smart devices in our daily, life such as external hard drives, printers, etc.
Using the WiFi Router’s USB Port, you can easily connect your external hard drive devices, such as the printer, very quickly when needed.
However, router manufacturers are currently developing smartphone apps for their routers. Through this, we can easily change the settings of our routers and manage other things.
S,o if you want to get these benefits, before buying a WiFi router, you can see if the router has the benefits of a smartphone app.
Last word
Before buying a WiFi route,r from my little knowledge, I discussed what to look for. If you make a mistake, please look at it with a forgiving look. Also, please inform me about any mistakes or your positive thoughts or opinions about this article in the comment section.
If you like the article, share it with your friends and stay well until the next article comes, stay healthy.
What is a WiFi router?
We use a variety of computer equipment in our daily lives, such as personal computers, laptops, mobiles, and various smart devices. To connect and operate these devices together, a connection needs to be made between them.However, it is not possible to connect these devices with wires or cables. And that’s why a WiFi connection is needed here. These WiFi routers work.
But it was the work of connecting many devices. So what do we ordinary people mean by WiFi router?
WiFi router is a wireless communication system. Where we get internet service on multiple devices by providing an internet connection, whether at home or in the office, on a university campus, or in a cafe, we can’t imagine without WiFi now. And our WiFi router continues to meet this demand.
Here Are 10 Things to Keep in Mind Before Buying a Wi-Fi Router
There is no substitute for a good quality router to get good coverage and fast internet service. Buying a good-quality router, in the beginning, is not an easy task at all.The brief details that different router companies use to market their products are not enough to buy a good router. Moreover, a good quality WiFi router can never be selected by looking at the name of the company.
So, before buying a wifi router, read this article in full on our router to choose the best router for you based on budget and need. Hope you will benefit a lot.
So let’s take a look at the things to look for before buying a WiFi router –
1. 802.11 IEEE standard
Networking device manufacturers make their networking equipment according to engineering standards by IEEE, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.The IEEE 802.11 standard is commonly used for wireless routers. There are many versions of 802.11 prescribed by IEEE, such as 802.11n and later specifications – 802.11ac and 802.11ax, as well as 802.11b and 802.11g, the first home-made wireless standard router whose use is currently declining.
In our country, IEEE 802.11 b / g / n model routers are used more, and if you buy a router, you will find routers of this standard available. You can buy these 802.11 b / g / n standard routers for normal use at home and in the office.
Again, if you want to use a wireless router of the latest upgraded standard, then you can purchase routers of 802.11ac and 802.11ax. These are updated versions of 802.11 b / g / n. However, if you want to get the 5 GHz data transmission facility of 802.11ac, then the smart device you are using must have a 5 GHz data transmission capacity. However, low-budget mobile devices do not support 5 GHz data transmission. S,o thinking about the general 802.11 b / g / n is still the standard.
The price of the 802.11 b / g / n model router is relatively cheap. The 802.11ac and 802.11ax, on the other hand, tend to be a little more expensive.
- 802.11 b / g / n band routers cost between $10 – $20.
- Prices for 802.11ac band routers start at Rs $20 – $40.
- On the other hand, 802.11ax band routers cost up to $500.
However, if you think that your WiFi user is alone and that the smart device you are using has a 5 GHz data transmission capacity, then you can purchase a router of 802.11ac model.
2. Single band or dual band:
Single-band and dual-band have been discussed above. Since there is an issue of frequency and connectivity, a little more detail can be discussed here.How do you know which is a single-banded and which is a dual-band router?
| Data Rate | Band |
| 802.11 b/g/n | 2.4 GHz Only Single Band Router |
| 802.11ac | 5 GHz Only Single Band Router |
| 802.11 b/g/n and 802.11ac | 2.4 GHz & 5 GHz Dual Band Router |
| 802.11ax | Triple Band Router |
Notice in the table above that if the data rate of your WiFi router is only 802.11 b / g / n, then it is a single-band router of 2.4 GHz. And if the data rate is only 802.11ac, then it is only a single-band router of 5 GHz. But if the data rate of your router is both 802.11 b / g / n and 802.11ac, then that router is a dual-band router of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. In addition, 802.11ax data rate routers are updated versions of 802.11 b / g / n / 802.11a; these routers are mainly used for media streaming.
Note: If your internet connection is 1 Mbps, then you will not get more than 1 MB speed whether your WiFi router is 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. Another important point is that 2.4 GHz single-band routers are up to 300 Mbps. S, an expensive router or a dual-band router that will have more speed, is not the issue at all.
Now the question is, which one will you buy? Which one do you need?
The matter is very simple for those of us who use WiFi at home or in the office; there are different types of devices connected at the same time. For example, even if your used mobile has a 5 GHz data transmission capacity, the rest of the mobiles may not be supported by 5 GHz.
It turns out that a WiFi router has 4 Internet users connected, two of whom have a mobile 5 GHz network supported, and the other two have a mobile 2.4 GHz supported, so if you keep your router at 5 GHz, the other two users will not be able to use the Internet.
So, even if you buy a dual-band wifi router here, you have to use it in a single band. But if you are a single user on your router or want to get an occasional 5 GHz data transmission facility, then you can buy a dual-band supported router.
However, it must be remembered that in the single band of 2.4 GHz, you will not get that amount of range in 5 GHz as far as the network coverage. Also at 5 GHz, you need to be as close to the WiFi router as possible.
This means that the network range coverage from 2.4 GHz to 5 GHz is relatively low.
But there is no reason to worry, there is a solution to this problem, if you want to get a 5 GHz data transmission facility as well as long-range coverage, you can buy a router of 802.11ax model even if the price is much higher. The 802.11ax band routers are designed to solve this problem of coverage and for big tasks like media streaming. Here, you will get a data transmission facility of more than 5 GHz as well as coverage of 2.4 GHz.
3. Router processor and RAM:
We pay very little attention to the issues of the router processor and RAM. But the hardware inside a WiFi router is very important. The processor and RAM of the router are very important if you are doing big things like high-performance online games, data backup, or media streaming with your router.This is because a large amount of data is transmitted in this type of work, due to which the processing capacity of the router also needs to be higher.
Normally a single-core processor and 32 MB RAM router are enough for us. But that’s not enough to do big things like a media stream. So, if you are a heavy user, then before buying a route,r you must choose a router with at least a dual-core processor and 128 MB RAM.
Good brand routers must mention the amount of RAM. However, if you buy a cheap Chinese brand router, there will be no mention of RAM or processor. You won’t even get 32 MB RAM in them.
4. Router performance:
It is not possible to predict which router will perform. So, in this case, you have to buy a router of a good brand.Of all the smart devices in the home or office, the WiFi router puts a little more pressure. For example, multiple devices are always connected at the same time, albeit with less than one router. For example, mobiles, laptops, various streaming devices, gaming consoles, etc. And because of this kind of overload, the performance of a router can be known.
A practical example can be given of my testing. I use two WiFi routers at the same time. One is a Netgear WNR614 (2 Antenna), and the other is a Tenda F6 (4 Antenna).
First, the Tenda F6 (4 Antenna) router gets the same network coverage as Netgear WNR614 (2 Antenna) with the same network coverage.
Second, when too much is overloaded, that is, if 7-8 devices are connected at the same time, some devices are automatically disconnected from the Tenda F6 (4 Antenna) router, meaning that the Tenda F6 (4 Antenna) router is not able to carry enough overload. But on the other hand, the Netgear WNR614 (2 Antenna) router provides an uninterrupted connection no matter how much it is overloaded.
One more thing to note here is that the Netgear WNR614 (2 Antenna) WiFi router is priced at $20 while the Tenda F6 (4 Antenna) router is priced a little less than $2 if it has four antennas. So buying a good brand router will cost a little more, and its service will be satisfactory. Otherwise, if you are attracted to see more antennas at a lower price, you will not be very profitable in the field of work.
5. Network coverage range:
Speed varies over the WiFi router’s coverage range. A common thing with such WiFi routers is that the farther you are from the router, the slower your internet speed will be. This means you need to be as close to the router as possible to get good coverage and internet speed.Based on that calculation, you need to fix the location of the router and buy a router with the coverage you want to get the network coverage of the router for how far.
One thing you need to know beforehand is how the network coverage of a router works.
The network coverage of a router largely depends on its antenna position. This means that if the antenna of your router is in a horizontal position, it will not be able to provide network coverage as far as vertical or vertical network coverage on the other hand.
That is, if your router is in a two-story room and your router’s antenna is vertical, it will not get as much network coverage in the adjoining rooms as it does in the 3rd-floor roof or 4th floor.
So, if you think that your router is getting a horizontal network in the same way as it is getting a vertical network in Vertical, then it is a wrong idea.
However, there is a solution: if your router has two antennas, then one antenna is horizontal, and the other antenna is placed vertically. This means that wherever you want more network coverage, place your router’s antenna in the same way.
Another important aspect of network coverage is that if the network coverage of a router is 500 meters, it does not mean that you will get the network up to 500 meters from the location of your router.
Notice in the picture above that if the network coverage of your router is 500 meters, it means that you will get 250 meters to the right and 250 meters to the left from the position of your router, that is a total of 500 meters of network coverage.
With this idea, you need to determine the location of your router. That is, set a location for your router from where all your homes get the same distance network.
In this case, also there is no alternative to a good brand router. As I said before, my Netgear 2 antenna router gives network coverage as far as the Tenda 4 antenna router gives network coverage at the same distance.
Read the following article on another website to learn more details about this topic –
WiFi Antenna Position and Placement WiFi Router Range and Direction.
So, it is necessary to know about its network coverage before purchasing a router.
6. Band-with control:
One of the notable features of a WiFi router is bandwidth control. Bandwidth control is basically how much speed a user will get.Suppose two more of your friends have an internet connection from your wifi router, but you don’t want them to go full speed. Then you need to control the bandwidth.
For example, suppose your internet speed is 10 Mbps, and you don’t want your friends to get more than 5 Mbps, then you can reduce the Download Limit and Upload Limit of your friends’ devices from the bandwidth control settings of the router.
Or it could be that at some point,t you need to download an important large file, and at that time,e you can do your job very quickly by reducing the speed of the rest of the users through bandwidth control.
This means that the user will not be able to use the internet at a speed higher than the speed you set in the Download Limit and Upload Limit.
This is a very necessary feature for those of us who play games online. So, before buying a router, make sure that it has a bandwidth control facility.
7. Quality of Service (QoS)
Generally, not all WiFi routers have bandwidth control options. In that case,e Quality of Service (QoS) plays a very important role. It is also called media priority.Suppose you like to play online games or stream media like Netflix. In that case, this option will give the router the performance that you are doing at the specified time. This means that when you play online games or stream media, your WiFi router will give you more bandwidth for that purpose.
Some additional features
8. VPN, antivirus, firewall Protection
There are many types of WiFi routers on the market that offer useful advanced features like VPN, antivirus, and firewall, which protect the WiFi network from malware and other external attacks.These features are also found in WiFi routers with weak hardware, but they may not work well. So, if you want to make better use of advanced services like VLAN, then don’t buy cheap and low-performance routers, if you want to get these benefits, you must buy a WiFi router with powerful hardware and more RAM.
9. USB Port 3.0
We only see the LAN ports on the WiFi router. But are you surprised to hear about the USB Port?No, there is nothing to be surprised about. It is not a very important feature for everyone. We use different types of smart devices in our daily, life such as external hard drives, printers, etc.
Using the WiFi Router’s USB Port, you can easily connect your external hard drive devices, such as the printer, very quickly when needed.
10. Router smartphone app
Until recently, we were able to access and control our WiFi router through a browser by connecting to the firmware. But seeing these national settings, many people are afraid to manage it.However, router manufacturers are currently developing smartphone apps for their routers. Through this, we can easily change the settings of our routers and manage other things.
S,o if you want to get these benefits, before buying a WiFi router, you can see if the router has the benefits of a smartphone app.
Last word
Before buying a WiFi route,r from my little knowledge, I discussed what to look for. If you make a mistake, please look at it with a forgiving look. Also, please inform me about any mistakes or your positive thoughts or opinions about this article in the comment section.
If you like the article, share it with your friends and stay well until the next article comes, stay healthy.
