Time flies very fast and if earlier it was "cool" to have a desktop computer connected to the Internet, now it is already a "ordinary" thing. Most of the house already has a lot of modern electronic devices, such as laptops (netbooks), TVs with a network interface, tablets, smartphones, network printers. Based on this, sooner or later the question arises "How to connect all these devices to the Internet?", And the continuation of this question "How to choose and what to buy a Wi-fi router for home?"
How many bands do you need for your router to work?
In a very simplified way, we will compare the number of bands in which the router can work with the number of available wireless networks. In this sense, we must be aware that higher frequencies have difficulty penetrating walls and obstacles. Now, if you're going to be supporting multiple -10 devices and connecting to a router at the same time, a dual router or even a triple band might better suit your needs.
Not all routers will offer you the same speed.
And if it doesn't, it's up to you, because even if you don't take advantage of their maximum performance, it could mean an investment for your wireless network. Again, in this sense, you will have to consider your budget and your priorities. Obviously, if we want to use the full potential of our connection, we will always need to select a router that, in this section, signal at least the maximum speed of our contracted connection.
Many people go to the store and buy the cheapest devices, but immediately face a lot of troubles that they didn’t even think about, for example, the router cuts the speed, constantly freezes, gets very hot, the connection constantly breaks, or in general, the provider refuses to connect this device.
We will try to help you right choice router for the home, we will tell you what characteristics you need to pay attention to.
The security of your wireless network is important
Although this figure is higher, the ceiling of our upload and download speed will always be determined by what is associated with the Internet service provider. One of the factors that should be decisive when buying a router is the possible security configuration.
Peripherals can also connect to your router
In some cases, printers, hard drives, televisions, and home automation devices can connect to the Internet. Depending on the type of product you are going to buy, there will be someone who recommends one brand or another. However, it all depends on how much we are willing to pay and for what product.
What is a "router" anyway?
Router (English router, transliterated into Russian - "router") - an electronic device that is used to combine two or more networks and controls the routing process, i.e. Based on information about the network topology and established rules, it makes a decision about forwarding network-level packets between different network segments. In our case, the router must combine 2 networks - the global Internet and our local home network.
Therefore, in this sense, it is best to reconsider the specifications in relation to price. New home, new wireless network. And new problems with the area, of course. Inside the house, which is reduced to 35 meters. If your walls are made of paper and have only one floor.
We will leave aside technical jargon, jargon that can be easily found on the Internet anyway, and we will move chairs, dressers and routers, we will measure signals and with the promise of at least we will be able to have an acceptable signal at 80% at home . But first, the bad news.
It should be noted that the name "router" in search queries and, accordingly, in everyday speech is much more common than "router".
What you need to know about Wi-Fi when choosing a router for your home?
Most home devices (smartphones, tablets, etc.) can only be connected to the network via a Wi-Fi interface, so in the future we will talk about Wi-Fi routers.
Bad news no one wants to hear 2: Bandwidth is being shared. Bad news no one wants to hear 3: The less visible routers and repeaters, the worse their coverage. It's like cats with houseplants. I have had to deal with some of the worst case scenarios when planning my wireless networks and many friends. My big house in Barraca had 30 meters of anti-nuclear shelter walls and therefore it seemed like a hopeless case.
What is a "router" anyway?
This studio had a beautiful window overlooking the terrace. That is, twenty meters free for microwaves. The signal exited through that window, ran freely across the terrace, entered through the dry yard, and made it to the repeater with sufficient energy. Obstacle-free distances are our main allies. Ideally, it should be hung from the ceiling in the middle of the living room, which is usually the largest and most crowded room.
Consider the basic Wi-Fi standards.
Reception and transmission of data according to the Wi-Fi standard can be in several ranges. The main ranges are shown below:
- 2.4 GHz (the most popular, therefore it is heavily overloaded in most places, which can negatively affect the data transfer rate. At the same time, most modern gadgets support work in this range. "2" is used when marking the device);
- 5 GHz (less popular. Many providers use this range to supply the Internet if this is not possible via a wired interface. Some modern devices support both ranges. "5" is used when marking the device).
There are also devices for other bands (for example, 3 GHz or 900 MHz). But 99% of home devices do not support such frequencies.
If it were a lamp, it would be better illuminated there than if we threw it behind a home theater. Again: visibility range, unobstructed distances, this is the number one command to improve wireless network access. Today, manufacturers have been a bit more careful with their router designs, even eliminating antennas. But it's still true that a good vase of flowers, a picture frame, or even a wireless speaker is better than this device, with lights that flicker and two cables, one connected to an ISP modem, with its own lights and obviously more cables.
Data transmission over Wi-Fi is carried out according to certain standards. The table shows the main characteristics that you need to understand when choosing a Wi-Fi router:
| Standard | Range | Maximum transfer rate, Mbps | Peculiarities | |
| canal | real | |||
| 802.11a | 5 GHz | 108 | 40 | sensitive to obstacles |
| 802.11b | 2.4 GHz | 11 | 5 | old devices work |
| 802.11g | 2.4 GHz | 54 | 24 | |
| 802.11n | 2.4 GHz 5 GHz |
150 | 55 | with 1 antenna |
| 300 | 110 | with 2 antennas | ||
| 450 | 165 | with 3 antennas | ||
| 600 | 220 | with 4 antennas | ||
| 802.11ac | 5 GHz | 433-6770 | over 200 | depends on the number of antennas. |
The latest standard only (802.11ac) began to be implemented in 2014. Primarily used to connect to an ISP. But despite this, some top models of phones and tablets already support it. Most phones, tablets that support the 802.11n standard have only one WiFi antenna, so their maximum real speed is 55 Mbps.
But that's what's on this moment. It is completely useless to argue with physics. The light bulb is a preliminary analogy. Routers are not lamps, so they sometimes behave in a way that defies intuition. My new house has many corners and nooks and crannies. In terms of design, it's very cute. My only ally here is that there are many large windows.
Fortunately, glass is transparent to microwaves. Here are a few ideas that have worked. The main router was again on the top floor and halfway to the rooms. The signal has little chance of going down the corridors and stairs unharmed, much less crossing a thick reinforced concrete slab.
The table lists the standards in the order in which they appear. The new standards are backward compatible, i.e. if your laptop works in the 802.11b standard, it will normally connect to wifi router 802.11n, but the data exchange rate will be no more than 11 Mbps. It should be noted that at this point in time the entire access point switches to this mode, i.e. all subscriber devices will work according to the 802.11b standard.
The next step was to put the repeater in the living room. For obvious reasons, it must be organized at some point when the signal from the main router arrives with sufficient strength. Here the analogue with the lamp begins to oscillate. You can move less than a meter to make significant improvements until you find perfect place. Perhaps we planned to put a sofa, a basement or a picture. If the signal comes in at a higher intensity, the repeater will have more to repeat.
Compact wi-fi router - TP-LINK TL-WR841N Wireless N300
In my case, since there are two Internet cables in the house, there are 3 routers, and there are also neighbors. As with network cables, the signal will weaken with distance and it is not always easy to find a direct path from one outlet to another. You can find other options in your router configuration to improve performance.
The WiFi speed should not be less than the Internet speed, otherwise the router will "cut" the speed. But please note that if the WiFi speed of your laptop (tablet) is lower than the speed wifi router but also the Internet, then the problem of speed reduction will be in your device. Wired speed (through Lan-port) is usually higher than WiFi.
Do I need an external antenna for my Wi-Fi router?
Each WiFi router has one or more antennas, but they can be external (with a gain of 1.5-5 dBi, more often 2 dBi) or internal (with a gain of 1-1.5 dBi). But it should be noted that when a device is connected to a router via WiFi, 2 transmission channels are conditionally created - from the router to the device (Rx) and from the device to the router (Tx). Most often, the problem occurs in the second channel, since usually the transmitter power of the device is much less, and the signal, for example, from a smartphone simply does not reach the router.
First, dispose of the equipment properly. Look at the company where you work. Routers hang from the ceiling. Second, make sure it's really a matter of scale and not, for example, congestion. Again, bandwidth is shared. Sometimes the solution is to buy a more mega plan.
Third, you must use the equipment good quality. Sometimes those who provide ISPs leave a lot to be desired. Of course, we must first make sure that all equipment uses the same standards. For example, the topic of antenna orientation is amazing, but so simplistic that one of my sources sent me email so extensive that it will give a full column. Stirrup's advice: They say that every home is a world, and this is true in wireless networks too.
The WiFi signal is greatly weakened when passing through thick walls, and there may be such a situation that the smartphone "sees" the router, but cannot connect (the second channel is not created). This should be taken into account when choosing an installation location for a WiFi router - with proper installation, the WiFi zone will be throughout the apartment.
Based on the foregoing, when choosing a WiFi router for a home with an external antenna or an internal Internet speed difference, you will not see it, only with an internal antenna it will fit better into your home interior. The main thing is to choose the right place for the router.
An essay, a mistake, and a lot of experimentation are not only the required steps, but also the most interesting thing about this question. Another thing: it's okay if you have a cat to lie on the router: it's because of the heat. In general, this does not affect the connection. Almost everywhere there is internet nowadays, there is a router. This is due to the fact that mobile devices are becoming more and more present in everyday life.
Therefore, it is important to understand for your home, or maybe it's just a signal repeater. Before we start talking about what best options offers the market these days, let's talk about the second option, which can solve your problems in an incredibly simple way.
Routers can also support MIMO technology, this is when multiple streams are created to increase the throughput of a wireless network. In practice, there are devices with MIMO 2x2, less often with 3x3 and 4x4. You should be aware that the entire bandwidth (if rough, then the speed) is divided between all subscribers who are connected at that time. MIMO technology is useful and significantly increases the speed with a large number of subscriber devices.
What is a signal repeater?
As the name says, it repeats the signal from the existing router. Its only function is this, but it does it with incredible efficiency and there are some who don't like the results it produces. Imagine that in your house the signal only enters the corridor and, for example, does not reach the room.
Best Wireless Router by Category
Unfortunately, just like buying a new router, this option doesn't come cheap either. However, it offers much more freedom as you simply place this device in the socket. However, let's move on to the best long-range routers.
In the simplest, the total Wi-Fi power (Y) of the device is determined by the formula:
Y dB = P dBm +G dBi,
where P dBm is the transmitter power in dBm (conversion from mW in the table below).
G dBi - antenna gain in dBi.
| mW | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | 90 | 100 | 200 | 300 | 500 | 750 | 1000 | 1500 |
| dBm | 10 | 13 | 14.8 | 16 | 17 | 17.8 | 18.5 | 19 | 19.5 | 20 | 23 | 24.8 | 27 | 28.8 | 30 | 31.8 |
For example: TP-LINK TL-WR841ND has external antennas with 5dBi gain and 100mW transmitter, the total power is 25dB. MikroTik RB951G-2HnD has internal antennas with a gain of 2.5dBi and a transmitter of 1000mW, the total power is 32.5dB.
The principle of operation of a Wi-Fi router
Very well regarded and passed several remote tests. This is because it has double bandwidth concurrent bandwidth, which guarantees a greater range of coverage. However, it has a slightly higher price, thereby losing its economic benefit. This category is for those who are looking for something more in mind and what if it's good and cheap. The models below will provide almost all home conditions very easily.
This model is highly recommended in places with enough users as it has a feature focused on it - it distributes the signal evenly. It has three antennas that increase its power, performance and affordability.
In the above examples, a router with an internal antenna will have a greater range than with an external one. Please note that most Wi-Fi routers have a connector for connecting an external antenna.
Wi-Fi Network Security
The range of the network is not limited to your apartment, which allows other people to access your network. To protect the network from intruders, you need to configure your router accordingly.
Router selection options
Of course, this will never be achieved these days, but we can already have an idea of the strength of this model, consolidated among best routers moment. This router is one of the best on the market when it comes to wireless signal intended for users - not suitable for businesses, for example.
In this category, we have selected two routers sold for less than 100 euros in metropolitan France. The two routers we chose have two bands, which is the minimum for connecting multiple devices at the same time without losing too much speed. If you are interested in tri-band systems, we give you a meeting in the category of high-quality products!
Most routers use the following data encryption standards:
- WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy), but this standard is vulnerable. There are a lot of Wi-Fi hacking programs on the network that are protected by this standard;
- WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) - uses keys for encryption up to 128 bits long (TKIP technology);
- WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access version 2) - uses keys for encryption up to 256 bits long (AES technology).
For more security, you can use MAC address filtering or hidden SSID mode. These methods are available in most routers.
Additional features and capabilities of WiFi routers
Their strength: competitive prices. Their weakness: the control interface is much lower than the competition. For casual and home use, this last point rarely causes real problems. The first one will be adapted to older related objects that only support low frequencies.
The second one can be suitable for new computers, smartphones and tablets, and supports convenient connection for more devices. If we share the opinion of the majority of users about software fluidity, we should note some progress since last year. You can also set up a parental control program.
In some models, the WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) function can be used (in TP-Link devices it is called QSS (Quick Security Setup)) - setting up a wireless network using this technology takes minimal time and is useful for those who do not want to delve into router settings.
There are 2 connection types when using this function:
- hardware - the WPS button is pressed for a few seconds on the router and on the connected equipment, and after a while (up to 2 minutes) these devices will connect themselves. In the future, the connection will be made automatically;
- software - when connecting on the connected device, you need to enter the PIN code that is on the label of the router, then the network connection wizard will do all the necessary settings by itself. At the end, you will need to remember (or set your own) WPA2 key. You will use this key when connecting other devices to your access point.
Previously, in the first versions of this function, the security of its use was very low. Now it has been finalized and, as its creators assure, it takes about a year to hack. Be careful when using this feature and only show your PIN to people you trust. If somehow this PIN code becomes known to outsiders, then disable this function in the settings and configure the wireless network manually, if necessary.
Green Wi-Fi
To date, the influence of Wi-Fi on the human body has not been studied, but there are a lot of rumors about its harm. To reduce its influence, there is a function to reduce the transmitter power. Most routers set the transmitter power level to high, medium, low. In Mikrotik routers, you can most accurately adjust the transmitter power, which allows you to provide the lowest radiation power and at the same time have a stable Internet.
What should be considered when connecting the router to the global network?
Depending on the interface for connecting to the global network (WAN port), routers can be divided into:
- xDSL Wi-Fi routers (connection to the provider's network is carried out using one of the technologies of the xDSL family, for example, the operator Ukrtelecom uses ADSL technology. The maximum transmission rate according to the ADSL2+ standard is 24 Mbps)
- 3G/4G Wi-Fi routers (wireless connection is used. The maximum connection speed to Intertelecom using EVDO-B technology is 14 Mbps).
- Ethernet Wi-Fi Routers
- SFP Wi-Fi routers (connection is via fiber optic cable and the speed can reach 1 Gbps)
- EPON / GEPON / GPON Wi-Fi routers (connection is carried out to the PON network. Now the most developing technology for connecting the private sector, villages and cottages. The speed when using EPON technology (GEPON / GPON) is up to 1 Gbps, 10GEPON - up to 10 Gbps /With)
- DOCSIS Wi-Fi routers (connection is via a TV cable. Maximum speed when using EuroDOCSIS 2.0 technology: data reception 50 Mbps, transmission - 27 Mbps)
- Wi-Fi routers (connections to the provider are carried out via a wireless interface).
- universal Wi-Fi routers (which allow you to connect using several technologies).
In the future, we will consider only Ethernet Wi-Fi routers. This is due to the fact that when using other technologies, the provider provides its devices, and the subscriber chooses from specific models. But most often, and this is more reliable, the subscriber is provided with a subscriber device without Wi-Fi with 1 Ethernet output (for example, XDK E8010U-B or ZTE F401 is used for the GEPON network) and the subscriber connects an Ethernet Wi-Fi router to this device.
It should be noted that the "twisted pair", if the cable runs along the street, is very much affected by atmospheric factors (thunderstorm, static) and very often the WAN port burns out during a thunderstorm. Most routers have only 1 such port, so the router is sent for repair or in the trash. To protect the port, we recommend using a twisted-pair lightning protector.
It should also be noted that in Mikrotik Wi-Fi routers for home, you can use any port or several ports at once as a WAN port, which allows you to simultaneously connect to several providers to increase connection speed and Internet stability.
Router hardware.
The router is the same minicomputer. The main characteristics that you should pay attention to are the frequency of the processor and the amount of RAM. As with choosing a computer, the more these characteristics, the better, but also the higher the price.
If you need Internet at speeds up to 50 Mbps, you are not very fond of torrents, do not spend much time in powerful network games, then the frequency of the processor 300 MHz and 32 MB of RAM is enough. Otherwise, you need a more powerful router.
Most routers have multiple LAN ports for connecting wired home devices. If you have high-speed (more than 80 Mbps) Internet or you like to play games on a local network or just want a gigabit network, then you need a router with Gigabit Ethernet ports (for example, MikroTik RB951G-2HnD). Otherwise, Fast Ethernet ports (up to 100 Mbit/s) will suffice.
Router software.
Each router has a dedicated software, which is often referred to as "firmware".
There are 2 approaches to router software:
- for each model, its own software is created (used in most routers);
- software is created for a whole line (series) of devices.
Each approach has its own advantages and disadvantages.
The advantage of the first approach is that the resources of the device are used most rationally. But it should be taken into account that new protocols, opportunities are constantly appearing, there are errors in the software, so it must be updated periodically. The same providers eventually switch to new protocols. But very often it happens that the manufacturer has new promising models and the development (improvement, improvement) of software for old models stops, and then the subscriber needs to buy a new router. Alternative firmware comes to the rescue, which most often has more features, but it should be noted that when using alternative firmware, the warranty on the router is lost, and problems may also arise in the operation of the device (carefully read the reviews about the firmware). By the way, by the availability of alternative firmware and the frequency of updating the original firmware, one can judge the popularity of the model. Versions of the original firmware can be viewed on the manufacturer's website in the "Technical support" section. To see if alternative firmware is available, search for "alternative firmware [model name]". A large number of alternative firmware speaks of the problems and lost features of the original software.
The advantage of the second approach is that the software is updated constantly and they are more functional. So, for example, MikroTik routers use a proprietary operating system RouterOS, which allows even in entry-level routers (for the home, and this is MikroTik hAP lite, Mikrotik mAP 2n, MikroTik RB951 series) to use the capabilities of professional equipment.
Almost every modern router supports all popular protocols and can work in the network of any provider. But we recommend that you check with your ISP for hardware requirements before purchasing, because they do not work with some models.
Additional features and capabilities of WiFi routers.
For more features and functionality WiFi routers can be attributed:
Don't go after multiple features in your router because you may never use them and the price of a multifunctional device is much higher. Moreover, each of the functions creates an additional load on the router, which reduces its performance as a router.
What else you need to pay attention to when choosing a WiFi router for your home?
The router should fit well into the home interior. For example, the Mikrotik mAP 2n WiFi router has an elegant look and compact size (smaller than a lighter). This perfect solution for an apartment.
P.S. Mikrotik is a Latvian company (headquartered in Riga), which was founded in 1995 to develop wireless routers and ISP systems. Mikrotik equipment is of high quality and is used by ISPs, companies and individuals around the world.
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