Getting a router is one of the best investments you could possibly make, especially if you have several computers or gadgets that need stable internet connectivity in order for you to fully enjoy its features. Gone are the days when the only way to connect to the internet is through a wire, or an ethernet cable.
With the help of routers, you are not able to access the world wide web through wireless means. If you want to make the most out of the investment, here are the things you ought to look for in purchasing a router. If you are too lazy to research, you can just head over to ConnectionCafe’s list of top recommended routers here.
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Things You Should Know Before Buying Gaming Router
1. Justifiable Price
One of the first things that people always look for in things is the cheapest amount. With that said, the prices for various routers sold online vary widely, depending on the set of features, as well as the manufacturer. With that said, there are routers that cost a mere $15, and some of these shoot up to as much as $400 or higher.
One of the things you ought to consider is the fact that what could be high-end today would no longer be such in the years to come. If you want one which belongs to the top tier, and would want a router that’s capable of providing internet connectivity for 20+ Mbps, then a router belonging to the $100 to $200 range would suffice.
Extendable Range
Homeowners would not want to deal with “dead spots” on the router. With that said, while positioning is key to a strong, even signal at home is necessary. Most of the time, the best place position the router is far from obstructions such as walls and the like.
A higher-end router allows for a wider range, it’s just that there’s more to signal quality than the router itself. If you choose to buy affordable ones, you could opt to buy two, and make use of power-line adapters instead.
2. Presence of USB Ports
This is something that people usually neglect in getting to choose the router of their choice. The reason for this is simply because a lot of people think that it’s all wires and the like. One of the greatest things about having USB ports is that it is more commonly used for more affordable network storage.
Furthermore, this also allows for much more efficient network storage, and would really come in handy when you own a wireless printer or if you want to share information through a wireless network.
If you want to play 4k videos on your system then you should look out for 4k streaming router.
“Smart” or ”Dumb” Routers
If you want a fast and powerful router, then choosing a “Smart” router is definitely the way to go. There are routers such as the Linksys Smart Wi-Fi Routers, as well as Google’s OnHub routers which enable you to get connected swiftly to the internet, with faster and easier means of control and setting up of the network. These “Smart” routers also enable bandwidth prioritization for online activity which consumes heavy bandwidth, such as video games, movie and video streaming, and the like. This also greatly expands the things you could potentially do in the online world. With that said, internet connectivity is optimized. If you are only using the internet for basic functions, then “Dumb” routers are perfectly fine.
3. Single Band vs. Dual Band
One of the things that people have to be reminded of when it comes to routers is that they operate on frequency bands. Older ones operate at 2.4 GHz, while more recent models operate at 5GHz. The latter band, given that it’s new, isn’t that congested and thus your connection to the internet would be much faster. Some other router models enable you to operate on both of these bands.
If you’re living in an area with lots of people, and presumably, a lot of devices, you are much better off with the Dual Band. And if you’re living alone, or if the nearest neighbor is still several miles away, then you are most definitely better off with a Single Band router.
