What to Consider When Buying a Router for Your Home or Office
Buying a router for home or office which delivers great WiFi signals is not a child’s play, especially if you are a starter. And to make things a bit hard, router manufacturers describe their products using several acronyms and marketing terms which can mislead you about the real experience you will get. If you are also confused about how to choose the perfect router, then worry not! We are here to help you. Here we have listed a few factors to consider when buying a router for you. Read on.
Important Note: If you want to purchase a Netgear router, let us tell you that routerlogin.net is the web address you need to visit for its setup.
- Changing wireless standards
The standards for wireless technology have changed a lot. For example, the latest devices use the newer standard i.e. 802.11ac. It indicates that they are able to provide faster speeds over WiFi. In case your internet package offers speed beyond 100Mbps and you are still making use of a wireless N router, the restraints of wireless capabilities may become a blockage for your network.
If you have an existing Netgear router, you can check its wireless standard by accessing the default Netgear router login webpage.
In case you don’t have any devices supporting wireless AC, the router is not so much the problem because the individual client devices are. Possibilities are when you update your mobile devices or computer next time; they should include the support for 802.11ac.
It is worth notable that you should upgrade to an AC router for future if your ISP provides faster speeds. Or else, bear in mind that you may also need a brand new router when you update to a faster internet package.
- Range
The position of the router is very important to get a wide range of signals. The router should be centrally placed and high up on a shelf. Also, keep it far away from electronic gadgets, physical barriers as well as reflexive surfaces. Yet, despite the great positioning, you are likely to come across dead zones in your home or workplace. These are the places where WiFi signals can’t be reached.
During Netgear router setup, make your mind to place the router in a central location. Do not hide it behind a cupboard. Keep it open. Buying a more expensive router may provide you with superior range, however, it still doesn’t mean that you will be able to access the internet in the basement or corners.
- Single- or dual-band
Wireless routers allow you to access two different frequency bands namely 2.4GHz and 5GHz. The first band is being used by lots of devices around your home and is more prone to congestion and interference. On the other hand, 5GHz band is generally less cluttered and offers a faster connection. Try choosing a dual-band router as it is able to use both bands at the same time.
In case you are unable to find whether your current Netgear router is single-band or dual-band, open a web browser and enter 192.168.1.1 IP address as a URL.
Selecting between a single-band and dual-band router is quite simple. If you reside in a densely populated area and a crowded neighborhood, you must opt for a dual-band router.
- USB Ports
In the past when printers with included wireless capabilities were common, a router with a USB port was important for networking your printer. Now, routers with USB ports are being used for cheap network storage. All you have to do is simply plug in a flash storage drive or HDD into the back side of your router and share the data with any network device.
For Netgear routers with USB ports, make a wired connection with the network and access Netgear router default login webpage. After that, you can share your media files easily.
- Support for MU-MIMO
Last but not least, your router should support MU-MIMO i.e. Multi-User Multiple Input Multiple Output. It gives the router a capability of transmitting to various wireless clients at the same time or of transferring data to a network client with the help of multiple data streams immediately. This feature will help you in making Netgear router installation a success as well.
If you come across any issue with your router, you can always contact our experts sitting on our Netgear router support desk for help.
What matters the most for you when buying a router for home or office? Hit the comments section below and express your thoughts.
