Buying a router sucks. Here’s what you need to know

RockedBuzz
By RockedBuzz 11 Min Read

Everyone wants reliable and fast internet and a good router can help. The trick is to understand how the complicated mess of standards, confusing acronyms, and sci-fi sounding features translate into better Wi-Fi in the home. Join us as we pull back the curtain to reveal pertinent facts about Wi-Fi, routers, mesh systems, and other jargon. Hopefully, you’ll eventually be better equipped to buy a router.

Updated April 2023: We’ve added information about Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7, updated the latest broadband speeds, updated our minimum recommendations, and added an explanation of the SSID.

SummaryWho is your Internet Service Provider?What kind of router do you need?Alternatives to a new routerWhat speed do you need?Explanation of Wi-Fi standardsWi-Fi bands and channelsCheck the doorsConsider safety standardsDiscover the appQoS and device priorityExplanation of common termsFinal conclusions

Special Offer for Gear Readers: Get a 1 Year Subscription a WIRED for $5 ($25 off). This includes unlimited access to WIRED.com and our print magazine (if you wish). Memberships help fund the work we do every day.

If you purchase something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more.

Who is your Internet Service Provider?

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) connect your home to the Internet and usually send you a modem and router (sometimes in one device). The modem connects your home to the wider internet, the router connects to the modem, and you connect all of your gadgets, wired or wirelessly, to the router to access that connectivity. ISPs often charge you a rental fee for this equipment, and their routers are usually basic in terms of performance and features. The good news is that by law ISPs are no longer allowed to force you to use their equipment or charge you for using it. your hardwarealthough you may still need to return their stuff to avoid charges.

In this guide we are mainly looking at using your router and using your ISP’s modem. By using your own, you can potentially save money in the long run, but you also get faster Wi-Fi, better coverage, easier setup, and extra features like parental controls and guest Wi-Fi networks. We’ll look at your router’s options, but whichever system you decide to go with, check with your ISP for compatibility before purchasing. You can also search your ISP’s forums to find posts where people discuss using different routers and modems. A little research before you shop can save you a major headache down the line.

What kind of router do you need?

Photography: Netgear

There are various ways to make your Wi-Fi faster, and buying a new router is one of the most obvious. To help you decide which type of router to choose, calculate the approximate square footage of your home before you begin.

Single Router

The simplest solution for most people is to choose a single router or a combination of router and modem. Keep in mind that this device will need to plug into your existing outlet or modem via Ethernet cable, which limits where you can place it. The Wi-Fi signal will be strongest near your router and will gradually decrease and slow down the further you move away. If you can, place your router centrally in your home and leave it outdoors.

Routers should always list the square footage for coverage, but certain construction types (thick walls, insulation, and other devices) can interfere with Wi-Fi signals, so don’t expect to enjoy full-speed Wi-Fi at long distances. greater. Powerful routers with wide coverage are often large devices with multiple external antennas, but are usually very expensive.

Network systems

If you have a large home and want solid coverage in your backyard, or have thick walls and specific dead spots with your current setup, mesh Wi-Fi may be the answer. Mesh systems consist of a central hub, which connects just like a single router, plus additional satellites or nodes that you can place around your home.

Devices connect to the Internet through the closest node, so you can get wider Wi-Fi coverage and more reliable connection in different areas by adding a node. Keep in mind that each node will need a power outlet. Mesh systems are typically more expensive than single router configurations (though not always), but they improve coverage and reliability and often boast additional features and control options. They also tend to be smaller than regular routers and are generally designed to blend in with your décor.

Most mesh systems are expandable, and some manufacturers allow you to connect individual routers together to create a mesh, so you can start with a single router and add more as needed. Just make sure you understand which devices are compatible. For example, any Asus router that supports AiMesh can work as part of a mesh system, but TP-Link’s OneMesh technology only lets you add compatible Wi-Fi extenders—you can’t connect the routers together.

Alternatives to a new router

Photography: Eskay Lim/Getty Images

If your problem is more about coverage and you have a single problematic room where you want to improve Wi-Fi or a particular device that needs a faster connection, you may not need to buy a new router. Try one of these alternatives. Each of them has its own technical challenges and potential problems. Even if implemented successfully, they won’t come close to the convenience of a good mesh system, but they’re all much cheaper.

Ethernet cables

Before Wi-Fi was ubiquitous, we relied on Ethernet cables to connect computers and other devices to routers. Ethernet connections are much faster, more stable and more secure than Wi-Fi (or any of the other options we suggest here). The downside is that the device you want to connect must have an Ethernet port and you have to run the cable from the router to the device. If you need to run Ethernet cables in multiple places, use an Ethernet switch. With a switch, you can connect one cable from your router and run several cables to various devices. Anyone looking to get the best performance out of a mesh system should also consider running Ethernet cables between the main router and the nodes to create a wired backhaul that leaves Wi-Fi bands free for devices to connect to.

Power line adapters

Sold in pairs, powerline adapters transmit an Internet signal through your electrical wiring. You plug one into a power outlet near your router and connect it with an Ethernet cable, while the other power adapter plugs into a power outlet in the room where you want faster internet. They can be a good solution if you have a console or smart TV in your living room at the back of your house, but your router is in the hall, for example. Unfortunately, the effectiveness depends heavily on the electrical wiring.

MoCA (Media Alliance on Coax)

If your home already has coaxial cables installed (perhaps for cable TV), you can use them to create a reliable wired network that offers fast speeds and low latency compared to Wi-Fi. You can buy routers, network adapters or Wi-Fi extenders that support the MoCA standard. Just like power line adapters, this can be a great way to beam an Internet signal to a smart TV, game console, or desktop that isn’t getting a strong Wi-Fi signal.

Wi-Fi repeaters

You can use Wi-Fi boosters to further spread Wi-Fi from a single router and potentially boost the signal into a dead spot. These devices are a good solution for some people, but they can be inefficient, prone to interference, and often create a subnet with a different name than regular Wi-Fi.

Access points

If you don’t mind a challenge and have an old spare router lying around, you can look into setting it up as an access point or use it as a Wi-Fi extender. This can be especially effective if you’re able to connect it to your main router via cable, but setting it up can prove tricky.

What speed do you need?

Photography: Getty Images

There’s a lot to consider when you’re trying to decide how fast your router should be. The maximum speed of your Internet connection is determined by your ISP. Internet speeds are expressed in Mbps (megabits per second). The global average fixed broadband speed is 79 Mbps for downloads and 34 Mbps for uploads, according to The Ookla Speedtest. Most ISPs advertise up to a certain speed or offer you a range, such as 300Mbps download and 30Mbps upload, but what you actually get is often less than the maximum (especially upload speeds) and has to be shared between all your connected devices.

Share This Article
Leave a comment