Key features you should look for when choosing the best wireless router
If you are planning to set up a wireless network at home, then purchasing the best wireless router will be your first challenge. Wireless routers have several advantages over ordinary routers. For one thing, they are faster than traditional routers. Besides, the absence of wires makes the installation process simpler.
When you are looking to buy a wireless router for your home, there are some key features you should look for. These are as follows:
- Speed of the wireless router - If you are just going to surf the Internet and check e-mails, then buying a common 802.11g (commonly known as Wireless-G) router will suffice. However, if you are going to play online games or exchange heavy files over a peer-to-peer network, your best choice would be a Draft 2.0 wireless router. Remember, the actual speed you get from your router will be approximately half of the advertised speed.
- Range of the router - Range is the distance up to which the signal from a wireless router can travel without losing strength. Look for a wireless router with a good range, unless you have a really small room or office. Range will be less if the signal has to travel through walls, or floors. Some companies provide accessories that can increase the range of wireless routers manufactured by them. But keep in mind that purchasing these accessories will add to the cost of setting up the network.
- Backward compatibility - If you have a mixed network with both older and newer computers, then purchasing a router that is compatible with both newer and older technologies would be a good idea. Fortunately, a number of Draft 2.0 routers work just fine with 802.11g networks. D-Link DIR-655 Extreme N Wireless Router is a good example of this type of routers.
- Support for MIMO (multiple input, multiple output) technology - Most modern Draft 2.0 wireless routers will have this feature. MIMO routers come fitted with multiple antennas, and can exchange data using a range of frequencies. Thus these are more resistant to interference and exhibit more penetrative power versus walls or other obstructions.
The final factor to consider would be the price of the router. If you are looking to surf the Internet using your router, go for a relatively cheaper 802.11g router. However, for playing games on the Internet, or exchanging heavy files on a peer-to-peer network arrangement, the high performance Draft 2.0 routers are your best bet.
