Choose a High Speed Router

Choosing the right high speed router can sometimes be difficult for most of us. With all the different brands and models available, a lot of us don’t know where to begin. If you have a 6Mbps Internet subscription in your home and want to share the connection with your family then you would need a high speed router to do this. The basic equipment needed in home networking is your modem that provides you with your Internet, your router that shares the Internet, and your computers that uses the internet.

In choosing a high speed router the first thing you need to consider though is what type of network you will be using it on. Are the computers in your home all desktops with only wired connectivity options? Or do you have a laptop that can connect wirelessly? Do you use internet on your o2 mobile phones as well? Of if not, would you like to? Knowing what computers you will be using is the key in choosing the correct router for you. If you have 3 desktop computers with no wireless connectivity then the best option for you is to get the wired high speed router. However, if your desktops would be located in separate rooms and you don’t want to drill holes on your wall to connect your computers, then get a wireless high speed router and a wireless adapter for each of your computers.

Choosing a Wired High Speed Router

A wired high speed router can provide you with excellent home networking experience. If you go with a wired network then your Internet speed would usually be just as fast as connecting your computer straight to the modem. You also save on the cost of a wired high speed router since they cost relatively cheaper than their wireless counterparts. The quality of your signal will be higher on a wired network since the signals are not affected by the usual interferences at home such as microwaves and electric motors. The only drawback you would have in using this type of router is that you would have to run an ethernet wire to each of the computers you would like to get online. If your computers would be located at different rooms in your house then this means holes must be drilled through your wall for the wire to pass through.

Choosing a Wireless High Speed Router

A wireless high speed router offers you the most flexible home networking experience. If your computers have wireless connectivity then it would be best to choose a wireless high speed router. Owners of laptops would truly enjoy the benefits of connecting wirelessly since you could go online anywhere in your house. Setting up your wireless network is quick and easy; you don’t need a computer technician to do it for you. You could easily connect any new computer to your wireless network by just searching for your network name and entering the password if you have it password protected. The range of your wireless signal would depend on the type of wireless router you use. The main types of wireless routers today are 802.11 b, 802.11 gand 802.11 n; each of these has their own ranges.

802.11 b – Operates at the 2.4 GHz frequency and can support up to 11MBps of bandwidth. This type costs less and is not easily affected by any obstructions such as a wall. It has the disadvantage of supporting only few users, slow speed and is prone to interferences from household appliances.

802.11 g – Operates at the 2.4 GHz range and can support a bandwidth of up to 54 MBps. It has a faster speed than the 802.11 b and can support lots of users. It is still prone to interferences though from your household appliances.

802.11 n – Operates at two frequencies, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz and can have a maximum bandwidth oh 600 MBps.  Most of the new laptops sold today have this capability.

Choosing a Wired/Wireless High Speed Router

If you have a combination of desktops and laptops in your house then chances are your desktops will connect using ethernet wires and your laptops would connect wirelessly. The best router to choose for this scenario is the combo or wired/wireless high speed router. This type of router has the advantages of the wired and wireless all in one little package. Most people who own desktops but are still planning to purchase laptops use this type of router.