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There are many things that come into consideration when setting up a home or office network but without the router, it is almost impossible to get a good internet connection. Buying a good wireless router can be the determining factor in having a good experience when using the internet. Here are 10 things that you should consider before purchasing a modem & router: [no_toc]
Range
Although the positioning of a modem plays an important role in determining the quality of internet connectivity, the quality of the router also plays a part. A good router gives you much better range although there are still other ways you can get the network to reach every corner of the house.
Price
The price of a router can be anything between $15 and $450. For an ordinary consumer, it does not make a lot of sense to buy a super expensive router as a mid-tier router can be enough to for his or her needs. This way, you will save yourself some good cash for other important uses. At the same time, technology is always changing. You don’t want to have an expensive modem that can suddenly become obsolete.
Number of bands
How many different wireless networks do you want to have in your house? The answer to this question will determine the right type of modem for you. You have a choice between single, dual and tri-band router.
Lifespan
A router, like most networking hardware, cannot last forever. Standards are always changing and at the same time, the hardware is handled a lot on a daily basis. With the Wi-Fi connection being stretched across computers, smartphones, gaming consoles and tablets, the load on a router can be quite much. Finding a router that can withstand the rigors of daily use can give you a good advantage.
Security
When it comes to Wi-Fi encryption, the best standard router is one that has WPA2 support. Almost all modem come with this feature. Although some routers claim to have features like advanced firewall and SSID broadcast control, they are not absolutely necessary.
Built-in modem
If you are looking to replace a modem that was provided by an internet service provider, you should know that routers don’t just work automatically. The best routers often have a built-in modem. It is the modem that will transfer data between the internet and your network.
Gigabit
Even as fiber continues to be more and more widely used, you still need a modem that has the capability to reach a Gigabit. Routers that have Gigabit Ethernet capabilities are very common, even among the moderately priced ones. A Gigabit router is great when it comes to future-proofing.
USB ports
Routers that have USB ports have an advantage of accommodating networked storage. With such a modem, all you need to do is to plug a flash storage or an HDD into the back of the modem and share that data across the devices on your network.
Changing wireless technology standards
Wireless technology standards have been changing slowly by slowly over the last ten years. For example the relatively new standard, 802.11ac is being used in smartphones, newer laptops and tablets. This gives them much faster speeds when using Wi-Fi.
Keep your old modem
Even if you are looking to upgrade your modem, you don’t have to discard the old one. It can still be used as a wireless bridge or as the access point using power-line adapters.