Buying a wireless router is not simple, especially after all the terminologies used by manufacturers has confused you. Apart from proprietary features, wireless routers differ from each other based on their coverage area, bandwidth support, I/O ports, price and a lot more. All of these factors help decide the best possible router according to a person’s needs, connection speed and the amount of area that needs to be covered. But keeping all these factors in mind and making a pocket friendly choice at the same time becomes a tough task especially if you are not familiar with the world of routers. Thankfully we have compiled a list of tips that will help you make an educated decision based on your connectivity needs and find the ideal modem friendly best modem router combo for your needs.
1- Dual Band or Higher is the way to go
The number of bands dictates the number of frequencies your router can support, for example a dual band router supports 2 frequencies while a tri band router supports 3 frequencies. Anything below dual band is definitely outdated technology that will give you a far inferior performance and thus should definitely be avoided.
2- Processor and RAM matter
This might come as a surprise to many, but routers are fitted with onboard memory and a processing unit to process and churn out the optimum amount of network for your desired location. Naturally having a powerful processor and RAM helps promote superior connectivity no matter where you go. As a rule of thumb, make sure to get at least a single core processor that operates at a minimum of 800 mhz alongside at least 128mb RAM to ensure that a minimum of modern day devices will be supported by your router. In case you plan on streaming 4k footage, do graphic intensive network gaming and have smart home utilities, then it would be a good idea to go for the highest configuration you can possibly buy in your budget.
3- AC naming doesn’t matter (except…)
While many manufacturers claim their AC configuration to be the benchmark for speed, in a real life scenario, that is hardly the case. You will find many companies boasting of AC1900 or AC5400 or even higher, but these names do not have any significant influence over a router’s performance. Hence do not fall into such traps, but do not get anything below AC1200. Anything below 1200 is likely outdated technology that will be unable to support your modern day devices and connections.
These tips will help you make the most out of your purchase when you decide to get a new router. What did you think about our tips? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.