How To Buy WiFi Router? Must Read WiFi Router Buying Guide [2024]

How to Buy a WiFi router? How to choose a WiFi router? You Must read this WiFi Router Buying Guide to get an answer for these kinds of questions. Do you want to buy a WiFi router? Are you confused about the specifications? After reading this simple guide, you will get an idea about WiFi router specifications.

Nowadays, the WiFi router is a must in every home and office. Because everyone uses smartphones, tablets, and laptops. WiFi router helps to share a single internet connection with all other portable devices. Even without buying a WiFi router, you can create a WiFi hot spot with your laptop or desktop.

It is always a good idea to have a WiFi router in home or office. Some provide IP-based bandwidth control. Some WiFi routers work on LTE connections (like this one from LTE experts UbiFi).

If you don’t mind about money and need better features, I strongly recommend you to use premium wifi hot spot software connectify(Special discounted link). When you don’t like to use software, then continue reading this article.

Table of Contents

How to Buy WiFi router?

You need to consider the below specifications before buying a WiFi router.

Frequency Band

WiFi routers work in single, dual, and tri-band. When the WiFi router works only with a 2.4 GHz frequency band, it is called a single band. When it supports dual-band, it works in 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency band. When it supports the tri-band it has an extra 5 GHz band. It is must to select a WiFi router that supports at least dual-band.

Wireless Standards

802.11 B and G standard devices are single band devices that use only 2.4 GHz.

802.11 N devices are dual-band devices that use both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency. When the WiFi router works in a 5 GHz frequency band, its performance will be too good. But its coverage distance will be less. When the WiFi router works in the 2.4 GHz frequency band, its speed will be less but covers more distance than 5 GHz.

802.11 AC is the latest model that is developed to get more coverage area in the 5 GHz band.

You need to remember one thing that, some of your devices will support 2.4 GHz and some of your devices will support 5 GHz. So it will be a good idea to select a WiFi router that supports dual-band (802.11N or 802.11AC). Because, even if you use other version devices, they will connect to it.

Beamforming technology

When WiFi router broadcasts signals using multiple antennas, they use Multiple Input and Multiple Output (MIMO) technology. It is called Beamforming technology. It provides high performance and covers a large distance because they send multiple signals simultaneously using multiple antennas. Some of the latest routers include this technology. TP-LINK Archer C9 AC1900 has this feature.

Router’s Speed

You will see the WiFi router’s maximum speed in specifications like 300 Mbps or 900 Mbps or 1900 Mbps. When the router supports 900 Mbps, it is capable to give speed up to 900 Mbps. It does not mean that it gives 900 Mbps speed. Always internet speed depends on your ISP and your internet plan.

When you are using a WiFi router in your home which has less than 5 devices, you can consider buying a basic version that supports 300 Mbps speed. It is always a good idea to buy a router that supports speed higher than 500 Mbps in home, 1 Gbps in offices.

Security

If you prefer security, consider buying a router that supports WPA2 security to protect your WiFi with a password. Nowadays almost all routers come with this feature.
If you want to prevent children to make changes, consider buying a Wi-Fi router that has parental control option.
If you need high security, you may consider devices that provide Firewall and VPN services.

IPv4 or IPv6

If you want to be future proof, you may consider buying a WiFi router which supports IPv4 and IPv6. Because ISPs are implementing IPv6 protocol.

Ethernet Ports

Some routers have Ethernet ports that support speed up to 100 Mbps, those are called FE ports. When Ethernet post supports speed up to 1 Gbps, that is called GE port. Choose a router with GE ports.

Extra Features

When you use a router in the office, you may need remote file sharing and remote printing. For those purposes, you may consider buying a WiFi router that has USB 3.0 ports.
Some routers come with an SD card slot and more number of Ethernet ports.
Some provide IP-based bandwidth control.

Final Word

When you want a cheap WiFi router. And want to use it at home which has fewer devices. And if you use the internet for surfing and downloading only, then you can buy a device that supports a single band, 300 Mbps, and IPv4.(TP-LINK TL WR841)

When you use a device in a home where there are more number of devices, you can go for dual-band, 1 Gbps,..(TP-LINK Archer C5AC1200)

When you want to play HD games and want to stream HD videos, you need to consider device dual-band, 1 Gbps, and IPv4/ IPv6.(TP-LINK Archer Ct AC1750)

When you use a device in the office, then you must buy a device which supports all features(TP-LINK Archer C9 AC1900).

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How to Buy WiFi router? Must read WiFi Router buying Guide