For the stability and speed of the home connection the purchase of a quality router is essential, here are the characteristics to consider
There is a fundamental object to take into account when we change, or when we install for the first time, in the house the Internet connection, that is the wireless router. This is a purchase that can make the difference between a quality line and a connection that often creates problems.
In most cases the router is provided by the managers of the line with which we sign a contract. And almost always they are paid by the user directly in the bill with a monthly rental fee. Usually, however, it is more convenient to buy your own router to avoid paying much more than its market value. Unfortunately not in all cases and not with all suppliers is it possible to implement this solution. If it were possible to buy a router, there are a number of technical characteristics to consider.
Connection Standards
Standards for wireless technology have changed often in the last decade. And they have, of course, followed the various advances. For example, most new laptops, smartphones and tablets use the newer standard 802.11ac. This means that the Wi-Fi connection is faster than in the past. Needless to say, if our router is too old or not compatible with the standard, our browsing speed will be affected quite a bit.
Router Lifespan
Let's keep in mind that a router, unlike a diamond, is not forever. That's why if we've had a router for several years, maybe it's time to replace it. As time goes by, and especially with the addition and simultaneous use of more devices, the efficiency of a modem tends to decrease significantly. Finally, remember to clean the modem from time to time. Dust could cause dangerous overheating or disable some ports.
Price
There are different categories of routers according to the price we can spend. Generally, they range from low-end devices that cost between 20 and 30 euros to top-end devices that can cost as much as 600 euros. For an average consumer it is unthinkable to recommend a 500 euro router, also because for simple daily use it would be a wasted expense. That said, if we are interested in a very stable and fast connection, especially if we play online video games, a router between 100 and 200 euros will be more than fine. Given the growing spread of fiber optics then, it is advisable to spend a little more than the basic offerings and buy a router with a speed of a Gigabit.
Dual-band
Wireless routers work on two different frequency bands, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. The 2.4 GHz band is currently used by most devices, non-latest generation smartphones, tablets and the like, and is more susceptible to interference. The 5GHz band, on the other hand, is newer and is generally more stable and provides a faster connection. A dual-band router offers both the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, often using both bands at the same time. If there are many of us in the house and everyone uses the Internet a lot, a dual band router is recommended.
Area Covered
Not all routers have the same coverage area. A router that can serve a few square meters may cause spots where the connection within our home does not work. However, there is not always a need to buy very expensive routers with a high range. It might be enough to buy a mid-range device and use line boosters. These are small devices that connect to the home power line and are useful for boosting the quality and range of the connection. And if we have an old modem instead of throwing it away we can turn it into a wireless bridge. So it will work exactly like a line enhancer.