Wireless Router and Network Buying Guide

We separate marketing from reality to outline the specs and features you need in a wireless router.

Looking to set up a network in your home so you can connect all your PCs to your broadband Internet service, share data files, and stream audio and video between rooms? Don’t know what equipment you need? Confused by the spec charts for the gear you do know you need? Skeptical of the pie-in-the-sky performance claims? We can help.

We’ll assume you already have broadband Internet access (via DSL, cable TV, or whatever solution you might have). The next thing you need is a wireless router that will go between your broadband Internet device (i.e. your DSL or cable modem) and one of your PCs. (Or between your modem and data switch if you already have a more elaborate network). We’re suggesting a wireless model because you don’t want to string Ethernet cable around your home unless you absolutely have to; besides, a wireless router is the best way to access the Internet using your smartphone. And if you ever discover you absolutely must have a wired connection, the router will have a built-in switch to handle it.

Features and Wireless Networking Standards

Now let’s talk about the features you should look for in a wireless router. Although the international body responsible for establishing wireless networking standards, the IEEE, still has not come up with a final definition (after more than three years of wrangling), there’s no point in considering any router that doesn’t comply with the IEEE 802.11n Draft 2.0 standard. This spec typically appears at the top of the list of features printed on the box, so it shouldn’t be hard to find when you go shopping.

If you have older wireless gear, you’ll want to make sure that your new router will remain compatible with whatever previous IEEE standard it was based on (examples include 802.11a, 802.11b, and 802.11g). And if you want further assurance that your wireless router will work with other wireless devices you already own (wireless network adapters, media-streaming boxes and so on), look for the Wi-Fi Alliance’s Wi-Fi Certified logo. The alliance’s 300 member companies conduct extensive interoperability testing to ensure that products claiming to adhere to 802.11 specifications are in fact compatible.

WiFi Network Speeds

You should take manufacturers’ speed declarations, however, with a colossal grain of salt. For example: You’ll encounter many claims of “theoretical” maximum bandwidth of 300Mb/sec (megabits per second), but you’ll never see throughput that high in realistic environments in which walls, doors, appliances, and other barriers separate your router from its client devices. When transferring files using TCP/IP (the most common file-transfer protocol that Windows computers use), you’ll more likely achieve speeds of 100Mb/sec at close range—much less than that at longer distance.

The 300Mb/sec claims aren’t fabrications; they’re just not based on real-world conditions. Fortunately, most wireless routers manufactured in compliance with the 802.11n Draft 2.0 standard should be capable of streaming high-definition video over a reasonable distance, provided there aren’t too many obstacles in the path between the router and its client.

All wireless routers have built-in switches for making hard-wired network connections, but cheaper routers will have switches rated at only 100Mb/sec. You won’t regret spending a few extra dollars to buy a model with a gigabit switch (that’s 1,000Mb/sec). A gigabit switch won’t make downloading files from the Internet any faster (the fastest cable modems deliver only 50- to 60Mb/sec), but it will make a significant difference in the speed at which you can move files across hard-wired network connections inside your home.

Wireless Data Security

Wireless networks are as insecure as they are convenient—if you don’t take steps to secure your network, just about any troublemaker within range can eavesdrop on your online activities, leech off your Internet connection, access any of the files stored on your computers, infect your systems with viruses and cause all sorts of other problems.

If you’re operating an older router that’s limited to WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) security, however, you might as well not have any security at all. Cracking WEP security is literally child’s play. The router you buy should support at least WPA2 (the second implementation of the Wi-Fi Protected Access protocol), but every device you add to your network must also support WPA2 for this to work. Your network is only as secure as the least-secure device that’s connected to it.

Dual Band Routers

An increasing number of manufacturers are rolling out “dual band” routers, but you need to read the specs for these products very carefully, because “dual band” has dual definitions: On some routers, such as Linksys’ WRT610N, dual band means that the router is equipped with two radios. One radio operates on the 2.4GHz frequency band while the second runs on the 5.0GHz band. This allows you to set up two separate wireless networks. You might want to use one network exclusively for transferring data files and the other for streaming media, for example. Some other routers, such as D-Link’s DGL-4500 have a single radio that can operate on either the 2.4- or the 5.0GHz bands—but not both at the same time. Since most routers operate on the 2.4GHz band, being able to operate your network on the less-crowded 5.0GHz band is still a significant benefit.

Quality of Service

Despite the label, Quality of Service (QoS) is not related to the quality of your Internet connection; rather, it’s a set of mechanisms within the router’s firmware that reserves certain resources for different applications. If you rely on a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service, such as Vonage, for telephone service, QoS allows you to configure the router to assign that data flow higher priority. So if someone in your home is downloading a large file while you’re talking on the phone, the quality of your call won’t degrade.

QoS can also be used to optimize your network’s performance with online games, video streaming, and similar applications. QoS can’t increase your network’s bandwidth or speed up your Internet access, but it can make the best use of the online resources you do have.

USB Connections

The last router feature we’ll examine is USB support. You’ll find USB ports on many routers, but it’s important to find out what that port is used for. On some routers, it’s merely a means of transferring setup information (network ID and password, for example) from the router to a client via a USB memory key. Better routers will allow you to plug in a USB mass-storage device to add NAS (network-attached storage) functionality. Plug a large USB hard drive into your router and every device on your network will have access to that storage resource—it’s like having a cheap server. Some routers, such as D-Link’s DIR-855, use their USB port to share a printer on the network.

What to Spend: Price vs. Performance

Let’s sum up with a discussion of prices. You can spend anywhere from $35 to nearly $200 on a wireless 802.11n Draft 2.0 router. The cheapest products will likely sacrifice advanced features such as Quality of Service, USB connectivity, and dual radios; but they might also be more difficult to set up and not have strong tech support on tap. If you don’t need those features and are confident in your own skills, those shortcomings won’t matter.

A cheap router that delivers subpar performance, on the other hand, is no bargain. Product reviews will give you a hint as to what you can expect, but setting one up in your own home is the only sure way of knowing how the router will perform in your unique environment. When you buy yours, make sure the retailer you do business with offers a liberal return policy if you’re not satisfied.