Things To Keep In Mind While Buying Wifi Router

Planning to buy a Wi-Fi router for your house, not sure which one is best for you. Here's some points/ things you should take care of before buying router.

1. The type of router you have to buy would depend on the type of connection you have subscribed for. Like if you will subscribe plans from your telephone service provider like MTNL, BSNL etc, then opt for an ADSL router. For connections where your service provider is your local cable operator, you will need a non-ADSL router.

2. Routers operating frequency is commonly 2.4GHz. Same range of frequency is also used for microwave ovens, cordless phones and Bluetooth devices. These devices if operate near router can cause network congestion and affect signal strength. So, opt for a dual-band router that supports 2.4 GHz, as well as 5GHz band. However, you will need to have compatible smartphones and laptops that can connect to this band while the rest operate over 2.4GHz.

3. The current 'ac' standard increases data transfer speeds up to three times more than the previous-generation 'n' standard. These routers are dual band by default, and are backward compatible with the 'n' standard, so your older devices will also work without any problem.

4. Before buying dongle don't forget to check if it supports these features: let you connect and share flash drives and printers over the network, accept 3G data dongles. However, these may work with specific brands only, so before buying, check if the router you've shortlisted supports the dongle you use.

5. Opt for routers with at least dual external antennas, as external antennas increase the overall range of router and are ideal for environments where you need access.

6. Always remember to check the device's specsheet or inquire at the store to confirm the USB port's function(s) so that it matches your requirements.

7. Single Band: D-Link DSL-2750U N300 (Rs 2,000), TP-LINK TD-W8968 (Rs 1,800).

Dual Band: TP-Link TD-W8980 N600 (Rs 6,600), Netgear D3600 N600 (Rs 4,600). All these ADSL routers come with a USB port for file and printer sharing over a wireless network.

8. Single-band: Netgear JNR3210 N300 (Rs 2,500), D-Link DIR-615 (Rs 1,500), TP-Link TL-WR841N (Rs 1,200), Digisol DGHR3400 (Rs 1,100). Here, only the Netgear is equipped with a USB port.

Dual-band: TP-Link Archer C20 AC750 (Rs 2,200), Netgear JR6150 AC750 (Rs 4,200). Both these dual-band routers feature a USB port and the latest "ac" wireless standard for compatible devices.