As of today, it is still likely to find users who, despite of having high-speed internet contracts, keep complaining about not having a good experience with their internet connection, a fact that, for the majority of the cases, points directly to an evident and plain culprit, we are referring to the cheap router device that the internet operators use to give for free, every time a new user signs a contract.
The router plays a fundamental part every time we attempt to have a good internet connection experience, unfortunately, yet the majority of families and enterprises settle for these basic models that the internet providers give them for free, this may be due to lack of information, or not wanting to invest in a better option, which for the majority of the cases who chose to change the device resulted in a very good and profitable decision. Not too much of a useful help finally, sometimes it pays to change, they say.
What are we trying to say with regards to all this? It is very simple, you should know that it will be completely worthless having a 100 Mbps if you are using the very basic router that your internet provider has given to you, because not only will you not be able to enjoy an optimal experience, but you will also be paying for a service you are not getting, it’s the truth.
In order to get the maximum of the potential that high speed connections offer in today’s world, we need to open our eyes and take into consideration the big value that a good router represents, at MC we know this for a fact and hence we entice you to understand it much better, we want to help you. So, we wanted to write the present article in which we will be talking about the basic requirements that a quality router device must fulfill, we’ll be checking the advantages out of it and the most advanced solutions that this market has to offer in the present times.
Starting from the very beginning, what is it that every good router must have?
When it comes to identifying a good router device, we should not only focus at its speed-rate, or its raw speed rate, but there are a series of key elements we should take into account in order to make a decision.
In the present work we will give you a summary of the most important router’s features.
1. Dual Core Processor: The processor is the heart of a router, it is in charge of managing those intense tasks which use a high bandwidth and those ones which must support high traffic levels, hence, if it isn’t able to accomplish with these tasks properly, our experience will be affected negatively. A Dual Core CPU inside a router ensures a good performance level which, at the same time, will be stable and under low latencies.
2.- The Wi-Fi AC Standard: Whenever we are carrying very demanding tasks, like for example, playing online or streaming high resolution media through wireless networks, it becomes absolutely necessary using a router designed to operate in the new Wi-Fi AC Standard . This standard grants speed rates higher than 1Gbps with ease, besides, it works in the 5GHz network, which is much less saturated, allowing a more stable and clearer sign.
3.- Dual Band: A good router must have the capacity to work smoothly on dual-band, that is, both the 5 GHz and 2.4GHz.This is important because it ensures an optimal performance as well as a well-adapted device that will be functional at all stages, managing each and every particularities of all the devices we have connected.
4. – Beamforming: This technology focuses automatically the Wi-Fi signal, and takes it directly to the connected devices, so that they all receive a more intense signal. More simply put, the router identifies where each device is located and sends the information directly to that location, significantly reducing the rebound effect, improving as we said the stability and signal strength and quality.
5.- Gigabit Ports: Standard ports offer transfer speeds of 100 Mbps meanwhile the Gigabit ports rate reaches 1.000 Mbps (1Gbps). The difference is huge as we can see, so this feature is an essential requirement in wired connections.
6.- Quality of service: Also known by its acronym in English: “QOS”. What this feature does is, it prioritizes the traffic demands based on the configuration that we have selected, in this way we can set such a preference for tasks like online gambling or playing multimedia content. So, in this way, given the case that we have many devices connected to our network we can always ensure that the router will prioritize which of them are more important for our running tasks.
7.- Advanced Security: This feature, WPA2 encryption, is essential, and so it is very advisable to seek models that will make possible to establish different configurations, such as parental controls and guest lists, with ease, rather than complicated ways.
Such is it, now, we must take into account that what we have previously exposed is just a list of minimal requirements, what we really mean is, we are giving you the very basics that you should look for if you wish to have a really good router. And this is a very important thing since, nowadays, we can find great solutions which not only fulfill these requirements, but also surpass them by far.
A very good example of this is the TP-LINK Archer C3200 , one of the very best high-end routers that currently exist, as it comes equipped with different coprocessors and is able to work in triple band, making it capable of achieving a combined speed of 3.200 Mbps, almost nothing they say!
What are the benefits of having a good router?
In general terms, we can say that we will enjoy of an enhanced performance and reliability. This last statement is of a critical importance, as it grants that we will suffer no falls or connectivity losses or delays, the famous and feared “lags”; we will be secure even if we have many different devices connected at the same time.
These advantages can be moved also to the many professional fields as these environments currently have a strong multi-device basis, ie several Internet-connected computers working simultaneously, and it is imperative to have a good level of performance to make it possible to work fluidly.
But there is more, a quality router is a device of efficient adaptation, it can work in a variety of changing environments and needs, covering much wider areas than these we’ve just referred to, it all is possible thanks to technologies such as the aforementioned Beamforming, so it will not be necessary having to use accessories to extend or improve the quality of our signal, as we have a complete and lasting solution, right in this one device.
Final Conclusions
Sticking to a low quality router, and paying for a high-speed connection, is like spending your money on a next-generation game and trying to enjoy it on a very old fashioned computer. The experience for sure will be terrible making the gamer completely frustrated.
On the opposite side, a quality router will always grant the best experience at any field, as it allows us to take full advantage of our high speed connection’s potential at any time we wish and with all the devices we may have in our network, using a wired or wireless connection.
Whether we play an online game, or if we just want to enjoy our favorite series or movies in Full HD, or whether you just want to optimize your working environment, a good router is your best value and an excellent investment, with it we will notice the difference since day one.