All about Routers - field-engineer/workmarketplace GitHub Wiki

Has your router exploded or are you thinking of getting another one? The routers market is a little more complicated than before because there are some interesting new options (like USB ports on the device) and standards that have to be taken into account. I will try to simplify the task by addressing some important points about the characteristics of the new routers.

Speed standards.

When talking about wireless, we could talk about cellular network, Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. What interests us today is the wireless network created by a router, so Wi-Fi (or WLAN , which stands for Wireless Local Area Network). There are different 'ranges' of Wi-Fi, which are categorized by speeds under the 802.11 standard ;

• 802.11a : Relatively obsolete and rare, uses the 5.8GHz frequency and at a maximum speed of 54Mb / s • 802.11b : Some active routers use this standard, under 2.4GHz for a maximum speed of 11Mb / s • 802.11g : Frequent these days, also uses the 2.4GHz frequency to transmit data at a maximum speed of 54Mb / s • 802.11n : The standard currently uses two frequencies (2.4GHz and 5GHz) and can transmit up to 600Mb / s • 802.11ac : Not yet a standard, but would use the frequency of 5GHz and could transmit up to 1Gb / s (1000Mbs / s) Of course, all these speeds are theoretical , so in real conditions, the speeds are much lower . An 802.11n router will provide speeds between 150 and 300Mb / s .

Is it important to have such fast speeds? Not really, because for internet browsing, streaming of TV shows and movies (Netflix for example) and online gaming, the factor limiting speed is the connection provided by your internet provider . For example, a normal high-speed plan (around $ 50 / month) has a speed of 10Mb / s , and in the more expensive packages (around $ 100 / month) the bandwidth is around 100Mb / s . So, if you pay less than $ 100 a month for your internet connection, an 802.11g router would be enough to provide on-demand, and an 802.11n router will be more than enough for any internet connection available in Canada.

The only two major benefits of a high-end 802.11n router on other routers are that the throughput will be faster when transferring data between computers (such as backups to a network hard drive) and will be less subject to interference since the frequency of 5GHz is less popular than the frequency of 2.4GHz (occupied by wireless phones and all other routers).Enterprise routersare basic product for any business/enterprise. We can therefore conclude that a router with a speed of 54 to 150Mb / s should be more than sufficient for normal use, and if your devices support the frequency 5GHz, try to opt for a model offering this frequency to limit the frequency interference.

A word on the scope. After speed, the other important factor is the signal range . If the router gives you an ideal speed but only in a room of your house, it will become problematic quickly! The range varies according to the placement of the antennas, the number of antennas (see below) and the chip used inside the router . Any normally built router is able to provide a small two-story house, provided the walls are not plaster or concrete ! In case you need bigger or more powerful, some routers have a mention 'extended scope' , which could be interesting in these cases.

Double-band and Double-SSID.

Looking at the packaging of a router, you may see the terms dual-band (dual-band) and guest network (Double SSID). These are interesting functions, but in most cases, useless.

• Dual-band : Function present in cell phones, tablets and routers, simply want to say that the device contains two independent antennas . In the case of routers, this provides a more stable speed if there are multiple wireless clients that connect to the network simultaneously. In case you have less than 5 wireless computers, the difference between one and two antennas is relatively negligible unless you do local transfer between computers.

• Double-SSID : Also known as 'Guest Network' , this feature allows you to create two independent wireless networks . This allows your computers to be inaccessible to computers connected to the guest network. In case you invite strangers home, it may be convenient, but if you trust people who come to the house, you should not need this feature. Again, these functions are for sharper use than a wireless network shared between three roommates or a small family. The dual-band function can be convenient only if you make a lot of transfers between computers. For guest networks, this may be useful for a small company that wants to provide a wireless network to its customers without access to your data.

USB ports on a router.

On routers a little more expensive (more than $ 50), we often find a USB port. In general, this port allows you to connect a printer , a USB key or an external hard drive that will be accessible to computers connected to the network. This is a very interesting feature if you want to share data between computers that are not connected at the same time, and to be able to print wirelessly with a printer that was not designed for that, it's very nice too. ! However, we must pay attention to the management of this port. For some routers, the USB port is accessible only if you install a software specific to the manufacturer. In this case, there may be some complications that will negate the benefits of the USB port.

Clouds in your router? The current fashion in computing is to put the word 'cloud' everywhere. Quickly, what is called 'Cloud Computing' or cloud computing are synchronization or data storage services that will be on an accessible server as soon as there is internet. For example, DropBox is a cloud service because the data it stores is accessible from anywhere , and can synchronize folders and files on different devices. In the case of 'cloud' routers, features like remote access to data will be available. In most cases, it's useless. If the router you want offers this function and more, so much the better, but I personally find that it is a plus a marketing 'gimmick' than anything else.

Other features.

Some routers will have functions to stand out from others. There are functions like playing music remotely, extending an existing wireless network , backing up to a hard drive included in the router, and so on. Some of its functions are interesting, but it is important in these cases to read on the internet or ask for advice on whether these options work well and if they are simple to configure. Normally, if you transcribe the name of the router on Google followed by 'review' or 'test'you will find interesting information by reading one or two different articles to make sure there is no bias in the tests.

Easy installation. The only time you will be face to face with the router will be during its configuration , unless it decides to work abnormally! This is a step that is not terribly long in general but can be hell if your computer and networking skills are not advanced. Some companies provide an installation disc, but I find that one out of two does not work properly. You can follow instructions on the internet, contact me , or follow what the record mentions to do. Some routers will be easier to configure than others. In terms of simplicity, Apple routers are unbeatable, since the configuration is done in 5 clicks on Mac, and 8 on Windows (the three additional clicks are for the installation of the management software).