Wireless routers help you share your Internet connection wirelessly with your PC, smartphone, tablet, or any other device that supports Wi-Fi. Here’s what you need to know about these routers and how they work to keep your home network running smoothly.
What is a wireless router?
A wireless router allows a user to connect computers, other network devices, wired networks (via Ethernet), wireless networks (via WiFi), or combinations of these. Users can share Internet access, peripherals such as printers and storage space, software, media from a CD or DVD drive, and so on.
There are two main types of networking routers: internal and external. Internal wireless routers are installed inside a computer case, while external wireless routers come in many shapes and sizes.
For example, some look like an oversized USB flash drives while others look like boxes with multiple antennas sticking out of them. Some wireless networking routers have built-in features that make it easy for users to configure their own home networks.
Others require users to install additional software for configuration purposes. If you’re looking for an inexpensive option that offers basic functionality, consider getting a simple external wireless router without any additional features.
You can always upgrade your equipment later if you decide you need more advanced capabilities down the road.
How to choose the best wireless router?
Before you go out to purchase a wireless router, there are a few factors you should consider first. If you don’t plan on using it in extreme circumstances (like for an Internet cafe), most of these probably won’t apply to you—but it’s still good to know what makes them tick. Here are some things to think about:
These days, many people have multiple devices that connect to their wireless network at home. This means your wireless router will need to be able to handle lots of traffic coming through at once without slowing down or dropping connections.
A dual-band router can handle both 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks at once, so if you plan on having multiple devices connected at once, one with two bands is ideal. If you’re only planning on using a single device at a time, however, a single-band router may suffice. Also, consider whether or not it has an external antenna—the more powerful ones tend to have them.
They’ll also often include some sort of USB port for printing from mobile devices, which might come in handy. You should also make sure that it supports whatever type of encryption standard you want to use (WEP, WPA2-PSK/AES).
If security is important to you, make sure these standards are included in your router; otherwise, any old router will do just fine.
Finally, check out its maximum range—some routers offer up to three times as much coverage as others.
How to install your wireless network?
If you’re not wired for Ethernet, here’s a quick overview of how to set up your wireless network. If you’re only going to have one computer on your network, it’s quite simple; just buy a router that has wireless capabilities, then run an Ethernet cable from it to your computer. Hook up an antenna (or antennas) to that router, and then power it on. Voilà! You’re online. The whole process shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes or so.
What is an access point?
An access point (AP) is another name for a wireless router. It is used to connect one or more wireless devices (such as computers, smartphones, and tablets) to a wired network or to other wireless devices. An access point can also be called a base station, Wi-Fi hub, node, or even femtocell. The word router refers not only to a device that connects multiple wired networks together but also to an access point. So you’ll often see these terms used interchangeably when discussing wireless technologies.
The single most important thing about purchasing your first router
It has to be wireless! A good wireless router is able to provide great Internet service while at the same time doing a fantastic job of protecting your personal information. The good news is that there are some excellent routers available on silmicro.com that can give you all of these features and more. So check out silmicro.com and order now!
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