![]() ![]() There’s only so much network space to go around. And that’s a lot for one piece of equipment to handle, especially if you have a multi-story home or one with many rooms. If you’re using a traditional router, likely one you bought a few years ago or got from your internet service provider, that one device is casting out a network for your whole home. With kids home from school taking online classes, college students back in the nest studying (or playing games), and lots of folks working remotely, all those extra devices straining the router can result in a slowdown. It’s how we connect to the world.Īnd currently, there’s a good chance your home network is getting a lot of use. Specifically Wi-Fi - whether we’re at home, in a public space like a coffee shop, or in an office, that network is the backbone for our devices. With all the devices we use on a daily basis, there’s one thread that runs through just about every tech thing we do: connectivity. Netgear Orbi vs.Your CNN account Log in to your CNN account.5 important Wi-Fi router features for gamers.For more information and to further help you decide, check out these links. There's not really a single answer for which network option is best for everyone, though hopefully a couple of your questions have been answered. Its brains keep the network from getting congested when a few people are streaming or gaming, and everything is contained in a single, modular network. No running cables through the house or worrying about the whole network going down if one of the nodes fails. You plug it in, go through a few quick setup steps in an app, and it's good to go. Of course, adding your own access point (maybe you have an old router lying around) does require a bit of networking know-how, which some people might want to avoid in lieu of something they can plug in and forget.įor those with an old router that needs to be retired, a mesh network makes a lot of sense when looking to the future, especially if you have a large area to cover. If your existing router works well other than not being able to hit a far corner, buying an extender or adding an access point can probably fix things up without you having to spend a bundle of cash. How to choose the best router Wrapping things upĬhoosing between a standard router setup and a mesh network kit really comes down to three things: your budget, your existing hardware, and how comfortable you are with configuring a custom network. If, however, you're more on the side of "I want to tinker with my network every day," you might be disappointed with the mesh network (you also likely already know what type of router you need and why). If you're on the side of "set it up once and forget about for a couple of years," a mesh network will do you fine. I like to tweak all my network settingsĬommercial mesh networking systems do undoubtedly come with fewer advanced settings than your standard routers, but that's seen as a selling point for many people. If you can snag a mesh network kit for somewhere between $200 and $300 (in the case of the Netgear Orbi or Google Wifi), you're likely in the same price range as a standard router setup for a large home or office. Sure, there are plenty of cheap standard routers out there that can prove suitable for smaller apartments or condos, but for large spaces, you have to add in the price of extra access points or extenders. ![]() You might not get the same wireless speed that you'd get with a $500 gaming router, but for most people, the speeds offered with mesh systems is more than enough. If you're thinking about paying for an entirely new router and you have a large area to cover, it's probably worth upgrading to a mesh network. While many companies will include a router in the plan you pay for, it still might not be up to your standards. Why shop for a specific router? (Image credit: Windows Central)Ĭhanging plans with your ISP in order to get faster internet than you had before won't do much good if the router you're using can't keep up. ![]()
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