Jesse Murphy

Computer Technology

In this age of connectivity, we are heavily dependent upon the Internet to supply just about everything we want and need. This is by no means is a bad thing. The freedom to access the Internet from just about anywhere has certainly made everyone’s life a lot easier! But it also means the lack of Internet or even decreased speeds can become crippling.

If you want good wireless Internet, you’re also going to need a good router. That my friends is, what we’ll be covering today. So let’s back up a minute. What is a router? Well a simplified explanation is that routers convert line Internet via a modem into wireless Internet commonly known as Wi-Fi. So if you don’t have a good router then you won’t have a good wireless Internet.

If you’re currently renting a modem gateway (a mix of a modem and a router) from Time Warner Cable, like a lot of folks in Maine are, then to put it simply you’re getting the bare minimum. If you’re hunting for a replacement, so you can stop renting from Time Warner, you’ll need both a modem and a router. While the choice of modem can be refreshingly simple (given there aren’t many choices), routers are much more varied and complicated. The first obstacle to overcome, is deciding if you need an N router or an AC router. N and AC both represent a wireless standard.

Currently the standard is AC, but a great many devices are still running N network cards. That doesn’t mean that you should automatically purchase an N router just because they’re cheaper. AC routers typically have two routers built into it: an N and an AC router. N routers can provide up to 300 mbps (megabits per second) while AC can provide as much as 1 Gbps (gigabits per second). This sounds a lot bigger than it actually is.

Typically speed, storage, and downloads are measured not in bits but in bytes. One byte equals eight bits, so that large 300 megabits becomes 37.5 megabytes. Likewise, 1 Gigabit becomes 125 megabytes. That’s still a whole lot, but then when you take that 37.5 megabytes and transfer the demand among multiple wireless devices (being any device that connects over your wireless internet), then you find you have even less to work with.

When you throw in the range of your Wi-Fi signal there’s a whole other can of worms to consider. N routers, the old standard, actually have a greater maximum range then AC does. While N can provide a network up to 230 feet from the router, AC can only provide 115 feet, just as long as there aren’t any walls in the way, as walls can further decrease maximum range.

To make up for that lower range, AC routers have what is known as “beamforming,” a kind of technology that allows Wi-Fi signals to be more directly transmitted to wireless devices, providing a stronger signal. Phew!

That’s a lot to think about… So, let’s summarize it.

N is an older standard that can provide up to 37.5 Mbps (megabytes per second), and can provide a larger range indoors. Perfect for really big homes! AC is the newer standard that also comes with a built-in N router to allow connectivity with older devices, provides up to 125 Mbps, can provide a strong signal, but only in closer quarters. This is great for apartments or dorm rooms, or homes with lots of people using the Wi-Fi simultaneously.

Now, that the first obstacle is cleared, we have another: a whole bunch of numbers next to the standard on the box. What do they mean? Well, they represent the router’s maximum mbps. An N600 router has two N300 routers for example, while an AC1200 has an N300 and an AC900 router built in. Each built-in router provides its own Wi-Fi network, allowing you to split up demand from multiple devices if you need to. That being said, if you’re getting your Internet from Time Warner, you can only get up to a maximum of 50 Mbps (or 400 mbps) depending on your Internet plan as of this article.

While you can get the latest and greatest, you may not be able to fully utilize it until they pull out larger data caps. Networking sure is complicated! But at least this provides the general idea of what to keep a good eye out for. From here I recommend researching brands, reading reviews, and weighing carefully other router buyers opinions. There are a plenty of routers out there. Just remember cheaper doesn’t always mean better, but the newest and the best may not actually give you much more than it’s worth!

Jesse Murphy is a member of the Information Technology Senior Seminar course and is planning on a career in IT, though he isn’t quite sure where that’ll take him yet! He also has a website at http://tinyurl.com/hefgno8