What Kind Of Router Should I Get?
The basic function of a router is to connect one network to another. They are most often used to connect a home network to the internet. But they can be used to connect any two networks, such as those between computers. There are two types- wireless and non wireless.
In order to choose the right equipment take some time to determine what you really need. Most households have several computers and wireless devices. Make sure you have enough connections for all your devices and for family and friends who may be using your network as well.
Don’t be overly concerned about future plans when making your purchase though because networks are easily expandable. If you need to expand the number of ports you can get a switch, hub, or another router. Also, if you have a non-wireless you can add wireless to your network with an access point.
The four port wireless router is the most common type of network equipment households use. Four ports isn’t very much, but most personal computing equipment has wireless so four ports usually does the job. A port is the space where the Ethernet cable connects.
Now let’s discuss the different network speeds available. For non wireless these speeds are 10 megabytes per second (Mbps), 100 Mbps, and 1000 Mbps (also called 1 gigabyte per second, Gbps). The 100 Mbps is presently the norm and works well with casual network usage.
For wireless, there are several speeds available as well. These are referred to as 802.11 types b, g, and n. The speeds are as follows- type b is 11 Mbps, g is 54 Mbps, and n is 108 Mbps.
Manufactures are now adding additional functions to routers. One helpful new feature is the ability to connect an external hard drive and/or printer directly to it (instead of having to access it through another network computer). Other additional functions include built in firewall and filters for internet access.
There are many different types of network equipment available to help connect two different networks together, such as your home network and the internet. Being able to recognize what your needs are for speed, number of ports, wireless vs. non wireless, and extra features will help you to look for the right kind of equipment.
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