Which Wi-Fi Router to Buy for a Home, Or Apartments? Choosing a Router

I don’t know about you, but for me the choice of some equipment, including a router, is a lot of wasted time searching for the right model, hundreds of reviews, and constant doubts: “take this one or that one”. I’ve been using some old, wired mouse for over a month now, only because I can’t find a new one. And this is despite the fact that I basically know what I need, some technical points, etc.

Router and router, it’s the same thing. Wrote about it here. I’ll be using both names in this article.

In this article, we will try to deal with the choice of Wi-Fi router for a house, or apartment. This is the category of devices in which I can give some advice, talk about all the nuances, and even recommend specific models. As for advice on buying specific models, I really don’t like to give such advice. If only because I have not been to your home, I do not know for what purposes you choose a router, what is your Internet, how many and what devices will connect to the Internet, whether there is interference in your home, and most importantly, what sum you plan to spend on the purchase of a router. This point applies not only to routers, but also to other equipment.

But, if you want specific recommendations, then at the end of this article, I will give an example of several models of routers that I would advise you to buy. But, if anything, it’s not my fault 🙂 Let’s consider the choice of router for a private home, or apartment. Although, this can probably still include small offices.

And right away, an important piece of advice. If you have an unlimited budget, and it’s not a pity to spend a decent sum, then buy one of the most expensive routers that you find in some popular online store. Take the one you like the look of. It will cost about 300 dollars (if we do not take into account the Apple routers). But, it will definitely work stably, and it will have everything you need.

One more piece of advice. If you want to save as much as possible, and buy the most budget router, then this article will come in handy.

First we will understand the technical points, what you should pay attention to when choosing a router. For what purposes this or that model will be suitable, and whether there will be no problems in the process of use. Then, I will write my opinion on what Wi-Fi router is better to buy that your purchase quickly did not become obsolete, and you did not have to buy a new model in a year. Well, and as promised, I will advise a couple of specific routers that should be suitable for an apartment (private house).

Choosing a router for home: technical aspects

First of all, we need to figure out what kind of router we need in general. In terms of technical characteristics: the type of WAN port, the number of LAN-ports and their speed, the frequency of Wi-Fi network and its speed, the presence of USB-connectors, and various additional functions.

You should already understand for what purposes you will use the router. It is clear that you buy it most likely to distribute the Internet to your devices over a Wi-Fi network, and possibly over a network cable.

Tip. If you have desktop computers (without wi-fi), then after installing the router not to lay cables to them, and connect wirelessly, you can buy special Wi-Fi adapters at once.

The main thing you should focus on when choosing a router for your home is the area that should be covered by the Wi-Fi network signal, the number of devices that will be connected to the router, and the tasks that you will perform on these devices (browsing sites, downloading files, online video, online games, etc.).

Here it’s simple: the router may simply not be able to cover all the rooms in your house with signal. For example, because of a weak transmitter, or antennas (and their number). And if you buy a cheap router, it simply can not work stably when connecting a large number of devices. Or, when watching online videos in high quality, online games, etc. There will be constant freezes, reboots and the like. As you can already understand, everything is very individual. As a rule, the more expensive the router, the more load it can withstand, will be more stable, and will be able to “break through” the wi-fi signal.

Selecting a router for the provider (type of WAN-port)

The first thing to pay attention to is the type of WAN connector. This is the way the router is connected to the Internet provider. In the characteristics, this information is always indicated. Here everything depends on what kind of Internet you have.

• Ethernet is the most popular type of connection. This is a regular RJ-45 network connector. Almost all Wi-Fi routers that are on the market have an Ethernet WAN-port. And the provider in your house lay a regular network cable, which we directly connect to the router.
• ADSL modems with wi-fi – in fact, they are ordinary routers, only as a WAN-port, they have an RJ-11 connector for connecting a telephone cable. And if you already have a regular ADSL modem, you need to buy a simple router, with a regular Ethernet port (and connect it to the modem).
• 3G/4G Wi-Fi routers – if you have Internet via USB modem, and you want to set up Internet distribution via wi-fi, you will need a special router with support for 3G/4G modems. About choosing a router to work with USB-modem, I wrote in this article. Usually, in the characteristics of such routers it is written: WAN-port – USB 3G. Update: new article with tips on choosing a router to work with USB modems: /useful-and-interesting-articles/wi-fi-router-for-usb-3g-4g-4g-modem-how-to-choose-the-right/.

There are routers that can be called universal routers. Because, for example, they can have a regular Ethernet port for Internet connection and a USB port for working with 3G modems. But, the presence of USB-port does not mean that there is support for modems. You need to look at the specifications.

Protocol support: another point, which I think you can ignore. We have in mind the protocols of connection to the Internet provider: L2TP, PPPoE, PPTP. On modern routers, there should be no problems with this. Unless you have a special provider.

wi-fi network: frequency, speed, range

Frequency of Wi-Fi network (5 GHz and 2.4 GHz) – at the time of writing this article (May 2016), most routers ( mostly not expensive), which are on sale, give out Wi-Fi network at the usual frequency of 2.4 GHz, which is already heavily loaded. But, actively appear on the market models that support Wi-Fi at a frequency of 5 GHz. This is a new technology, and it is the router with support for 5 GHz frequency, I would advise you to buy. I have already written more about dual-band routers (dual-band because it supports 5 GHz and 2.4 GHz), pluses and compatibility in the article: What is a Dual-Band Wi-Fi router (Dual-Band wi-fi)? How it works and whether it is worth buying. You can already find dual-band models at a very good price.

Speed over wi-fi – the cheapest router models, give out Wi-Fi at speeds of up to 150 Mbps. I would advise against buying such models. Unless you take a router to connect one or three devices and for surfing the Internet, or watching video in low quality. It is better to doplozhit 5-10 dollars, and buy a model that distributes wireless network at speeds up to 300 Mbps.

As for wireless network standards, there should definitely be support for 802.11n. And if you choose a router from the middle price category and above, it is desirable to take a model with support for the new, high-speed standard 802.11ac.

The speed depends on many factors: the number of connected devices, the power of the router, the provider, interference, etc. Read reviews, as a rule, there immediately write, strongly router cuts the speed of wi-fi, or not. On the speed of connection on a wireless network, you can read more this article.

Wi-Fi network range – many people ask: “how to choose a router with maximum wireless range”. It’s a good question, and understandable, but it’s very difficult to give a specific answer. Because, the range is very much affected by walls (their number and materials), interference (mainly from neighboring Wi-Fi networks), the location of the router in the house, well, and the power of the router itself. The signal travels very poorly through concrete mills that have metal in them.

If you have a large apartment, say more than 100 squares, or a house with several floors, then most likely one router will not be enough, even the most powerful. In this case, the most correct option is to install a repeater.

And if you choose a router for a one-room apartment, then in your case even the cheapest model will be enough, in terms of network range. For medium-sized houses, I would advise you to buy a router with a price of 50 dollars. Well, and preferably buy models with at least two antennas (capacity of 5dBi). But, there are good models with internal antennas, which are almost as good as external. As a rule, the presence of, for example, three or more antennas, affect not the range of the Wi-Fi network, but the speed of connection. Also, it is worth paying attention to whether the antennas are removable or not. In case you want to replace them, install more powerful ones.

According to my observations, the range does not depend much on the price of the router itself. Most likely because the maximum power of the router is simply limited by the manufacturer (in accordance with the laws of the country in which they are supplied).

Availability of ports: LAN and USB

At least 1 LAN port will definitely be available. Usually, routers have 4 LAN ports. Sometimes there are more. A LAN port is needed to connect devices to the Internet via a network cable (PCs, TVs, game consoles, etc.).

As for USB ports, there are none on cheap models now. But it seems to me that soon there will be no routers without USB. Therefore, I advise you to choose a router with at least one USB port. It is needed to connect USB drives, printers, or USB 3G modems (if there is support for modems). By connecting a flash drive or an external HDD to the router, you can organize file sharing or run a DLNA-server. And by connecting a printer, you can set up a print server.

Here everything depends on the specific model and manufacturer. For example, models from ASUS, can still independently download files to the drive. I’ve already written about why you need a USB-connector on ASUS routers. You can look at it for an example.

Wi-Fi router power and its performance

The stuffing of the router is also very important. The more powerful the processor, and more RAM, the more stable the router will work. It will hold more connected devices, without problems to withstand downloading torrents, online games, DLNA server, etc. And most importantly, there will be no speed drops, no pinging, no packet loss.

I do not think that you need to directly study all the nuances associated with the iron on which works this or that router, unless you are interested. Here everything is very simple, the more expensive the model, the more powerful it is. If you buy a router for 15-20 dollars, connect to it several devices, run a torrent download, online game, and open more online video, most likely it will just hang. Or, the speed will drop very badly. And it will work only after a reboot. This is quite normal for its price category.

That’s exactly why I don’t advise you to save money on a router. Because, you will connect to it all your computers, tablets, phones, TVs, and all of them will suffer from a weak router, which all the time will cut the speed, and just “fall” from the load. This brings a lot of inconvenience, and most likely, you will soon think about buying a new router, more powerful and correspondingly expensive.

Price and firm-manufacturer

At the moment, the cheapest router can be bought for about 15 dollars. I have already written above that such routers buy only if you do not need a lot of performance and speed.

It is better of course to take routers that cost from 30 dollars and above. This is exclusively my opinion. These devices are suitable for home use, but without fanaticism. Here you need to understand that we get exactly as much as we pay. Well, and everything depends on the tasks that the router should cope with in your case.

As for the manufacturer, the most popular of course are TP-LINK, ASUS, D-LINK, ZyXEL, Linksys, Tenda, Netis. In case you are wondering, I have an ASUS at the moment. I love TP-LINK routers, which I also often use and recommend to others. My relatives have inexpensive TP-LINK TL-WR841N for more than five years without any problems. Not so long ago I got acquainted with routers from ZyXEL. I also liked them very much. Tenda makes inexpensive models.

I think that it is not necessary to fixate on the manufacturer. Look at the models, the characteristics, price, appearance at last. I know the routers of all the manufacturers listed above, and I can not say that some are bad and some are good. Each manufacturer has certain aspects that I personally liked or disliked (control panel, equipment, instructions, packaging, the process of setting up, reliability, etc.). But, this has almost no effect on the router’s performance.

I often see questions like: “which router is better, ASUS or TP-LINK”. You can endlessly argue which brand is better and which is worse. I think that in this case, it would be more correct to consider specific models that are close in price.

The price and brand are sorted out: the more expensive the better, and the brand is for the amateur.

What router to choose

In my opinion, you should buy a dual-band router (which supports Wi-Fi 5 GHz, and 802.11ac). And it should have at least one USB port. Even if you don’t need it right now.

These two points: support for wi-fi at 5 GHz, and the presence of a USB port, make the router modern, and it will not be obsolete in half a year.

I tell an example from my own experience. This winter (about December 2015), I bought a new router in my parents’ house. It works there with a 3G USB modem. I bought a not cheap Asus RT-N18U. Good, powerful router, with two USB ports (one is connected to the modem, and the second is a storage device). But it doesn’t support wireless network at 5 GHz. And after some time after the purchase, I realized that I made a mistake with my choice. Buying an expensive router without support for the new standard.

Sooner or later, you will want to connect your devices to a Wi-Fi network at a frequency of 5 GHz (more speed, and less interference, especially relevant for apartments). Or, you will want to organize file sharing on the drive connected to the router. Therefore, it is better to immediately spend a large sum, than in a year to buy a new router. In addition, now you can find quite affordable dual-band router with a USB port for about $ 30.

This is solely my opinion, and you can certainly disagree with it.

Everything is very complicated, what exactly to buy a router for home?

I wrote at the beginning of the article that the router should be selected specifically for your tasks. And you need to focus on the room itself, where it will work, well, and finances. And I also wrote that I do not like to give advice on specific models. In addition, I know nothing about you, your home and the tasks that should fulfill the router. But, if you already so ask :), I will advise several models of routers that should be suitable for a small house, or apartment. And to connect a small number of devices. I will advise only those models with which I have worked. Let’s divide them into three categories.

Inexpensive, modern router

First of all, I will advise of course the TP-LINK Archer C20i router, or TP-LINK Archer C20. It is not the cheapest model for home, but it is dual-band (wi-fi 5 GHz), has 1 USB-port, and looks very nice.

Easily suitable for the home, and will handle watching online videos, downloading torrents, and online gaming with no problem. If you look at other manufacturers, not many have similar models. According to the characteristics and price, only Asus RT-AC51U and Xiaomi Wi-Fi MiRouter 3 are similar. Perhaps, there are already some other options.

The most budget option for a small apartment

Don’t forget that we have a separate article about choosing a cheap router: /useful-and-interesting-articles/the-cheapest-wi-fi-fi router-choosing-a-budget-router-for-home/.

If you’re looking to save money well, have a small home, and few devices, you might consider the following options:

Tenda N3 – the most common, not expensive, and not a bad router, which is enough to connect a few devices to the Internet, but not for complex tasks. A really budget option.

Netis WF2411 is another budget model. I personally liked it even more than Tenda N3.

Well and a little more expensive will be the TP-Link TL-WR740N (ND) model. This is a very popular router among budget ones. And if you have a goal to save money, it is best to take this model. You can also look at the model TP-LINK TL-WR720N, it is cheaper.

These are such budget options. Now we will consider even more expensive ones.

Optimal router option for home use

Again, provided you have a limited budget.

Asus RT-N10, Asus RT-N11, or Asus RT-N12 – I recommend to buy. I think that for home use these models will be quite enough. If you don’t plan to actively download large files, run online games on several computers at the same time, or start watching videos in high quality. All this applies not only to Asus, but also to the models I will write about below. Everything will probably work, but the question is how stable.

TP-LINK TL-WR841N (ND) and TP-LINK TL-WR842ND – I can confidently say that these models are enough for a two or three room apartment, and for connecting several computers and mobile devices to the Internet via Wi-Fi and cable. The model is tested personally by me. In addition, a very popular router.

ZyXEL Keenetic Start is another model of inexpensive router, which I also liked very much. It works stably, there are many different modes of operation, and a clear control panel. You can also look at the model Zyxel Keenetic Lite III, it is a little more expensive and better.

D-link DIR-615 – a good option for a router for a small house. Now it is already available in a new, very interesting case. I recommend you to look at this option.

And the last model I can recommend is Linksys E1200.

Very often there are new models, and I am not familiar with all the options that can be considered for purchase. Therefore, look for suitable routers, read reviews, focus on the price and take the model that you like best. Now there are no problems with this, go to any online store, and choose until you get bored.

We did not consider expensive models. I believe that there is no point in it. If you have the opportunity, buy. They will definitely cope with the tasks at hand. Especially if you have a TV with Smart TV, which needs a stable connection at a good speed.

Afterword

I hope that my advice at least somehow helped you to decide on the choice of router, and you were able to buy the best option that will please you with stable work.

It is important to realize that no one can pick the right router for you. At least until the port, until he gets the necessary information about the house in which it will be installed (area, walls), the devices for which you need to provide access to the Internet, and the tasks that will be performed on these devices.

To summarize, it is better not to save money on the router. Buy the most expensive as possible in your case. And if you already consider cheaper options, you can be guided by the models I wrote about above. Well, it is desirable to buy a dual-band router, with the presence of at least one USB-port.

All the best!

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Ramón

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