Rather than calling it a skill, it is better to call it a history of blood and tears. Do you really know how to choose a router?

Whenever I am praised for my shopping skills, I can't help but feel upset. There is no such thing as a natural shopping expert. It's all made with money. Rather than calling it a skill, it's better to call it a blood and tears history. One thing must be admitted, money can buy lessons and it's enough, but how much money do you have to be so willful with your limited family background? Having a channel to buy at a low price is one thing, but being able to choose is another.

Nowadays, we have caught up with the good policies. The country has vigorously developed the Internet and broadband construction, and home broadband has been accelerated with fiber optic access to homes. However, you are indifferent to this. You still have high latency when playing games, repeated buffering when watching videos, slow web page loading speed, and long download time. You have paid for 100M broadband but still cannot get pleasure. Why? Because you are still using an old router.

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On the other hand, the number of home connected devices is increasing day by day. Mobile phones, tablets, refrigerators, air conditioners, TVs, etc. all require wireless network support. According to this calculation, the number of wireless devices connected to each home is about 5-20, and this number will only increase in the future; in addition, with the gradual popularization of ultra-high definition, 4K, VR, etc., low-end old routers cannot support it at all.

802.11ac wireless standard is a must

Since 802.11ac products were launched in the market in 2013, they have become the mainstream in the market. In just three years, it has become the second generation of 11ac technology, supporting MU-MIMO. In order to solve the channel congestion and interference problems, most of the routers currently on the market support 2.4G/5G dual-band transmission. ​

Among them, the 2.4G frequency band has less attenuation during propagation and a longer propagation distance, but the 2.4G bandwidth is narrow, and most wireless devices use the 2.4G frequency band, so the channel is crowded and the interference is large; in contrast, the 5G signal frequency is high, but the propagation process is more attenuated, and the propagation distance is less than 2.4G. Because the 5G frequency band is wider, there is less signal interference, the network speed is stable, and it supports higher wireless rates. It can be said that each has its pros and cons, and can be freely switched in different environments.

Router CPU performance UP!

In fact, this is easy to understand. Just like when we buy a laptop or computer, we have to look at its CPU. The same is true for routers. The quality of the CPU determines the computing speed, stability and other aspects of a device. Among them, the main frequency is one of the important indicators to measure CPU performance. The higher the main frequency, the better the performance.

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Currently, all mid-range and high-end home routers on the market are equipped with Gigabit CPUs, so that the routers have sufficient response time and fast response speed when processing data exchange between the local area network and the external network, so as to achieve stable signals and no packet loss. Of course, powerful processing power alone is not enough, the CPU process is equally important. Advanced production technology further improves the integration of the CPU, reduces heat generation, and ensures the smooth operation of the router. ​

Gigabit WAN port is the basis

As external network broadband speeds up, it is natural that the introduction of home LAN cannot be throttled. If the home network bandwidth is compared to water flow, then the WAN port of the router is the main gate of the water pipe. The higher the transmission rate, the faster the water flow. Therefore, if the WAN port rate is too low, then no matter how high the external bandwidth is, it is still a "small water pipe". Therefore, for ordinary home users, it is very necessary for the router to be equipped with a Gigabit WAN port.

Antenna Manufacturing Process and Technology

We say that antenna design is crucial in wireless transmission systems because the quality of the antenna will directly affect the quality of communication. Among them, the spacing, adjustment and gain of the antenna will determine the strength and coverage of the Wi-Fi signal. Now, manufacturers generally add PA transmitter chips and LNA receiver chips in the 2.4G frequency band, and external FEM modules in the 5G frequency band. These will greatly improve the wireless transmission performance and reduce wireless reception interference, thereby greatly increasing the transmission distance and sensitivity of Wi-Fi signals.

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In addition, don't worry too much about whether to choose an external antenna or an internal antenna. The fact that an external antenna has a better signal is just a long-standing psychological habit. In fact, as long as the antenna manufacturing process is good, it is the same. This is not difficult to find from our previous evaluation articles. The best choice is, of course, to choose a high cost-effective one within a reasonable price range.