Wireless Routers

Wireless Routers-Things to Ponder

Being wireless in everything has become our mantra. Wireless Routers are a tiny part of that 'wireless era', which silently, yet powerfully entwined the life of individuals, along with the internet within a short span of time.

Basically, a wireless router is a networking hardware capable to connect computers to the internet. Unlike the standard modems, it can connect several computers at a time. Since the signals are simply routed back and forth via its antenna, it is called 'Wireless Router'. The data from the internet traverse through this antenna, via the airwaves to the wireless adaptors on the computers or laptops within a specific range.

Risks of Wireless Security

Although the wireless broadband routers prove beneficial on many aspects, the risks involved are major. The airwaves transfer of data in it raises a security threat. There are chances for the external users to gain access to the data (this is called 'hacking') and use them for malicious purposes. Several cases of wireless security have been reported and it is the most happening issue of the time. The hacking can lead to issues such as expose of information, connection overlapping, identity theft, denial-of-service, network injection and so on. Unfortunately, the hackers are more innovative these days and the threats they pose stay unpredictable.

How to Secure Your Wireless Connection?

With plenty of threats awaiting to rob your connection, it is necessary to take strong measures to secure wireless broadband internet connections. Few of the methods you can consider for connection security include the changing of factory passwords, using different names for the router, turning off the unwanted connections, closing off the unused ports and activating a WEP key. You can find a detailed note on these in our wireless security guide.

Choosing a Wireless Router

An improper choice of any equipment can make it a bane than a boon. Same lies in the case of wireless routers. A right choice can save you from many disasters like slow internet connections, connection disruptions amid work etcetera. Hence, before diving into our reviews and comparison section to find a cheap wireless router, make sure that you know what to choose and how to choose rather than staying baffled among the numerous models displayed.

During the hunt for a suitable wireless router, you will be bombarded with infinite terminologies like 802.11a, 802.11b, MIMO, WEP, 802.11g and many more. The 802.11 categories that you come across is the standards and the others are various technologies involved. To certain extent, you can ignore these and go for some comprehensive terms.

To begin with, check for the speed ratings displayed. When the older models provide up to 54Mbps, the latest ones claim up to 300Mbps. Even though you choose a higher speed rating one, the actual performance will be lower than the rate shown on the package. The best methods we could suggest you to overcome this hurdle is to read trustful reviews of the model and to opt for a popular brand. A thorough browse through the comparison reviews of different models is another highly suggested solution.

Consider buying the same brands of wireless router and wireless adaptor. If you do so, you may see a slightly higher performance, as the vendors may optimize the protocols of their own equipments. Furthermore, the size, the colour and of course, the cost of wireless internet router must be considered before zeroing in one.

We have complied a detailed buying guide to help you through the process of choosing a right broadband wireless router. Click on the relevant sections and begin your hunt!