The router is the main component of the local network and performs most of the basic functions when exchanging data. Not only the capabilities of your home network, but also its performance and stability will depend on it. Therefore, his choice should be taken very seriously.
Introduction
In the first article in the article series, we found out that the router is the main component of the local network and performs most of the basic functions when exchanging data. And if so, then his choice should be taken very seriously. It is on it that many of the capabilities of your home network, its performance and stability will depend.
To make it easier for you to choose this complex device, let's look at the main characteristics of routers and see what they are responsible for. I will deliberately simplify some of the wording when describing certain functions, trying not to overload inexperienced users with complex technical information.
Router types
In general, routers can be divided into two large groups - wired and wireless. Already by the names it is clear that all devices are connected to the first ones only with the help of cables, and to the second ones, both with the help of wires and without them, using Wi-Fi radio technology. Therefore, at home, it is wireless routers that are most often used, which allow providing Internet and networking computer equipment using various communication technologies.
Conclusion 1: If you are not pursuing any specialized tasks, then it is better to buy a wireless router. This universal solution will allow you to network equipment using various data transmission technologies.
Wired connection interfaces
To connect computers and other devices using wires, routers have special T-shaped sockets called ports. In home-oriented models, there are usually five of them - four LAN sockets (output interface) and one WAN or DSL (input interface).
The devices that you want to network are connected to the LAN ports, and the cable of the provider that provides broadband (high-speed) Internet access through a dedicated channel is connected to the WAN port. By the way, that's why for many routers the WAN port is signed with the word INTERNET.
Unfortunately, in some regions, broadband network access is still not available or very expensive. In this case, the Internet connection can be made using a telephone line (DSL or ADSL). Then, the built-in DSL modem acts as an external (input) network interface in the router, and instead of the WAN jack, there is a connector for a telephone cable marked DSL or ADSL at the back.
Recently, the wireless method of connecting to the Internet using 3G and LTE (4G) mobile technologies, capable of providing high data exchange speeds, is gaining more and more popularity. This is especially true for large cities with a good coverage area of cellular networks.
If you plan just such a way to connect to the global web, then you need to choose a router with support for 3G / 4G USB modems or with an already built-in mobile modem. In the first version, the router is equipped with a USB port for connecting modems and built-in software support for their main models, a complete list of which can usually be found in the user manual.
In the second case, where the modem is already built in, there is a slot for installing a SIM card from any operator. This option is universal, but not the only one offered on the market.
Often, routers with built-in 3G / LTE modems are offered by providers themselves (cellular network operators) as their own proprietary solutions. In this case, a separate purchase and installation of a SIM card is not required, since the device is already configured to work in a specific cellular network.
Conclusion 2: Before buying a router, you first need to decide on the company that will provide you with access to the Internet (provider) and find out what method of connecting to the global network they use.
Modern routers use two types of LAN technologies. The first, Fast Ethernet, allows devices to communicate on the network at speeds up to 100 Mbps. The second, Gigabit Ethernet - up to 1000 Mbps. If you plan to actively exchange large files between computers on your home network, such as high-quality video, then choose a router with gigabit LAN ports (10/100/1000BASE-TX). If the main task is simply to provide Internet to all devices on the home network, then you can limit yourself to a budget solution with a 100-megabit output interface (10/100BASE-TX). Indeed, today in many regions of Russia the bandwidth of Internet channels of private users does not exceed 10 Mbps, and only in large cities the speed of access to the World Wide Web can reach 100 Mbps.
Conclusion 3: In most cases, to provide Internet to all devices participating in the local network, a router with a speed of LAN ports 10/100 Mbps c. But for the active exchange of bulk data between computers on a home network, a router with the maximum speed of information transfer through LAN equal to 1 Gbps. But it will cost more.
Another important characteristic of the router that you should pay attention to is the throughput of the WAN interface. This applies to those who plan to connect to the Internet using broadband access, which can provide high speed information exchange. It is important to know that WAN capabilities in many budget router models (up to 2000 rubles) are limited to data transfer rates of 30 - 35 Mbps. This means that by purchasing such a router and connecting to the Internet, for example, at a speed of 60 Mbps, you will be able to use the channel’s capabilities only by half, and you will overpay money in vain.
Unfortunately, for some reason, manufacturers do not consider it necessary to inform users of the throughput values of WAN ports in the official technical specifications of devices. Therefore, these numbers are not usually published in any of the descriptions of routers, including those provided by many computer stores. The only way out of this situation is to use the search for the necessary information on the Internet. Fortunately, finding it in most cases is not difficult.
Conclusion 4: Before buying a router, decide at what speed you plan to connect to the Internet. If the channel is wide (over 30 Mbit/ c), then be sure to find out the throughput WAN port of the selected model of your future router.
If in your area you can only connect to the World Wide Web through a telephone line, then you should not worry about the bandwidth of the incoming network interface. Almost all modern routers support the most advanced ADSL 2+ standard at the moment, which provides a maximum incoming stream speed of 24 Mbps, and outgoing - 3.5 Mbps.
Wireless connection interfaces
As already mentioned, wireless routers contain a Wi-Fi module responsible for transmitting data using a radio signal. Most often, Wi-Fi is used to connect various devices to a local network, but sometimes wireless bridges are organized using this technology, allowing you to connect subnets via a radio channel.
Strictly speaking, the abbreviation Wi-Fi means a set of wireless communication standards in local areas IEEE 802.11, which was proposed and promoted by the Wi-Fi Alliance, after which it received its user name. It was not by chance that I mentioned the phrase “set of standards”, since modern routers use not one wireless data transmission standard, but several of its varieties at once:
- Wi-Fi standard 802.11a - data transfer rate up to 54 Mbit / s transmitted at a frequency of 5 GHz. Outdated standard;
- Wi-Fi Standard 802.11 b - data transfer rate up to 11 Mbps transmitted at a frequency of 2.4 GHz. Outdated standard;
- Wi-Fi Standard 802.11 g - data transfer rate up to 54 Mbps transmitted at a frequency of 2.4 GHz. To date, the most common standard, but already obsolete;
- Wi-Fi Standard 802.11 n - data transfer rate up to 150/300/450 Mbps transmitted at frequencies of 2.4 and 5 GHz. At the same time, in many cases, manufacturers in the specifications write doubled speeds (300/600/900), meaning the total values of information transfer in both directions (reception and return). The modern common standard that is actively replacing 802.11g;
- Wi-Fi Standard 802.11 ac - data transfer rate up to 1300 Mbit / s transmitted at frequencies of 2.4 and 5 GHz. A very promising, but still uncommon standard.
All advanced standards are backward compatible with older versions. For example, 802.11ac is backward compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n.
The most budgetary and common options are routers with support for Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g technologies. No less popular are routers with Wi-Fi 802.11n, which provide a good coverage area and high data transfer rates. Well, the 802.11ac standard is still exotic, since the equipment supporting it is expensive and has not yet become widespread.
Recently, dual-band routers have become increasingly popular, the Wi-Fi module of which is capable of simultaneously operating at frequencies of 2.4 and 5 GHz. Both ranges have their advantages and disadvantages. The first one (2.4 GHz) is compatible with all standard Wi-Fi devices (smartphones, laptops, tablets, printers, etc.), but because of this it has a high level of channel noise. The second (5 GHz) provides a lower level of interference on the air, but the signal quality is highly dependent on the line of sight and deteriorates greatly in the presence of a large number of obstacles.
Conclusion 5: The most optimal purchase will be a router with support for 802.11 technology n compatible with old standards and high data rates. Support for two bands of wireless networks would be useful, although optional.
To ensure a high-quality radio signal when using Wi-Fi technology, most wireless routers are equipped with additional external antennas. Their number ranges from one to three, depending on the model of the router. In some cases, manufacturers may use internal antennas that do not stick out from the outside. In most cases, the general rule here is that the more antennas, the better the coverage.
Conclusion 6: It is hardly worth worrying about the number of antennas in the router for residents of Khrushchev and other small-sized apartments, but it is better for happy owners of large multi-room apartments or country houses to focus on routers with a large number of antennas.
Additional connection interfaces
It is not uncommon for modern routers to be equipped with one or several USB ports at once, to which you can connect additional peripheral devices and access them from the network. For example, you can connect a regular printer to the router and print documents on it from all devices on the local network or an external hard drive to store shared files.
Conclusion 7: If available in the router USB ports, you can connect various peripheral devices to them (printers, portable hard drives, disk storage NAS and others) and share them over the network.
Software
As you already understood, the router is a complex multifunctional device, which is a kind of mini-computer. And as in any computer, special software called firmware is used to operate, configure and manage the router.
A lot depends on the firmware, ranging from the stability of the device to its functionality. Thanks to the built-in software, the router implements various modes of its operation, mechanisms for protecting against unauthorized intrusions, support for methods of connecting to the Internet, the ability to work with digital television, and much more.
Poorly written firmware can turn even the most advanced router into a useless piece of hardware. So it’s better for especially meticulous users to immediately find out how high-quality software is in a particular router model before buying. This can be done on special forums and web resources.
In addition to the original firmware versions, there are so-called alternative firmware versions for many router models. They were written not by the developers themselves, but by enthusiasts and in some cases allow you to discover undocumented capabilities of devices, bringing them to a new qualitative level. The installation of such firmware is done at the user's own risk and peril, since after that the equipment loses the warranty. True, the situation can be corrected by re-installing the original firmware.
Conclusion 8: The functionality and technical characteristics of routers depend not only on their internal "stuffing", but also on what firmware they are controlled by. Good firmware can significantly speed up the operation of the router and expand its functionality.
Conclusion
On this, acquaintance with the main characteristics of routers can be considered complete. I hope the information received will be of good help to you when choosing a router on your own. Moreover, if necessary, the information provided in the "Wired connection interfaces" section will help you in selecting a switch, and in the "Wireless connection interfaces" section, in selecting an access point.
However, in this material, we have taken only the first step towards understanding such a complex device as a router. A router, even with the most advanced technical characteristics, requires the correct configuration of many parameters for successful and productive work, but we will talk about this in a separate article.