Routers

Routers are necessary for home networking and the device which used to be “niche equipment” is now a necessity in most homes. Routers are needed to share the incoming Internet connection with several computers and devices. A router also provides firewall protection to your network. The router allows several computers in one location to form a Local Area Network (LAN) and communicate with one another. Users on the same LAN may share files with each other through the LAN connection.

The wireless router is the most commonly purchased router type for home networking. However, wireless routers also accommodate hard wired connections, as well. Each point at which a computer or other device connects with the router is termed a “port.” If your router has four ports, the router can accommodate four simultaneous connections.

Definition

Wireless routers allow computers to communicate with one another and access the Internet from a connected location. The router’s feed in is the connection with the ISP’s factory provided modem. For example, if your ISP is your local cable provider, the cable modem will connect as the feed in to the router. Once the router is connected to the external Internet connection source, the LAN is configured and computers within range may access the router’s wireless signal.

B, G and N

Currently, there are three standards, or types, of wireless routers: B, G and N. N is the fastest and newest in terms of speed and technological advancement. B was the first generation standard, and G was the second. However, B and G routers are still in use. Each generation of the three standards exponentially increased the speeds that these routers handle. For example, a B router handles data transfer at speeds up to 11 Mbps. A G will accommodate a data flow of 54 Mbps. An N runs at theoretical speeds over 300 Mbps, but in most cases, N runs about 100 Mbps.

Choosing Your Router

Most people, when purchasing a wireless router, would choose the fastest and most secure device they could afford. Each generation’s standard provides better security than the previous generation. Purchase the newest standard that you can afford if for no other reason than to have a more secure router.

Note that if you purchase an N router but all of your wireless adapters installed on your networked PCs support only the B standard, your connection to those computers will be at B standard speeds. Additionally, even though the N router theoretically tops out at 300 Mbps, most broadband connections only support 11 Mbps connectivity. Even the faster broadband connections only support a transfer speed of about 100 Mbps.

The three major manufacturers of retail routers in the US is Cisco (or Linksys), Netgear and D-Link. Other brands, such as Belkin and SMC, are available online. Routers may offer extras that are “nice to haves,” but not necessary for a successful LAN. For example, a router may have an internal print server. A print server allows you to connect certain brands of printer directly to the router to serve across the entire LAN.

A router may also support something called “Gigabit Networking.” Gigabit networking enables a user to connect to the router with a Gigabit Ethernet connector and transfer data up to 1000 Mbps. However, the computer must be connected via a wired connection to take advantage of these speeds.

Which Router is Right for You?

Determining which router is right for you depends on your particular networking needs. For a home network, where eight or ten devices may connect simultaneously to the router, having a fast router will help to ensure that the connection does not dramatically slow when multiple devices are connected. Purchase an N router if your budget will allow.

Not only will an N router be faster and support more users, the N standard is the most secure standard. With Internet crime on the rise, having a protected network while on the Internet is important. An N router provides a firewall for your LAN, protecting your connected computers from intrusions and hacking. In addition, the N router may be configured to disallow any computer with a network adapter’s MAC address that is not registered with the router, to be denied access to the network. This additional security further protects the LAN.