Which router is better to choose for an apartment? A powerful WiFi router for the home and its range

Wi-Fi router needed to distribute the Internet to several devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops, computers, TVs) via a wired LAN connection or Wi-Fi. Your choice determines the wireless Internet coverage area in the apartment, speed, stability and the availability of additional functions: network storage, IPTV connection, creating a home media server, print server, network distribution with a 3G modem.
Scheme of work WiFi router A
In this article we will only consider Wi-Fi routers that operate from a standard Ethernet cable. The choice of devices running from ADSL (via telephone), fiber optic network or 3G is more specific. They are often issued by the providers themselves.

Router speed

• 99% of modern routers use the Wi-Fi 802.11n standard. The theoretical data transfer speed reaches 600 Mbit/s (one antenna up to 150 Mbit/s).
• The 802.11g standard limits the theoretical maximum speed to 54 Mbps.
• Most new standard- 802.11ac, provides theoretical speeds of up to 1.3 Gbps.

IN technical specifications Each router has a maximum data transfer speed. If 300 Mbit/s is specified, in practice expect speeds 3 times lower - 100 Mbit/s. In megabytes, this is a speed of 12.5 MB/s. It is enough for surfing the Internet, watching 1080p online videos, listening to music, multiplayer games, downloading Full HD movies. This will not be enough for downloading torrents in multiple streams or copying files within the network. To work with fast Wi-Fi, the laptop must support the 802.11n or 802.11ac wireless standard.


The specifications indicate the speed of the wired LAN connection. The standard figure is 100 Mbit/s. Expensive routers can work 10 times faster - at a speed of 1 Gbit/s. This speed is needed for fast file exchange within a local network.

How much the router cuts down the Internet can only be learned from real users. This is a subjective parameter, these numbers will be different for each provider. If you are connected to a 100 Mbit/s tariff, at best there will be 95 Mbit/s. The maximum speed will be only when connected directly to the computer’s network card.
Ask a technical support specialist (a technician, not an operator), he should know what equipment is compatible with their network.

Network frequency range

Routers operate in the 2.4 GHz frequency range. There are models that can simultaneously or alternately operate in the 2.4 and 5 GHz range. The 5 GHz channel is useful if there are many routers around your apartment that create interference and slow down the Internet speed. Therefore, moving to 5 GHz may increase speed, but will reduce network range. Not all devices support this operating mode.

Operation stability

You will waste a lot of nerves if the router freezes 2-3 times every day. And until you reboot it, the Internet will not return. You can only learn about the stability of a router from reviews.

To reduce the risk of purchasing a low-quality router, choose from well-known manufacturers: ZyXEL, D-link, TP-LINK. They update their firmware regularly. It is also not recommended to buy new models - in the first year after release there are many glitches.

On the Internet you can find alternative firmware such as DD-WRT or OpenWRT to increase stability, speed and add new functions. But when installing them, there is a chance of permanently breaking the router.

Wi-Fi coverage radius

The actual range can only be determined in practice in your apartment. Almost any router, including D-link DIR 300, is enough for an apartment of 60–70 m².

If you want to get network coverage over a large area, buy a router with 2 or 3 antennas. They must support MIMO technology - multiple input-output. This allows you to increase the network coverage radius up to 400 meters in open space, reduce dead zones and increase Internet speed.

Routers with a built-in antenna have low gain - up to 2 dBi. The best option is an external removable antenna. An antenna of 2-4 dBi is enough for an apartment or office. If desired, it can be replaced with a more powerful or directional one, or an extension cord can be installed.

Other features

Some routers have a USB port. It is used to connect flash drives or external hard drives for use over a network. You can download torrent files on them when the computer is turned off, create a home media server, and conveniently watch movies on smart TV.


This port is also designed (not on all models) for connecting a 3G/4G modem. A convenient feature if you want to get a backup Internet channel. Many people take such routers to their dachas. Some models have an independent power source for dispensing mobile internet without electricity.


The presence of Yandex DNS in the router interface will allow you to set family filter. Sites with illegal content, viruses, porn and bots will be blocked.
Devices vary in size random access memory. The higher it is, the better the overall performance of the router. If you don’t know which of the two models to choose, look at the RAM size.

Price

The cheapest router can be bought for 600–1500 rubles. It is enough for undemanding users: 2-3 devices with low connection speed and range. If the tariff does not exceed 30–50 Mbit/s and you don’t want to overpay for unnecessary functions, you can take the economy option. But it makes no sense to overpay for useless functions. The maximum adequate cost for a router for an apartment is 3–4 thousand rubles.

Design

Besides the beautiful appearance, the design should be thoughtful and convenient.

The best Wi-Fi routers

The summary table compares 21 best models routers for the home that can now be found on sale.

Model	USB	3G/4G	Wi-Fi standard	Wi-Fi speed	Port speed	Antenna	average price
ZyXEL Keenetic Start			802.11n	150	100	1 fixed 2 dBi	1397
ZyXEL Keenetic Lite III			802.11n	300	100	2 non-removable 3 dBi	1754
ZyXEL Keenetic 4G III	1	+	802.11n	300	100	2 non-removable 3 dBi	2187
ZyXEL Keenetic Lite II			802.11n	300	100	2 non-removable 3.5 dBi	2760
ZyXEL Keenetic Viva	1	+	802.11n	300	1000	2 non-removable 3 dBi	3060
ZyXEL Keenetic Extra	1	+	802.11n	600	1000	2 non-removable 4 dBi	4000
ZyXEL Keenetic II	2	+	802.11n	300	100	2 removable 5 dBi	4107
ZyXEL Keenetic Giga II	2	+	802.11n	300	1000	2 removable 5 dBi	4862
TP-LINK TL-WR740N			802.11n	150	100	1 fixed 5 dBi	1151
TP-LINK TL-WR841N			802.11n	300	100	2 non-removable 5 dBi	1390
TP-LINK TL-WR841ND			802.11n	300	100	2 removable 5 dBi	1551
TP-LINK TL-MR3420	1	+	802.11n	300	100	2 removable 3 dBi	1890
TP-LINK TL-WR842ND	1		802.11n	300	100	2 removable 5 dBi	1990
TP-LINK TL-WR941ND			802.11n	300	100	3 removable 3 dBi	2190
ASUS RT-N11P			802.11n	300	100	2 non-removable 5 dBi	1705
ASUS RT-N12VP			802.11n	300	100	2 non-removable 5 dBi	1853
ASUS RT-N12			802.11n	300	100	2 removable 5 dBi	2085
D-link DIR-300			802.11g	54	100	1 removable 2 dBi	1194
D-link DIR-620	1	3G	802.11n	300	100	2 non-removable 3 dBi	1680
D-link DIR-615			802.11n	300	100	2 removable 2 dBi	1794
NETGEAR JWNR2000			802.11n	300	100	2 internal antennas	1333

I think that even the reader who is far from technology has ever heard of wireless routers or, as they are called differently, routers. This device allows you to organize a local wireless network in your home or office, which unites several devices on the network and provides Internet access. Such devices on a home network can be desktop computers, laptops, smartphones, tablets, NAS, smart TVs and other equipment with wireless connectivity, even a multicooker. It is worth considering the fact that by implying a wireless connection, I do not rule out the possibility of using wires when operating the router.

Choosing the necessary model of wireless router is quite difficult, because there are many models of routers, and their cost can differ by several orders of magnitude. In this article I will talk about what characteristics you should pay attention to in this type of equipment so that the model has a minimum cost and meets your requirements.

It's no secret that equipment is a combination of a hardware platform and a software shell, and the most effective interaction between them can make a particular router an ideal purchase. The article will mostly focus on devices connected to the Internet using Ethernet technology, that is, using a standard network cable (twisted pair), but most of the information will be useful for DSL and optical connection users.

Specifications

Choosing a router: wired connection

Almost every router has LAN ports on board for connecting both wired devices and the operator’s Internet cable, with the exception of mobile routers with support cellular networks(3G or 4G) and Wi-Fi. For example, if you see the designation 1 × WAN + 4 × LAN, then this inscription indicates the presence of one LAN port for connecting to the provider (WAN) and four ports for connecting devices that will be used in your home network.

If you are faced with a lack of LAN ports when using a wired connection of devices to the router, then you can use network switches. They will expand the capabilities of your router: one router port will be able to accept two, four or more devices. The only thing that needs to be taken into account is that each wired client on the network requires its own port, and the cable length from the router to the network client is limited to 100 m.

As for such an important parameter as the data transfer speed when connecting devices wired to the router, everything is quite transparent here: 100 Mbit/s or 1000 Mbit/s (1 Gbit/s). When using a NAS server and powerful PCs in your home network, priority will be given to a wired connection with a speed of 1 Gbit/s.

A wired connection has an important advantage over a wireless one - it is a constant and maximum data transfer speed that does not depend on the activity of wireless equipment of neighboring networks and does not react so sharply over long distances, as well as other nuances of operation. The obvious disadvantage is the cable routing.

Choosing a router: wireless connection

The most important characteristics of a wireless router are the parameters of the access point installed in it:

• number of bands: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz;
• supported standards (802.11n and 802.11ac are relevant today);
• maximum connection speed.

Router ranges

There are currently two Wi-Fi bands in use: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. In a city environment in the 2.4 GHz band, you will encounter dozens of neighboring networks, which affects both the speed and stability of your connection, so I recommend dual-band devices (with support for two bands at once - 2.4 + 5 GHz), since The 5 GHz band is still relatively free. Please note that purchasing a dual-band router only makes sense if your clients have 5 GHz support on their home network. To put it simply, a dual-band router carries two independent radio modules on board, creating two independent access points. Clients, in turn, are able to connect to any of them, but only to one at a time.

Wi-Fi standards

Today we have two Wi-Fi standards:

• 802.11n, which is in mass demand and is capable of operating in two bands – 2.4 and 5 GHz;
• 802.11ac, which is gaining popularity and is supported by flagship devices, but only uses the 5 GHz band.

The 802.11ac standard boasts faster connection speeds. Please note that, as with band, clients on your home network must support these standards.

If you pay attention to the router’s connection speed in the technical specifications, you will see numbers that in practice are approximately two times lower. Don’t also forget that a wireless router shares all its speed between all connected clients on the home network. Thus, the more clients exchange data at the same time, the more each one's speed drops. Plus, there is a direct dependence of connection speed on distance and the presence of obstacles.

It is possible to estimate the connection speed when using the 802.11n standard by the number of antennas:

• 1 antenna – maximum speed 150 Mbit/s (both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz);
• 2 antennas – 300 Mbit/s;
• 3 antennas - 450 Mbit/s.

And as always, we should not forget about consistency with the characteristics of the client - the receiving device. Considering the fact that most smartphones have only one antenna, a 450 Mbps router can only be useful for them in terms of improved coverage, and not in terms of formal connection speed.

There is one more small nuance - some models of clients and routers have restrictions in the 2.4 GHz band. As a result, 150 Mbit/s is provided only when operating on a “wide channel” (designated “40 MHz” or “HT40”, the equipment uses two channels at once, and not one with increased bandwidth), but some devices, in the presence of neighboring networks, are capable provide only a 20 MHz channel, resulting in a connection speed of 65-72 Mbit/s per antenna.

Using the 802.11ac standard in a home network provides an advantage due to the ability to work simultaneously with four channels (“80 MHz”, “HT80”), thereby allowing 433 Mbit/s per antenna (867 Mbit/s for two antennas, 1300 Mbit /s to three antennas). As a result, on smartphones you can easily get 200 Mbit/s real speed for data exchange.

To fully cover the topic of wi-fi ranges and wireless standards, it is worth mentioning the consistency of the router’s characteristics with wired ports. If there is 100 Mbps on the WAN and LAN ports, using 802.11ac is not advisable, since it will not be able to fully “open up” on a mobile device when accessing the Internet or local network computers. It is no less curious that among the top routers there are devices with a not very correct name - . In fact, the router has one access point with a 2.4 GHz band and a pair at 5 GHz, in turn, the latter two operate on different sets of channels and do not interfere with each other, which theoretically can provide an increase in overall performance with the correct distribution of clients across different access points.

Choosing a router: antennas

An important characteristic affecting quality wireless connection, is the design of the antennas. Most router models have external antennas, and only some devices are distinguished by the use of internal antennas in their design. In a city apartment or private house, you will not notice any clear advantage in routers with external antennas, so you can freely choose a router based on the design of the case. A design using external antennas can be useful if it is necessary to replace antennas with better ones or to move them away from the router body, but no one can guarantee an improvement in the situation.

If we talk about restrictions on the maximum number of simultaneously served clients, home router models usually do not have them. In practice, it is realistic to use up to 20 devices, but a lot will depend on the clients used and their requirements for speed and traffic volumes. Feel the difference between connecting five smartphones to view websites, and five IP cameras with high resolution and bitrate.

USB ports

As you probably already know, mid-range router models and most representatives of the upper segment have USB ports with versions 2.0 and/or 3.0.

USB ports in routers are needed for:

• connecting USB drives (for sharing files);
• printers or MFPs (for printing over a network from a PC and mobile devices);
• cellular modems with 3G or 4G (for backup or main Internet connection).

You can also use USB hubs (preferably active, with additional external power) to increase the number of simultaneously connected devices.
Possible expansions of the range of connected USB devices are determined by the router firmware. The presence of USB 3.0 is necessary only for working with large files on the corresponding version of USB drives - for other devices, USB 2.0 is sufficient.

Hardware platform

Hardware characteristics include the processor model and the amount of RAM and flash memory, and to evaluate them, it is better to focus on the performance test results demonstrated by the device. So it’s usually worth paying attention to them only from the point of view of installing alternative firmware versions on the router. And even in this case, you need to focus specifically on the availability of these firmwares for a specific router model, and not on the installed microcircuits. Most famous brands hardware components are Broadcom, Mediatek, Qualcomm and Realtek.

Other options

In some cases, it will be useful to pay attention to the overall dimensions, the presence of wall mounting, the presence of power and Wi-Fi buttons, the location of the ventilation holes, the design and power of the power supply.

Choosing a router: firmware

The firmware built into the router affects the operation of the device no less than the processor or radio module. As a rule, each manufacturer has a certain basic set for all models and expands it depending on their hardware features and the seniority of the router in the line (for example, the presence of USB ports). In practice, it is quite rare for a situation to arise when new firmware from the manufacturer at some point significantly expanded the functionality of the router, so only alternative firmware can come to your aid.

What new can new firmware bring to your router? For example, support for new ways to connect to the Internet. Especially considering the number of providers in Russia, the correct operation of the router with the operator’s equipment is a frequent stumbling block. Standard connection types such as IPoE, PPPoE, PPTP or L2TP are supported by most models, and for clarification, you can contact your Internet provider.

IPoE is the simplest and quick way connecting to the Internet, when the WAN port of your router simply receives an IP address from the provider’s equipment. PPPoE is a little more complicated and requires specifying a username and password in the router, which are issued by the Internet provider. These two connection types are the least resource-intensive for the router and provide maximum speed.

PPTP and L2TP are becoming less common these days. For them, in addition to the name and password, you must also specify the address of the provider's access server. These modes place a heavy load on router processors and may also have certain compatibility issues. Some manufacturers implement special assistants in routers to simplify setting up Internet connections for specific providers.

IPTV

The provision of television viewing services through Internet operators is widely in demand in Russian market. Configurations encountered include connecting an IPTV set-top box to a dedicated port of the router (including using VLAN technology to separate traffic), broadcasting TV channels using technology, installing a set-top box behind a router without a dedicated port, using a program for a computer (without a set-top box), and others.

If you want to use the IPTV service of your Internet provider, you must first clarify the details of this service and the recommended connection scheme. If you work via a dedicated port for a set-top box, you will need a direct network cable from the router to the TV, which will work exclusively for the set-top box. I also note that wireless communications are not very well suited for this type of traffic, but in some situations they can still be used. Some providers provide, for an additional fee, wireless bridges for connecting IPTV set-top boxes without running cables throughout the apartment, or you can use.

The simplest and most guaranteed option for connecting IPTV is to use the operator’s equipment, but you can use other equipment to work with this service.

USB ports for expanded functionality

The presence of USB ports allows you to implement many additional functions in the router, but this also requires the appropriate firmware.
Their most common use is connecting hard drive or a flash drive for organizing file sharing via SMB (Windows network) and FTP protocols. The second protocol also makes it possible to provide files to remote users over the Internet. Depending on USB version, wired port speed and platform performance this service can be used to store work files, create backup copies, organizing a media library and solving other problems.

Most models of routers with USB ports implement and, which allows you to stream multimedia to SmartTV and other devices on a wireless home network. True, there may be subtleties of compatibility with devices and formats. On some fast devices, you can implement a system for offline downloading files from the Internet using various protocols, which does not require a constantly turned on computer.

Another great way to use the USB port is to connect a 3G/4G modem to provide Internet access. This can be either the main channel, for example for a summer residence, or a backup channel, which is used in case of failure of the main wire connection. Here it is worth paying attention to the support of specific cellular modem models. The compatibility list is usually provided on the router manufacturer's website. The USB port on the router can also be used to connect your printer to your home network. In this case, the firmware at least implements the printing function, but working with a scanner in an MFP is not always possible.

Additional router features

• built-in DDNS client;
• IPv6 protocol support;
• bandwidth control (QoS);
• the ability to create multiple connections to the Internet;
• support for the IGMP protocol and/or udpxy service for IPTV operation
• the ability to organize guest networks without access to local resources wireless network;
• restricting access and organizing Wi-Fi operation according to a schedule;
• firewall, installation of additional filters, creation of port translation rules to allow external access to services (for example, for a home server);
• parental control;
• filters for access to sites by category (SkyDNS and Yandex.DNS);
• VPN server for secure remote access to a local network via the Internet;
• network diagnostic functions and advanced event logs.

Router web interface

The web interface is used to configure the router by (192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1) in the browser. Often, you are automatically redirected to this page when you try to access the Internet through a router or when setting up a device after purchase, or after resetting the settings. Read recommendations for setting up your router. While using the device, you will not need access to the web interface, unless you want to use the additional services that I wrote about above.

Asus router mobile application interface

Mobile applications

Today, several companies, in addition to the web interface (controlling the router from the browser), offer proprietary ones as an alternative to launching the router and monitoring its operation mobile applications. This can be useful for initial setup from a tablet or smartphone, which are not always convenient for a “full” web interface. In addition, through these programs you can quickly change some settings - for example, enable a guest network or allow certain clients access to the Internet. Typically, these utilities only work “from the inside” - when the smartphone is connected to the router’s wireless network. But sometimes there are cloud options that do not require this. This option is interesting if you need to control the operation of the router remotely (for example, from work or while on the road).

Alternative firmware

Most users, after purchasing a router, use it with the factory firmware, but I recommend installing alternative versions of firmware on the router if there is a need for new functionality or malfunctions, because the custom firmware of the router can correct some shortcomings of the original version or expand the range of its capabilities.
Depending on the router model, installing alternative firmware can be either simple (for example, downloading a file downloaded from the Internet using standard means) or complex, including disassembling the device and connecting a console cable. Any of the options violates the terms of warranty service for the router established by the manufacturer, but if the router is physically functional, then you can always return the original firmware version to it.

Other options

By the way, it is worth special attention to have lists of recommended router models from Internet providers, since focusing on them will minimize connection problems, especially for additional services, but it is worth considering that the models from this list are not very functional.

Conclusion

As you can see, a wireless router solves a rather meager set of basic tasks, but when choosing a router you need to take into account many factors, because you can buy a router for either 1,000 or 20,000 rubles.
When choosing a router, clearly define the requirements for the device and the range of tasks it can solve, and then you can make an approximate list of candidates for purchase and study them in more detail on the manufacturers’ websites and on the website.

Top 10 best routers of 2016

For dessert, I have prepared a selection of the best wireless routers in terms of price and quality. In addition to high performance, easy setup and operation, equipment and functionality are no less important in a router. You may well need the ability to connect external drives or “smart” distribution of data transfer speeds between all clients in .

The title of the best router can rightfully be ASUS RT-AC88U(you can read the review of the previous model ASUS RT-AC87U). This model demonstrates excellent throughput - up to 700 Mbit/s and equipment: 6 Gigabit LAN ports and 2 USB (versions 3.0 and 2.0). The only drawback is the lack of a DSL modem.

The best WLAN router with DSL modem – ASUS DSL-AC68U. This wireless router offers excellent performance and has four Gigabit LAN ports with USB 3.0 for connecting a printer or external hard drive.

D-Link DIR-850L – the best router in terms of price and quality ratio

Router model with the best price/quality ratio – D-Link DIR-850L, which is able to offer everything that is needed from a modern wireless router, supporting the 802.11ac standard and carrying 4 Gigabit LAN ports on board.

TOP 10 WLAN routers

1. Asus RT-AC88U
2. Asus RT-AC5300
3. Asus RT-AC87U
4. Netgear R7800
5. Synology RT1900AC
6. Netgear R6400
7. Asus DSL-AC68U
8. Zyxel NBG6816
9. Asus RT-AC3200
10. D-Link DIR-890L

D-link - Almost any router from this company does not work out of the box in 99 percent of cases. Starts working either after dancing with a tambourine, or after flashing the firmware latest version Software (if there is one, but if it’s new, then you’ll have to wait for the firmware) You constantly come across models in which, after two or three days, the Wi-Fi password disappears and all the neighbors start clinging to the router... And these are Internet brakes, calls to technical support, calling a specialist who will reset the password. Naturally, call a specialist for money. A good technician will reflash the router (this bug can only be cured by flashing it to the latest version of the software) No good master He’ll just enter the password and leave. And after two days, all your neighbors will connect to your router again... They also get very hot and freeze 3-4 times a day, a power reset helps. This began after 2012, when dlink began to be produced in Russia. Until 2012, long lengths were an ideal budget option.

Tp-link - price-quality ratio. If you don’t want to bother with firmware and dancing with a tambourine, but you don’t have enough money, then it’s better to take a tplink. Again, models 740 and 741 are very weak, they often freeze (but much less often than D-links, you have to overload the power supply 3-4 times a week). It is advisable to update to the latest firmware after purchase. The 840 model reduces the speed of both cable and Wi-Fi. It helps to update the firmware to the latest version of the software. No problems were noticed with 9xx models, but they are not bad. It’s much easier to buy for that amount....-->

Asus is a workhorse for the money, the price is about the same as tp-link. The RTN-12 model is generally the best. Set it and forget it. But this is with hardware versions D1 and B1... All new Asus are configured with a tambourine (especially rtn-11, 30-40 minutes), they often glitch, although very often there are models that work without jambs. Reboot your diet - 3-4 times a month, and sometimes not even once.

Zyxel - Beast machine. Set it up, forget it, get covered in dust, get lost. The speed does not cut, practically does not freeze, it works like a clock. The cost is one and a half to two times higher than Asus and Tp-link. Models that are on par with Asus and Tp-link (in price) can be buggy, but much less than Asus and especially Tp-link. No dancing with a tambourine. If possible, take Zuhel, the price and quality matches.

Mikrotik is a Latvian manufacturer of network equipment... Terminator of all routers. However, it is also configured through the winbox program like a terminator...system administrator skills are required. Understanding Nat, Firewall, DHCP, Default Route. This is for normal setup only. You can set up a speed limit both for an IP address (for example, your sister’s computer, which constantly pumps and clogs the channel), and you can set up a speed limit on the port. At least up to 32 Kilobits. But again, who knows? An indispensable thing when setting up several Internet channels is their differentiation. In general, a complete stuffing of functions. The price of a good Mikrotik starts from about 6 thousand rubles. Everything that is cheaper is quite weak and will not even support 6-8 computers. Model 2011UAS-2HnD easily pulls 32 computers. In general, I would take such a model for myself... you can make a real server out of it.

All other routers such as Upwell, Huawei, Tenda and the like are also quite good. Among them there are definitely good models. But they are put on very few, very rarely. There are also failures with them, most likely they are at the price-quality level somewhere with TP-links and Asus.

All data is based on personal 8 years of experience working with the provider as a system administrator.