Buying advice: How to find the right router
8.1.2020
Translation: machine translated
Without a router, there is no internet in your home. If you need a new one, you will find all the important questions you should ask yourself and some model suggestions in this buying guide.
Router has become the established term for devices that bring the Internet into your home. Strictly speaking, however, it often actually refers to a modem. This is because the modem is the device that receives the Internet signal - whether by cable or via the mobile network - and the router is the centre of your private network. Regardless of whether it is wired or wireless. Many homes have a combination of both. I'll leave the question of why "router" and not "Wi-Fi modem" has now become the standard term to the linguists.
So the following are currently available:
- WLAN router without modem
- WLAN router with modem
- Cable router without modem (with the option to connect a WLAN router)
- Cable router with modem (with the option to connect a WLAN router)
Wi-Fi 6: The latest of the new
In 2018, the Wi-Fi Alliance simplified the labelling of Wi-Fi standards for end users. Instead of looking at whether a Wi-Fi router supports 802.11n, 802.11ac or 802.11ax, you now have to look at Wi-Fi 4, Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6. The first products that support Wi-Fi 6 and can also take advantage of the new standard on your router came onto the market in autumn 2019.
In theory, Wi-Fi 6 is significantly faster than Wi-Fi 5: 9.6 Gbps compared to 3.5 Gbps. But these are theoretical maximum speeds that no device has yet achieved in practice. The advantage of Wi-Fi 6 is that routers with this protocol can organise a larger number of devices in the WLAN and provide each individual device with more bandwidth thanks to the higher overall speed. In addition to smartphones and computers, televisions, consoles, cameras and smart home gadgets are now also connecting to the wireless network.
Wi-Fi 6 does not automatically increase the range of the wireless network. This depends on the antennas and the frequency band. This is one reason why a new standard was defined with "Wi-Fi 6E", which uses the 6 GHz frequency band. Current routers for private use generally operate on 2.4 and 5 Ghz. Models for company networks often only use 5 Ghz. Although this is technologically better, it can be a problem, as I regularly realise at work. Particularly with inexpensive smartphones and gadgets that require Wi-Fi, manufacturers cut corners and only install 2.4 GHz technology. I can't then try them out in the office.
The selection of WLAN routers with Wi-Fi 6 is still limited. There are also no models with an integrated modem yet. In 2020, the selection will increase and more and more devices will be able to connect to Wi-Fi 6, which will make the purchase more and more sensible. If the purchase is not urgent, I would wait until it is clear which models support Wi-Fi 6E and therefore the 6 GHz frequency band.
Wi-Fi 5 is still fast enough
Despite Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi routers with Wi-Fi 5 are far from being obsolete. In the test series by our colleague Martin Jud, a model with Wi-Fi 5 is currently leading in terms of average transmission speed, while a router with Wi-Fi 6 has the best range.
When choosing a Wi-Fi router, you can of course be guided by visual aspects. There really are
some beautiful and also very ugly models that you want to hide and therefore impair their transmission performance. But other things are more important than the exterior:
- Do you need a guaranteed minimum speed?
- Is latency relevant for you?
- Are USB ports necessary to connect an external hard drive directly, for example?- How many LAN ports do you need for your existing or possibly planned additional devices that are to be connected via cable?
Speed becomes less important in everyday life when you consider that even older models with 300 Mbps are sufficient for film streaming. Latency, i.e. the delay, is particularly important for online games with direct opponents.
The selection of Wi-Fi routers with modems, on the other hand, is clear. In Germany, AVM has dominated the market for years with its Fritzboxes. Not without reason: The devices are simply good, easy to set up and do their job very satisfactorily. When choosing the right model, you only need to make sure that the modem is compatible with your Internet connection. If you have any doubts, a look at your DSL contract and the packaging or description of the router should shed light on this.
When the internet comes through the air: routers with LTE / 4G
There are routers in which you can insert a SIM card and then use the mobile internet. This is practical if your cable internet would be slower or if you need a router that you can use in different locations. At the moment, you can only choose from LTE models, but 5G models will certainly be added in the near future. Please note: It is not possible to play latency-free with an LTE router.
Router for mesh networks
If you have a large area to cover with Wi-Fi or many thick walls in your home, mesh networks are a good solution. These consist of a base station and at least one satellite. Each satellite extends the range of the Wi-Fi and so, if in doubt, you can start small and, if necessary, buy additional satellites individually and set them up in new locations to improve coverage.
Router without WLAN
If you want your network to be wired rather than wireless, you don't need a Wi-Fi router. Instead, you can use one of the following models. However, the number of devices that can be connected is more limited here than with wireless networks, or requires you to reconnect cables. Or you can buy a suitable switch to expand the connections.
When I was but a young student, I'd sit in my friend's living room with all my classmates and play on his SuperNES. Since then I've had the opportunity to test out all the newest technology for you. I've done reviews at Curved, Computer Bild and Netzwelt, and have now arrived at Galaxus.de.
