The term best for wireless router is relative, because manufacturers always come out with new product introductions every few months that have better performance and adopt the latest technologies available in the market.
Today, each of the wireless manufacturers has shipped new wireless routers with gigabit LAN and WAN interfaces for their high-performance category products. Now, which is the best among these gigabit wireless route products?
Suppose you get the best gigabit wireless router today, the next six months will come with the introduction of a new product with much better performance and latest technology, who knows. So while selecting the best one, you should include the following criteria:
1. High speed. To provide high-speed data throughput, your wireless router must be powered by the latest wireless technology, the ratified version of 802.11n technology. The preview version of 802.11n was approved in September 2009 with some additional options.
2. Clean the wireless connection. 5GHz is a cleaner frequency band compared to the 2.4GHz band, as the wireless router operating on the 5GHz frequency band produces less noise/interference. Therefore, the best router should support 802.11a technology that operates in the 5GHz frequency band. The router should support dual-band technology.
3. More reach. Until now, the technology adopted for wireless devices to provide a longer distance range is MIMO (Multiple-in Multiple-out) technology combined with Wireless N. Some manufacturers do not specifically specify MIMO technology in their products, but adopt the technology in the products.
4. Steady data throughput. High bandwidth-intensive applications such as gaming and video streaming demand consistent data throughput for lag-free and jitter-free performance. Your best gigabit wireless router should support Quality of Services (QoS) technology to prioritize media traffic.
5. Safe. Most new wireless routers these days work with the latest security technology, including WPA/WPA2; NAT and SPI firewalls; pass-through VPN; and the new feature option is the ability to provide a security limit for guest access. Typically, the router supports multiple SSIDs for secure guest access. Guest access is ideal for your SOHO environment where you allow your business visitors to access the Internet without providing your private network resources.
When selecting the best gigabit wireless router, you should examine that the router supports the above criteria for a high-performance wireless network.
Listed below are some of the best gigabit wireless routers – new product introduction from leading wireless network manufacturers:
D-Link Xtreme N450 DIR-665 Gigabit Router
DIR-665 Xtreme N450 is the fastest router introduced by D Link earlier this year (2010). The router works with the new version of 802.11n with 3×3 MIMO technologies (with 3 external dual-band antennas) which uses three different data streams for extremely high-speed data throughput of up to 450 Mbps (under ideal conditions). With the addition of advanced intelligent QoS prioritization technology, the router is ideal for smooth video streaming and fast-response gaming applications.
DIR-665 is also powered by HD Fuel technology for a high-performance environment for lag-free video streaming and jitter-free online gaming applications. The router also supports selectable dual-band technology.
DIR-665 also supports advanced security features including dual firewall (NAT and SPI); WPA/WPA2; IGMP; VPN passthrough; and also parental control. Push Button (for WPS) is also supported for easy and secure client connection. It is compatible with Windows 7, Vista, XP SP2 or Mac OS. However, DIR-665 does not support guest network access. . For home environment, you don’t need this function.
WNDR37AV wireless router for video and games
WNDR37AV is designed for high-performance wireless networking for smooth video streaming and online gaming. Unlike DIR-665, which is designed with selectable dual band, WNDR37AV is designed with simultaneous dual band for mixed environments in 2.4GHz and 5GHz at the same time.
The router supports advanced QoS, including WMM (Wireless Multimedia) QoS. This router is integrated with a USB port with ReadySHARE technology for access to USB storage. The good thing about this USB port is that it is DLNA compatible.
WNDR37AV supports advanced security features like DIR-665, but also supports free live parental control and multiple SSIDs for secure guest access.
Cisco-Linksys E3000 High Performance Wireless N Router
Linksys E3000 is one of the new Linksys E-Series which is designed for high performance environment to support smooth online gaming and video streaming. It is powered by 802.11n with simultaneous technology and is equipped with 6 internal antennas for greater range.
The E3000 is equipped with a USB port that allows you to connect external USB storage for centralized file sharing with a built-in UPnP AV media server for streaming entertainment content. Storage can be shared for access over your home network or over the Internet.
For security, the router supports common security features like other routers, but this router supports secure guest access with Cisco Connection Software for simple configuration steps.
When selecting the best gigabit wireless router, you should consider the router that works with the final version of 802.11n technology (not draft), supports dual-band and MIMO (or other MIMO variant) technologies, QoS, and secure with guest network access (for office environments).
By Ki Grinsing