Buying a wireless router can be an overwhelming task for someone who is new to the field of networking. A wide variety of devices supporting different standards, and specifications are available. Here are some of the points that one should keep in mind while purchasing their wireless router.
Interface
One of the most basic mistakes people make while buying a wireless router is that they don't ensure the router is supported by their Internet service provider. For example, most broadband connections today support the ADSL or Cable standard. While ISPs like MTNL and Airtel broadband offer broadband over a standard RJ11 (telephone Jack) line, other providers like Hathway and Iqara provide connectivity over co-axial cable. Almost all wireless routers don't support direct connectivity over co-axial cable. You will need to use your provider's modem for connectivity. Many of the wireless routers feature an in-built modem and connectivity for a telephone Jack. These wireless routers can be directly connected to the telephone line without the need for a modem from your ISP's side. Many of the wireless routers support a Ethernet port which can be used to connect them to the Ethernet port of your ADSL or wireless modem. Make sure your ISP's modem supports Ethernet for your wireless router to connect.
Standards
802.11b
One of the oldest wireless standards, it provides data throughputs of 11 Mbps. Although such data throughputs are sufficient for casual browsing and Internet access, we recommend you go for a product that offers higher performance.
802.11a
Many wireless routers support the 802.11a standard. This standard is not so widely supported and will not work with your existing wireless notebooks. The performance advantage provided by this standard is minimal compared to the current 802.11g standard.
802.11g
This is the current standard supported by laptops. Almost all wireless routers support this standard and you can be sure about its compatibility with current generation laptops. It supports a maximum throughput of 54 Mbps.
Super G
Many routers offer enhanced "g" modes or Super G modes that make use of framebursting and compression technologies to deliver greater speeds and range compared to that of traditional 802.11g products. Product manufacturers claim a 20 to 30 percent throughput improvement over standard 802.11g products. In our range tests, these products did deliver better throughput and range than regular 802.11g products. A word of caution here-you will not be able to make use of the extended range and performance of your wireless router using a standard Centrino laptop-you will have to buy a PCMCIA card along with the router that supports the relevant performance boosting technology.
MIMO
MIMO is the new marketing buzzword for the yet to be ratified 802.11n standard. If you want faster speeds, MIMO is the way to go. MIMO uses multiple transmitter and receiver antennas for higher data throughputs and uses multiplexing to provide for a greater range. Although MIMO products are technically superior than 802.11b/g products, but many of them come at a higher price point.
Security
Almost all modern-day routers offer WEP and WPA PSK (preshared key) encryption. Buy a router that supports the newer WPA2 standard that provides better security compared to simple WPA and eliminates flaws of the WEP encryption standard. Those better suited to business support 802.1x-based authentication. For improved security, we recommend routers that support SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection) firewalls as opposed to simple packet filtering firewalls.
