Dual-band router which one to choose

The Xiaomi Mi Router 4 Pro dual-band router officially debuted in 2020. The manufacturer has equipped the series with five omnidirectional antennas, which provide the most stable signal reception even in difficult conditions. The device has a laconic design and is presented only in black color of the case. ABS-plastic with a matte surface is used as a material. Therefore, there are no signs of fingerprints and other dirt. The physical size of the device is 247x141x180 mm. The signal amplifiers are fixed on the back side and on the sides of the case. They support flexible adjustment and can be set at any angle. Ventilation holes are not only on the bottom of the case, but also on the front panel. This contributes to more effective cooling of the hardware and prevents the device from overheating.

What is a Dual-Band Wi-Fi Router? How does it work and is it worth buying?

I decided to do a short article on dual-band routers. I wanted to tell you what these devices are, how they differ from regular routers, what 5GHz Wi-Fi is, and whether you should buy a dual-band router right now. I think this article will be more relevant than ever, since Wi-Fi 5GHz is just beginning to enter our lives. Almost all new devices (smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc.) already have support for the new 5GHz networks. And network equipment manufacturers have already released several models of dual-band routers. And most importantly, there are already models at a very affordable price.

Dual-band router – it is an ordinary router which can simply broadcast two Wi-Fi networks (that's why it is Dual-Band). Like all regular routers, it broadcasts Wi-Fi on the 2.4GHz frequency (which is the most common frequency nowadays, and almost all Wi-Fi networks work on this frequency). But it's dual-band, so it also broadcasts a 5GHz Wi-Fi network. That's the main feature of a dual-band router, and what sets it apart from a regular router.

That's what we've figured out. Let's now figure out what 5GHz Wi-Fi means.

What is Wi-Fi 5GHz?

As I mentioned above, most Wi-Fi networks today use a frequency of 2.4GHz. Since this frequency is already very busy, and the Wi-Fi technology is evolving, they have developed support for Wi-Fi networks at a frequency of 5GHz. This allowed not only to switch to a frequency that is practically free, but also to increase the speed of Wi-Fi. Simply put, there were more options.

As for wireless networking standards, the new and fastest standard 802.11ac only works in the 5GHz band. The 5GHz frequency only supports 802.11n and 802.11ac.

The main benefits that the average user will see are: Almost no interference, which means a stable Wi-Fi connection, and higher Wi-Fi Internet speeds. And if you are not planning to switch to a new frequency, you can try to increase the speed of your wireless network with the tips from this article.

But, if you have a lot of neighboring Wi-Fi networks, and because of this constant dropped connections, and low Wi-Fi speeds, then switching to a 5GHz Wi-Fi network is the right thing to do.

Top 10 Best Dual-Band Wi-Fi Routers: From Budget to Gaming

Choosing the best dual-band router will give you a stable and fast wireless network in your home, apartment or office. The range on the market is quite large, someone prefers to buy a budget version and ensure communication in one room, someone buys for a house with several floors and it is important signal strength. In any case, you should always get the top for your money, that's why this rating of the best dual-band routers was created, which you should pay attention to when choosing.

You can find a good dual-band router in the rating for your home, apartment or office. But you should consider the characteristics, compare the capabilities of the device with your needs, choose the best option. For each buyer will find its own ideal model. It does not always make sense to pay a lot of money for those features that you will never use, but there is no need to save money by denying yourself the useful features of modern routers.

TP-LINK Archer A5

An inexpensive dual-band router that you can safely buy for a medium-sized home or a city apartment. Thanks to 4 external antennas, the signal covers quite a large area and allows you to use your Internet at maximum speed. Both bands are able to work simultaneously, you will not have to choose and configure anything. This option will be good for those who use not only modern gadgets, but also some older devices that support the 2.4 GHz frequency. There are 4 ports to connect the device via cable, but the speeds on those ports are only 100 Mbps.

Review: This is a proven router at an optimal price and would be a good choice for a city apartment or a medium sized private home. It has a good and stable signal, easy configuration of the device, even a novice can cope with it.

How to choose a good Wi-Fi router?

Here it is necessary to begin not with the choice of the router itself, but with the setting of goals. You take the device for an apartment or a house, the signal will have to overcome brick or concrete walls, in what area there should be a stable network of one range or another. When the goals are clearly established, you just need to understand the parameters and choose the router that can cope with the tasks assigned to it in the future.

• Work in different bands. Today, it's better to buy dual-band routers that support 2.4 and 5 GHz. The lower rate allows any device, even very old ones, to work, and is able to cover a large area, but the speed here will be small. The higher frequency gives a huge connection rate, works with modern devices, but the area is not as large. Today, as a rule, there are devices in the house or apartment, which can work only on 2.4 GHz, as well as on 5 GHz.
• The way to connect a router to the Internet. It is necessary to pay attention to which WAN port is installed in the device. The vast majority of routers use a standard LAN-connector, which is the cable your ISP brings to your apartment. But there are also RJ-11 devices for ADSL Internet and an optical cord port. The standard LAN-connector is suitable for apartments, the output can be chosen in a private home, but it all depends on what kind of cable enters the room from the provider.
• The speed of the LAN ports. Most routers have the ability to connect devices to the Internet via cable. Initially it may not seem that important, because most equipment works over Wi-Fi, but then you will want to set up local file storage and this will become a problem. Port speeds can be 100 Mbps and 1 Gbps. It is better to give preference to the faster one, so you will buy a router with a reserve for the future.
• USB port availability. It allows you to connect local storage, modems for mobile Internet, various security equipment to the router. If you have in your plans to use accessories, then it makes sense to buy just such a variant, but it will be more expensive.
• Number of antennas. It is important not just to create a wireless network in the house, but also to ensure full coverage of your room or apartment. The presence of external antennas indicates that the area will be quite large. The more there are, the more extensive the coverage will be.

TP-LINK Archer C6

TP-Link Archer C6 is characterized by a futuristic design, gigabit network ports (this is an extremely important point when using plans above 100 Mbps), as well as an extended set of functions and tools. In addition to the 2.4GHz base frequency (802.11 b/g/n), the device gives out a network signal in 5GHz mode. Considering the compatibility with MU-MIMO technology, this is a very important and useful option. To ensure a strong and stable wireless connection, the router has 5 antennas with a fixed configuration. We are talking about 4 outdoor modules and 1 indoor module. The device also supports Beamforming technology for extending the broadcasting area by selecting the location and focusing the signal in a certain point. Among other technical features of Archer C6 are the following:

1. Speed figures: up to 300 Mbps when selecting the 2.4 GHz channel, and up to 867 Mbps when selecting the 5 GHz channel.
2. WAN/LAN port throughputs up to 1,000 Mbps.
3. MU-MIMO and Beamforming technologies.
4. Built-in hotspot function.
5. IPTV support.
6. Features parental control, guest network, wireless bridge, IP blocking and more.

The router is not designed with a USB port. But since many users never use such an interface, this is not a significant disadvantage. At the same time, the device can work in bridge mode and supports IPv6 protocol.

Cute, functional and advanced TP-Link Archer C6 router is perfect for home use. Its bandwidth is enough to serve a large number of users, and the broadcast area to cover the entire area of a small house or apartment.

Keenetic Ultra KN-1810

Keenetic Ultra (KN-1810) belongs to the category of two-channel Wi-Fi Mesh routers that offer flawless internet connection both via cable and wireless interface. The support of IPTV connection with the corresponding protocol is also announced. The model has a wide list of the most essential and up-to-date standards, including IPoE. PPPoE, L2TP, 802.1X, VLAN 802.1Q, IPv4/IPv6. The wired connection is provided by four network ports and one WAN. There are also two USB 2.0/3.0 connectors on the router. It allows you to connect 3G/4G modems to the device and distribute the network in places where there is no cable Internet.

The device supports the work as an access point and also has a cloud service SkyDNS, which is used when setting up parental control. Like other modern networking hardware, the Keenetic Ultra (KN-1810) has two working bands – 2.4 and 5 GHz with the ability to work in each band simultaneously. The total connection speed in dual band mode reaches 2,533 Mbps. If your ISP offers plans with such high speeds, this router is an indispensable solution to unleash the full potential of your network.

By default, you can transmit data via the wired Ethernet protocol with a bandwidth of 1 Gbit/s. For this purpose, the manufacturer has provided four LAN ports. The Wi-Fi signal is amplified by four antennas, which are fixed on the perimeter of the housing. The router has 256 megabytes of RAM for fast data processing and problem solving. Data routing is performed using the following protocols: Firewall, DHCP, NAT, SPI, DNS, DMZ. The device mass without the power unit is 488 g. Among the additional options are bridge/repeater mode, MESH system, support of cellular modems and many more.

How to choose a dual-band Wi-Fi router?

To understand which router is better, you need to be guided by your own needs. Having established the tasks that the router will solve, you can determine what functionality and technical characteristics (frequency range, types and number of ports, data rate and coverage area, etc.) the model should have.

Because many options may be redundant for you and there is no point in overpaying for them.

Decide for yourself what is important for you when choosing a router – the performance of the device or the price. You need to understand when you can save money and buy budget equipment, and in what situation you should not do so. You may find that an inexpensive router for your home does not solve problems. For example, it does not provide a confident signal reception in remote rooms.

Ranges

Routers work on one (2.4 GHz) or two frequencies (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz). The former is common and found everywhere. The second is relatively new, but is already supported by almost any new technology (mobile devices, laptops, etc.) and guarantees interference-free, stable and uninterrupted connection, and increased data transfer rates.

Dual-band routers broadcast not one network, but two. When connecting to them, the device will see the connection on the new frequency and join it. The user will get all the advantages of this technology, most often faster signal transmission. In a high-rise house where there are many Wi-Fi networks and the connection is constantly interrupted, a dual-band router would be a good solution to the problem.

The 5 GHz standard has already become the norm, although router manufacturers still produce devices that work only at 2.4 GHz. In 2022-2023, you shouldn't be buying such a router. You will save a small amount of money and get an obsolete device.

Top 15 best dual-band Wi-Fi routers for your home in 2022-2023

Top 5 best dual-band Wi-Fi routers by price/quality for 2022-2023
1	Keenetic Extra (KN-1711)	7,900 rubles
2	Xiaomi Mi Wi-Fi Router 4	1,850 rubles
3	Mercusys AC12G	2 715 rubles
4	netis N4	1,550 rubles
5	MikroTik hAP AC Lite Tower	8 290 rubles
Top 5 best dual-band Wi-Fi routers with simultaneous operation on 2.4/5 GHz bands
1	MikroTik hAP ac2	8 740 rubles
2	Keenetic Air (KN-1611)	3 899 rubles
3	Xiaomi Redmi Router AC2100	2 790 rubles
4	Keenetic Viva (KN-1910)	9 980 rubles
5	TP-LINK Archer C6	2 899 rubles
Top 5 best budget dual-band Wi-Fi routers
1	Xiaomi Mi Wi-Fi Router 4A	1 850 rubles
2	TP-LINK Archer A5	1 737 rubles
3	Tenda AC5	2 439 rubles
4	TP-LINK Archer C20	1,990 rubles
5	Tenda AC10U	2,290 rubles

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