Again, according to user reviews, the set provides a stable connection in an area of up to 150 square meters. The routers themselves – white "plates" of small diameter are almost invisible, easily fit (or at least) into any design.
Choosing a router for the office
In this article we will talk about how to choose a router for a small office. On the one hand, this topic shouldn't seem to be a question. After all, all routers perform the same functions regardless of whether they are installed in an apartment or office space. On the other hand, there are nuances that are worth paying attention to.
In principle, an office network can be built on the basis of an ordinary consumer Wi-Fi router for home use. After all, a small office and a city apartment often do not differ in size. The difference is in the expected load, which in the office is likely to be greater. And in the possibility of connecting additional devices. Which will also be more. For a small office with 5-6 employees, there is no point in buying expensive professional equipment. However, the budget option, which will suit undemanding home users, too, should not be chosen.
In the market of networking equipment, there is a segment of SOHO-devices (Small office/home office), designed for home and small office. Such routers can serve from 1 to 10 clients at the same time and are quite suitable for the office tasks.
Let's analyze the requirements to the routers that will be used in the office.
Hardware
Of course, the office network is not designed for online gaming or watching streaming video. However, this does not rule out a high load on the router. If several devices are active simultaneously on the network, downloading files from the Internet, exchanging data with the accounting database, and printing several large files, this can be a serious test for the router. Therefore it is recommended to use devices with a processor of 500-600 megahertz and at least 128 MB of RAM.
Connection method
Here, the choice is determined by the provider. Ethernet or GPON connection is most often used today. But it is better to choose a router that supports multiple providers and a combined interface. Internet interruptions can be a serious problem for business. Therefore it is better to connect to two providers. Or at least provide for the possibility to use mobile 4G as a backup Internet connection. Equipment manufacturers offer router models with multiple WAN ports, a combined interface such as Ehternet+GPON, Ethernet+xDSL. And support for 4G LTE. It is not difficult to choose a device for your needs.
Wi-Fi in the office. What router to choose?
We offer you the top 5 popular routers, which are suitable for creating a network of a small office.
TP-Link Archer C20.
This is a budget dual-band Wi-Fi router for home and office. Wireless speed in the 5 GHz band up to 433 Mbit/s and in the 2.4 GHz band up to 300 Mbit/s. The router is equipped with three external antennas. You can set up a guest network. The wired interface is represented by four LAN ports and a WAN port operating at 100 Mbit/s.
Configuration and control are performed via the web interface or with the help of a mobile application from a smartphone or tablet.
Since this is still a budget model, the Wi-Fi speeds are rather modest, there are no Gigabit ports and no USB. At the same time, the device has decent characteristics that allow you to build a network for 3-5 workplaces.
Asus RT-AC51U
Another inexpensive but functional router with 802.11ac support. Speeds up to 300 Mbps in the 2.4 GHz band and up to 433 Mbps in the 5 GHz band. The extended range allows you to effectively use the device in large rooms.
The four LAN ports and WAN port work at 100 Mbit/sec. The USB port lets you plug in external drives, printers, scanners, and other USB devices for network sharing. And also 4G modems, using the mobile network for backup Internet access.
The Quality of Service (QoS) feature allows you to prioritize the bandwidth used by different applications. It is also possible to control the statistics of Internet usage. The built-in VPN server allows you to set up access to the local network from the Internet.
The configuration is simple and consists of three steps. The device can be controlled both from a computer and a smartphone.
Why you should choose the office model
The best office routers differ from the home routers by their functionality and extended coverage area. If in the conditions of an apartment or a small house the minimum coverage is enough, for the company office, where there are computers, peripherals and other equipment with an Internet connection, a completely different equipment is required. Inexpensive household routers are oriented to serve several users. And even if their specifications state that they support up to 100 devices, in practice it is comfortable to work with only 10-15. The rest begin to overload the hardware and drastically reduce the quality of signal reception.
When selecting an office router, special attention is paid to security standards and network protection against hacking. After all, it is unlikely that your home computer stores critical information, but your work computer probably does. Therefore, the distributor must support WPA-WPA2 Enterprise, dynamic password (which changes, at intervals), as well as other encryption systems.
Keenetic Ultra KN-1810.
The budget model Keenetic Ultra KN-1810 opens the rating of the best Wi-Fi routers for office. The first thing that attracts this router is its laconic design and absence of visual defects, backlashes or other small defects in the design. The software architecture is identical to the one used in KN-1010, another low-cost device. The same is true for the hardware. In this case, the router uses an additional controller, and the maximum speed of Wi-Fi connection in 5 GHz reaches 1733 Mbit/s. If you select the 802.11n standard, it drops to 800 Mbps. The Ultra KN-1810 also has a redesigned power adapter, which has received increased power and has become larger.
The appearance of the router retains the corporate style and looks very successful. The size of the case is 213x153x33 mm, so the device doesn't take much space on the desktop and perfectly combines with the interior of the businessman's office. In addition to the rubber feet for standard horizontal mounting, the device has wall mounting brackets. The router is equipped with large antennas (175x20x8) mm, which is the merit of a special design based on a PCB with 5 dBi gain. At the same time, the antennas are not removable, although it is unlikely that for someone this will seem a disadvantage. As the "heart" of the hardware configuration is used MediaTek MT7621AT processor with two cores and a frequency of 880 MHz. There are built-in USB controllers and a network switch with 1 Gbit/s bandwidth.
-Heats up when many devices are connected at the same time.
Keenetic Ultra KN-1810 is a powerful internet center with dual-band Mesh Wi-Fi AC2600, USB ports and advanced features, making it an effective solution for office use.
Router manufacturers
Below is a list of the most well-known, in whose product line you can find solutions for a city apartment, a small office or a large company.
Chinese giant that specializes in the production of telecommunications equipment. The range includes routers for home and business, with functionality for almost any requirement and budget. From low-power routers from 1500 rubles, to office equipment, the prices of which start from 15000 rubles.
A Lithuanian brand that develops and manufactures network equipment and software for it. Direct delivery to the Russian Federation since March 4 is not, but for all the well-known Chinese marketplace to order it easily. True delivery will cost at least 7000 rubles.
A Taiwanese brand that produces electronics and a limited line of telecommunications equipment, including gamer equipment. Prices are above average, but the functionality and performance is excellent.
The name of the brand is Taiwanese Zyxel. In 2017, when reorganizing the corporation Keenetic became an independent company, specializing in software development, production of devices for "smart home".
In fact, there are many more companies. The same XIAOMI releases several models for home use a year.
Rating of the best Wi-Fi routers for business in 2023
Cost up to 15000 rubles
Powerful – the speed of 867 Mbit/s at 5 GHz is still not enough. Otherwise, it is an excellent device, with an impressive list of useful options, clear interface – according to the reviews it does not take more than 10 minutes to set it up. Compact, with one built-in antenna, weighing only 170 grams.
- Support for multiband data transmission, simultaneous operation in two bands;
- 4 LAN-ports and one USB;
- built-in internal antenna;
- filtering options by Web site address, IP;
- network filter;
- handy application.
To connect the access to the wireless network you need a USB modem. There are no complaints about the construction and the technical parameters. But the power level of 27 dBm, which is three units more than the maximum permissible, is questionable. It can be used for installation indoors, dust and moisture protection is at least IP20.
Here with the transmitter power everything is normal – the device is absolutely safe for humans. The parameters are also excellent – there is support for MU-MIMO, MESH, VPN, DHCP, data encryption by WEP, WPA, WPA2 for a secure connection.
As for the management, it is possible to set the settings either via a mobile application or through the web interface. Plus the possibility of remote administration via Telnet or from an external network.
It is not suitable for installation in rooms with high humidity or in a warehouse – the level of protection is minimal. Otherwise, it is a good router with an extended set of options.
- 2 USB ports with the possibility to connect print/DLNA/ FTP-servers, and 4 LAN-ports;
- Four external antennas for signal amplification;
- The ability to configure the guest network settings – reducing the speed, limiting access to the resources of the main network.
