Maximum speed of a wi-fi router

I decided to get a regular dual-band router. Not the most expensive and not the cheapest. To set it up in the most ordinary three-room apartment (where the tested Internet speed of up to 100 Mbit / s), and measure the speed on a regular laptop at different ranges and distances from the router (with different signal strength).

How to choose the right Wi-Fi router – the number of connections, speed and other things

Touching the topic that not all Wi-Fi routers work the same way, I got a lot of questions and examples of how people get out of the situation. Unfortunately, most of the guides, how to choose the right Wi-Fi router for your home, abound with graphics, technical specifications and do not answer the main question – how to the average person to choose from the variety of devices the one that will suit him. It is possible that the router provided by the operator will be just right, but what if it is not enough? How can you tell by eye what the model is capable of and what you need to know about it? In the first article of this series, we discussed the emergence of Wi-Fi interference, how to install a router in the apartment, but almost did not touch the question of choosing the model.

I want to say right away that below I will talk about the algorithm and what you need to check and see. If some specific manufacturers will be mentioned, it is only based on my experience with them, you can safely think about them, concentrate on the algorithm of choice. To complete the picture it is worth to read the previous text.

Interference with Wi-Fi – why is the Wi-Fi at home or in the office is slow

Router installation mistakes at home, how Wi-Fi interference occurs and how to deal with it – reasoning about what you can do for good Wi-Fi at home.

Calculating router load – the number of connected devices

Glimpsed this topic in a previous text, but it feels a certain lack of clarity, many demanded a specific answer – how many devices can be connected to the router, tell me the exact number. It is difficult to do this in most cases, because there are theoretical values and what we get in practice.

In theory the DHCP server in the router can give out several hundred addresses, in practice it is never achievable. For instance, TP-Link limits their routers to almost a hundred devices (99 addresses to be exact). Other manufacturers are focused on existing standards, without encryption available to 127 devices, with WEP encryption – exactly the same number, with the algorithm of WPA (it is outdated) – to 57 clients, with WPA2/3 – up to 122 clients. This is the number of devices that can be connected to the router, but do not transmit data!

Disabling encryption maximizes the number of connections in practice, but the idea is very bad, anyone in theory will be able to see everything you do on the network. The better the encryption, the better protected you are, and you should definitely not give up protection.

Determine speed

Providers specify a maximum speed of up to 300 Mbps in the contract. This allows you to attract more customers. In reality, real Wi-Fi speeds can be much lower than the claimed speeds. Some wireless connections only offer speeds under 50 Mbps.

To understand the problem and understand why a movie is slow to load or website pages take a long time to open, the first thing to do is to measure the speed. You can do this with an online service called Speedtest. The program should be found in your browser and select the function "Begin Test".

The site will find a server through which you can check the speed capacity of the channel. After that, there will be a data transfer between the device and the server, which will determine the speed of the WI-FI data transfer.

When the operation is completed, the computer or other device on which the speed was checked, connect via cable. Reconnect to the site and check the data. If both results differ significantly, it means that WI-FI internet speed is falling just because of the wireless method of connection.

The speed can drop not only because of the provider. There are other reasons for the decrease in data transfer speeds. Let's find out what affects the channel width.

What does it depend on and how to increase the speed of the WI-FI router? Watch the following video:

Neighbor devices

Low WI-FI speeds can be due to the fact that the neighbors also have a wireless connection to the router. A large number of network connections cuts into the channel width. The most common problem occurs when all access points use the same channel. As a result, radio waves overlap, resulting in slow speeds.

To understand that the problems with the Internet are due to the neighbors, it is recommended to analyze the channel load. To do this you can use the utility inSSIDer.

• download the program to your computer;
• run the utility, and when it is activated, click on the button "Start Scanning";
• find the channel on their network on which they are operating in the graph provided.

If it turns out that this channel is the busiest, it is recommended to change it. To do this, go back to the graph. Choose the channel with the least number of access points, and switch to it by changing the router settings.

What is the difference between expensive and cheap?

First, more often on the expensive install a good antenna with a high gain, which in itself increases the coverage area of Wi-Fi network. Also, they are usually on expensive models from 3 pieces. On expensive models, put a few powerful antennas. The thing is that when you increase the antenna gain, the beam of coverage decreases. This is why you need to install more antennas.

Also on such devices, is a powerful iron, which allows you to simultaneously work with network resources – a large number of devices. If you have a large family, it is necessary to connect several computers, PCs, laptops, surveillance cameras – then a cheap model in a couple of months will simply fail. Now I will present my top-best and long-range routers.

TP-Link AC5400 – gaming router

Powerful 4-core processor with a clock frequency of 1.8 GHz + in addition comes 3 co-processor. Supports 3 bands: 1 – 2.4 GHz and 2 – 5 GHz. All ports are 1 Gigabit, plus there are two built-in USB 3.0 ports. MU-MIMO support allows a large number of users to use network resources simultaneously.

Built-in 1 Gigabit RAM. Rumor has it that it even penetrates 3 walls. Perfect for gamers – if ping in the game is important. Increased speed in two bands. Even on 2.4 GHz, the maximum speed in a local connection is 1 Gbit per second. It is the "RangeBoost" technology that allows you to use the network over a huge distance from the station. It uses VPN data encryption to connect without reducing the speed of the Internet. It costs, however, very expensive – from 27000 rubles.

What kind of router do I need to get the maximum speed of my Wi-Fi network?

To get the maximum speed over Wi-Fi, we need a modern, powerful (and therefore not the cheapest) router. A new device (laptop, PC with Wi-Fi adapter, phone, tablet, TV) with a modern Wi-Fi module. And preferably an ISP with a Static IP connection protocol, or Dynamic IP.

If we are talking about modern, wireless networking equipment, it goes without saying that there must be support for the 5 GHz band and the 802.11ac standard. This support must be both in the router and in the device that we connect to the Wi-Fi network. That is, the router must be dual-band. You can read more in this article.

Not only is 802.11ac a much faster Wi-Fi speed (up to a theoretical maximum of 6.77 Gbps) compared to the currently most popular 802.11n, but it is also nearly interference-free in the 5 GHz band (and 802.11ac only works in that band).

Notice the speed of the router's WAN and LAN ports. In choosing a router that will cut the speed as little as possible, we forget that the speed is also limited by the WAN port into which we connect the Internet. And if we have 200 Mbit/s at our tariff, and we put a router with WAN and LAN ports that can run at 10/100 Mbit/s, then it is clear that we will not get more than 100 Mbit/s either by cable or by Wi-Fi.

If you have fast Internet, more than 100 Mbps, then you only need a router with Gigabit ports. This is always stated in the specs. Even mid-range routers do not always have gigabit (1000 Mbps) ports. So be warned.

Routers that support 802.11ac are now quite affordable. There are a lot of models on the market. The only downside is that the Wi-Fi coverage in the 5 GHz band is a bit less than in the 2.4 GHz band. This is really true, I have already seen that. Not critical, but the signal is weaker.

Comparison of speeds in the 2.4 GHz band and the 5 GHz band

Before testing the speeds via Wi-Fi I decided to measure them via the network cable. These are the results:

• The speed directly, when connecting the network cable from the provider directly into the laptop (without a router) :
  I expected to see about 100 Mbps (that's the speed according to the tariff) . Perhaps the problem is in the network card of the laptop (the laptop is not very new). For some reason, I immediately thought that the provider does not give the advertised speed. But as it turned out later, the speed via Wi-Fi in the range of 5 GHz was under 100 Mbps.
• By cable, but from the router, the speed was about the same:
  I think the problem is in the network card of the laptop. Probably in the driver. Too bad, I didn't have another computer handy. But the speed via cable doesn't interest us much. It's just for the big picture of what's going on.

Since the internet speed also drops when the signal level drops, I measured in two places. Closer to the router and farther away. In this article I will also show the actual Wi-Fi speed in two variants:

1. At a distance of about 6 meters from the router. No line of sight. There is one wall with a closet (closet) in the way .
   
2. Then I moved further away from the router. The signal went through 2-3 walls (one of them is a carrier) . The signal level on the laptop was no longer maximal. Especially in the 5 GHz band.
   

Actual Wi-Fi speed: 2.4 GHz (802.11n)

1 First, I connected to a Wi-Fi network in the 2.4 GHz band. The signal is good (all the divisions on the laptop) . This is the speed on the 2.4 GHz band near the router:

Even for the 2.4 GHz band, that's low speed. Especially since my router is not a budget router. I used to get up to 50 Mbps. But rarely. I suspect that the 15 adjacent Wi-Fi networks in the same band are doing their thing (causing interference).

2 Move away from the router and check the speed. On the same 2.4 GHz band. As you can see, the speed has dropped a bit. The ping is up. The signal level has also dropped a little bit. The screenshot shows the maximum signal, but sometimes one bar was missing. Note the network level in the 5 GHz band (Marsik_5G) in the screenshot below. There is almost no signal.

Along with the level of Wi-Fi signal, the connection speed drops as well.

The speed of the Wi-Fi network in the range of 2.4 GHz is not very good. Basically, the normal speed in this range is somewhere between 40 Mbps and 70 Mbps. It can be less, or more (very rare) . It all depends on the equipment (router and client) , settings, interference, etc.

10 the most powerful Wi-Fi routers for your home

In today's world the Internet has long been a basic human need. And it is necessary not only for computers, smartphones, game consoles and televisions with Smart TV. Devices from the category of "Internet of Things" are increasingly appearing in homes and apartments. These include outlets, light bulbs, speakers with voice assistants, electric kettles, washing machines, and other appliances. Every year, the average number of devices connected to the router increases. The amount of data being transmitted is also increasing. Therefore, it is important that the traffic is properly distributed between consumers, and the connection is stable on all devices. Our rating of powerful Wi-Fi routers for your home will help you to choose a suitable router that will cope with these requirements.

Wi-Fi refers exclusively to the method of data transmission by means of radio communication. But the situation here is similar to the mobile connection: the generation (2G, 3G, 4G or 5G) determines the speed and availability of support for modern technology. Three Wi-Fi standards can be distinguished today:

1. Wi-Fi 4. Obsolete standard, which is used only in the cheapest models. They should not be considered for purchase due to very low speed (up to 150 Mbit / s per channel).
2. Wi-Fi 5. More modern and the most common solution. Most mid-range routers use this wireless standard.
3. Wi-Fi 6. A modern solution. Routers with Wi-Fi 6 will cost more than their counterparts. But their capabilities with reserve will suffice for 5-6 years of use in the home.
4. Wi-Fi 6e. The most progressive option, available at the end of 2022. Devices that support this standard work on the new 6 GHz frequency. Such routers are not very common yet, but they are ideal for many tasks (including games).

You should also consider the speed offered by your ISP. If your plan is limited to 100 Mbit/s, and you don't plan to upgrade to a higher speed plan in the foreseeable future, the appropriate ports will suffice. If 1 Gbps is available to you, then you should clarify whether the incoming and outgoing LANs to the router support it.

Which Wi-Fi router with a strong signal to choose

If you often play games and need a stable signal with minimal latency, we recommend flagship routers from ASUS and Keenetic brands. Decent solutions in the middle segment are Xiaomi and D-link. If you want to get Wi-Fi 6 support for a low price, then the best router with great coverage will be Huawei. And the Archer MR200 will offer built-in LTE support for offsite events.

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Conclusions

In order to choose a fast and reliable router, you need:

• 1. Study general information. A router is needed to organize a wired or wireless connection to the Internet. By type, routers are divided into wired and wireless. The first provide signal stability. The latter allow you to organize a network in any geographical location, provided it is included in the coverage area.
• 2. Understand the main characteristics. These include speed, frequency of operation, and signal range. Speed – a perfect concept, so it's rash to choose a router only by this parameter. It is more important to determine the frequency of operation (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz or both at once) and only then select the desired standard speed, the rules of which are the frequency and speed. Transmission range is affected by the location of the router, the signal strength, as well as the type and number of antennas.
• 3. Think about ports. LAN ports are needed for TV and wired Internet. USB allows you to connect a modem, external storage devices, and a printer for general use. High-speed Internet will need Gigabit Ethernet. To access the ports over the Internet, use the "Port Triggering" feature.
• 4. Figure out the "tricks" and options. Traffic filtering, in particular parental control, will protect you from malicious sites and destructive content. VPN-servers will provide anonymous access to the World Wide Web. Torrent-client will allow to download files directly on the router, which will facilitate access to them from all devices. Security protocols will encrypt data transfer from intruders.

Now you know everything to choose the "perfect" router for your home, office or apartment. Have a great shopping experience!

Activate Wi-Fi Multimedia

Routers come with a useful feature called WMM (Wi-Fi Multimedia) or QoS that users often don't know about. It can improve performance when playing online games, streaming video and downloading files. And at the same time optimize data transfer in general. It is enabled by default on TP-Link routers. But if you don't know for sure, it's better to check.

Open System Tools – System Settings in the Advanced tab.

The "Enable WMM" item should be checked. If this is not the case, correct it. The other settings do not need to be changed.

Update the router firmware

For stable operation it is important to keep the router software up to date. Users often forget about it. And outdated firmware is the cause of many problems. Including the speed degradation.

To get rid of bugs and speed up the router, open the "Firmware Upgrade" item in the "System Tools" section.

Everything can be done online. Just click the "Check for updates" button. If newer firmware is available than already installed, a window will appear in which you should click on "Update". The router itself will download and install the firmware. The main thing in the process is not to disconnect it from the power and the Internet.

You can also update the firmware manually: download it from the official TP-Link site, specify the path to it with the help of the "Browse" button and click "Update". However, you should use this method only if the online update doesn't work for some reason.

First place: Netgear R8500

This Wi-Fi router (the model has a resounding name Nighthawk X8) is built on a transmitter with three frequency bands, able to transmit and receive data in four streams, as well as having gigabit ports for LAN connection.

The model has a spectacular appearance, quality plastic and excellent build. At the same time, the device has decent size and weighs as much as 1.6 kg.

The combination of four active external antennas located on the back and four internal antennas allows you to expand the Wi-Fi coverage area. There is also a record number of Gigabit Ethernet ports for connecting devices via cable. Interestingly, by aggregating the two ports, you can get double the maximum speed of the wired connection. Also, Smart Connect technology provides intelligent selection of the fastest Wi-Fi range for each of the connected devices. The Netgear R8500 ranks 7th in our overall ranking of wi-fi routers. The cost of the router is about 26,000 rubles.

2nd place: Asus RT-AC5300.

The fantastic appearance is by no means the only advantage of the Asus RT-AC5300 router. The futuristic design hides no less impressive equipment.

On each side of the Asus RT-AC5300 there are two antennas. The design of the device is very bold and at the same time futuristic.

But while appearance is a matter of taste, when discussing performance there is not much to debate: with a theoretically possible maximum data transfer speed of 4334 Mbps, this router from Asus is one of the fastest in our rating.

Under optimal conditions we measured a good 395 Mbps or 355 Mbps – depending on which chip is used in the device for downloading – Broadcom or Intel respectively.

During the practical test in difficult signal reception conditions the router showed strong 199 Mbps for downloads to the device with the WLAN module of standard n, while with the Intel chip it was 340 Mbps at all. Though these values listed above are outstanding, Asus RT-AC5300, in spite of all its eight antennas, doesn't set new records. In our overall ranking, the model ranks 14th. The price for this model averages 22,000 rubles.

Top 7 Best Gigabit Routers for Your Home

Let's move on to what is the best router to choose for your home. In the rating, we will list gigabit routers from different companies and describe their characteristics with brief conclusions for each. Then your preferences and favorite manufacturers come into play. The main thing is that the Internet connector and the ports for cables should be gigabit and the WiFi connection should be dual-band.

TP-Link Archer C6

The TP-Link Archer C6 is one of the gigabit routers from TP-Link. They have some interesting built-in features right out of the box. Like a guest wireless network, parental control, and demilitarized zone. Able to connect to all ISPs, and it's reasonably priced. Of the bonuses, the OpenVPN system is worth mentioning.

• Two Wi-Fi bands – Up to 867 Mbps on 5 GHz, up to 400 Mbps on 2.4 GHz.
• MU-MIMO . – Sharing data with multiple devices at once.
• Provides enough widescreen broadcasting, thanks to its antennas and Beamforming technology.
• Dual core processor, exact model unknown.
• Cable ports – 1 Gigabit WAN port, 4 Gigabit LAN ports.

Works as a router and repeater. Supports the OneMesh system, which allows you to create a single system that covers a large area. When you switch from one router to another, you will not have to enter passwords, switching will happen automatically.

Keenetic Giga KN-1011

Gigabit router from the manufacturer Keenetic. It has several USB-ports, allowing you to organize a backup channel through the modem, and the second port can be used to install a drive. With this drive you can share access to all devices in the network, it becomes a file server.

Conclusion

If you have decided to buy a gigabit router at speeds higher than 100Mbit/second, you will have to buy a gigabit router. At this point, decide what you need: a workhorse for now or a router for the future. In the first case, do not look at expensive products, because their potential will unfold in a few years, as new devices appear on the market.

If you choose a workhorse, pay attention to the features offered. Every router has a set of firewalls and security systems, port forwarding or automatic address distribution. Further functionality varies from manufacturer to manufacturer and from model to model. Choose what you will use. Useless functions on a powerful router will not bring benefits, because they will hang useless.

Before you buy, also assess the number of devices that can be connected by wires. If it is a computer, then buy a router with one or two LAN-connectors. If there are more devices, look at the number of ports available. The rest of the features should be studied after choosing the main model. Each manufacturer has more expensive and cheaper options, with expanded or reduced functionality.

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