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Paying for high-speed internet service for your home,
but you still have dead spots or slowdowns?
It might be time for a new router.
Here's what you need to know before choosing one.
A modem connects your home network to the internet.
A router connects to your modem and directs
that internet connection to all your connected devices,
like smartphones, laptops, smart speakers, and smart TVs.
The first decision you need to make
when shopping-- traditional router or mesh network?
The size and layout of your home and what it's made of
are some of the biggest factors in deciding which
type of router is best for you.
Wi-Fi routers send radio waves throughout your home.
Those waves travel like ripples on a pond.
Many factors in your home can interfere
with the router's performance.
Generally, the more floors, walls, and windows, the worse
for the signal.
Even metal plumbing can cause issues.
In CR's router tests, our experts
check the speed at which each router sends a Wi-Fi signal
from several different distances.
That speed is known as throughput.
The routers at the top of our ratings
perform well at all distances.
If you live in a small apartment or home
less than 1,500 square feet, a standard router
is probably all you need.
If you live in a home larger than 1,500 square feet,
you'll need a router that can send a strong Wi-Fi signal
pretty far.
For best results, place the router in a central location.
But that's not always possible, especially
if your modem is stuck in some far-off corner of your home.
That's where a mesh network comes in handy.
It's a set of two or more routers
that work together to seamlessly spread the Wi-Fi signal
throughout your home.
Connect the hub unit to your modem or internet service
provider's Ethernet connection near the center of your house
if possible.
Then move the satellite units around
until you get rid of any dead spots.
The downside of mesh networks is they tend to be pricey.
You can get a CR top-rated router for around $200
while a good mesh network can cost anywhere
from $170 to $500.
If you're having trouble getting a signal
in a specific area of your house,
another option is a Wi-Fi range extender.
An extender can push signals from your router
deeper into a targeted part of your home.
But your internet speeds may be slower
than you're used to because extenders cut speeds in half.
The bottom line.
An extender may be a cheaper option and may work for you,
but a mesh network is more likely to smoothly stream 4K
video to multiple TVs in your home all at once.
Here are a few more things you should know about routers.
No matter what kind of router you choose, make sure
it has enough USB and LAN ports for your needs.
They're used for hooking up things
like a connected home hub, a printer, flash drive,
or an external hard drive.
Most routers and mesh networks can be set up
and updated using an app on your smartphone or tablet.
Our experts test each router to see how easy or difficult
it is to set up and manage.
You can save money by buying your own router
instead of renting it from your cable company.
You can even buy your own modem or a combo modem router
if your internet service provider allows it.
But the most important tip-- put a strong and unique password
on your router different from the default password
it came with.
It'll help keep your router safe from hackers,
and those default passwords are almost
impossible to remember anyway.
To make your router even more secure,
change the SSID, or Service Set Identifier.
That's just a fancy term for the name of your Wi-Fi network.
So where do you change the name and default password?
In your router's app or online account.
That's where you can access all of your router settings.
It's also very important to put a strong and unique password
on this account as well.
One last thing.
The privacy and security of your data
is very important to Consumer Reports.
That's why we test each router to see how well it
keeps your information safe.
But there's something you can do as well.
If your router doesn't have automatic firmware updating,
make sure to keep the firmware up
to date using the online or app account.
Firmware is a type of software that
runs the hardware of your router or any Internet of Things
thing.
And when a manufacturer rolls out a firmware update,
it often includes security fixes.
So keeping it up to date can help keep hackers out
of your home network and everything that's
connected to it.
For more info on routers, go to cur.org/routers.
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