【Router recommendation 2023】How to choose router | Settings

Router, a necessary device for every household, every industry, and every place in Hong Kong, to share the network and enable everyone to access the Internet through wireless Wifi connection.

However,Router seems to be a very high-tech thing, often accompanied by a bunch of technical terms that don't know where have heard of. There is a wide range of router models and brands on the market. How do you choose? This article will explain common terms, answer frequently asked questions, and teach you how to choose the right router for you.

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1. Connection Speed




1. What does the number on Router mean?
2. The faster the Router support, the better
3. What is Gigabit router
4. Wired network vs Wireless network




2. Wi-Fi signal coverage




1. What are the 2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz bands
2. Are more antennas better?
3. Choice for Large Area - MESH ROUTER




3. The level of Wi-Fi




1. What is Wi-Fi 5?
2. What is Wi-Fi 6?
3. What is Wi-Fi 6E?




4. Number of connectable devices




1. Dual-band router? Tri-band router?
2. MU-MIMO - for your multi-device connectivity




5. Security Issues




6. Router installation and Setting




1. Mobile App Setting
2. Using default password
3. Computer Setting




7. Recommendation

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Connection Speed

The router should match the broadband speed used by itself. Generally, most of the broadband plans used by Hong Kong families or companies are 1000mbps or 100mbps networks, and choosing the right Router according to your monthly plan is the most basic step.

1. What does the number on Router mean?

   The router box often has a set of words on the cover with "AC/AX/N" and a set of numbers, such as AC1200, AX1800, AX5400, etc. "AC/AX/N" means the standard used by Wi-fi ，AC is wifi5, AX is wifi6, and N is wifi4, which is close to being phased out. The latest Wifi 6E is based on wifi6, so the name just adds an extra E after AX. AndThe numbers represent the theoretical highest speed of the router , the larger the number, the faster speed

2. The faster the Router support, the better?

   It depends on your need. Take 1000mbps network plan for example, no matter how powerful and expensive your router is, the speed will not over 1000mbps. However, if you are using an internal network connection, such as a NAS or server access, the faster the Router support, the better.

3. What is Gigabit router?

   Gigabit is simply a lan port that supports 1000mbps, and as long as you are using a broadband plan of 100mbps or more, it is recommended that you choose a Gigabit router, as most non-Gigabit routers only support 100mbps, but most of them are already Gigabit routers on the market now, so there is no need to worry too much.

4. Wired network vs Wireless network

   Using wired or wireless network (Wifi) also depends on your needs. Wired network provides the fastest and most stable network, but requires a network cable, suitable for desktop computers and servers; wireless network speed is affected by signal strength and router processing power, but there is no cable to limit your movement.

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Wi-Fi signal coverage

Wi-Fi signal coverage is the second important question. Although the household in Hong Kong is small, people still need to be concern about the Weak signal penetration and speed reduction .

1. What are the 2.4GHz, 5GHz and 6GHz bands

   Since the launch of AC-based Wifi routers, they have been labeled as dual-band routers, means a 2.4GHz and a 5GHZ band, which simply means that the 2.4GHz signal travels wider but slower; 5GHz is faster and has a smaller range. The emergence of Wifi 6E brings 6GHz, 6GHz is faster, but the available range is relatively smaller.

2. Are more antennas better??

   The quality is important than the quantity. Wifi signal coverage also depends on the gain value of the antenna (Gain), which is the dBi value, it will affect by power amplifier chip, router transmitting frequency optimization quality and other factors.

3. Choice for Large Area - MESH ROUTER

   To solve the insufficient of Wi-Fi signal coverage , Mesh Wifi, which has become very popular in recent years. To put it simply, multiple Mesh Point Router is used to extend the Wi-Fi signal range , which is suitable for multi-layer, multi-wall or large area units.

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The level of Wi-Fi

Wifi 6 (802.11ax Wi-Fi) is one of the newer Wifi classes that we are familiar with in recent years. There are two main popular WiFi levels in the market, WiFi 5 and WiFi 6. Before the launch of WiFi 7, Wifi 6E, an upgrade based on WiFi 6, has been announced recently, which brings users a better network experience with its new technology.

1. What is Wi-Fi 5??

   WiFi 5 (802.11ac Wi-Fi), also known as AC Wifi, is used in Router models such as AC1800, AC5400, etc. The highest transmission rate is 6933Mb/s. It is estimated that Wifi 6 will gradually replace it in the future.

2. What is Wi-Fi 6??

   Wifi6 (802.11ax Wi-Fi), i.e. AX Wifi, is commonly seen in Router models such as AX1800, AX5400, and other models starting with AX, which use Wifi6. The maximum transmission rate is 9607.8Mb/s, which is basically superior to Wifi5 in terms of speed, latency, power consumption, versatility, and signal range.




3. What is Wi-Fi 6E??

   Wifi 6E (802.11ax Wi Fi) is an extension of Wifi 6, the latest Wifi class in recent years.span style="color:#003399;font-size:20px;"> It adds the new 6GHz band to improve network speed as well as network stability.
   
   The biggest advantage of Wifi 6E, and also its disadvantage, is that only Wifi 6E-enabled devices can use the 6GHz band. Because only Wifi 6E-enabled devices can use the 6GHz band, there will not be too many users and devices using the 6GHz band at the same time as you, and the speed of Wifi will be faster.
   
   However, you need to have a router and device that can use Wifi 6E in order to enjoy the highest speed network. If your device only supports Wifi 6, then even if your router can support Wifi 6E, it is still useless.
   
   
   

   
   

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Number of connectable devices

When choosing a router, you should also consider the number of devices you need to connect to, so that the router can be used according to its capacity and will not experience frequent disconnections or slow connection speeds.

1. Dual-band router? Tri-band router?

   Dual-band means the router will emit 1 set of 2.4GHz signals and 1 set of 5GHz signals; tri-band means 1 set of 2.4GHz signals and 2 sets of 5GHz signals. Simply think of it as a two-way street and a three-way street, with an extra lane for better traffic diversion .

2. MU-MIMO - for your multi-device connectivity

   MU-MINO is Multi-User MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-output). This technology can improve the bandwidth utilization when multiple people connect to Wifi so that data can be delivered to multiple devices at the same time, improving the performance of Wifi when multiple people are connected.

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Security Issues

If the router is not secure, it will be easy for criminals to steal personal information. Therefore, when choosing a router, you need to pay attention to WPA, WPA2 or WPA3 password protection , to ensure security when using wireless network connection.

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Router installation and Setting

With the rise of smartphones, everyone can easily install and configure the router at home using the app provided by the router brand.

1. Mobile App Setting

   Pay attention to the QR code on the Router box, on the manual or on the Router body, and scan it to download the relevant Router Setup App and follow the instructions to set the Wi-Fi name and password.

2. Using default password

   Nowadays, most routers are shipped with a pre-defined password, which is usually pasted on the bottom of the router body.

3. Computer Setting

   The most traditional setup method is to connect the router and computer with a network cable, and according to the instruction manual, enter the IP address (usually 192.168.0.1) in the browser and then set up the Wi-Fi.

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Recommendation

There are numerous Router brands on the market, but we mainly sell the well-known router brands, 100% licensed in Hong Kong, with a 3-year warranty. For example, Asus, Netgear, Cisco, Linksys, D-Link, TP-Link, etc. Different brands have their own characteristics, such as mainly focus on high performance ratio, more powerful, large range, cheap, etc.. We believe we definitely have a Router model that suits your needs.

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The above information is for reference only

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