Shopping for a router can be incredibly difficult. There are so many different brands, price ranges, and types of technology out there, it can be overwhelming.
Next time you need to go to the store, bring our handy cheat sheet with you, and you will be ready to pick out the perfect router for your needs, without all the confustion!
Please find the contents of the cheat sheet below.
Technology
Standard | Frequency | Max Speed* | Notes |
802.11B | 2.4GHz | 11 Mbit/s | old standard |
802.11G | 2.4GHz | 54 Mbit/s | best for: simple networks; flats, apartments or small houses. |
802.11N | 2.4GHz, 5GHz | 600 Mbit/s | best for: transferring/streaming larger media files, gaming; larger houses |
802.11AC | 5GHz | 1 Gbit/s | latest technology, not finalized yet, but already on the market |
*The speed indicated on vendors’ packaging is the one tested under “the best circumstances” (clean area, no interference).
Security tip: even though most of modern routers support WPA2, just make sure it does.
Single Band routers work only with one frequency
Double Band routers support two frequencies at the same time and are backward compatible
Top Router Brands and Price Ranges for N Routers
Brand | Single Band | Dual Band |
Linksys | $40-$60 | $90-$150 |
WD | - | $55-$150 |
Asus | $27-$58 | $57-$190 |
Securifi Almond | $80 | $100 |
Belkin | $30-$70 | $70-$200 |
Cisco | $30-$70 | $70-$150 |
D-Link Systems | $30-$70 | $100-$200 |
Buffalo AirStation | $20-$90 | $75-$130 |
TRENDnet | $26-$90 | $76-$190 |
TP-LINK | $20-$55 | $55-$130 |
Apple AirPort | - | $100-$500 |
NETGEAR | $30-$60 | $60-$300 |
You may also download this cheat sheet in PDF format as seen in the image above.