How to tell if my carrier router is good or if I should change

The router is the backbone of our local network. It opens the door to Internet and manages communications between the different devices will you connect either cable or wireless. However, in most cases we left forgotten in a corner of the room, not paying attention you deserve and we only think about it when something goes wrong.

When we suffer cuts in connection slowdowns or when the WiFi does not reach us every room in the house, then we have doubts. Could it be that the model has kindly given us the operator is very bad ?, it would be better buy another on our own to get better results?

The router, the great forgotten to choose operator

Routers that rented us, “give away” or temporarily cede our Internet contracts in general are very basic and are intended to support the service we hired and little else. Why would they give us a model with WiFi and gigabit ports AC if we can just hire ADSL 10 Mbps?

The short answer is to keep us happy, that we can have a quality network and ultimately attract and retain customers. However, the reality is that there are few users who opt for an ISP router based on the offering. Operators such as Orange tried for years with different models of advanced routers Livebox with little success.

In the end, users employ the best connectivity option that is available in your area, the cheapest or that offers more speed, and serial router becomes a secondary issue. It is usually very basic equipment, without too many extra features but usually fulfill their function perfectly: synchronize with the central Internet and bring us home.

Replace or complement

If you want or need more features we have to resort to the purchase of an additional router, although we must note that we can not always dispense entirely of our operator. Why? To begin with, because most models find in stores access to the general public do not serve for some services, they are not compatible, or configuration should be done is not immediate and it is available to everyone. We should note that we can not always dispense altogether Router our operator

For example, in the market we find hundreds of routers neutral we could use, but only a fraction of them have a built-in ADSL modem. Much less is the number of routers that can speak directly to cable networks and even fewer who can support all services that are installed today on a fiber optic network (e.g. VoIP and TV).

In addition, things seem complicated with ads and Movistar operators who from little begin distributing a new model of router with ONT (Optical Network Terminal) integrated, making it impossible to substitute another. That is, rather than completely replace the router series, which will remain our departure to the Internet, it is normal that we supplement with a more advanced that will manage the internal LAN, behind closed doors.

Okay, but how do you know if I have to buy a new router, what I have to set me to see if my carrier is not good enough?

Evaluate your needs

To begin, we must think about what we ask our local network. If you only use it to connect to the Internet and basic services are not frequent users of streaming broadcasts in our modern smart TV, online games or downloading tens of gigabytes per day, then you probably will suffice our router operator.

One of the main reasons for change is a poor wireless network coverage. A few days ago we saw alternatives to improve WiFi and one of them was going to use a second router with enhanced protocols, more transmission power and speed upgraded to the latest standards.

The most important thing is that we evaluate our current and near future needs and think if we’re getting all the performance you need, can we connect with all wired and wireless devices that we want, connection cuts, falls are we? WiFi every now, there are several people using Internet as access slows down although we hired a good bandwidth?

If you have answered yes to these questions, then surely we improve our local network with a second more powerful and updated router. Some will tell me that with a single access point is enough to improve access. And it’s true, but today’s modern router is much more than that and gives us additional features that probably our operator (much less a simple wireless access point) can not provide.

Much more than WiFi

A good router should be able to offer much more than simple connectivity between devices. For starters, its internal hardware is powerful enough to handle connections at maximum speed without slowdowns or bottlenecks.
Newer models have multi-core processors, coprocessors support and generous amounts of RAM that allow them to manage our data packets without flinching and through wired gigabit ports, compared to standard 10/100 Mbps offer us a rule equipment operators.
650 1200

Series routers at most come with basic versions of WiFi N that work well with one or two devices at once, but fail if we make extensive use of the wireless network. However, new models of routers AC, while continuing to maintain compatibility with previous versions, we offer multi-band systems (and triband models can be found for less than 200 euros) with advanced protocols for the management of labor.

It is what is known generically Quality of Service (QoS), but then each brand calls it differently, but basically allows the router to redirect traffic intelligently by different frequency bands (such as a 2.4 WiFi N GHz and two in 5 GHz WiFi AC) giving priority to devices and applications that require more speed and less delay.

Another feature that is not usually present in routers series is related to the management of content stored on discs and USB sticks. With one or more USB 2.0 or 3.0 ports, we can share streaming content with all computers on the network by simply connecting to the router memory or hard disk. It is also possible to use them as models system automated backup, as a center for local printing, and even to go keeping the BitTorrent downloads if the router can function as a client of the P2P network or to mount an FTP server.

Another highlight is related to the user interface. Some models offer but we simplified interfaces with advanced features that can easily manage from a desktop application instead of using the generally slower web browser.

Is it worth it then buy a new router? If you need any of the features they offer, you want more and better coverage WiFi or gigabit ports and the router from your operator is unable to satisfy you, then the answer is a resounding yes.