Moving into a new apartment soon, planning on getting Wi-Fi, which router should I invest in and why? Can someone explain specs of the router and also explain what makes it better than another?
>>17351380
Router doesn't matter because you're going to be fucked in the ass by your provider either way. Assuming you live in America that is.
>>17351387
Not OP but I get 50 Mbps... It's suppose to go up to 100 soon, but frankly 50 is plenty fast for streaming, downloading, and gaming.
>>17351380
Unless you're getting fiber tier internet you're fine with getting literally anything that's not trash
Well the apartment offers "free wifi" but I'm assuming that's one giant shared network.. fuck that. I guess its cable modem and router for me. But really any recommendations? maybe a link? I'm network illiterate
>>17351387
I second this on one condition
if they think you're not savvy, they'll give you a shitty modem or router, something they have lying around that they know "doesn't often work with xbox" or "can't handle multiple connections very well." just don't get one of those.
>>17351413
>>17351413
>they'll give you
correction, might give you
>>17351413
Man, what back country shit holes do you guys live in where the service providers are run by Enus and Cleetus?
>Single or dual-band
Single band routers operate on one wireless frequency only (the 2.4GHz band). This means your browsing speed will shit the bed if you're streaming or downloading something. Dual-band routers transmit data over both the 2.4GHz band and the 5GHz band. Provided you've a WiFi adapter capable of utilizing such functionality; Dual-band routers will delegate more bandwidth-intensive traffic to the 5GHz so as not to shit up your internet usage.
>USB sockets
Do you have something on a USB port that you'd like to access over WiFi; such as a hard drive, printer, or camera? If yes, then a router with a USB socket or two might be beneficial.
>802.11a/b/g/n/ac whateverthefuck
WiFi standards that determine the range and speed of your wireless signal, as well as whether it can support parallel signals and dual-band signals.
>Additional features
Generally along the lines of traffic priority and blocking connections. QoS (quality of service) will throttle bandwidth per IP address (each computer connected) in order to ensure your arsehole roommate doesn't fuck everyone's internet up when she's streaming reality TV. Some more advanced routers will allow you to define traffic profiles for specific programs/IP addresses so as to allow you to prioritise games and other latency-specific usage.
>>17351418
they're run by baby boomer onceler shitheads
>>17351440
Just to add: Linksys, Asus and Netgear are solid picks brand-wise - Asus are my personal favourite.
>>17351449
That sucks brah. I do pay $130 a month for basic cable and internet though.
>>17351465
it's not too bad. they throttle it so that people can game and stream multiple hd videos. you don't need much more than that.
the only thing that's a serious, unfixable problem is living in a place where cable lines that haven't been replaced in 50 years
