Your Internet router is the most important part of your home or office network. Whether you realize it or not, it has a lot of features that you can use to your advantage. So if I'm shopping for a brand-new router, the right choice can greatly impact the performance of my home Internet. With so many options available, there are some essential features I can't do without to ensure a strong and secure connection. From support for the latest connectivity standards to advanced security options, these features are what make the difference between a high-performance router and one that can cause network issues. Check out ways to improve your Wi-Fi router speed.
1. Supports at least the Wi-Fi 6E standard
You likely already have a router that supports 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels. But if you're shopping for a new router, I highly recommend purchasing one that supports at least Wi-Fi 6E. There are Wi-Fi 7 routers on the market too, but they can cost a lot of money, making Wi-Fi 6E the more practical decision if you're on a budget.
Wi-Fi 6E supports the 6GHz spectrum, giving you better speeds and connection stability. As more devices connect to a single router, spectrum congestion becomes an increasingly major problem.
Moving your computer or gaming console to 6GHz can help solve this problem. However, you need to make sure that your device supports Wi-Fi 6/6E as well, which shouldn't be a problem if you bought it in the last two years.
There are also plenty of affordable Wi-Fi 6E routers on the market. If you need help finding one, check out our recommendations for the best Wi-Fi routers.
2. At least three to four Ethernet ports
An Ethernet connection may seem outdated, given the speeds and connection stability that most good Wi-Fi routers can provide wirelessly. However, this is still the best way to ensure that you get every bit of bandwidth from your internet connection and the best possible latency. If you're an online gamer on a PC or console, an Ethernet connection will provide you with the best response rate.
This applies to devices other than a PC or laptop. If you have a smart TV, a wired Ethernet connection will always be better, ensuring that you don't experience interruptions or buffering when streaming 4K content to your TV. If you have an Xbox or PS5, a wired connection will improve your gaming experience.
That's why I like to have at least three to four Ethernet ports on any Wi-Fi router I buy. It's just the right amount to connect the few devices in my house via Ethernet cable, but not so much that the manufacturer can cite it as an extra feature and charge more money.
If you only have a TV or gaming console, you can choose a router with fewer Ethernet ports, but always make sure there are some. It's a lifesaver, considering that if the Wi-Fi on your router stops working, a wired connection is your only way to access the router for troubleshooting or accessing the Internet. Check the solution to the Internet outage issue over an Ethernet connection on Windows.
3. Support WPA3
The WPA2 protocol was launched in 2004, and it is very old now. It has many vulnerabilities and security issues, especially if you use a public Wi-Fi network. Its successor, WPA3 (announced in 2018), is the best choice for future home and business uses.
We've already covered the differences between WEP, WPA, WPA2, and WPA3, so I won't bore you with the details — know that WPA3 is the most secure. It provides better encryption between the device and the access point (your router), even if you're on an open or public Wi-Fi network. This means better privacy and security when connected to the Internet, as well as better protection from man-in-the-middle attacks, as WPA3 fixes some of the biggest security vulnerabilities found in WPA2.
However, it's not fully compatible with WPA2, which means using a WPA3-exclusive network means you won't be able to connect older devices. Don't worry, though, as most modern WPA3-enabled routers allow you to run your network in promiscuous mode, meaning you get the benefits of WPA3 on compatible devices without taking WPA2 devices out of your network.
4. Parental controls
If you have children at home, parental control settings on the router are essential. The Internet can be dangerous, and there's no better defense against it than your router.
Parental controls allow you to block or allow websites and services that can be accessed through your router. So, if you have to block a particular website or limit the bandwidth allowed for a service to ensure your kids aren't playing Fortnite all night, these tools could come in handy.
Some routers also include features such as bandwidth control, speed control, and other hardware monitoring features in the same package. This can help you monitor what kids (or anyone else on your network) are doing online, for how long, and exactly how much bandwidth they're using.
You can also use monitoring features to identify which device or person is consuming the most bandwidth on your router and control data streaming so each device gets equal internet speeds. However, you'll find better controls for this in the device prioritization or QoS settings.
5. Determine device priority
Device prioritization settings let you control the amount of bandwidth, and thus Internet speed, that your router assigns to each device on the network. There are a lot of reasons why you should enable QoS features on your router.
In general, wired connections get the most bandwidth, followed by wireless devices. If devices like your gaming console, phone, and PC are connected to your router via Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections, respectively, your PC will get the most bandwidth, no matter what it does. However, between the gaming device and the phone, the gaming device will likely consume more data, since you are playing games or streaming using a larger screen.
You can combat this behavior through your device's prioritization settings. This ensures that you don't experience stuttering issues or lag spikes when playing on a console or PC while someone is streaming Netflix on the TV in another room. This also helps balance the load on your router, which means a better online experience for everyone on the network.
6. Support USB or NAS port
Many routers come with USB ports that let you connect USB drives and share access on the network. This means you can quickly turn on a local NAS without spending extra money and with less effort.
Note that this feature will not completely replace NAS. A dedicated network storage device will always be faster and more stable. NAS support on routers works best with smaller drives that can be used to share small files like movies and music over Wi-Fi.
Depending on how well the feature is implemented on your router, you may or may not be able to allow Internet access as well. So, the utility here can be really limited depending on which router you get, but it's still a great feature if you share files between your devices frequently.
7. Mobile app for easy configuration
Accessing a mobile app to configure your router may seem like a quality-of-life feature that doesn't matter much, but given how most routers' web interfaces are designed, it can be useful to quickly change settings or just monitor your network.
Most routers, especially those on the cheaper side, come with web interfaces that you can access by entering a reserved IP address like 192.168.0.1. These interfaces work perfectly and will do everything your router supports, but using them on mobile screens can be annoying.
Depending on how tech-savvy you are, you may not mind this. But for most people, the mobile app makes accessing and changing routers' settings and, ultimately, the features they can use much easier. Most router configuration applications also have a dedicated page that displays network statistics such as IP addresses, connected devices, current bandwidth usage, and more. Having these settings and statistics handy at any time is very convenient.
Purchasing a router may not seem like a very exciting purchase, but with a little thought and research, you can find a router that comes with a specific feature set that is beneficial to you. It won't be the most attractive fixture in your home unless you get something completely over-the-top, e.g MSI Radix AX6600but it's essential to make sure you're getting the most out of your internet connection. Now learn how to safely access your Wi-Fi router from anywhere.
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