If you are looking for a router or gateway, you’re in the right place. This will serve as your guide in understanding the purposes of these tools. We’ll go over the common features to look for including a buyer’s guide to help you find the best option.
You’ll want a router to ensure that every device in your home or office is connected. Without a router, there would be no Internet connection at all. Today’s routers and gateways will provide you with excellent Internet connectivity so you can get whatever task done.
Let’s begin now with what you need to look for in a router/gateway.
Features of routers and gateways
What are the common features of a router or gateway? Let’s take a look at what they are:
Wi-Fi Access Point
Wireless routers will have Wi-Fi access points. These will be built into the routers themselves to ensure access for any nearby devices. These wireless routers will operate either the 2.4 GHz or 5GHz frequency bands.
We will discuss frequency bands in detail later on. Also, it’s important to note that there are routers that are dual-band. Which means they can be able to operate on both 2.4 GHz and 5Ghz frequency bands.
Broadband routers
These routers will require an Ethernet cable for connecting the router to a computer. These can also be used if you are using a telephone as well to connect to the Internet. These configurations can be done via your Internet Service Provider or ISP.
Some of the features will include connectivity ports. Keep in mind that these broadband routers may not have built-in Wi-Fi.
WAN Type
This will determine if your router has Ethernet or LAN ports. If you plan on connecting other devices such as printers, you’ll want to pay attention to this feature. Printers can be connected to the Internet and thus transmit data faster in order to print something you need.
Limitations for devices
The main responsibility of a gateway is to make sure that a specific number of devices can be connected to it. A gateway can be combined with an Internet router or modem. If you’re using a WiFi router, a network can handle so many devices on the same network.
There are other gateways that can perform certain tasks such as filtering traffic, converting data from one media format to another, and for the purpose of using other devices such as telephones and fax machines.
