| If you plan to buy a wireless router, check out | | | | Think about the compatibility with wireless |
| these 4 tips on how to choose a suitable one. It's | | | | adapter, access point or other wireless devices |
| not so easy to decide as there are many choices | | | | when you choose the router. That's no point you |
| out there. Basically wireless router is used to | | | | bought an 802.11g wireless router when other |
| route the network traffic between your network | | | | wireless devices are 802.11b aware only. |
| and Internet. Hopefully these tips would help you | | | | Always take into accounts of how do you plan to |
| to make good decision. | | | | deploy the wireless network, what wireless |
| Check What Wireless Standard you Need | | | | devices you have and what others you plan to |
| There are many wireless routers supporting | | | | buy when choosing the wireless router. |
| different wireless standard, such as 802.11a, | | | | Wireless Encryption Support |
| 802.11b, 802.11g and 802.11n (draft n), so which | | | | You must always enable encryption on your |
| standard should you use? | | | | wireless router, so choose the router with at |
| The most popular and mature standard is 802.11g | | | | least WAP encryption. The best you can choose |
| but the latest is 802.11n (draft n), however I | | | | is the one with WPA2 encryption support. Having |
| would advise to choose the one with 802.11g | | | | encryption in your wireless network would allow |
| standard if possible. | | | | authorized users with correct encryption key to |
| 802.11g can support bandwidth up to 55Mbps in | | | | join the network. It would also avoid your |
| the 2.4GHz band. It's compatible with 802.11b | | | | network bandwidth from stealing by neighbor or |
| products because they both use the same radio | | | | strangers. |
| frequency. That means 802.11g wireless router will | | | | Don't use WEP encryption on your router if you |
| be able to talk to 80.11b wireless adapter. The | | | | have better choices, this type of encryption is |
| only problem of 802.11b/g is its interference with | | | | easily to be hacked by using hacking tool that |
| other electronic devices that utilize same 2.4GHz | | | | freely available on Internet. |
| radio frequency and this will affect the wireless | | | | Other Security Features on Wireless Router |
| signal strength. | | | | Look for the router that provides firewall feature! |
| Then how about 802.11b? Since 802.11g is | | | | This will add an additional layer of protection to |
| backward compatible with 802.11g, so I don't | | | | your network. If you manage to get the one with |
| recommend you to use 802.11b product. 802.11a | | | | stateful inspection support, that would be the |
| wireless router is not so popular and normally | | | | best. Stateful inspection firewall will inspect every |
| used by business users, so you can forget about | | | | state of the connections providing better |
| it. | | | | capabilities to drop the malicious traffic. |
| As for the router with 802.11n (draft n) standard, | | | | Check also about the URL, IP and MAC address |
| it's still new and the standard is yet to be finalized | | | | filtering features. These mentioned security |
| by IEEE. The expected speed is 10 times faster | | | | features should be common nowadays, but just |
| than 802.11g and the coverage is much wider. If | | | | check about it to make sure the features are |
| you plan to buy it, be prepare to pay more as | | | | there. |
| the price is expensive. | | | | That's all for the tips, it's time to go to get your |
| Compatibility with Other Wireless Devices | | | | wireless router. Have fun! |