How to choose a budget Wi-Fi Router?

[Jlabute]

WiFi will always have headaches as it is in a world-wide un-licenced band at 2.4GHz co-existing with phones, baby monitors, microwave ovens, blue-tooth, zigbee, and neighbours who think they need more WiFi signal strength, etc. We think we need to pump larger amounts of energy in to a small bandwidth to get improved distance which is true to a degree. Do you detect a lot of wireless networks in your area? These are interference to your network. Smaller amounts of energy in to a wider bandwidth can do more. In a short-range network, it is possible that Ultra-Wide Band technologies may be the future since they are more resistant to interference.
Who knows what wireless will be like in the future. Wired is more reliable. I usually spend $100+ on a dual-band router or at least something that has a gigabit switch built-in.

[forum]

LDo you know what you're talking about. Switch over to the 5Ghz band where there is less interference...

[rekabis]

Wow. Talk about disjointed. Title doesn’t match the subject, run-on sentences, the works.

With that said, the best way to set up a wireless signal is to “unify” the 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz bands.

First, take stock of what you are running -- Wireless-G or Wireless-N or something newer. For example, f you have a PlayStation 3, that’s Wireless-G, and older and slower technology. Same with an iPhone 4S or earlier. If you don’t have anything that uses Wireless G, don’t select it in the router settings.

Secondly, with each wireless frequency, make sure the wireless type overlaps the other. For example, if you only have Wireless-N and Wireless-AC devices, make sure that the 2.4Ghz is N only (AC doesn't work over 2.4Ghz) and the 5Ghz is N/AC. That way, a Wireless-N device can switch to the most effective network at will.

Thirdly, make sure that both the 2.5Ghz and 5Ghz networks have the same SSID and Key. That way, you only see one SSID, have to enter only one Key, and yet a Wireless-N device can choose the frequency that provides the strongest signal.

And finally, if you really want to have awesome control over your router and turn it from a $75 device with limited features into a device that is comparable with $500 big-business routers, consider getting a router that can be re-flashed with custom firmware. I have been setting up routers like these for the last decade, and they are much more useful and flexible than any stock home router. For example, you can pick up the D-Link DIR-860L on eBay for less than $50 (even after shipping), flash it with DD-WRT, and have a very powerful router that can run rings around routers four times the price. Some features and capabilities that are hardware-based may not be there (signal strength, processor strength, available RAM, multiple antennas, etc.) but the software will be worlds more capable than any stock manufacturer router under half a grand.