I will not buy a Wi-Fi router without these 7 functions
Your Internet router is by far the most important part of your home or office network. And whether you realize it or not, it has a lot of features that you can use to your advantage. So if I were shopping for a brand new router today, I would look for these seven features.
1 It supports at least Wi-Fi 6E
Chances are you already have a router that supports both 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels. But if you’re buying a new one, I strongly recommend buying a router that supports at least Wi-Fi 6E. There are also Wi-Fi 7 routers on the market, but they can cost a pretty penny, so the Wi-Fi 6E is a more practical choice if you’re on a budget.
The Wi-Fi 6E supports the 6GHz spectrum, giving you faster connection speeds and stability. With multiple devices connected to a single router, spectrum congestion becomes an increasing problem.
Switching your PC or console to 6GHz can help solve this. However, you need to make sure your device also supports Wi-Fi 6/6E, which shouldn’t be a problem if you bought it in the last few years.
There are also plenty of reasonably priced Wi-Fi 6E routers on the market. If you need help finding one, check out our recommendations for the best Wi-Fi routers of 2024.
2 At least three to four Ethernet ports
Ethernet may sound outdated, given the speed and stability of the connection that most good Wi-Fi routers provide wirelessly. However, it’s still the best way to ensure you’re getting every bit of bandwidth and the best possible latency out of your internet connection. If you’re an online PC or console gamer, connecting to an Ethernet network will give you the best ping speed.
This applies to devices other than your computer or laptop. If you have a smart TV, a wired Ethernet connection will always be better and will ensure that there is no drop in quality or buffering when streaming 4K content on 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 every Wi-Fi router I buy. They are the right amount to connect several devices in my house via ethernet cable, but not so much that the manufacturer can list them as an additional feature and charge more money.
If you only have a TV or a console, you can opt for a router with fewer ethernet ports, but always make sure you have some. They are a lifesaver considering that if your router’s Wi-Fi stops working, a wired connection is the only way to access the router for troubleshooting or internet access.
3 WPA3 support
Launched in 2004, WPA2 is now largely obsolete. It has many vulnerabilities and security issues, especially if you use public Wi-Fi. Its successor, WPA3 (announced in 2018), is a better choice for both home and commercial use in the future.
We’ve already covered the differences between WEP, WPA, WPA2 and WPA3, so I won’t bore you with the details – just know that WPA3 is the most secure. It provides better encryption between your device and the access point (your router), even when you’re on an open or public Wi-Fi network. This means better online privacy and security, as well as better protection against man-in-the-middle attacks, as WPA3 fixes some of the biggest security vulnerabilities found in WPA2.
However, it’s not fully backwards compatible with WPA2, meaning using a WPA3-exclusive network means you won’t be able to connect older devices. Not to worry, though, as most modern routers that support WPA3 will allow you to run your network in mixed mode, meaning you get the benefits of WPA3 on compatible devices without leaving WPA2 devices out of the network.
4 Parental control
If you have children in the house, setting up parental controls on your router is a must. The internet can be dangerous and there is no better defense against it than your router.
Parental controls allow you to block or allow which websites and services can be accessed through your router. So if you need to block a specific website or limit the bandwidth of a service to ensure your kids don’t play Fortnite all night, they can come in handy.
Some routers also include features like bandwidth and speed control and other device monitoring features in the same package. This can help you monitor what your 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 the monitoring features to determine which device or person is consuming the most bandwidth on your router and control the flow of data so that each device has the same internet speed. However, better controls can be found in device priority or QoS (Quality of Service) settings.
5 Device prioritization
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Setting device priority allows you to control how much bandwidth, and consequently internet speed, your router assigns to each device on the network. There are many reasons why you should enable QoS features on your router.
Generally speaking, wired connections have the most bandwidth, followed by wireless devices. If your console, phone, and computer are connected to the router using Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections, your computer will get the most bandwidth no matter what it’s doing. However, between your console and your phone, it’s likely that your console will use more data because you’re playing games on it or streaming with a larger screen.
You can counter this behavior by setting device priority. This ensures that you won’t experience stuttering or lag when playing on your console or PC while someone else is streaming Netflix on a TV in another room. It also helps balance the load on your router, meaning a better online experience for everyone on the network.
6 USB port or NAS support
Many routers are equipped with USB ports that allow you to connect USB drives and share access on the network. This means you can quickly get your local NAS up and running without spending extra money and with less effort.
Note that this feature won’t exactly replace a NAS. Dedicated network storage 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 what router you get, but it’s still a nice feature if you often share files between your devices.
7 Mobile app for configurability
A mobile app to configure your router might sound like a quality-of-life feature that doesn’t matter much, but given the way most router 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 access by entering a dedicated IP address such as 192.168.0.1. They are perfectly functional and will do everything your router supports, but they can be annoying to use on mobile screens.
Depending on how tech savvy you are, you may not mind. However, for most people, the mobile app makes it much easier to access and change router settings and possibly the features they can use. Most router configuration apps also have a dedicated page showing network statistics such as IP addresses, connected devices, current bandwidth usage, and more. It is very convenient to have these settings and statistics at hand at any time.
Buying a router might not seem like a very exciting tech purchase, but with a little thought and research, you can find a router that comes with a specific set of features that are useful to you. It won’t be the flashiest gadget in your house unless you get something completely over the top like the MSI Radix AXE6600, but it’s essential to ensure you’re getting the most out of your internet connection.