Your daily dose of practical, easy to follow tech tips!
Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.
If you have a broadband Internet connection you probably use a router to share that connection among multiple computers and mobile devices.
I frequently receive emails from folks asking if I think they need to replace their aging routers, and I usually answer them by asking a few questions of my own: [Read more…]
Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.
Question from Audrey: I’ve been needing a new wireless router for a while now and I recently began shopping online for one.
I’m pretty tech-savvy and I thought I was fairly knowledgeable about routers but there’s a term that I keep seeing that I’d never heard of before.
Do you enjoy keeping up with the latest in technology?
If so, you probably know that replacing your router’s proprietary firmware with the free open-source DD-WRT firmware could possibly increase your Wi-Fi speed, extend your wireless range and make your wireless connection more stable.
That being said, you might also be afraid to install DD-WRT on your own expensive router because of the very real chance that you might accidentally “brick” it.
Well, now you can actually buy an awesome wireless router that comes from the factory with DD-WRT already installed! [Read more…]
Question from Frank A.: Hi Rick. I need a little advice if you don’t mind.
I just bought a new HP desktop computer that came with a 1Gbps network adapter in it.
I’m thinking about replacing my ancient 300 Mbps router with a new AC class router (#ad) and purchasing a couple of 1Gbps wired networking adapters (#ad) for my wife’s and son’s computers to bring everything on the network up to 1Gbps.
My son and I play competitive games over the network and I’ve read that this will really speed up those games. My wife uses her computer primarily for emailing and visiting a few websites (mostly Facebook and Pinterest).
I would really like to keep all the computers connected to the router via Ethernet cables if at all possible.
My question is do you think the benefits of making these upgrades justify the cost given that our Internet connection tops out at just 50Mbps?
Rick’s answer: [Read more…]
Now that AC class routers have been out for a while, their prices have dropped considerably even as their wireless speeds have increased.
I recently had the opportunity to check out the TP-LINK Archer C9 AC1900 Dual Band Wireless AC Gigabit Router (#ad), and I came away very impressed.
This is a simultaneous dual-band router (2.4GHz 600Mbps and 5Ghz 1300Mbps) that also has four wired Gigabit Ethernet ports, making it an ideal router for connecting pretty much every device you own at blazing fast speeds. [Read more…]