The free routers supplied by the big ISPs - BT, Virgin Media, Sky and TalkTalk - are generally a lot better these days; time was when your provider-supplied hardware was little more than a cheapo white labelled router with a logo slapped on the side. That said, what you’re offered by your ISP might still not be what you need for your home; you might want something that’s got more Ethernet ports or you might want a router which has the capability to fall back to a 4G connection should your fixed-line provider experience an outage. Or, there are now so many devices in your home all using WiFi, you’re in the market for something to improve coverage in rooms as well as getting a new router. For whatever reason, if you're having connection issues and have tried all of our tips for fixing your broadband connection, it may be time you consider buying a new router - our guide will help you choose the best router for your home. SEE ALSO: Get the best broadband deals in your area. Should I get a new router or a WiFi booster? If your Internet access is fine and dandy as long as you're near to the router, but terrible everywhere else, you might find it's more economical to buy some WiFi boosters. As well as being cheaper than shelling out for a completely new router in some cases, it might be a more economical solution too. If you live in an older house with thick stone walls, or you have rooms in the basement or attic your brand new router, while otherwise powerful, can’t reach every corner of your home. Here’s where WiFi boosters come in handy. Some merely bounce the signal around your home - these are call WiFi repeaters or range extenders and comprise two separate routers in them - one to receive the signal and the other to send it on. Others, like Powerline adaptors, use your home wiring as an ad hoc network; you simply plug in the first to a plug socket near your router and then plug in your router via ethernet cable. The second plugs into a power outlet near the device you want to power with a better connection. That second plug will have one or more Ethernet ports you can use to connect your desktop PC, smart TV or console in another room. Some will also feature WiFi radios, improving wireless coverage. Alternatively, you could connect this to a second router to provide even stronger coverage. ADSL, VDSL and Cable Routers: Compatibility Not all routers are compatible with all types of Internet services, so it's important you check the router you want to buy will work. If you're getting your Internet from a provider using BT's Openreach network (i.e. Sky, TalkTalk, Plusnet, EE), you’ll need a router that’ll work with ADSL and, if you’re getting a Fibre to the Cabinet-based service, VDSL. If you're after a replacement for your old Virgin Media router, you’ll need something that will work with DOCSIS technology. The manufacturer should include a list of the ISPs it works with or at least reveal whether it works with ADSL/ADSL2/ADSL2+ (standard broadband) VDSL2 Fibre (Fibre broadband) or DOCSIS (cable broadband). How to set up a router When you take your new router out of the box, you probably don't want to be messing around with it to make it work with your broadband service and devices. Choosing a router with an easy set up is vital to get you up and running out of the box. How you set your router up with your existing network varies from manufacturer to manufacturer and ISP to ISP. In most cases, you'll just need to connect your router up using an ethernet cable to your computer (and of course a connection to your phone line or cable socket, depending on the type of broadband you're using). You can then access the router’s settings menu (you will need to enter your router's IP address and username and password in a computer browser to access the control panel) where you can enter your ISP username and password, DNS settings and any other details your ISP specifies. For example, on TalkTalk they are: Username: Your telephone number followed by @talktalk.net - for example, Diese E-Mail-Adresse ist vor Spambots geschützt! Zur Anzeige muss JavaScript eingeschaltet sein! Password: Your password VPI: 0 VCI: 38 MTU: 1432 DNS settings: Automatic Encapsulation: PPP over ATM (PPPoA) using VC-MUX Modulation Type: Auto This information should be available from your ISP. Once your router is working with your internet, it's time to set up the connection to work wirelessly with your devices. Most routers offer WPS for connecting computers, networked printers, game consoles and other devices you might want to hook up. This means you just need to tap the WPS button on the router and the same button (or setting from the device’s menu) and hey presto! Your Wi-Fi will work with your external devices. It's a much better option than having to connect with your network password and also means if you change the password (see next section), the devices will still be connected. However, if your router or devices don’t support WPS, you can connect by searching for the network you want to join and entering the password when prompted. Easy-to-change router settings Whichever router you choose to replace your ISP-issued one with, you'll want to make sure it's easy to change the settings, such as the network's name to make it easier to identify, the password and privacy settings. Most router settings can be accessed by typing the router’s IP address into your browser window, followed by the user name and password as detailed in the documentation. The interface and available settings will vary depending on the router manufacturer, but in most cases, it will be split into sections so it’s easy to find where you need to change the settings you require. Some of the settings you should be able to change include the SSID (name) of your network, the password, the privacy options and security type. Some allow you to apply parental controls and change the wireless channel if it supports multiple options. Wireless routers: Multiple bands Routers use frequency bands to beam a WiFi connection to devices. There are three types of router - single, dual and tri-band - that support either one band, two or three at the same time. Single band routers operate on the 2.4GHz frequency, which is great at penetrating thick walls and has a long range. Routers with only one band are also cheaper than their dual or tri-band counterparts. However, the technology is outdated now and speeds are slower than those supporting more bands. There's also likely to be more interference from other devices because it's the most widely used internet band. Dual band routers add 5GHz frequency into the mix, meaning you can choose to operate your network with the 2.4GHz or faster 5GHz band. 5GHz doesn't travel as far, nor is it as effective at penetrating solid walls like the 2.4GHz band, but it has twice the bandwidth and because not all external devices support it, there's less likely to be as much interference, making it a faster option. The newest type of router, tri-band, adds in a third frequency - an additional 5GHz band. This means there's less interference than dual band routers and the signal works better if multiple people are using the same network at the same time, because it's adding an additional connection option. However, tri-band routers are much more expensive than single or dual-band routers, so be prepared to stump up the cash if you want a top-of-the-range router. Wireless routers: Range The range of a broadband router - ie., how far from where your router is placed you’ll be able to get a reliable connection - is closely linked to the band it uses to beam your connection to devices around your home. There are also other factors, such as the makeup of the property you’re using it in. If you live in a modern building with thin plasterboard walls, it’s likely your connection will reach much further than an old, brick construction dwelling. Interference with other devices and how many computers, phones, tablets games consoles etc., are using the same router will also have an impact. However, the 2.4GHz frequency band does have the best reach, generally, with a range of 150 feet (46m) indoors and 300 feet (92m) outdoors quoted by most router manufacturers, as long as there’s nothing like trees or sheds in the way. A 5GHz connection generally has a range of about a third of this (50 feet (15m) inside or 100 feet (30m) outside), although it’s impossible to say whether these would be the range you can expect because it all depends on your particular home’s construction, how many devices are connected and any other equipment that may interfere with your connection. Number of Ethernet and USB ports If you connect a large number of devices to the internet using ethernet rather than Wi-Fi, such as TVs, speaker systems, games consoles or more, you’ll need to make sure the router you decide to buy has enough ports to serve all the peripheries. One of the routers sporting the most LAN ports is the Netgear Nighthawk X10 with seven in total, while the average is around four. If a router ticks all the boxes, but doesn’t have enough ports for all your devices though, don’t despair - you can buy an ethernet switch to add on extras. Of course, you will need to use one of your router’s ports to add it onto your network, but it’s probably a cheaper option compared to buying a new router with lots more ethernet ports. Some routers have USB ports, while others don’t. The general reason to have a USB port built into your router is so you can share content with other people on your network. The most common reason devices to add to your router includes a USB thumb drive, a media server or storage device that doesn’t already support network data transfer. Whether you need one or how many you need depends on whether you have a USB-enabled device you want to share on your network and how many separate devices you’d like to share. You may also want to look into whether the router you’ve got your eye on uses USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 - the latter of which offers faster data transfer speeds. MU-MIMO MU-MIMO (multiple user, multiple input, multiple output) is a relatively new Wi-Fi standard that makes a router more suitable for homes where multiple people are using the same connection concurrently for data-intensive applications. For example, if you like to stream videos while your other half likes to play streamed games, you’re likely to see a certain degree of latency on both sides with a standard SU-MIMO (single user, multiple input, multiple output) router. With MU-MIMO, as the name suggests, multiple people can use the same connection simultaneously, because it comprises multiple channels working at the same time. This means each device connected to the same router essentially has its own router through which to channel data. Although MU-MIMO technology has been around for more than three years now, very few routers actually use the technology, so you may have to find you’ll have to shop around to find what you’re after, especially if you need to tick a lot of the other boxes we’ve mentioned here. Software and security If you’re concerned about network security, some routers come preinstalled with third party security solutions to make your network even more secure. The McAfee Secure Home Platform comes preinstalled on a selection of routers and the company has just teamed up with Telefonica in Europe and Latin America to offer its security solution on all routers provided by the company. Although not generally available in the UK yet, other security firms are offering super-secure routers already. Norton (one of Symantec’s brands) has launched the Norton Core - a wireless router than protects your network from hacks, malware and other nasties that could infiltrate your smart home. If security is your major concern, it may be worth looking into routers that allow you to install third party firmware or software to protect against hacks. For example, TP-Link allows you to flash its routers with third party firmware, as will Linksys. Price The final question you need to ask yourself is what can you afford? Routers come in at a huge array of price points, from £20, right up to hundreds of pounds for the more powerful options. As a router is a key part of your home’s internet infrastructure, it’s crucial you choose one that includes all the features you need rather than solely looking at price because you could end up choosing one that’s completely useless for your household’s needs. There’s a huge array of considerations you need to make when choosing a new router, but what’s key is youdecide what your household uses it for, how your house is built and your primary concerns (ie., security, speed, range) before jumping into what can be a very expensive decision.

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