Just because you pay for a high speed internet connection does not necessarily mean that you are guaranteed fast internet service in every part of your home. You want every device in your house to receive as fast a connection as possible and that's why it's so important to purchase a high quality wi-fi router.
High Speed Internet
First of course you will need to insure that you do have that high speed connection. In today's average home there are up to nine devices that will be consuming internet service simultaneously. For this reason you need a broadband connection that can handle this load splitting and still deliver satisfactory speeds to all devices.
The Router
Once you have a fast broadband connection you will need to consider the best router for your needs and budget.
Central Location - You should consider your router as the hub, or central point, of your network. So the router should therefore be centrally located. All other access points throughout the home can be considered "spokes" in your home network.
Installing and Configuration - Almost any wifi router you purchase today, even the high end ones, are going to come with simple, easy-to-follow instructions. Should you have questions, an in-home entertainment professional in your area can help with installing your router. Configuring your home router is a different story and can range from simple to quite complex. There are simple out-of-the-box configuration selections for most routers and one of these is probably most suitable for you.
Reset Your Router Regularly - Have you ever noticed your computer starts to bog down after a while if you've left it on many nights without resetting it? The same thing happens with your router…except it isn't just affecting one device (your computer), it's negatively affecting the access speed of ALL devices accessing the internet. Resetting your router periodically is just a good practice for ensuring continuous high speed Internet access throughout your home.
Choosing a Router - The best economical, general-use router on the market today is the Asus 3-In-1 Wireless Router. This little workhorse will efficiently carry 300Mbps of data and features two detachable antennas to extend the range. It has a 4-star Amazon rating and over 750 reviews. Priced at less than $30, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better value..
Our High Performance Router Recommendation - On the other hand, if you have a house that is larger than 1500 square feet and/or have a two-story home, you are going to need a more robust router and we recommend the highly-reviewed and highly-acclaimed NETGEAR Nighthawk. This bad boy is a work horse for only $199 and has a 4.5 star Amazon rating with over 14,600 reviews (what?!?!?). This router is ideal for up to 12 (TWELVE!) devices running simultaneously. Hands down the best for the money over a hundred bucks.
Extending Your Wi-Fi Signal
If you have a larger home and find that portions of it are not receiving the Internet speeds you were hoping for, you may want to consider a Wi-Fi Extender, also known as a booster or repeater. Multiple extenders can be placed on one home network. You should place the Wi-Fi booster strategically so as to maximize the boosting effect throughout your home. Some new boosters feature "hotspot maps that show the best place to place the extender in your home. Some other considerations when purchasing a wifi booster are:
Transmit Signal There are two main signal standards - 802.11ac, the newest and best, and 802.11n, the oldest and slowest. You need to make sure you buy a repeater that is compatible with the same signal standard as your router (which is hopefully the faster 802.11ac).
Price Expect to pay anywhere from $45, on the low end, for a repeater, all the way up to $150 for a high grade booster.
Our Recommendation:
The best high-end Wi-Fi extender on the market currently is the NetGear Nighthawk AC1900 for $108.90 at Amazon. It has over 3,000 customer reviews with a 4.5 star rating. This extender will send your Internet signal easily through a 3,000 square foot, two-story home with a garage.
