There are many expensive, high-powered wireless routers on the market, but the cheaper routers are usually sufficient for most needs. The average internet user wishes to check email, chat to friends using instant messaging, shop online, or use search engines. A cheap wireless router can fulfill these demands affordably and simply. Most cheap wireless routers are very easy to install, and a setup 'wizard' takes care of the settings in a foolproof manner. Alternatively you can speak with a technician who can walk you through your initial connection. The cheapest, most basic routers come with firewall capability to ensure the security of your network and protect you while you browse the Web.
What you sacrifice for affordability
Buying at the lower end of the price range is often seen as a risk, especially with electronic equipment. However, it must be remembered that wireless technology has progressed so far in recent years that even the cheapest router will perform satisfactorily. By cutting out some of the more specialized, high-performance functions of a router and focusing on the basic services, the design can be simplified to deliver an affordable solution without the technological wizardry that is usually only required by the most 'techy' users.
However, some aspects of performance must be sacrificed. The main function of a router that varies considerably depending on price is the speed of data transfer. While a top-end produce can provide a bandwidth with up to 300 megabytes per second of data transfer, a cheap router is more likely to be about one-sixth that speed, providing only up to 56 mbps. This difference in performance is noticeable, for example in the time taken to load a new webpage, and is one of the sacrifices that must be made for affordability. However, if you do not need to transfer large files or stream video-feed online, and you do not mind waiting a few seconds for a webpage to load up, you might not need high speeds of data transfer.
Benefits of Wireless routers
A wireless router allows you to connect to the internet from anywhere in your house without dragging messy cables (and potential trip hazards) along behind you. While a cheaper wireless router will not provide as high a signal strength, you can purchase an additional hub to plug into a wall socket and extend the reach of your router, so that you can even browse the web from your back yard! Friends who come to visit can connect to your network easily (provided you give them the access password), and you can share small files and transfer music easily. Traditional dial-up providers allow only one person at once to access the network, whereas a wireless router allows as many people as the bandwidth can cope with. You can even rent a router from your internet service provider instead of having to purchase one, with a hardware rental charge of less than $5 per month. However, the low-end models are so affordable that purchasing a cheap wireless router is hardly a financial burd en, and you can use one to 'test-drive' wireless networks, discover without financial risk if they suit your needs, and if they do, you always have the option of upgrading to one of the faster, high-end models.
access point vs router
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