Where wireless routers and speeds are concerned, price is not always the best controlling factor. There's a wide variety of wireless routers available in the market and one is not always as good as the other. Basic, low-range types gives you speeds of only about 56 mbps. Pick one with ultra-range capabilities or a dual-band router for best performance and fastest speeds.



Setting up your wireless routers is not as difficult as it seems. When you have a wireless router at hand, you only have to substitute your DSL or cable connection with it. For techie people who would like to learn, here's a quick guide to doing it yourself.

First, remove cable or DS modem from your power supply and also the ethernet cable from the computer. Leave the phone cord on the modem.

Connect the end of the ethernet cable you removed from your computer to the internet port at the back of your router. This port is normally marked clearly. Plug your modem back to the power source.

Plug one end of your router's ethernet cable into the ethernet connector on the network card of your computer. The other end goes into one of the ethernet network ports on the router itself.

Hook up the router to a power supply and check the indicator lights. Five indicator lights should be on: the power light, the internet light, the security light, the wireless light, and the light for one of your ethernet network connections.

All indicator lights should be stable. Otherwise, you'll need to check if you had plugged cables securely or if the router is working properly.

Install the software that came with your wireless router. Run it as instructed and test your system.

Products made by different manufacturers, although intended for the same purposes, would invariably be slightly different from one another. Some routers could be a bit more complicated to setup or install. If you followed the above steps and it didn't work like it should, refer to your router's user manual for guidance. This is usually included in the kit that you purchased. If it's not, log on to your manufacturer's website for questions.

When you have accurately installed your router into your system, configure the device. Key-in your internet access pass (username and password) into the router's setup screen. Also, for security reasons, change your router's username and password immediately to prevent unauthorized access into your wireless connection.

Although sharing internet connection and file sharing between network computers may be done via alternative methods, having a router simplifies these tasks immensely. It's what makes routers such popular alternatives.

Although routers do not generally support dial-up modems, there are a few units with built-in serial ports that work with serial cables to accommodate dial-up connectivity.

Get better access to your home network and get the most out of your internet connection. Hook everything up to a network with a wireless router. It saves you time, effort, and money. Plus, it makes your computers better-able to interact with your mobile phones and other devices.