Wireless N Buyer's Guide to Choosing a Router

Article by Matthew Becker (5,234 pts ) , published Jul 14, 2009

Wireless N has come of age. If you have a business that's looking for optimum connectivity and signal strength or are a user at home trying to get the most out of a wireless network, then Wireless N is for you. Here we review the best Wireless N routers for price and performance.

Wireless Options

Wireless G or Wireless N?  Your confusion can be resolved by reading these articles about whether a Wireless G or Wireless N router is right for you.

If you've gotten this far, you should hopefully realize by now that any wireless networking related to Wireless N is going to cost more.  With extended signal range and strength, as well as speeds that are up to four times faster than Wireless G, expect to part with considerable amounts of cash for one of these babies!

How this guide works:
Essentially, we're going to look at different brands of routers, some features that they offer, as well as their standard retail price.  Naturally, some retailers will offer a different price than what is listed here, but these are simply figures of what you should expect to spend on each of these routers.  Hopefully, what you'll get out of this is a better understanding of which brands offer what in regards to features, and how much you will have to spend for each brand. Prices can change everyday so use the links provided (the retail price amount) to find out what the current price is on Amazon.

TRENDnet routers:
TRENDnet offers award-winning service, and is possibly one of the least expensive Wireless N routers on the market.  TrendnetWirelessNRouterSome Wireless N routers do support higher transfer rates such as this one, so if you're a business looking for higher transfer rates, you may wish to consider otherwise, unless this is specifically what your company needs.

TRENDnet Wireless N Home Router (TEW-632BRP)
Retails for: $60 (one of the lowest prices you'll ever see!)
Features:  Transfer speeds of up to 300Mbps, four times the range of a standard Wireless G router (can roughtly estimate to about 1200 feet); compatible with PC and Mac
Warranty: 1 year Parts and Labour

Belkin routers:
While mostly known for audio and video accessories, we've seen them expanding into networking. Price is about the standard of you Belkin Wireless N Routerwould see in wireless N routers, but what Belkin offers no other company does is a lifetime warranty, so save that receipt (and UPC)!

Belkin N Wireless Router (Part # F5D8233-4)
Retails for: $70
Features: Transfer speeds of up to 300Mbps, signal strength of up to 1200 feet; compatible with PC and Mac
Warranty: Lifetime

 

 

D-Link routers:
Winner of numerous awards for DLink Wireless N Router (DIR-615their products, D-Link offers reasonably priced routers that offer quality performance.  Their competitive pricing makes them a lead competitor in routers.

D-Link Wireless N router (DIR-615) [See image on the right]
Retails for: $40
Features: Up to 300Mbps, signal strength of up to 1200 feet
Warranty: 1 year

DLink RangeBooster N RouterD-Link Wireless RangeBooster N Router (DIR-625) - See image on the left
Retails for: About $100
Features: Extended strength range in comparison to their standard Wireless N Router.  Designed with large homes in mind, or businesses looking for a little bit extra coverage
Warranty: 1 year

Continue onto the second page for more Wireless N router options from Dlink and Linksys.

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