Most ISPs will install a cheaper router with less speeds and less features and then try to get you to upgrade later. Since most people use the default router given to them by their ISP, it’s a good idea to make sure you have the best one they have to offer.

So what’s the difference? 5 GHz allows for much greater speeds than 2.4 GHz, but over a shorter distance.Ī dual band router can be helpful because you’ll get faster speeds when you are closer to the router, but you can switch to the 2.4 GHz network when you are farther away since 2.4 GHz signals can travel farther and penetrate more walls. Unfortunately, you mostly have to manually switch between these two networks. This means that it supports both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz networks.

You may have noticed that some routers offer a feature called dual band. Wireless N and AC also support MIMO, which allows for multiple antennas. You don’t always have to be using the latest protocol, but you also don’t want to be several protocols behind. It’s also worth noting that after AC, there will be AD, AH, AJ, AX and so on. If you are using a newer device with a built-in wireless card, such as a laptop, check to see what wireless protocol it supports. Of course, a Wireless AC router will be most efficient with Wireless AC devices. Wireless AC has proven to be a much more capable technology that not only produces greater WiFi range, but improved and more consistent signal strength as well. Wireless AC has pretty much become the standard, but if you have not yet upgraded to a Wireless AC router and are still using Wireless G or N, you may want to consider upgrading. If your Internet connection is slow, check out my article that talks about the many ways you can boost your Internet speed. Note that this article focuses on WiFi specifically and not on your Internet connection. Here are some of my top recommendations for improving weak WiFi. Luckily, there are several things that you can do to help boost WiFi signal strength.

Boost internet signal