WiFi routers serve as the foundation of our internet network connectivity. Having a reliable and high-quality router is crucial to achieve optimal speeds, whether through wired or wireless connections. Modern routers now feature advanced technologies like WiFi 6 or higher, along with Multigigabit ports, enabling faster and more efficient data transfer. However, the firmware plays a vital role as the “brain” of the router and must be equally capable to complement the hardware.
Unfortunately, many people focus solely on the technical specifications of the WiFi and Ethernet ports when purchasing a new router, overlooking the significance of a comprehensive firmware with extensive configuration options. It is futile to possess a powerful router if the firmware lacks the necessary settings to fine-tune and optimize the entire network’s performance. Therefore, it is essential to carefully consider and explore the firmware capabilities when selecting a router to ensure seamless network functionality.
Useful functions that your router must have
While it is important to appreciate a router’s firmware that offers a plethora of configuration options, it’s equally crucial to consider the availability of additional services. These services can greatly enhance your network experience. Features like a robust Quality of Service (QoS) ensure smooth prioritization of internet traffic, while VPN capabilities provide secure remote access to your network. Furthermore, having software that monitors bandwidth usage by different clients can be invaluable for managing and optimizing network performance. Therefore, when evaluating routers, it’s advisable to look beyond configuration options and consider the inclusion of these valuable services that can significantly enhance your overall network functionality.
WiFi network for home automation
Nowadays, the majority of WiFi routers come equipped with simultaneous dual-band functionality, enabling the transmission of signals on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands simultaneously. Typically, the integrated firmware merges these two bands under a single WiFi network name (SSID), offering a feature known as “band-steering.” This feature allows devices to automatically connect to the appropriate frequency band based on the available coverage.
However, some routers provide the option to disable this feature, allowing users to have separate WiFi network names for the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. If you intend to connect home automation devices in your residence, there are two options to ensure seamless connectivity without encountering any issues:
1. Disable Smart Connect and configure separate WiFi network names for the 2.4GHz band, specifically for home automation devices.
2. Create an additional WiFi network similar to a guest network, but with connectivity to the primary local network. This setup enables exclusive connection of all home automation devices to this designated WiFi network.
The second option is particularly advantageous as it allows for dedicated connectivity of all home automation devices to the specific WiFi network.
Possibility of having a WiFi Mesh network
Mesh networks have revolutionized the way we achieve seamless WiFi coverage throughout our homes. In the past, WiFi repeaters were commonly used to extend coverage, but Mesh networks have transformed this experience, offering the best possible user connectivity. With Mesh networks, WiFi roaming between different nodes is enabled, allowing us to move seamlessly from one node to another without experiencing any interruptions in the WiFi connection.
Certain routers are designed to be “expandable,” meaning they allow for the connection of additional routers from the same manufacturer to create a comprehensive mesh WiFi network. Manufacturers like ASUS, AVM, D-Link, and others provide this capability, although it’s important to ensure compatibility within the same manufacturer. While ASUS and AVM routers are generally compatible with each other, other manufacturers may have different router families that may not be fully compatible.
When considering the purchase of a new router, it is advisable to select one that is expandable, so that you have the option to add more nodes in the future to enhance wireless coverage throughout your home.
Configuration of the DNS servers
Having fast and reliable DNS servers is crucial for a smooth internet experience. While many people rely on the default DNS servers provided by their internet service providers (ISPs), there are instances where these servers may not be optimal in terms of speed or may even have restrictions and blocks due to legal reasons. To address these concerns, we recommend using reputable DNS servers such as Google’s DNS or Cloudflare’s DNS.
By opting for Google’s DNS or Cloudflare’s DNS, you can potentially enjoy faster domain resolution and even benefit from additional features. For instance, Cloudflare offers DNS servers specifically designed to filter out malware and advertising, providing an added layer of protection. Simply selecting the appropriate DNS servers can enhance your internet browsing experience.
Furthermore, it is worth considering whether your router supports DNS over HTTPS or DNS over TLS. With these protocols, all DNS queries made from your router to the configured DNS servers are encrypted end-to-end, ensuring a higher level of security. Routers like ASUS or AVM offer support for DNS over TLS, enabling you to enhance the privacy and integrity of your DNS communications.
Possibility of having a VPN server
To ensure a secure internet connection when using open WiFi networks, it is highly recommended to set up a VPN server in your home. Many modern home routers now come equipped with VPN server functionality, allowing you to establish a secure connection to your local network and redirect your internet traffic.
There are several VPN protocols available, but we advise using WireGuard whenever possible. WireGuard is known for its exceptional speed and robust security, making it an excellent choice for secure connections. If your router supports OpenVPN, it is also a viable option, although the configuration process may be slightly more complex.
The availability of VPN protocols may vary depending on the brand and model of your router. However, it’s worth noting that most home routers today incorporate this essential feature, enabling you to safeguard your connection even when you’re away from home. By setting up a VPN server, you can enjoy the peace of mind and protection that comes with a secure internet connection.
If you need to bypass regional blocks on devices like Smart TVs or IPTV decoders that do not natively support VPN connections, you can achieve this by using a router with a built-in VPN client. With this setup, you can configure the VPN service on your router and select specific devices to route their internet traffic through the VPN.
It’s important to pay attention to the router’s capabilities regarding which wired or WiFi clients can access the internet via the VPN. For instance, ASUS routers, with features like Fusion VPN, allow you to choose specific clients that will utilize the VPN connection, while AVM routers redirect the traffic of all clients through the VPN.
By using a router with a built-in VPN client, you gain the flexibility to extend VPN functionality to devices that wouldn’t typically support it, granting you the ability to bypass regional restrictions and enjoy unrestricted access to online content.
VPN client to bypass regional blocks
If you find yourself needing to connect devices like Smart TVs or IPTV decoders to a remote VPN server to bypass regional blocks, but these devices don’t have built-in VPN support, you can accomplish this by using a router with a built-in VPN client. By configuring the VPN service on the router, you can select specific devices to be “marked” and have their internet traffic routed through the VPN.
It’s important to carefully consider whether the router allows specific wired or WiFi clients to access the internet via the VPN, as some routers offer this flexibility while others redirect the traffic of all clients. For example, ASUS routers, with features like Fusion VPN, enable you to specify which clients can utilize the VPN connection, while AVM routers require all clients to have their traffic redirected through the VPN.
By leveraging a router with a built-in VPN client, you can overcome the limitations of devices that don’t support VPN connections and enjoy unrestricted access to online content by securely connecting to a remote VPN server.
Vendor Native Dynamic DNS
Dynamic DNS, also known as DDNS, is a convenient feature that enables the association of a domain with your public IP address. With DDNS, if your IP address changes, the domain will automatically point to the new IP address on the Internet’s wide area network (WAN). This functionality eliminates the need to manually update the IP address associated with your domain.
Some router manufacturers, such as ASUS and AVM, offer their own free dynamic DNS services. This is particularly useful as it allows you to avoid relying on external services that may have transitioned to paid models or impose limitations on account usage.
By utilizing dynamic DNS, you can effortlessly access all the resources on your local network without needing to remember the ever-changing public IP address. Instead, you only need to recall the customizable domain associated with your router. This streamlines the process of connecting to your local network and enhances accessibility.
Most routers come equipped with time-based parental controls, as they are relatively easy to implement. With this feature, you can specify the times during which wireless or wired clients are allowed to connect to the Internet. However, it’s worth considering the option of purchasing a router that includes content filtering capabilities. This way, you can selectively permit access to certain Internet content while blocking the rest, providing a more comprehensive approach to parental control.
If your router doesn’t have built-in content-based parental controls, there is an alternative solution available. You can utilize DNS servers that offer content filtering functionality. By configuring your router to use these DNS servers, you can achieve similar results, although you may have fewer configuration options compared to routers with integrated content filtering features.
Parental controls based on time and content
Most routers come equipped with time-based parental controls, as they are relatively easy to implement. With this feature, you can specify the times during which wireless or wired clients are allowed to connect to the Internet. However, it’s worth considering the option of purchasing a router that includes content filtering capabilities. This way, you can selectively permit access to certain Internet content while blocking the rest, providing a more comprehensive approach to parental control.
If your router doesn’t have built-in content-based parental controls, there is an alternative solution available. You can utilize DNS servers that offer content filtering functionality. By configuring your router to use these DNS servers, you can achieve similar results, although you may have fewer configuration options compared to routers with integrated content filtering features.
Bandwidth Monitoring
Having visibility into which devices are consuming excessive bandwidth is crucial for managing and optimizing your network. It allows you to identify and limit certain wired or wireless clients that may be monopolizing resources and impacting the performance of other connected devices. Some routers, especially those designed for gaming, include a bandwidth monitoring feature that provides insights into the usage patterns of all connected clients, giving you a clear understanding of how your Internet connection is being utilized.
With this valuable information, you can take advantage of Quality of Service (QoS) functionality to prioritize traffic on your local home network. For instance, if you notice heavy P2P (peer-to-peer) traffic causing network congestion, you can configure QoS to assign it a lower priority. By doing so, you ensure that activities such as online gaming, streaming, and web browsing are given higher priority, resulting in a smoother and more reliable user experience.
QoS to prioritize certain network traffic
When it comes to online gaming, the Quality of Service (QoS) feature is of utmost importance for a router. It allows you to prioritize gaming traffic over other types of traffic like web browsing, streaming, or video calls, ensuring a smoother and more responsive gaming experience. The flexibility of QoS configurations can vary depending on the technology implemented in the router.
With QoS, you have the capability to prioritize specific types of traffic, such as game traffic, and allocate it higher priority. Additionally, you can prioritize devices based on their unique MAC addresses, ensuring a seamless gaming experience for those specific devices. Some routers even allow you to prioritize devices connected to specific ports, providing further customization options.
If you’re seeking a router that can enhance your gaming experience through traffic prioritization, it’s crucial to carefully examine the QoS configurations it offers. Keep in mind that not all home routers provide advanced QoS capabilities, so it’s important to select one that meets your specific needs and preferences.
Automatic firmware updates
Ensuring that the firmware of our router is up to date with the latest version is crucial. However, as users, it can be impractical to constantly monitor and manually update the firmware. That’s why it is highly beneficial for routers to incorporate an automatic update system. With this feature, the router will not only notify us when a new firmware is available but also download and install it automatically at a convenient time when our internet connection is not in use.
Fortunately, most manufacturers now offer this automatic update functionality. However, it’s important to activate this feature to enable the router to seamlessly download and install firmware updates without requiring any intervention from us.
These 10 essential functions we’ve discussed are what we believe every modern router should have, even though you may not utilize some of them. By having these features available, you can ensure a more secure, efficient, and optimized network experience.
