How to Buy a Wireless Broadband Router

Video Transcript

"Hi I'm Chris Bryce with Super Service dot com. Here's how to buy a wireless broadband router. There's a couple of things to keep in mind when looking for a wireless router. The biggest of those is if it has the modem built in to it or not. If you are looking for a wireless broadband router that has the modem built in, and you are using DSL, this is something that would normally work fine and will allow you to eliminate all the extra boxes. So instead of having a DSL modem that is hooked to your router then sends out the signal you would have an all in one box that has the DSL modem built in to the wireless router. Most of the DSL companies out there will allow you to do this, and are very easy to set up. On the other hand if you have cable internet service, there are wireless broadband routers out there that have the cable modem built in to them, but most of the cable internet providers out there will not allow you to use your own cable modem equipment if it's got the wireless router built in to it. You may have to purchase this directly from the cable internet provider. That's just something to keep in mind when you are looking at a wireless router to make sure if you need the modem built in, if you are using DSL it's probably ok. If you are using cable, you may run into a problem. So you might want to check with your cable internet provider before buying an all in one unit. Aside from that, when you are actually going to purchase the unit itself, if you go to a retail outlet you are going to want to look at the different styles of wireless connections that can connect to that router. Most of todays newer routers will have wireless n technology or wireless n plus. This allows you to connect to the fastest and widest range connections that you can. This means that if you are in a home or office and you have the wireless n router set up, that you can access that router from up to a thousand sometimes two thousand feet away. Whether there's obstructions in the way or not. It's not going to matter, you are still going to get that good connection. The beauty of the wireless n routers is that they are also backwards compatible. So they'll usually accept a wireless b or wireless g connection to that router without any problem. So if you got the newest and latest and greatest laptop card or desk top card, for wireless internet, you'll be able to access that wireless n router. But even if you've got a couple of years old machine, that one will still connect to the router without a problem. The thing to keep in mind is that if you go and you find the fire sale items at our retail outlet and they've got this router on sale that's a wireless g or a wireless b and it's thirty nine dollars or twenty nine dollars you need to make sure and look at that because your newer laptop may connect, but it's not going to connect as fast as it could and you are also going to have problems with it not connecting at the same range. So you might only have a one to two hundred foot range or four hundred at the absolute best. But those are the things to keep in mind when buying a wireless broadband router."