Are you looking for a new router and don't have the hours to learn about modern router technology? Don't worry:With the eight questions we've listed and explained below, you should easily be able to find a router with all the features you need in your price range. Let's dive in!
Contents1. Does the router have Wi-Fi 6 or another high-speed Wi-Fi standard?2. Does the router support 2.4GHz, 5GHz or 6GHz Wi-Fi?3. Does the router support QoS (Quality of Service)?4. Does the router support MU-MIMO?5. Does the router have multiple antennas?6. Does the router support mesh networking?7. Does the router have enough Ethernet and USB ports for your needs?8. Does the router support custom firmware? (Optional)Parting WordsFirst, let's make sure your router is up to date on the hardware front. Wi-Fi 6, also known as 802.11ax, is the latest version of Wi-Fi at the time of writing and offers superb speeds and low latency. With Wi-Fi 6E, you also get faster and more reliable operation in the 6 GHz band, compared to the 5 and 2.4 GHz limits of older Wi-Fi standards.
If you're hoping to extend range and reduce latency, a high-end router with multiple long-range antennas might be just what you're looking for. If the router in question also supports MU-MIMO and beamforming (a technique that focuses a wireless signal towards a specific receiving device), those extra antennas are put to good use. Beamforming, in particular, makes good use of the additional antennas.
A Wi-Fi mesh network has multiple routers sharing the same name and information, allowing for smooth movement and high speeds indoors. This is an alternative to the much cheaper but inferior solution of Wi-Fi repeaters.
Unlike mesh networks, a network built on Wi-Fi extenders will have a more visible network and will be much more prone to lag and latency as they only repeat signals from a single originating router. Although you can save a lot of money by building a network with Wi-Fi extenders rather than a full-fledged mesh setup, mesh is still better in every way except price. P>
While mesh networking is a pretty cool feature, it's probably not necessary for most of our readers. If you live in a multi-story house or a larger residence, the mesh network is very attractive as a simple solution to extend your network.
While choosing the right features for a wireless router takes a lot of thought, it's important to remember what your actual cables have to offer, especially if you're a gamer or power user. /P> 
Ethernet ports can be used to route to gaming PCs and game consoles to minimize in-game latency, for example. Even on fast networks, this level of reliability may be necessary, especially for streamers and competitive gamers.
USB ports can be used to connect external printers or drives to a network as well as to enable (custom) firmware updates if the router supports this feature. However, you usually cannot connect via a USB connection to a router. That's what Wi-Fi and Ethernet cables are for. Even if you could, a USB cable is inherently much slower than Ethernet or Wi-Fi.
If you like to tweak your tech to your heart's content, a router with custom firmware support may be just what you're looking for. Routers with custom firmware support can be upgraded with software features that the original router might not have, such as QoS or VPN integration.
While custom firmware is far from a necessity on high-end routers, it's a great way to take an old or cheap router and turn it into something really worth using. Adding QoS to a router that doesn't otherwise have it via custom firmware can greatly improve things like your gaming experience, especially if you're on a slow connection and don't have a lot of bandwidth to spare. .
If taking control of your router and pushing it further than expected sounds appealing to you, check out our DD-WRT vs. Tomato vs. OpenWrt where we stack the most popular router firmware face to face!
With the questions above, you now know what to look for when buying a new router. In addition, you may also want to know how to buy ethernet cables if you plan to use an ethernet connection.
Image credit:Abhi25t, Marie-Lan Nguyen, Abhi25t
