helps you find the perfect gadget. ver. 1.8.7

This is a series of blog posts about moving into my new apartment and my search to find great products to fill it with. Check out my earlier blog posts: coffee makers, portable wireless printers, home soda makers and toasters!

I recently needed to buy a wireless router for my apartment. I knew nothing about routers. I didn’t know there were different types or why some cost so much more than others. I did the research and now want to share my findings with the world.

“The more expensive the router, the more features it will contain. Higher price, however, doesn't necessarily mean better performance,” wrote Samara Lynn in a PC Magazine article (a good place to learn the basics of wireless routers).

To save you the confusion, I've laid out some of the important decisions and terms you will come across in your search.

Deciding Between Single and Dual Band:

Single band sends out a 2.4GHz signal, while dual band can emit a 2.4GHz or 5GHz signal. For your sake, if you have a big house, or lots of computers hooked up to the same router, you are going to want the more expensive dual band.

What All Those Letters Mean:

A,B,G, or N? The letter on your wireless router (for example 802.11N) describes the speed of a router. A, B and G routers are older and slower (and cheaper), but N is the fastest and the newest router technology available. Newer gadgets, like your new MacBook Pro, will work perfectly with N routers. Don’t worry if your computer is a few years old though, all N routers are compatible with older machines. Although they are more expensive, I would go with an N router because they are more reliable and have the fastest connectivity speed.

In case you don't feel like doing the research, I picked out a few great routers based on different user profiles.

Best on a Budget- D-Link DIR-615 Wireless N Router ($41.99-74.99)

The D-Link is a solid router that's also easy on the wallet.
This is a good, simple router. It won’t break the bank and many customers agree that it has a simple set up. The D-Link has no bells, whistles, gigabit or USB ports (which means you can't really use it for gaming). This is a good all around entry level wireless router.

Best for Gaming- Netgear N600 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router WNDR3700 ($149.00)

This Netgear router can handle all the video games your heart desires.
According to CNET, serious gamers should buy Gigabit Wireless N routers for “when more than one clients stream digital content from the same source.” The Netgear N6000 has four gigabit ports and is a dual band router. It can also simultaneously stream 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz frequencies.

Best for the Technologically Impaired-Cisco Valet Plus ($129.99)
The Valet Plus can basically install itself.
The Cisco Valet Plus is the best option for anyone who has spent more than three consecutive hours trying to set up any gadget. Consumers and professional reviewers have noted that this is a very simple product to set up and use, even if it is only single band. If this router were in my budget I would have bought it.

If you're having troubles with a router you already have, check out this PC World article, "6 Annoying Router Problems- And How to Fix Them" to see some quick fixes for your router.

Next Up: Are you a person who relies on advice from the salespeople in electronics stores? Let me know how that works for you because I’m doing a little experiment to see which wireless routers electronics stores recommend.