NETGEAR WIRELESS ROUTER CONFIGURATION HOW TO
QoS settings will let you tell the router how to do that, and what takes precedence. If your network is dealing with both, it’s going to need to direct all of those packets to and from the correct place. Gaming, on the other hand, tends to be more sporadic with smaller packets going to and from the device you’re playing on. Watching your favorite Twitch channel in high-quality tends to need a continuous flow of big packets going to the device you’re viewing on.
NETGEAR WIRELESS ROUTER CONFIGURATION SOFTWARE
Different devices and software will use different amounts, sizes, and frequencies of data packets for whatever they need to do. Basically, all of the data being transferred through your network is handled in “packets,” which are groups of information that are being downloaded and uploaded to/from devices on your network. QoS, or Quality of Service, is the terminology used to describe what is effectively a traffic controller for your network.
Additional devices will tend to then be wireless to avoid the mess of running cables through the house. A more typical scenario is that you’ll have your desktop computer close enough to where your router or modem resides, so you can wire them up behind a desk or under a table without running cord across the floor. For most homes new and old, though, that’s not the case. In an ideal world, your home is wired up with high-capacity cables and ethernet RJ45 jacks throughout your home. If your wires end up needing to be longer, you may need additional hardware to boost the signal along the way, or accept the potential drop in speed. CAT6 and CAT6a cables support up to 10GB connections for about half that distance, at about 55 meters. CAT5e, CAT6 and CAT6a cables are certified to support up to 1GB connections for up to 100 meters (about 328 feet) of length.
Without going too deep into the designs and specifications of cables, you’ll likely want a CAT5e, CAT6, or CAT6a cable with RJ45 plug ends for your wired network cables. Generally speaking, a wired connection between a router and other devices is done by an ethernet or network cable. Both connection types have their perks and limitations that will influence what works best for your needs.Ī Cat5e cable can connect any device with an RJ45 port directly to your router. That said, gaming over Wi-Fi isn’t out of the question. Wireless is still great and super convenient, but it has weaknesses that a direct, wired connection to the router doesn’t. In most cases, a wired connection is the way to go for speed and reliability-and that’s especially important when it comes to gaming. The Asus AX1800 features Wi-Fi 6, MU-MIMO for handling multiple devices on the network, and four gigabit LAN ports for wired connections. Our guide to the best mesh Wi-Fi routers can also help point you in the right direction if you’re looking to ditch your Internet provider’s networking gear. These specs might be difficult to locate for some router models, but there is marketing jargon that may help you identify higher-quality hardware, such as MU-MIMO, Wi-Fi 6 or “AX” support, and multi-gigabit LAN or WAN ports. Physical specifications are much like those of a PC-you’ll want to look for routers that have more processing power and more RAM. A simple router will have a hard time keeping up with so many connected devices, resulting in notable impacts to speed and connectivity. You’ll need to consider every device that connects to the router directly via wired or wireless connections, such as computers, laptops, cell phones, tablets, smart TVs, game consoles, connected doorbells, digital assistants, smart thermostats, Wi-Fi light bulbs, and so on. The more devices you have connected to your router, the more robust your router needs to be in order to handle the network effectively. Just like any other computer, a router has processing and memory hardware that is handling all of the connections coming in and out of it.