- #WIRELESS ROUTER FOR MAC COMPUTER DOWNLOAD#
- #WIRELESS ROUTER FOR MAC COMPUTER FREE#
1 We didn’t care about latency-the amount of time between when the computer made a request and when the router responded to it-for this large-file download, but we did want to see an overall throughput of 100 Mbps or better.
The last laptop sat in a spare bedroom downstairs at close range and downloaded a very large file. It also downloaded 16 128 KB files simultaneously, and on this laptop we looked for the same quick load times. The third laptop sat in the living room across the house, simulating a second browsing session. Once every 20 seconds or so, it downloaded 16 files of 128 KB each simultaneously to simulate loading a modern web page ideally pages should load in less than 750 milliseconds. The second sat in the garage and simulated a web-browsing session. #WIRELESS ROUTER FOR MAC COMPUTER DOWNLOAD#
It tried to download data at up to 30 Mbps, but we were satisfied if it could average 25 Mbps or better, which is what Netflix recommends for 4K. One sat in the downstairs master bedroom and simulated a 4K video streaming session.Spending twice as much buys small improvements for few people, and spending only half as much would mean, for most people, giving up a lot.
When considering both features and our test results, we looked for “ the best for the most for the least.” Right now, paying around $150 buys you excellent performance and features that offer real benefits. But we don’t consider the cheapest or the fastest to be the best.
Price: You can buy a router for $20, and you can buy one for $500. The things we like to see that justify spending more for a router include link aggregation, built-in security utilities, extra Ethernet and USB ports, VPN connections, and parental filtering. Nice-to-have extras: Fast, reliable Wi-Fi is what matters the most, but more expensive routers add features that bring other benefits, too. Not all manufacturers publish these details, but we do consider the standout hardware when deciding what to test. No matter how good the radios that broadcast the Wi-Fi are, the slow single-core processors found in most cheap routers can still drag things down. A fast processor and RAM: A router with a speedy multi-core processor and extra RAM can handle more connected devices and offer improved performance. We looked for routers with at least four ports, an arrangement that also lets you connect to any Ethernet or powerline extenders you have in your home. #WIRELESS ROUTER FOR MAC COMPUTER FREE#
At least four Ethernet ports: A free Ethernet port gives devices such as TVs, streaming boxes, and gaming consoles the benefit of unfettered access to the internet bandwidth you’re paying for.A great router minimizes that wait even if the network is busy serving other devices. Low latency test results: Slow internet sucks, and latency-or lag-is the time you have to spend waiting for the next thing to happen.We tested each router from up close and from far away to confirm whether it will allow you, for example, to stream high-quality videos on the far side of your living space. Good range test results: You should be able to connect to a well-placed router from anywhere in an apartment or a small house.
In our tests, network speed, or throughput, varies from “this YouTube video will never finish loading” to “you can download a video game in an instant.” Generally, we looked for the routers that performed above average, and we dismissed the slower routers.
Good speed test results: Speed claims on the box don’t mean much in the real world. Any phone or laptop you buy today or may have bought in the past few years uses the new standards, and having more than one band makes it easier for your router to manage traffic around any slower, Wi-Fi 4 devices on your network. The cheapest routers-which cost as little as $20 or $30-use a single band, or frequency, of the Wi-Fi standard that came out in 2009 (802.11n, rarely referred to as Wi-Fi 4). Current-generation technology: Since we’re looking to improve your Wi-Fi, we considered only dual- or tri-band routers that support the more recent Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 standards.