How to select a sim card Wi-Fi router?

Mar 15, 2022

Functions of a Wi-Fi router

External network (WAN), Internal IP sharing (LAN), Provision of network(Wi-Fi)

In a modern office or home, we are used to connecting various devices like laptops, smartphones, and smart appliances to the internet through Wi-Fi. The most common method used is a Wi-Fi router which converts the fixed-line signal into one that can be broadcast by a wireless network.

Key points when selecting a Wi-Fi router:

“stability”“transmission speed” “signal coverage”information security”

In this article, we will provide several suggestions on how to select a Wi-Fi router.

Firstly, select a device that meets your demand as well as provides the corresponding port types, like Ethernet ports for connection to a modem and other devices, an RJ11 xDSL port for xDSL connection to the fixed-line, RJ45 ports for Ethernet, and an RJ11 FXS port for the built-in VoIP.

Common Ethernet ports

WAN port : connected to a modem

LAN port : connection to a local network

The indicator LED lights on a Wi-Fi router to allow the user to check the connection status of devices. The power LED, usually indicating the system status, turns red when the system fails for any reason. LAN1~LAN4 monitors the status of Ethernet LAN and Wireless LAN (WLAN). Refer to your Router Manual for more details.

【External network WAN｜Broadband network】

◆ Check the current network rate plan with your carrier

◆ Check the type of internet connection (Ethernet WAN, 5G/LTE, xDSL, or Fiber)

When connecting to an external network, you can use either Ethernet WAN or xDSL and the speed is based on the current network rate plan. In addition, the router should be equipped with a WAN port that matches the download/upload bandwidth to get the optimal internet speed.

For example, if the carrier provides a fiber internet of 100M (download)/40M (upload), then you should use a router with a Gigabit WAN port.

【Internal network LAN｜Local area network】

◆ Confirm your wireless router specifications

There are two interfaces for LAN: Ethernet and Wi-Fi. The speed depends upon the Wi-Fi router used.

Wired speed (RJ45): 10/100/1000(Gigabits)
Wireless speed (Wi-Fi): WiFi4,WiFi5,WiFi6

Ethernet (RJ45)

The internet speed provided by the carrier is usually measured in units of Mbps (Megabits per second) and the data transfer rate in MB (Megabyte) or GB (GigaByte). One byte equals 8bits and 1GB is equivalent to 1,000MB.

For example, fiber network specifications of 100M/40M mean that download speed will be 100Mbps and upload speed will be 40Mbps. So, if a file is downloaded at a full speed of 100Mbps in 10 minutes, the total data transfer will be 7.5GB (100Mbps x 10min x 60sec / 8bits = 7,500MB).

Another point to check is the network speed of the Wi-Fi router and connected device. The speed of the slowest device determines the network speed. For instance, if a 1Gbps device is connected to a 100Mbps Ethernet Wi-Fi router the speed will be limited to 100Mbps.

Selecting an Ethernet cable

Category	Max transmission speed	Transmission distance	Max bandwidth
Cat 5	10/100Mbps	100m	100MHz

Cat 5e	1Gbps	100m	100MHz

Cat 6	1Gbps	37-55m	> 250MHz

Cat 6a	10Gbps	100m	500MHz

Cat 7	10Gbps	100m	600MHz

UTP = Unshielded Twisted Pair

STP = Shielded Twisted Pair

FTP = Foiled Twisted Pair

【Wi-Fi】

◆ 802.11n (Wi-Fi 4) / 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) / 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6)

◆ 802.11ax 1500 =300Mbps (2.4GHz) +1200Mbps(5GHz)

Current Wi-Fi market standards include the earlier Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) operating on 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels, Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), which is the most popular now, operating on the 5GHz channel, and the latest generation, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) operating on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz channels.

Each generation is backward compatible with previous standards and offers new features like faster speed and better user experience. The user selects the standard suited to their demand and budget. The speed obtained is limited by the slowest device in the chain between the Wi-Fi router and the connected device. When connecting to a Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) communication device, a Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) smartphone can only establish a connection using Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n).

In addition to the speed of the wireless device, the user also needs to consider the WAN speed. Again, the speed of the slowest device in the chain will determine the overall speed.

If the home wireless speed is 1.7Gbps Wi-Fi 5, but the WAN is 10Mbps, the limit will be 10Mbps.
If you use a rate plan of 100M/40M at home and your Wi-Fi 4 router has only single-channel Wi-Fi 4, this will slow the overall speed.

Wi-Fi standards

	Wi-Fi 4	Wi-Fi 5	Wi-Fi 6
Standard type	IEEE 802.11n	IEEE 802.11ac	IEEE 802.11ax
Frequency band	2.4GHz & 5GHz	5GHz	2.4GHz & 5GHz
Max channel bandwidth	40MHz	160MHz (Wave1/80MHz)	160MHz
Max speed per channel	150Mbps	867Mbps(Wave1/433Mbps)	1200Mbps
Max channel count	4	8	8
Max speed	600Mbps	6933Mbps(Wave1/3466Mbps)	9600Mbps
MIMO	Yes	Yes	Yes
MU-MIMO	N/A	Downlink only (only Wave2)	Uplink & Downlink

Single-band /Dual-band /Tri-band

Single-band	Dual-band	Tri-band
2.4GHz	2.4GHz+5GHz	2.4GHz x 1 + 5GHz x 2 (eg: Mesh)

2.4GHz	5GHz (Dual-band)
Wide coverage	Small coverage
low speed	high speed
strong penetration	weak penetration

Secure Wi-Fi communications

As wireless signals have few barriers and are transmitted through the air, it is easy to find your neighbor’s hotspot. In the same way, your neighbor can find yours, even on a smartphone. Walls have ears and eyes nowadays. If the transmitted data is not encrypted it is a simple matter for those with bad intentions to get what they want. So, the first thing to do after unboxing and powering up your new Wi-Fi router is to set a password.

WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) significantly improved the specification of connection authentication, data encryption, the prevention of data tampering, and the maintenance of data integrity. Later, with the evolvement of data security, Wi-Fi Alliance announced WPA2 and WPA3 standards and continuously enhances the specification of authentication, encryption, and the prevention of data tampering.

Branded routers on the market, which have been developed according to the accepted standards and manufacturers’ expertise will usually have good performance and be trustworthy and reliable. Consumers can evaluate their demands using the suggestions given here to find the most suitable product. Sometimes, problems encountered may not be a design issue, the product chosen may not have been one that properly addresses the demand.

As long as the products on the market are branded products designed and developed by the manufacturer's self-mastery technology, there will be a level of performance above a certain level, and the reliability of the products is also trustworthy. Users only need to grasp the above points to pay attention to, evaluate their own needs, and then learn about the evaluation of each brand's products from various forums, and then choose their favorite brands and favorite styles according to the demand standards, and they should be able to choose. The best wireless router for you. Sometimes the problem is not necessarily a product problem, but that we have not picked a product that suits our needs.