When evaluating routers, what aspect do you think is the most important to look for?

With an overwhelming amount of different routers brands and models available on the market, it can be challenging to make sure you pick out the right one. In order to make the right choice, make sure to do your research, and evaluate the pros, cons, advantages, and disadvantages of all of them, so you can make an informed decision. Here are some of the basics you should consider when thinking about choosing a router: - LAN ports: If you want to connect computers or other devices directly to the router using an ethernet cable, make sure the router you have selected has sufficient LAN ports. - Application preference: Since most wireless routers can be configured with a smartphone app, it is a good idea to compare the different routers you are considering, to gain a sense of what your experience will be like. - Compatibility: Check to see if your new router is compatible with your ISP. Even though most routers should be compatible with any ISP, it is still recommended to check anyway, especially if you are considering a modem-router combo. - Signal: Pay attention to the antenna options that come with the router. If your router has two external antennas, you will get the best signal if one is pointed vertically and the other is pointed horizontally. - Internet speed: It is important to make sure your router supports the internet speed you pay for. To get the fastest Wi-Fi speeds available, even when you have multiple devices and people connecting at the same time, you will want to choose a router that offers more speed than what is advertised with your internet plan. If you need the max speeds you can get from your router, it is better to connect to your router with an ethernet cable. - Wireless protocol: When looking for a router, look for a newer wireless protocol to determine how good the router’s throughput and range are. A router that supports one of the newest wireless protocols should do the job. These include 11ax (Wi-Fi 6), 11ac (Wi-Fi 5), and 11n (Wi-Fi 4). - Check your devices: If you are unsure if you need WiFi 6 or not, it is best to check your devices. It is likely that only your most current gear will be able to take advantage of WiFi 6 speeds. - Optional features: When buying a router, you want to make sure you are getting the features you need in order to use your internet services to their full potential. Some features that are worth looking for are Quality of Service (QoS) and Multi-User, Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output (MU-MIMO). - Price: Routers can vary in price and can range from being inexpensive to midrange. Make sure to choose the one that suits your budget best. - Mesh Wi-Fi or extenders: The average wireless router covers about 2,500 square feet. If you get your router set up and it doesn’t beam a Wi-Fi signal to the farthest points of your home or office, you can always grab a Wi-Fi extender or mesh Wi-Fi system to amplify the reach of your Wi-Fi signal. No matter the brand of router you choose, you will want to make sure it meets your needs and has good reviews before buying it. Personally, I recommend routers from brands like NETGEAR, TP-Link, ASUS, and Linksys, or Google, D-Link, and Synology.

When I compared the top routers on the market, I found Cisco Enterprise Routers received the best rankings. An incredible aspect of Cisco Enterprise Routers is that Cisco Routers specifically enable connectivity between different networks, cloud and on-prem networks, enterprise networks, Service Provider Networks, etc. With Cisco Routers you can transfer data from one place to another, and also keep the data in separated tenants for different customers. In fact, by using Cisco Routers, it is possible to expand your organization’s enterprise network around the globe. Another good thing about Cisco Routers is that they are compatible with a lot of other vendors, such as Juniper, Arista, Aruba, Extreme Networks, Palo Alto Networks, and more. Cisco Routers can send the probe to different monitoring tools, such as LibreNMS, LogicMonitor, and Grafana. Another major advantage that Cisco Enterprise Routers offer is security. Cisco Enterprise Routers can connect with security devices or vendors to secure the organizations. Cisco Firewalls such as ASA Firewall are capable of having the features such as threat protection and securing the parameter. What's great about it is that Cisco Routers can be connected to any security vendor equipment or cloud to secure the enterprise network. Furthermore, with Cisco routers, you can turn ports on and off. Shutting off ports makes things more secure. I also like the user management. You can tie Cisco into Active Directory so that you know who is logging into the router and making changes versus everyone using a generic admin account and password. Cisco Routers also help give access to applications and data using different routing protocols or static routing. Compared to other routers, Cisco routers are very competitive and up to date. They are able to connect with Internet Service Providers (ISP) using the default route or BGP, and they help maintain the redundant network to provide better access to data and applications. In addition to the above benefits, Cisco Enterprise Routers are very powerful. They improve the transmission speed of packets and offer high performance in the network. They also increase productivity rates. Moreover, they are very reliable for networks that are constantly growing traffic with fixed or modular systems that allow handling large traffic flows. Another aspect of Cisco Enterprise Routers is that they have a wide range of product portfolios, from small business series to massive ISP grade routers. Most of the series is well suited for enterprises with a large number of branches, but the small business series is designed specifically for companies with fewer sites. Others are made to be used in large internet service providers. Some of the features I like most about Cisco Enterprise Routers include its data boosting, WAN, Cisco Intent-Based Networking and Digital Network Architecture (DNA), and the embedded event manager in Cisco IOS. I also found the routing protocols, HA protocols (HSRP, GLBP, VRRP), NAT, and tunneling features to be particularly helpful. I would highly recommend Cisco Enterprise Routers because I consider them to be very secure, they have high performance, they are easy to configure and manage, and they effectively prevent the presence of intruders. The only drawback that I can think of is that Cisco Enterprise Routers are on the expensive side.

The best router is the one that works for you.   If you have a big budget for purchase today and for a lifetime of ongoing maintenance and training, Cisco is a great choice. They are the gold standard.   Personally, I have never needed or been able to justify the expense of Cisco, but I have not worked for large enterprise companies. First, you have to know what you need the router to do. Then you can figure out what will work best and at the least cost.