Where Do We Stand?
From the responses to last week’s blog, it is safe to say that for many, a world without internet access is hard to imagine. Really though, when you need a solid internet connection for work, studying or catching up on your favorite shows, having a poor connection is almost as bad. Right now, with much of the world working from home, poor connections can make working from home frustrating. Work can end up being much less productive than working in the office where corporate has the resources to invest in sound and solid computer networks. While fast and reliable internet undeniably starts with having a good provider, owning the right gear and devices helps to support it. We’ve compiled picks for helping you set up and secure a dependable home Wi-Fi network.
Router Options
More than anything, as we mentioned in last week’s blog, when it comes to setting up a home Wi-Fi network, it’s important to have a good Wi-Fi router that has a decent connection range, and that’s able to handle a crowded network. While there are a lot of routers out there to choose from, our top pick is the Netgear R7000P Nighthawk. It is a (warning: “tech talk” ahead) dual-band, three stream 802.11ac router and it offers solid speed and throughput performance across long and moderate ranges. That all means that is has good speed and a long range signal. Also, its load-balancing band steering automatically kicks in when networks are busy, which means you won’t sit around clicking refresh and resending requests. We like that its toggles and features are easy to find. This router is ideal for larger spaces, especially homes that experience coverage issues. What’s that? Yes, of course we have them available for you can at Infinite Solutions.
Need A Boost?
In some homes in the B.V.I., it isn’t uncommon to try moving a router around to find the best signal. However, with spaces larger than 2,000 square feet — or small to large spaces with brick, concrete, or lath-and-plaster interior walls — relocating a router might not do the trick. Instead of just using a single router, a range extender or a Wi-Fi mesh-networking kit (which uses multiple access points) can be used to improve overall Wi-Fi performance and range. A range extender is the cheapest and most popular of the two but in terms of performance and quality, these Wi-Fi mesh-networking kit is best. Wi-Fi range extenders are the best cheap option for smaller spaces whereas mesh kits are best for whole-home coverage. Our choice of range extender is the Netgear AC1200. It is a (warning: “tech talk” ahead) 802.11ac, dual band, gigabit, wall-plug device with external antennas. It should be paired with a good router and is best for improving the speed of one device at a time over a network that isn’t too busy. The Netgear AC1200 is compact, plugs into a power outlet and has an Ethernet port for easily connecting nearby devices. It’s a helpful middle-ground option for strengthening a Wi-Fi connection when you don’t need a mesh-networking kit and already have a decent router that doesn’t need to be replaced. For the Wi-Fi mesh kits, our top pick, the Netgear Orbi RBK50, comes with a base router and satellite, each unit is a tri-band device. We think these two units are enough for supporting a solid home Wi-Fi network in most spaces, but you can add another unit to this kit if necessary. The Netgear Orbi RBK50 is equipped with more than enough Ethernet ports, and it will work without an internet connection during setup or an internet outage. Admittedly, this is a pricey device but worth the price because it can cover an entire house when the units are properly place and you the right amount of them. I’m also happy to say that, both device s can be ordered from Infinite solutions.
Food for Thought
Other countries have actually developed standards to ensure seamless connectivity in residential units. These standards provide specifications for telecommunication premises cabling systems and related pathways and spaces requirements for single- and multi-dwelling residential buildings. These specifications apply to both the telecommunications cabling within and between residential dwelling units. They even ensure that provision is made for computer network cabling while building a house. Rooms and bedrooms in a house would have network points upon completion and the only need would be to hooked up the devices. The ANSI/TIA-570-D “Residential Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard that was developed by the TIA TR-42.2 Residential Infrastructure Subcommittee in the United States and published in July, 2018 is an example. Standards like this help many societies push forward. As the British Virgin Islands develops infrastructural standards will be inevitable. What do you think?
Next week we’ll take a deeper look in to the networking infrastructures of those corporate companies we mentioned earlier with the sound and solid internet access. What do they have that you don’t? There’s so much to look in to. See you guys next, thanks for reading.
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