WEBVTT 00:00:02.240 --> 00:00:08.800 This is either a sneeze, a word you use when you want to confuse the sales rep 00:00:06.480 --> 00:00:12.320 at the local Best Buy, or it's all the different kinds of wireless you can get 00:00:10.240 --> 00:00:15.759 for your devices. Probably that last one. Let's start with this. Wireless 00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:19.600 standards are mostly backwards compatible. So, while you might have a 00:00:17.359 --> 00:00:24.560 laptop with wireless and 300 megabit and a smartphone like the HTC1 with wireless 00:00:21.760 --> 00:00:27.439 AC, your AC router or your N router will work with both devices. So, if you don't 00:00:26.160 --> 00:00:31.039 feel like watching the rest of this video, just go buy a router with good 00:00:29.439 --> 00:00:35.200 reviews on Amazon.com and you'll be fine. If you do want to learn more, 00:00:33.120 --> 00:00:39.440 first up is speedgrade standards. These start with 00:00:36.360 --> 00:00:41.120 802.11 and a suffix. Often a speed 00:00:39.440 --> 00:00:45.440 number is thrown in by the manufacturer, and you might see something about 00:00:42.640 --> 00:00:49.120 concurrent dual band, which amounts to a theoretical doubling of the speed 00:00:47.280 --> 00:00:53.760 normally associated with that standard. However, you will only realize that 00:00:51.440 --> 00:00:58.160 performance benefit with devices that also support concurrent dual band. These 00:00:56.160 --> 00:01:01.280 speed numbers don't really represent what you'll see in the real world, 00:00:59.359 --> 00:01:05.680 though. Wireless is subject to protocol overhead and performance reductions 00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:09.840 caused by distance, obstacles, and interference. In fact, sometimes 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:14.000 reducing these factors can do more for performance than buying better gear at 00:01:11.840 --> 00:01:18.720 all. Now, with that said, a dualband router can help even if you're not able 00:01:16.400 --> 00:01:23.280 to use concurrent dual band. Because if you have 5 GHz capable devices, 5 GHz 00:01:21.680 --> 00:01:27.280 signals are less susceptible to interference from cordless phones, 00:01:24.720 --> 00:01:33.119 microwave ovens, etc. So, while maximum range is actually slightly reduced at 5 00:01:30.080 --> 00:01:35.040 GHz, signal integrity can be better. 00:01:33.119 --> 00:01:40.079 Third party firmware compatibility is another big selling point. DDWRT is an 00:01:38.159 --> 00:01:44.720 example of a firmware that can unlock additional, sometimes enterprise or 00:01:42.560 --> 00:01:48.479 prograde features on your router. Check if your router is compatible on their 00:01:46.640 --> 00:01:51.920 website before buying if you want to tinker with it. Some router 00:01:50.079 --> 00:01:56.159 manufacturers, however, will avoid your warranty for flashing unofficial 00:01:53.439 --> 00:02:00.399 firmwares. So, watch out for that. QoS or quality of service systems such as 00:01:58.240 --> 00:02:05.040 WD's automated FastTrack Plus or Lynxys's manually configured options can 00:02:02.880 --> 00:02:09.520 allow you to prioritize certain PCs, applications, or even types of network 00:02:06.960 --> 00:02:14.080 traffic such as video streaming, voice clients, or gaming over others, which 00:02:12.160 --> 00:02:18.319 can be very handy for multi-PC households. Many routers also have USB 00:02:16.560 --> 00:02:23.200 ports, so you can add a hard drive to them for centralized file storage or PC 00:02:20.800 --> 00:02:28.720 backups. It's no substitute for a real NAS, but it's better than nothing a lot 00:02:25.040 --> 00:02:30.400 of the time. And don't forget about the 00:02:28.720 --> 00:02:34.160 wired connections on your router. Honestly, this should be what you're 00:02:32.160 --> 00:02:38.640 using for anything that isn't a tablet, smartphone, or ultrabook. Find a way to 00:02:36.480 --> 00:02:43.360 get gigabit, even if it means spending a couple more bucks. Unless your PC is 00:02:40.879 --> 00:02:47.640 very old, it will support gigabit, which is 10 times faster than 1000 for 00:02:45.440 --> 00:02:52.800 transferring files in the real world and usually many times faster than wireless 00:02:50.800 --> 00:02:56.239 because of that interference malarkey I was talking about before. Last step, 00:02:54.959 --> 00:03:02.400 well, this is just the first step. Again, after you decide what features you need, go to a trusted retailer 00:02:59.760 --> 00:03:07.519 website and read user reviews. We personally love the EA4500 from Lynxys 00:03:04.800 --> 00:03:10.879 and we're moving to an EA6500 soon for wireless AC support. But everyone's 00:03:09.360 --> 00:03:14.640 experience may be a bit different and even from a trusted company, I usually 00:03:12.959 --> 00:03:17.599 won't buy a router unless I hear a few solid testimonials. Speaking of 00:03:16.400 --> 00:03:23.440 testimonials, here's one for audible.com. Go to audible.com/techquicking. Get a free 00:03:20.879 --> 00:03:26.720 audio book for signing up. Yay. I was so offended by The Hobbit movie, I thought 00:03:25.040 --> 00:03:30.959 it might be beneficial to go through a cleanse and read through The Hobbit book 00:03:28.959 --> 00:03:34.480 again by J.R. Tolken. The unabbridged version on Audible is only 11 hours 00:03:32.640 --> 00:03:37.920 long, which is about how long that one scene with the dwarves and the 00:03:35.760 --> 00:03:41.440 dishwashing and the singing seemed to last. No, but seriously, the movie 00:03:39.920 --> 00:03:44.480 wasn't that bad, but it certainly wasn't the book. Head over to 00:03:42.920 --> 00:03:48.640 audible.com/techwicki to get your free audiobook now. And unlike my Twilight 00:03:46.959 --> 00:03:52.319 recommendation a couple weeks back, I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy this one. Don't 00:03:50.480 --> 00:03:55.840 forget to like this video, leave a comment about it for the Techquickie 00:03:53.920 --> 00:03:59.760 team under the video, and as always guys, don't forget to subscribe to 00:03:57.200 --> 00:03:59.760 Techquickie.