A Comprehensive Guide to Choosing a Router Brand For Your Business
Your business has internet service from a company, and that provides the connection to fiber optic, satellite, or DSL internet outside your office or building by bringing the lines inside using a modem. For a computer to connect to the internet, you need to either attach it to the modem using cables or establish wireless connectivity through a router.
Routers manage the internet traffic around your offices by making sure data packets (information) are routed to the correct IP. If your HR department is waiting on tax paperwork from a new employee, that information must be routed to the correct computer. A router helps control the flow of information. Routers can also be used to create a local area network (LAN) so that multiple devices can connect to the internet or specific shared item such as the office printer.
A business needs a router for the routing of information and the flow of traffic on the company’s network. This also adds security by being able to block out threats or barring access to the network if a computer’s media access control (MAC) address isn’t verified as being part of the organization or even in the building.
As a business owner or IT team leader, it’s important to choose the best router brand for your company. There are a variety of routers out there from companies like Asus, Linksys, and Netgear, but they may not suit your company. Sometimes, a larger business needs routers that are specialized for business use. Our guide can help you choose the best router brand for your business.
Primary Factors to Consider When Choosing a Router
How do you even get started choosing the best router for your business? You need to ask yourself a series of questions to narrow down the right equipment.
How Fast Is Your Internet?
Before you do anything else, you need to figure out your maximum internet speeds. If your service provider promises 1.25 Gbps, you need a router capable of handling these speeds.
At the same time, it’s important that you research brands that are compatible with your modem. Your internet provider will have a list for you to refer to. Check compatibility before you purchase a router and avoid disappointment.
How Big Is Your Office or Building?
How large is your building? If your employees are spread out on multiple floors, a business router mesh system or Wi-Fi extender may be a better option. If you have concrete walls, thicker walls absorb signals and impact wireless connections. You need to make sure the router you have is placed properly and extends to each office.
How Many Employees, Contractors, and Guests Use Your Internet?
Get a count of employees, contractors, and guests who will be using your internet each day. You need to make sure the router is capable of that many users. It’s better to overestimate how many users you’ll have. If your company grows, you’ll have space to accommodate them.
What Devices Are Connected and Used in Your Company?
Take a count of the different devices that are used in your company. How many phones, laptops, desktops, and wireless printers need to connect? How many users will be connecting to printers during work? Are there also tablets, smart speakers, and payment systems connecting to the internet? This helps determine how much traffic could be flowing through the router each day.
What Types of Security Measures Do You Require?
What security is required? Do you need a VPN, firewall, or something more than that? A hospital or bank will have different computer security requirements than a printing company. If you’re not sure what the best security measures are, it’s still important to know what information needs to be kept private and what security rules are for your industry.
Are There Extra Features You Want?
Are there any extra features that would make it easier to run your business? A dual-band or multi-band router is going to offer multiple frequency bands – usually 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz.
What other features could help? Do you need more ethernet ports than usual? Do you need analytics that monitor network traffic and alert you to unexpected increases?
What Brands Are Recommended?
There are many brands on the market. While you might be able to go to your local office store and find a router that’s in stock, some brands are meant more for home use than office use. They might work for your home office, but in a larger business with dozens of employees, they’re not going to be as effective as Cisco or Juniper routers.
Cisco:
You have to go back a long time to reach Cisco’s origins. The company was founded by two Stanford University employees back in 1984, before home computers were really even a thing. Cisco has watched the world of connection and the internet grow from the start, and its products are among the very best that businesses will find.
Juniper:
Juniper is a main player in the world of business networking equipment and was founded in 1996. By 2001, Juniper held 37% of the core routers market. The company’s team of experts are known as Junivators because they are innovative, creative, and committed to delivering the networking equipment that delivers more than you imagined to be possible. Juniper provides excellent products, including their best-of-breed routers, that never let businesses down.
Linksys:
Linksys has been in the networking business for more than 30 years. They were the first to introduce home routers with remote access (2012) and the first EtherFast Cable/DSL router in 1999. Most of its routers are for homes and home offices, but Linksys does offer products like ethernet switches, business switches, and business access points.
Netgear:
Netgear has a long history of providing networking equipment for residences and businesses. The company was founded in 1996 and has won awards for its network solutions focused on distance learning, online gaming, and remote work.
TP-Link:
TP-Link was founded in 1996 and has provided networking accessories and devices designed for daily living. The company is known for providing affordable solutions to meet an individual’s networking needs. Most of its routers are designed for home use, home offices and studios, and online gaming. There are a handful of routers with VPN and 10G ports designed for business use.
Always Ask an Expert for Guidance
Contact Brightstar today to speak with a sales representative about your company’s current networking setup to determine the best router for your needs. To ensure the best network protection and flawless network performance, sometimes additional options like network switches are highly recommended. Our team brings more than 45 years of combined experience to ensure you have the right networking equipment.
We specialize in refurbished routers from Cisco and Juniper and can provide quality routers in like-new condition for prices as low as 95% of the MSRP. We also purchase used networking equipment, so you might be able to sell your unneeded equipment and save even more money. Talk to Brightstar for recommendations, pricing, and more information on our one-year in-house warranty.