Choose the Best Small Business Router: A Comprehensive Guide

Are you still grappling with the decision of selecting the appropriate business router? It's common to feel perplexed. Choosing an enterprise router is a more intricate process compared to purchasing a home router. Simply relying on online router rankings or store sales is no longer sufficient. Factors such as coverage, number of connections, speed, and VPN security are all crucial considerations for business routers. To those not well-versed in networking terminology, these terms may appear daunting. However, rest assured that the following article is here to provide clarity and reassurance.

How Can a Router Benefit Your Small Business?

Having a dependable and effective router is essential for your small business as it facilitates internet connectivity, facilitates data transfer, and ensures secure network operations. These features are crucial for the smooth functioning of your business. Take a look below for a detailed exploration of the various advantages that a high-quality router can offer to your business.

• Facilitate Employee Data Access

To ensure the smooth operation of your business, it is crucial for all employees to have access to important data. This is where web and cloud-based file-sharing servers play a vital role. These digital tools enable you to store documents on a shared online server accessible only to you and your employees. With a reliable router, your employees can connect to the network and access these essential files from their own devices.

• Enable Real-time Communication

Timely responses to customer inquiries, comments, and concerns are essential for providing excellent customer service. To meet this challenge, businesses need responsive and reliable networks. Routers play a crucial role by providing efficient connectivity and seamless data flow, ensuring that customer queries are directed to the appropriate channels. This enables your business to promptly address customer requests, leading to an enhanced digital customer experience.

• Minimize Unnecessary Costs

Having reliable access to business tools such as printers and scanners is crucial for employees to perform their jobs efficiently. The inability to print a contract, for example, can disrupt business operations and result in wasted time and money. Routers come to the rescue once again. By connecting shared resources like printers, scanners, and fax machines to your business router, you can ensure that employees always have access to essential tools for their work. Moreover, these shared resources become easily accessible to everyone on the network, eliminating the need for individual setups and reducing expenses.

Seven Considerations When Choosing a Small Business Router

Base Type: Wired vs Wireless

• Number of Mobile Devices: A small office with a few computers may not need a wireless router. However, if you have a lot of wireless devices, a wireless router is a good choice because it provides greater flexibility.

• Working Environment: If your office has many walls, metal elements, mirrors, or concrete, these materials can hinder wireless signals. In such cases, a wired router might be more suitable. However, wireless networks offer greater convenience for employees, which can enhance job satisfaction. If you value employee input, opting for a wireless router can earn you more respect.

Frequency Bands: Single-Band vs Dual-Band vs Tri-Band

• Single-Band: Offers a single 2.4GHz band, suitable for smaller setups.

• Dual-Band: Provides both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, allowing for traffic separation and minimizing congestion. Ideal for businesses with around ten employees.

• Tri-Band: Combines one 2.4GHz band and two 5GHz bands, maintaining high speed even with multiple connected devices. This option is future-proof and minimizes interference, making it perfect for high-demand users. Choose based on your business size and needs.

Ports: WAN vs LAN

• WAN (Wide Area Network) Port: Provides internet access by connecting to a modem or wireless broadband. A typical router usually has one WAN port and four LAN ports. However, relying on a single WAN port in an enterprise network is risky. If this port fails, all computers on the network will lose internet access, leading to downtime and potential business disruptions. This is why dual WAN ports are recommended. Dual WAN ports offer redundancy, allowing you to add a 4G card as a backup if your primary internet provider goes down. This setup also enables the use of two separate networks, ensuring constant connectivity. While you can't predict network quality, having a backup plan increases reliability.

• LAN (Local Area Network) Ports: These connect the router to other internal devices, sharing the same IP network.

Remember, whether considering WAN or LAN ports, the general rule is: the more ports you have, the more flexible your company's network will be. However, balance the number of ports with your company's size to avoid unnecessary costs.

Speed

Even on the same IP network, the wireless speed may vary greatly depending on the router model. This affects the speed of the computers in the enterprise network to a large extent. To work efficiently, it's best to buy a router that supports the latest standards such as 802.11ac protocol. And newer technology implements the 802.11ax version which brings more speed and wider range.

Quality of Service

Most routers offer a quality of service feature that lets you prioritize network traffic, which can change the overall performance of a network service. For example, you can give higher priority to voice and video traffic (such as from VOIP calls or Skype) because their network latency is more sensitive than web browsing and social networking. Another example is giving a particular device a higher priority than other devices or giving a lower priority to visitor access. This function improves the working efficiency of different working groups in the enterprise from the perspective of reasonable utilization of resources.

Content Control

When you run a successful business, you don't want to see your employees checking their private social accounts during work hours, which can often have a negative impact on work. On the other hand, if you're concerned about the possibility that an employee may inadvertently download malicious software that can damage a business network, you should consider buying a router with a content-filtering option. Besides, the router you choose must have backend functionality. It allocates broadband and network access, allowing visitors to access the network safely and without privacy concerns.

Security

Security is the foundation of all enterprise networks. When it comes to security, there is no way around one term: VPN, an inevitable part of any business router. Smaller businesses can usually get away with using a consumer-level router. But if you require more functionality or security, consider a VPN router. Superior compatibility, strong protection capability, completely automated options and unlimited connectivity are just some of the benefits of VPN routers. No one can refuse the convenience it brings.

Conclusion

Choosing the best small business router may seem daunting at first, given the multitude of factors to consider, such as coverage, number of connections, speed, and VPN security. However, understanding the specific needs of your business and how a reliable router can enhance employee productivity, real-time communication, and cost efficiency will ease the decision-making process. By carefully evaluating the factors mentioned above, you can confidently select a router that not only meets your current needs but also supports your business’s growth and operational efficiency in the long run.

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