Choosing the Right Router for Your Cable Internet Plans

Cable high-speed internet plans provide a single connection for your home. If you want more connections, that is not a problem at all, but obviously you will have to pay extra money. Such situations usually occur when you have more than one computer in your home that needs a cable Internet connection. Whether you have a family or a roommate, ideally you should share the connection, rather than just interfering one with each other and getting conflicts over the Internet.

For all these situations, the routers are the perfect solution. A router is a device used to "split" the cable Internet connection in more directions. In order to choose the right device, you need to know first how it works. The cable Internet goes in the router, while at least two other cables go from the router to the computers. In order to start your search, you must first ask yourself how many computers you will have to connect. Each model has more "outs", but the most common ones come with 4 of them, which is normally enough.

Once you install the router - normally in the middle of your house - it is time to set it up. You will get a CD or a DVD with the software and a manual of instructions or just a read-me file to follow some steps. The cable Internet connection should have no problems going through the router, since the configuration is very easy and can be done within minutes. Once you got it all ready, get some extra wires and connect the other computers as well. The router will not affect your cable Internet connection. The only problem you may consider is sharing the connection. If two of your roommates download a game for instance at the same time, the overall download speed will obviously be smaller.

If you own more laptops than desktops in your house, then perhaps you should split your cable Internet connection with a wireless router. A wireless router is similar to a regular one, just that you won't have to bother with cable Internet wires going out from the router to the other computers. Everything is done wireless, therefore your cable Internet connection is up wherever you decide to place your laptop. Make sure you protect your router with a password, to avoid intruders. Obviously the signal will go farther than your home. Also, place the router in an open area, not under your desk.

Before opting for a router, make sure you contact your cable high-speed Internet provider. Although such cases are very rare, there are cable Internet plans that precisely forbid routers through their contracts. Finding such a device may lead to a suspension of your service or a fee.

As long as you ask your cable high-speed Internet provider if you are allowed first or you just check the contract from the first to the last paragraph, a router shouldn't give you too much headache. It is easy to install, fast to set up, provides the same service and you also lose some of the cable Internet wires in your home if it is wireless.

Choosing Wireless Internet As Your Online Access

You already know that you want to be able to get online at all times of the day and you want a reliable connection when you get online. What you don't know is what type of Internet connection you want to use to connect to the World Wide Web. You have a few options for Internet connection while some of them are more reliable and easier to use than others. The most popular forms of Internet connection are cable, DSL and wireless Internet.

You can get online with a dial-up connection in your house and access the Internet, but you might find the connection slow and stressful when you're trying to work efficiently online. Not only will you be operating with slow dial-up speeds, but you will also be stuck at your computer desk through a cable connecting your computer to the wall. You won't be able to get up and move around while you're using your Internet connection because you will have to use it while you're connected to the wall through the cable. Many people also don't like using a cable Internet connection because they have to work with the company that also provides their cable television connection and some people prefer not to do that. It could be that your cable TV provider is not reliable or you just don't want to give that one company more of your business.

Many other people connect to the Internet with a DSL connection. It is faster than a cable Internet connection but you still don't have the mobility you could get with a wireless Internet connection. You can get online quickly and easily from your computer desk with DSL, but you will still be stuck at your computer desk. Also, so people are not even able to get a DSL connection because it requires you to have a special cable for your phone lines in your house. Some houses don't have the required equipment and therefore can't even connection with DSL.

The other high-speed connection option is to use WiMax. You can get online with mobility rather than being trapped at your computer desk in your house or office by a cable or phone line connecting your computer to the Internet. You will be able to access the Internet from virtually anywhere in the city when you get online using mobile wimax. You won't have to sit at your computer desk while you work online because you can do your online research in the office, in your living room, in the kitchen and even outside of your house. You can get online while running errands all over the city so you will always be connected without sitting at your house or office.

You'll also be working on a 4G network so you'll have a connection that is faster than your typical dial-up connection or the connection you would get with a 3G network. You can do everything you need to do online quickly and easily and without being confined to your desk like you would be with cable or DSL.

Choosing the Right Wireless Internet Provider in Your City

Everyone wants to go wireless these days, and why not? You don't really need wires anymore, especially when all they do is get in the way and limit your mobility. Wireless technologies have advanced so much lately that they're no longer at a disadvantage when it comes to speed and reliability. They're also more affordable than they've ever been before as well. You may already be sold on the fact that you could benefit greatly from a wireless internet connection, but which provider should you choose? You've actually got a few options to choose from, though only one is going to make sense.

An example of a wireless option that doesn't make sense for most people is satellite internet. The one thing that it does have going for it is that it's a broadband connection you can sign up for no matter where you happen to live, which makes it a great replacement for dial-up where cable and DSL are not available. Other than that, because it's somewhat slow, cannot be used in a mobile capacity, and a bit expensive, it's not a good wireless internet solution for most people.

Sometimes Wi-Fi is advertised as being a wireless connection that people can use throughout their city, but that's a bit misleading. Wi-Fi was first designed to allow computers in a home to connect to each other without wires. Its range was and has always been limited to a few hundred feet at the very most and under ideal conditions. If there are obstacles in the way such as walls or even trees, you can expect the signal to weaken significantly. Since most cities have a lot of buildings scattered around and because most also span a distance much greater than a few hundred feet, one Wi-Fi router is not going to be enough to provide a complete wireless internet solution. In order to do that, numerous routers have to be spread out over the entire city. Thus, you're likely to end up being disconnected a lot as you move around over long distances,which ultimately makes Wi-Fi an undesirable solution.

The only thing left to consider is a cellular internet connection, and this is where you can expect to find what you're looking for. This technology has advanced a lot lately from the somewhat lackluster 3G network to the fast, reliable and affordable 4G network. At the current time though, there are a number of different standards competing against each other. As far as performance goes, there really isn't a big difference between them, contrary to what their marketing campaigns might lead to you to believe. They're all going to be plenty fast for most people. The only difference arises from coverage areas.

Although it's best to look up coverage maps online, you're probably going to discover that Wimax has all the others beat, which is due in large part to the fact that it has been around a lot longer than the others. Because of this, it should be your choice for wireless connectivity.