#GAMING ROUTER AND MODEM BLUETOOTH#

But in 2020 and beyond, there is only going to be more demand for Internet connected devices like a Roku or smartphone. If you’re in a smaller home, you can certainly get by fine with a dual band router. With dual-band routers, QoS has been a great feature to have, and it’s one you may want if you’re buying a dual-band router in the $80 to $100 range. But I did put the settings on streaming to see if there was any noticeable difference. I had plenty of bandwidth for about 20 devices including three TVs streaming video. I didn’t really need QoS while testing the Archer A20. So if you wanted to make sure your Roku was the first in line for getting WiFi over a smart speaker, or another Internet-connect device, you can regulate that with the Archer A20. Quality of Service (QoS) feature for better HD and 4K Streamingįor a few years now, I have also become a fan of QoS, or Quality of Service, where you can prioritize traffic for particular devices. You are literally flipping a switch under the advanced wireless settings. You can setup and control the Archer A20 settings with a smartphone app or web-based interface. It’s really easy to enable Smart Connect. TP-Link calls its version of band steering SmartConnect. And yes, it can be Fred.īand steering is also a common feature on mesh networks. Instead of having three network names such as Fred-2.4GHz, Fred-5GHz, and Fred-5GHz-2, you’ll just having a single network name. It lets the router decide which devices go on the 2.4 GHz band, and which gets 5Ghz.īasically, band steering prevents all your devices from hopping onto one band in your network. There are two other features that make the TP-Link AC4000 router stand out.īand steering lets you use a single network name for all your Internet connected devices. Once you have the router out of the box, you just need to connect it to your modem, and open either the TP-Link app or pull up the web interface to set up your SSID and password. Orange light means internet isn’t available.

On the back of the router, there’s a USB 3.0 port, 4 Ethernet ports, a USB 2.0 Port there’s also a reset button, power button,Ī blue light show you internet is available. The third band has 2.4 GHz of bandwidth for WiFi coverage in areas of your home that are further away from your router. It broadcasts two bands on the faster 5 GHz bandwidth. So there’s less congestion and competition among your streaming devices.

With a 5GHz frequency, you’re getting a faster data rate, but at a shorter distance.T he Archer A20 has an extra 5GHz band that can connect more devices. Now you’re adding to those demands with your home entertainment.Ī Roku Streaming Stick, Amazon Fire TV, a PlayStation game console, tablets and smartphones are all pulling bandwidth from your router. The good part about 2.4GHz is that it can travel through walls and longer distances.

#GAMING ROUTER AND MODEM BLUETOOTH#

Baby monitors, garage door openers and Bluetooth earpieces all operate on it. Lots of everyday items in your home already use 2.4GHz bandwidth. To stream in 4K - you’ll want about 25Mbps.īut consider this - the avalanche of hardware that has come into your home in the last few years has really changed the demands of a home WiFi network. To stream Netflix in HD you need about 5Mbps. Netflix and Hulu don’t require a lot of internet bandwidth - even if you are streaming in 4K. So if you’re just getting into cord cutting, you want a powerful, wireless internet connection. Why you should buy a tri-band router in 2020

Gaming router and modem