Imagine spending a day with zero internet connectivity. What’s even worse is trying to work, stream, or play with a frustratingly slow internet. Without a seamless internet connection, you won’t be able to work, entertain yourself, or do basically anything else.
Even if you have great internet service, you won’t be able to experience it in its full glory unless you have the right hardware. This is where a Gigabit router comes in. A gigabit router can support download speeds of up to 1,000 MBPS.
In this comprehensive guide, we are going to teach you about gigabit routers and what to look for before buying a gigabit router.
Introduction to A Gigabit Router
The role of a router is to spread internet networks throughout your home or business. But, not every router is the same. To be able to experience your internet service at its full potential, you need an ideal router.
A gigabit router is ideal for a gigabit internet connection. It can support download and upload speeds of up to 1,000 MBPS. A Gigabit router is not like your ordinary router, the more money you spend, the more features you’d get.
Gigabit routers also have stunning designs compared to ordinary routers. Moreover, gigabit routers contain gigabit LAN ports. Gigabit LAN ports provide is the best way to get maximum bandwidth to your device.
The Gigabit router is generally more expensive than normal routers.
What Is Gigabit Internet?
Gigabit internet is able to provide internet speeds up to 900 MBPS. This much speed means that your family can stream content in 4K individually without any buffering. Gigabit internet makes all the difference between seamless connectivity, and buffering.
Smart homes especially contain endless smart devices. Smartphones, smart lights, smart fridges, and other devices need constant internet connectivity.
It can affect the speed and stability of the internet and reduces problems that come with slow internet service. Thankfully, gigabit internet can help us provide a stable and seamless internet connection without disruption.
Gigabit routers are devices that handle gigabit internet smoothly. The gigabit internet is capable of delivering one gigabit of data (1000 megabits) per second.
Moreover, Gigabit internet works symmetrically which means the download and upload speeds are equal in every condition. Well, if you need to upload large-size videos, and wants speeds and stability, Gigabit internet is an excellent option.
Comparison: Gigabit Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, and Switched Ethernet
As Gigabit Ethernet, Cable Ethernet, and Switched Ethernet are the ethernets that are used for establishing connections between devices including Wired Local Area Networks (LAN) or Wide Area Networks (WAN).
The ethernet enables communication with all of the devices which are included in the system through a protocol. The ethernet identifies, receives, and processes data on the same LAN or campus network.
| Cable Ethernet | Gigabit Ethernet | Switched Ethernet |
| Transmits data at a rate of 100 Mbps. | Transmits data at a rate of 1000 Mbps. | Transmits data from 10 Mbps bandwidth or 100 Mbps for Fast Ethernet. |
| Works with twisted-pair cables or optical cables. | Works with fiber optical cable. | Uses switches to connect individual hosts or segments. |
| Transmits data without protocol conversion or network software changes. | Transmits data as beams of laser light through fiber-optic cables. | Transmit data without protocol conversion or network software changes. |
Do You Need Gigabit Internet?
You definitely need gigabit internet if you want a seamless internet connection. You and your entire family can play, stream, and play without having to worry about bandwidth limit.
And even if you use your internet for lots of things like playing games, heavy live streaming, downloading large files, or something else, you’ll find Gigabit speeds amazingly seamless. Here are the most common reasons why you need Gigabit internet:
1. It’s Faster
Gigabit internet is becoming more and more common, and millions rely on it. Fiber gigabit connection is ideal for big families with large internet appetites. Moreover, everything you do online will be done smoothly and quicker compared to cable or DSL internet service.
2. There’s Less Latency
If you are one who spends time with online video games or online music streaming, you may be familiar with the words ping, lag, and latency. Thankfully, Gigabit internet sends and receives signals from the server faster than other internet services, and eventually, it helps in smoother gameplay on the screen and fast response.
3. Better Bandwidth
Bandwidth means the required capacity to deal with a situation. Having Gigabit Ethernet means that you have more bandwidth to perform your day-to-day work and can transfer higher data in less time.
If you want a seamless gaming experience and want a competitive advantage, you should definitely try out Gigabit internet.
Limitations of Gigabit Internet
It is needless to say Gigabit internet is one of the best internet services, but it does have some limitations. Let’s talk about some basic limitations of Gigabit internet service:
- Availability
While the Gigabit internet service is widely available in major cities in the US, it’s still not available in a lot of places. If you’re in a remote part of the country, or in a small city, then chances are you won’t get fiber internet.
Since it’s available in most US states, you shouldn’t have trouble finding an ISP to get gigabit. Many ISPs offer multi-gig services at competitive and reasonable prices now. However, you should always check before purchasing.
- Equipment
To experience gigabit internet service at its peak, you need a gigabit router. Gigabit router tend to be more expensive than ordinary routers. Some gigabit routers can even cost up to $500 – $1,000.
Best Gigabit Routers
The good news is that there is a huge range of Gigabit routers to choose from. As a result, you can find these devices easily if you’re in the market for a new router. However, this wide availability makes it difficult to choose the right one. Below are some of the best gigabit routers available in today’s market.
- TP-Link Archer AX11000
The AX11000 is one of the best routers on the market. It offers three 1GB+ ports, packed with 8 1 GBPS LAN ports, one 2.5 GBPS WAN port, and two USB 3.0 ports. The AX11000 is inspired by the model of the Archer C5400X, which uses 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5).
2. ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000
The ROG Rapture GT-AXE16000 is the world’s first quad-band WiFi 6E gaming router which comes with incredible speeds of up to 16000 Mbps.
It has the full potential of the four frequency bands — 2.4 GHz, two 5 GHz* bands, and 6 GHz — with 160 MHz channels in the 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands for the fastest speeds possible.
It also comes with many built-in security features such as a tool to block malicious sites and parental control software.
3. TP-Link Archer AX21
Most people do not that, The TP-Link Archer AX21 is one of the cheapest Wi-FI 6 routers. This comes with the all important features which are expected in a good WiFi router, such as solid AX1800 speeds, basic parental controls, and quality of service, controlling four 1 GBPS LAN ports.
