If you’re the person responsible for purchasing a new broadband router you may be a bit overwhelmed with the number of choices available to you. You must decide what are the most critical features that must be evaluated and make your choice based on these factors.

It’s no secret that the router you choose will play an important role in the network that you are responsible for, so making a safe, sober choice is of the utmost importance. You’re likely aware that one of the most critical tests that a router must pass to be added to your network is whether or not it can perform at top levels and will virtually guarantee an uninterrupted connection to the Internet. Companies of any size these days must have a direct, unbroken Internet connection that is available around the clock, and anything less is not acceptable in today’s fast-paced business environment.

You’ll of course expect your network to meet or exceed all of the demands that will be placed on it, so you must think carefully about locating the correct sort of router that will fulfill your wishes and perform at optimal levels.

Analyze whether or not the features offered on any given machine that you’re considering are options that you really need, and if they will best serve the company and its requirements for network connectivity and guaranteed service.

You’re of course looking for smooth sailing, which means untroubled Internet connectivity as well as security options that will protect the network yet permit mobile applications users to gain access to the enterprise without any difficulty.

Outlets and ports are the first parts of the router that must be examined when you’re evaluating the appropriateness of any machine. This will be critical for your traffic management needs. You’ll likely discover that most machines will have four Ethernet ports and one wide area network port. That limits you to four devices that you can connect to that router at any given time.

You could overcome this limitation with an external switch connected to an Ethernet port, which would allow you to hook up more computers to the network. The switch will provide a plethora of ports to which you can connect computers to your network, which will always come in handy.

You’ll also want to check to see if the routers you are considering include XENPAK modules, which can positively affect your network’s performance.

Check the optical transceivers that are in use to get a better picture of your network’s performance potential. Cisco SFP modules, small form-factor pluggable (SFP) modules, a compact optical transceiver typically used in gigabit Ethernet networks, can also play a role in improved network performance.

If you examine the routers you are choosing from carefully, you will begin to see advantages that will benefit your network. These factors are well worth paying attention to.

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