Wired and Wireless Routers

Wireless broadband routers look much the same as a wired router, with the obvious exception of the antenna on top, and the lack of cable running from the PCs to the router when it is all set up. Creating a wireless network adds a bit more security concerns as opposed to wired networks, but wireless broadband routers do have extra levels of embedded security. 

Along with the features found in wired routers, wireless routers also provide features relevant to wireless security such as Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and wireless MAC address filtering. Additionally, most wireless routers can be configured for "invisible mode" so that your wireless network cannot be scanned by outside wireless clients.  Wireless routers will often include ports for Ethernet connections as well. For those unfamiliar with WiFi and how it works, it is important to note that choosing a wireless router may mean you need to beef up your Wi-Fi knowledge-base. After a wireless network is established, you may possibly need to spend more time on monitoring and security than one would with a wired LAN.

Wired and wireless routers and the resulting network can claim pros and cons over each other, but they are somewhat equal overall in terms of function and performance. Both wired and wireless routers have high reliability and reasonably good security (without adding additional products). However —and this bears repeating — as we mentioned you may need to invest time in learning more about wireless security. Generally, going wired will be cheaper overall, but setting up the router and cabling in the computers is a bit more difficult than setting up the wireless network. Of course, mobility on a wired system is very limited while wireless offers outstanding mobility features.

Are Routers Expensive?

Below is a sample price comparison of routers and expected features as well as current pricing in U.S. dollars from online vendors found through PriceWatch in August 2009.

ROUTER	PORTS	Manufacturer Description / Features	PRICE
NetGear WGR614 Wireless Cable/DSL Router	4	802.11g router offers wired and wireless connections. Up to 54 Mbps of wireless throughput. Four RJ-45 Ethernet ports allow for wired connections to the network. Includes a double firewall, WPA and 128-bit WEP encryption	$25
Linksys WRT110-RM Draft-N 802.11N Wireless Broadband Router	4	Internet-sharing Router with 4-port switch and Wireless Access Point. Much faster than Wireless-G when connected to Wireless-N, but also works great with Wireless-G and -B devices	$30
Linksys EtherFast BEFSR81 Broadband Router	8	Simply connect the Linksys BEF-SR81 Wireless Router 8 Port 10/100 Switch to your DSL or Cable Modem and all the computers in your home or office can share the Internet all at the same time.	$80
D Link Systems NetDefend VPN Firewall	8	D-Link answers the need for a Broadband VPN Router. The DIR-130 is a simple-to-deploy routing VPN and firewall solution designed specifically for the Small Office / Home Office	$90

Today you can purchase a basic sub $90 broadband router that will enable you to share your broadband Internet connection with multiple computers in your home or small office.  Before buying a router, however, you need to take into consideration the type of Internet connect you have, and how many ports you will need for individual computers, and of course, make the choice between wired or wireless. It is always a good idea to purchase a router with extra ports in case you need to connect additional computers at a later date.

You can also decide if your broadband router will be providing your PC security or if you're going to purchase a separate hardware firewall for protection. If you are thinking of purchasing a firewall in addition to a broadband router, you may want to check out our recent article on software and hardware firewalls.