Router Choice — Wireless or Wired?

Reader Pat Daniels is getting ready for some home networking, and wrote to ask about routers:

Hi Terry, I need some advice on routers. I am thinking about buying a set of Ethernet Adapters that uses the wiring in you house and you plug them into your electric sockets.Would I use a wired or wireless route with them? Thanks for all the info that I have learned from you. Sincerely, Pat Daniels

I wrote back to Pat to explain that, unless she plans to use a wireless adapter in a laptop, or use a wireless adapter in a desktop computer that isn't near the wiring (and if she's using one of the power-line adapters for her networking, that wouldn't be the case), the wired router is all she needs.

Having said that, the price difference between the wired and wireless routers is almost non-existant — and there's not much demand for the wired-only routers. You can often find wireless routers on special sales for much less than a wired router would cost.

Most wireless routers allow you to turn off the wireless functionality - be sure to do that if you aren't using wireless. Look for the ability as soon as you get the router — or download and check the manual before you buy it — if you can't turn off wireless, get a different model or from a different manufacturer.

Copyright © 2008 Terry A. Stockdale. All rights reserved.