Do routers speed up your broadband connection?

Question

Or do they slow it down. I just bought a NetGear router with 54 Mbps . My internet seems faster since I have installed it. I was also wondering if you disconnect your router and just run your cable modem directly to the computer will it work or does the router change your connection settings when you install it? I only bought this router so I could hook up my Playstation 2 to it.

Answer 1

A router should have little effect on your broadband speed. But since it remains connected, there is little time wasted in creating a new connection.

Why switch back and forth? The router helps to isolate your computer for the RAW Internet, by creating a safer Local Area Network. YES, use the Router to connect additional Internet devices too it. That's what it is all about.

Answer 2

Routers are not designed to boost your Internet link. You may experience faster browsing with the new Router - may be, because, your previous connection has some bottleneck somewhere unknown to you. For instance, if you previously connect directly to a PC running WinXP, 2000 or the like, you may have a lot those "???wares" that slows down your PC operations and eventually drags down the Internet speed or a virus, worm, Throjan sits on the link.

THe router, though, will provide a measure of security for your access.

I will stronglys suggest that you make do with the router. It is a better and professional way of providing Internet access for your home. When you are ready to connect more PCs, just connect the router cable to a switch and connect all other PCs to the Switch and off you go. The single IP address on the router is enough for all your home PC to gain Internet access.

I hope the above is helpful.

Answer 3

READ THIS... I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT

The 54 Mbps is your wireless speed. You can reach higher speeds depending on the kind of router. If you have a gigabit LAN router you can reach 1000Mbps (for your internal network) other wise, you most likely have a 100Mbps connection. That is the most common. Just make sure your wireless connection is either disabled or secured. You will not see a noticeable difference in speed with or without a router. But I highly recommend that you use it because of the security that routers have built in to them. You'll be surprised what people can do to people who use a direct connection.

Answer 4

It won't speed it up. But it is a good way to keep people out of your computer. Most routers have firewall built in, and you can connect other computers to it, if it is a Wireless Router then you can also connect all of your wireless devices as well (laptops, pda, cell phones, pc's) So I would keep the router in place. The speed factor is not that great, since you are getting too many benefits

Answer 5

The router will help with flow control and security. Though it would theoretically slow your connection a little since it has to pass through the router, the benefits in my opinion outweigh this.

Answer 6

Never speed up, they may slow it down if someone in the house managed to throttle your own speed to the router or other machines are actively using the connection to the Internet.

Answer 7

Your upload and download speeds are limited the speed of your DSL line. As for the router, its a shared resource so if you're hogging bandwith on one computer all the rest of them on the router have that much less bandwith to share. The router could be your limiting factor if it's throughput is less then the capacity of the DSL line.

Answer 8

Your computer will be faster with the direct connection, without the router

Answer 9

No, it will not speed it up. It could actually slow it down.

For example, if the maximum bandwidth from the ISP is 156Mbps and your router is 54Mbps, then you will get only 54Mbps max instead of the 156 from the ISP.

Answer 10

No, it'll accually slow it down quite a bit, but 54 mbps. isn't all that slow, but you could be getting alot better speed.