What is the importance of a gigabit router?

[raj29shenoy]

Guys,

I need advice on which router would suit the best for streaming purpose. My main aim is to stream video files from my laptop to the BD player. It should be possible to seamlessly stream the HD video and its HD audio.

I have listed two below: one gigabit router and another normal one:
1. TP-LINK TD-W8970 300 Mbps Wireless N Gigabit ADSL2+ Modem | Flipkart
2. TP-LINK TD-W8968 300 Mbps Wireless N USB ADSL2 Modem Router | Flipkart

Which one would you guys recommend? Let me know if you have something else in your mind.

I was not really about to understand the importance of the router being gigabit. Does it mean I get 1000Mbps speed for streaming via Ethernet port and 300Mbps via wi-fi?
Under what scenarios I would need such speed? Isn't 300Mbps good enough to stream HD video with HD audio and at the same remain connected to the internet?

Then I found this one to add more to my confusion. It is a dual band gigabit router:
TP-LINK TL-WDR3600 N600 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router | Flipkart
What is the purpose of a dual band router? What advantage does it hold over the other?

Thank you as always

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

There is no importance at all in a gigabyte router as such, and, remember, it won't even give a gigabyte connection unless both ends of a connection are gigabyte ethernet.

What's important is that your network can stand the traffic that it needs to.

I don't know the bandwidth requirements of video. I guess they get more every day, but gb/s is still a hell of a lot of data. However: consider the bottle necks. If, for instance, you have a big family, and several groups are watching several movies in different rooms, and they are all streaming from one server, then 100Mb/s is probably fine for each of the players --- but gb/s might well come in handy for the router-to-server connection.

If it wasn't for video, I'd say that gigabyte ethernet could never, really, be just in a small office, let alone a domestic, situation. But simple justification is never out only reason for buying.

The speed of the wifi connections is entirely different specification: the n, g, b and so on will mean the the same on a 10/100 as a 1000 router. Again, bothe ends must be compatible to get that rated speed.

 

[saikatbiswas82]

I believe your laptop is connected via wi-fi. Now, today's laptops support 802.11 a/b/g/n connection. I think these wi-fi connections will not be sufficient enough to stream todays blu ray ISOs (sizes around 40/50 GB).

802.11ac wi-fi is around the corner. This supports 1gbps connection over wi-fi. We are yet to get affordable devices that supports this connection (BTW.. Nexus 5 supports 802.11ac ).
For seamless streaming, better to go with wired gigabit ethernet connection. In this line, if you consider a combination of 600mbps Wi-Fi router and a gigabit switch like TP-LINK TL-SG1008D 8-Port Gigabit Desktop Switch - TP-LINK: Flipkart.com (in case you want to connect more than 4 DLNA devices) you might end up with better solution. IMO only.

BTW... gigabit connection can offer 100MBPS speed in full duplex.

 

[ranjeetrain]

Gigabit is a speed rating. It's referred to as Gigabit because theoretically it is capable of transferring roughly 1 billion bits of data per second. Usually on specification page it is shown as 10/100/1000 mbps. It's significance is that so long as devices connected to it are capable and cables are good enough you can actually get around 120 MBps of data transfer among your devices.

Currently, Gigabit is only applicable to wired connections. Gigabit capable wireless devices are rare at this time. The latest I have used is 600 mbps over wireless. But they are constantly improving wireless transmission. 600 mbps over wireless was unthinkable barely 5 years ago. Currently wireless transmission is usually referred to as "WiFi". There is a new upcoming technology by the name "LiFi" which will be significantly faster than WiFi once successful.

You mention you wish to "stream" HD video and stuff. Stream how? Over a wired connection or wireless. Over a wired connection even a 100 mbps connection is sufficient to stream full HD video. Over a wireless connection there are too many variables. Such as the receiving device's own WiFi capability, location and distance of receiving device from the router, the strength of the signal emitted by the router, technology (band(s)) used by the router etc.

As for internet access, even the slowest router available today will handle even the fastest internet connection available today in India easily. So don't worry about internet access. Internet speed currently lags a lot behind the connection speeds inside the local network under the router.

>> Under what scenarios I would need such speed? Isn't 300Mbps good enough to stream HD video with HD audio and at the same remain connected to the internet?

YES! Your assumption is right. A 300 mbps router will exceed your current needs. However, if the price difference is not much, I advise to go for a gigabit router. Because in future when you add more capable devices, you will feel you should have bought a gigabit device.

 

[gauthamnaidu]

Why Choose Simultaneous Dual Band

 

[musicbee]

I will leave the gigabit info out as others have already pointed the pros and the cons.

However, from the models you have listed above you don't need ones with a modem. Go for a router without a modem and you will save a bit $$$.

 

[haisaikat]

I support wired gigabit connection being the best for streaming FHD / 3D movies.

But if streaming over wifi is the necessity then "Nothing in The World is Enough". This is because what percentage of the advertised connection speed we should be getting in the conditions of our homes varies from one home layout to another and one has to do somewhat a blind buy otherwise. Check the smallnetbuilder website for actual router throughhput tests and then take a somewhat-informed decision

 

[raj29shenoy]

Thank you all of you for the replies. Got to learn many things today. Head has grown a little

The streaming is almost going to be between one to one i.e. from my laptop to the blu-ray player hence I would prefer it to be wireless. However, in the future, I will shift all the media to a NAS (as storing them in my laptop is not that practical). When I shift to NAS, I guess I can manage with wired streaming. As of now I have no plans of making it as a media server which would get shared across many devices.

So based on your suggestions, it is sufficient for me to go for a 300Mbps wireless cum 1000Mbps Ethernet router. (I preferred to go for a modem-router because my current modem from BSNL is ready to walk the plank, it has almost reached its life expectancy).

I should still take a call on whether I need a dual band or not.

 

[manniraj]

Even if your existing BSNL router is at the verge of extinction I would still advice you to keep both the devices separately (a modem and wifi router). Also if you get a ADSL+Router chances are that the modem part will become redundant as and when you shift to another ISP as most of the ISPs provide a modem sometimes free of cost or at a one time pay basis or on a rental basis. I hope BSNL provides their modems with these options, why don't you try to get a replacement modem from BSNL. It would be cost effective in the long run with multiple changes in the ISP as they are mushrooming all over the city now.

 

[raj29shenoy]

Well, I tried to get a replacement from BSNL, but they say modems are out of stock. My friends also faced the same problem with BSNL. Hence the move to go for a new one on my own