What Wi-Fi Waves Look Like. How to see the wifi password Main technical characteristics when choosing a Wi-Fi router

A router is a very complex device with many technical characteristics. We will focus on those that play an important role for the buyer.

WAN port type and connection protocols

The WAN (or Internet) connector is used to connect an Internet cable to the router. This is the first detail that you should pay attention to when buying a device. It depends on it whether the router will work with the provider.

A typical router has a WAN port in one of two formats:

1. DSL(ADSL, VDSL and other subtypes) - for connecting to the Internet via a telephone line.
2. ethernet- to connect through a special provider channel.

There are also universal devices, which support multiple formats including DSL and Ethernet. But they are much less common.

In fiber-optic networks that are now quite popular, access to the Internet is carried out through a GPON terminal, to which the router is connected. Some routers have a corresponding connector for connecting the provider's fiber optic cable directly. This allows you to get rid of the terminal, which often suffer from power surges and remove the extra link in the chain.

ISP Compatibility

ISPs use various technologies to connect subscribers. Some of them are massive and are supported by default in all routers, others are less common and not available everywhere.

For example, many service providers use the L2TP protocol, which does not work in every router. Therefore, before buying, it is advisable to check with the provider's support service whether their networks support the router you are interested in.

If instead of DSL and Ethernet, the provider uses specific connection technologies, which rarely happens, then it is better to trust the choice of equipment to specialists.

Number and type of LAN ports

Computers, consoles, TVs and other stationary equipment that needs stable wired access to the Web are connected to the LAN ports of the router. This connection always guarantees maximum speed, which is independent of distance and interference.

And the more such connectors in the router, the more devices can be connected to it via wire. Typically, routers are equipped with four LAN ports. But if this is not enough for you, choose a model with additional connectors.

The type of LAN ports determines the maximum speed of data exchange between the router and other devices connected to it via a wire.

There are two such types:

1. fast ethernet provides speeds up to 100 Mbps.
2. gigabit ethernet- up to 1 Gbps.

If your ISP offers Internet access at speeds greater than 100 Mbps, choose a router model with Gigabit Ethernet ports. So you will use your channel to the fullest.

WiFi standards

From Wi-Fi standard depends on the maximum possible data exchange rate between the router and the fleet of devices connected to it wirelessly. There are currently two standards in use:

1. 802.11n- a common, but already outdated version, which is supported by the vast majority of gadgets. Possible speed - up to 600 Mbps.
2. 802.11ac- the current standard, provides the highest speed - up to 6.77 Gbps.

But don't let the specs fool you: the values ​​shown are only theoretically possible within the technology. Actual speeds are much lower.

The speed indicated by the manufacturer is also most often unattainable in practice. This is only a possible value without taking into account distance and interference.

Thanks to backward compatibility any gadgets can be connected to a router with the 802.11ac standard via WI-Fi. Even if they only support 802.11n and older versions. But in order to unleash the full potential of 802.11ac, both the router and all other devices in your wireless network must support this standard.

Number of Wi-Fi bands

Some routers can operate simultaneously in different frequency bands. In this mode, the router is able to support not one, but several independent Wi-Fi networks at once.

Many popular models are able to distribute data transmission between two ranges. Thus, they create two networks at frequencies of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz, respectively.

1. Frequency 2.4 GHz ideal for connecting smartphones and office equipment.
2. Frequency 5 GHz provides a more stable and faster connection, and therefore is better suited for multimedia devices that work with video and other heavy content. So, if you do not want to connect a TV or set-top box through wires, you can use Wi-Fi at a frequency of 5 GHz.

These networks can operate in parallel without limiting each other. But again, their total speed will not exceed the limit set by the Internet provider.

In addition, not all gadgets support a 5 GHz network.

Number and type of antennas

In addition to the standard and frequency of Wi-Fi, the speed of a wireless network depends on the number of antennas in the router. The more of them, the faster the data exchange between the connected devices and the router.

Limiting wifi speed in the 802.11n standard for the single antenna model is 150 Mbps. With two - 300 Mbps, with three - 450 Mbps. That is, with each antenna, the maximum possible speed increases by 150 Mbps. And in the 802.11ac standard - at 433 Mbps.

Recall that we are talking about theoretically possible speeds under ideal conditions. In reality, these figures are much lower. In addition, do not forget that the total speed of Internet access via Wi-Fi cannot exceed the provider's limit.

Antennas can be built-in or external. As practice shows, in a typical city apartment, the type of antennas is not so important. Contrary to popular myth, the difference is barely noticeable.

But for large rooms, it’s still worth choosing a router with external antennas so as not to have. In addition, if external antennas are removable, if necessary, they can be replaced with more powerful ones.

Availability of a USB port

Selecting a router with one or a pair USB connectors, you can connect additional devices to it. For example, a USB stick will provide remote access to a shared file storage through any device on a Wi-Fi network. A wireless USB modem will be yours in a backup way Internet access if cable Internet stops working.

Brief selection guide

Let's go through it again key points articles. This checklist will help you choose a good router.

1. Find out the provider's requirements for the router: WAN connector type and connection protocols. Only then choose a model.
2. For Internet speeds above 100 Mbps, buy a device with Gigabit Ethernet (1 Gbps) LAN ports. If the speed is lower, Fast Ethernet connectors (100 Mbps) will suffice.
3. If you need access to the Web only for browsing sites and working with documents, you can limit yourself to a router with one antenna and support for the 802.11n wireless standard.
4. But if you stream video, play online games, use a lot of wireless devices, download large files often, and don't get used to denying yourself, then choose a dual-band router with multiple antennas and support for 802.11ac.
5. If you wish, you can buy a model with a USB port to connect a drive or a wireless modem to it.

Hypothetically, if we could see all the digital signals that surround us, what would they be like? If we could physically see the WiFi footprint, what would it be? That's exactly what photographer and artist Luis Hernan is exploring in his latest series, Creative Exploration of Wireless Spectra.

Obsessed with the invisible wave infrastructure that holds our wireless world together, Luis set out to capture the landscape of electromagnetic waves in a series of amazing color photographs. The pictures quickly gained popularity, which prompted the author to further research in this area.

Using a long exposure camera and RSSI sensors to visualize WiFi networks, he was able to create these vibrant paintings. The result is a beautiful collection of surreal images that are both active and static at the same time. People often misuse technology without even thinking about its nature. But thanks to Luis Hernan, you can now imagine what Wi-Fi looks like in your home!


This project aims to demonstrate the nature of the electromagnetic wave space and prove that high technology can be visualized. If the human eye does not see something, it does not mean that it does not exist. And the author of these pictures clearly demonstrated this by making wi-fi waves temporarily available for perception.


The Digital Ethereal project is a progressive creative research project that explores the materiality of wireless protocols. As part of this work, these impressive photographs were taken.

Hello dear visitors! Decided to buy a new Wi-Fi router? Great idea! In this publication, we will tell you how to choose a WiFi router for your home, what to look for when choosing a router, and how not to be disappointed in your purchase. We have already told you what to look for and how not to make a mistake when choosing. We even wrote an article on how to get into the car correctly. The time has come and home wifi router.

It's no secret that today there are a lot of manufacturers of wireless routers and access points: ASUS, D-link, Huawei, Linksys, Mikrotik, NETGEAR, TP-LINK, TRENDnet, Ubiquiti, upvel, ZyXEL other. And each manufacturer can have several dozen models of routers and Wi-Fi access points. Which router to choose for a home among all this diversity? Do I need to overpay for famous brands, modern innovations and progressive stuffing? Let's figure it out together!

In one of our articles, we have already told what the basic principle of its work is. We want to immediately clarify the difference between a Wi-Fi router and wifi hotspot access. And then in stores, routers can be called access points, and vice versa. The first difference between a router and an access point is the presence of network ports on the router. And this is not easy, since the task of a simple access point is to expand the network coverage area, and not to distribute the Internet to devices.

All WiFi access points are designed to increase the network coverage area. That is, it will not work to organize a full-fledged network using an access point (there are no necessary ports). WiFi router (aka router) is the same wireless point access, but with the possibility of networking. Any router can act as a switch, since it has LAN ports for connecting a laptop or computer via network cable(). What are these network ports, we will now show. Here is what the standard looks like wifi router from the back side:

As you can see, there is nothing complicated in it. First of all, you need to understand for which Internet connection you want to choose and buy a Wi-Fi router. After all, there are several connection technologies, and here you need to know exactly what type of Internet you have installed. Or what type you plan to use in the future. we have already talked about different types Internet connections in our article. There are three main connection protocols: ethernet, ADSL and 3G/4G.

Advice! Many providers post recommended router models on their websites. It will not be superfluous to go in and check the compatibility of the router with your Internet connection.

First Protocol ethernet(the main three varieties of this protocol in Russia are PPPoE, L2TP or VPN) works over a network cable, if in network card your his home computer or laptop connected cord from the provider, then your connection and uses this communication protocol. The most popular providers providing ethernet access is Beeline (Beeline), Rostelecom (Online), Dom.ru (Dom.ru), netbynet, Akado, ByFly, TTC, Ukrtelecom other. In fact, there are a great many of them, just many of the providers outbid the channel from larger ones. Here is what the RJ-45 connector looks like on the router:

The second common communication protocol is ADSL. In Russia, a provider works with him MGTS. This is what a WiFi router looks like for the ADSL protocol (the connector looks like a telephone one):

The third popular type of connection is 3G/4G. They work with him mobile operators, how MTS, Beeline, Megaphone and skylink. On a router intended for distribution 3G/4G Internet has a special USB connector:

The first thing a buyer always pays attention to is the price. Why does one router cost a thousand rubles, and the other four to five thousand. In many ways, it's all about its characteristics. But before we look at them, a few words about the price and pricing market for routers.

Very often you can hear two opposite points of view. Some users of home WiFi routers argue that it makes no sense to overpay for expensive router models, while others say that cheap routers are flawed, break quickly, buggy and work unstably. As usual, the truth is somewhere in the middle. The vast majority of routers are made in China, but this does not mean that they are all of poor quality or of the same quality. Here's what affects the price of a router:

• What hardware stuffing is installed in the router (processor, flash-memory, etc.).
• Router brand.
• Hardware and software features one model or another.

For example, WiFi routers from one of the leading manufacturers Dlink, especially cheap models, are often released with raw firmware, and the hardware stuffing of cheap routers and access points from Dlink is not designed for high performance. Eminent Asus has a varied the lineup, which includes both expensive router models and relatively budget options. The latter may not be the most the best choice. Linksys- relatively expensive, but mostly reliable and high-quality routers. TP Link is a budget manufacturer of Wi-Fi routers, the quality of the products of this company is very controversial. You can run into a poor quality product. Zyxel- releases whole line models for the home, which are sufficiently proven and suitable for home use. True, the prices of this company are not the most democratic. Routers from NETGEAR and TRENDnet They are also of good quality and relatively cheap.

In general, you can run into a low-quality model from each manufacturer. But if you pay attention to the reviews and specifications, then this probability can be greatly reduced. Hardware and software capabilities - that's what you need to know if you want to choose a decent wifi router for your home. In many ways, the price of a particular model depends on the capabilities that the router can provide. But are advanced features really needed in everyday home use? WiFi router? Let's consider the question of how to choose a router for an apartment, in terms of its technical characteristics.

Main technical characteristics when choosing a Wi-Fi router

If you choose a home router for the price and do not pay attention to its characteristics, then you can miscalculate with the purchase. Some cheap wireless devices not designed for high power and the network coverage area can be several meters. In addition, low-power routers do not allow the signal to reach through walls or other obstacles. If you have an apartment with concrete walls or a country house with brick walls, you should take a closer look at the chosen model.

There are a lot of negative reviews from owners of cheap routers who complain that their router cuts the incoming and outgoing Internet speed over WiFi. This is due to the cheap and low-quality iron filling of Wi-Fi routers. For example, if your provider gives access to a 10-megabit channel, and the measurement of the download speed of files is less than 1.25 megabytes, then it may not be a poor-quality service, but Wi-Fi.

In addition, cheap router models can freeze, fail, and simply turn off. Agree that constantly rebooting the router is a very nervous task. Sometimes a flashing saves the device from such behavior, that is, replacing the internal firmware with a newer one (the latest firmware can be found on the manufacturer's website). However, you may not be lucky with an expensive analogue, but the likelihood of such troubles is lower.

Now we will look at the main characteristics of routers that you need to pay attention to when using WiFi at home. If you are choosing a WiFi router for the first time, then most likely you do not understand the specific parameters. In fact, everything is not so difficult. We have already found out above that any router has a port for connecting a channel from a provider, LAN ports for connecting to network card computer and the ability to distribute the Internet via Wi-Fi wireless technology. Here are the characteristics that a modern router should have, if you don’t know which WiFi router to choose, then they will be enough:

1. The ability to encrypt the channel by all available types encryption - WEP, WPA, WPA2.
2. Ability to work on all standards wireless communication – 802.11b, 802.1g, 802.11n. N mode provides the fastest speed wireless connection. It is desirable that the router can work with mixed modes 802.11b/g and 802.11b/g/n . This will allow you to connect those devices that I can work on 802.11n and those older gadgets that only work on 802.11b or 802.1g. Some models support the standard 802.11ac, which theoretically allows you to work over a wireless gigabit channel. But in practice, a gigabit channel is not needed at home, and a provider that can provide such throughput need to search.
3. The router must be able to work with protocols PPPoE, L2TP and VPN. The first one is usually included by default in all models, but not everyone has the second and third protocols. Even if you don't currently have a VPN or L2Tp connection at home, it's not certain that you won't need it in the future.
4. It is desirable that the router has a removable antenna. This will increase the area WIFI coverage if it turns out to be insufficient.
5. The number of external antennas - the more, the better. However, for a small apartment or a small country house, it may well be enough WiFi router with one antenna. If the apartment or private house is large enough, then you may have to install a wifi router in the middle of the house or apartment, or buy an additional access point.
6. Volume . It is advisable to buy a router with a volume random access memory from 64 megabytes. 32 MB of RAM may not be enough when using WiFi large quantity devices.
7. It is advisable to find a router with not the weakest. A powerful wifi router for the home is a guarantee of the stability of its work in the future. Depends on the processor maximum speed Wi-Fi data transmission and signal stability during device operation.

• - how to connect a Wi-Fi router using the example of a router trendnet.
• - even more detailed instructions for setting up and connecting a Wi-Fi router.
• - what to do if WiFi still does not work.

Usually, for home use, you do not need a router with a print server (with software that allows a group of users to share the printer by connecting it via USB). However, if this function is necessary, do not forget about it when choosing and buying your favorite model. In the next chapter, we have compiled a rating of home routers based on their characteristics, which, in our opinion, are the most the best choice in terms of price quality.

Once the computer is connected to WiFi networks, he will no longer ask for a password from her. And most users safely forget this password, especially if it was written down on some piece of paper. This is not a problem exactly until you need to connect another device to the same Wi-Fi - for example, a phone or tablet.

I will show several proven ways to see the password that are suitable for any popular operating system(Windows 7, 8, 10).

The easiest way to find out your wifi password

one . Click the left mouse button on this tray icon.

It is located in the lower right corner of the screen, between the alphabet and the clock. Sometimes this icon is hidden under a small arrow.

2. In the window that appears, click right click on the network from which you need to find out the password, and select "Properties".

3 . We put a tick in "Display entered characters" and the computer shows the wifi password in the "Network security key" field.

Another easy way

This option is a little more complicated, but it shows all the wireless networks that the computer has connected to, and not just the active ones.

one . Right-click on the tray icon and select "Network and Sharing Center".

2. A window will open, on the left side of which we select "Wireless Network Management".

3 . Click on desired network right-click and select "Properties".

4 . Go to the "Security" tab and put a bird next to "Display input characters."

If there is no “Wireless Network Management” item, then click on “Change adapter settings”, right-click on the desired connection and select “Status”. In the window, click on the "Wireless Properties" button, go to the "Security" tab and check the box next to "Display input characters."

We pull out the password through the program

There is such a wonderful free program WirelessKeyView. Thanks to it, you can see the passwords from all the points to which the computer was connected. You do not need to install it: just download from the official site, unpack and run the program file. If wifi hotspots will not appear immediately, click on the icon

That's all :)

Of the minuses, it should be noted that some antiviruses swear at it, as the program climbs into the settings (my Kaspersky, for example, made a panic). If that doesn't bother you, use it.

We look at the password from our Wi-Fi in the router settings

This method is good because only thanks to it you can find out the password, which the computer does not know at all. For example, Windows was reinstalled, but you don’t remember the password for your Wi-Fi and now you can’t connect. So in this case, the router will help.

Router - this is the thing that "distributes" the Internet. It looks something like this:

In its settings, among other things, the password is stored. To find it, you need to connect the router to the computer via a network cable (usually it comes with the kit).

If the computer remembers the password and connects to the network, then you can not do this.

one . Open a browser (internet program) address bar we type 192.168.1.1 and press the Enter button on the keyboard.

Most often, after this, a login / password request appears. If this does not happen, try other addresses: 192.168.0.0, 192.168.0.1, or 192.168.1.0. But if they don’t fit either, then take the router, turn it over and find its IP address on the sticker.

For example, I didn’t even have an address on the sticker. Then I copied the router model from it (in my case, Huawei HG8245A) and entered the query “huawei hg8245a ip address” into the search engine. It turned out that the default address is different, as, in fact, the login with the password.

2. In the window that appears, enter the login admin and the password admin.

Usually these data are suitable (if no one specifically changed them). But there may be other options, such as root or user. They are usually written on the router itself - on a sticker on the other side.

3 . Open the tab Wireless (Wireless mode) or WLAN and look for the password there. Often it is located in the item Wireless Security (Security Settings or Wireless Protection).

As a rule, the password is written in the column where there is the word Key, Password or Password. Often, to see it, you need to uncheck it.

By the way, it happens that it is written immediately when you open the router settings.

If it didn't help

Then you can reset all router settings to factory settings. But in this case, you will have to configure it yourself: specify the Internet connection settings, network name and password.

To reset the router, there is a small, deeply hidden Reset button (usually located on the back).

We clamp it with some sharp object for ten seconds. After that, all settings will be reset, and the router will be as good as new - all that remains is to configure it.