Networking

When to Buy a Router

TV graphic image — Illustration: Harry Campbell

Routers can be tricky to buy: The specs are confusing, vendors are numerous, and prices vary considerably. There isn't a best time of year to buy a router, but you do have ways to ensure that you get a good value.

One sensible step is to compare routers at a respected shopping site such as TigerDirect.com--one of the top two online retailers in our survey. Enter routers in the search field, and sort the results by price (low-to-high or high-to-low), by popularity, or by customer rating. (Other major shopping sites work pretty much the same way as TigerDirect.com does.)

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