Almost all Internet service providers offer the hire or purchase in installments of their modem to be able to surf immediately without having to procure a separate device; these modems often have a cost spread over several years or, recently, are directly included in the offer completely free of charge. Obviously if we can avoid this expense it is better to take a separate modem with the characteristics we want, a pity that we often find the words "modem / router" or only "router", without further explanation.
Before proceeding with the purchase it is of fundamental importance to understand what a modem is and the difference between modem and router, otherwise we risk making mistakes that can prevent us from surfing.
In this guide we will see the substantial differences between modem and router and why we can find both present in the same device.
READ ALSO: It is better to take the modem or buy a new one "> The modem communicates with the Internet service provider and receives an IP address, which will also be used by the device connected to it.
The term alone has lost much of its meaning : on very old modems it was possible to connect only one computer via USB cable or via Ethernet cable, without the possibility of connecting other devices. By now all modems are actually routers with a modem component inside; the only exception are the ONTs of the FTTH optical fiber, mounted on the wall or available as a separate box: this component behaves exactly like a modem, but has a much more evolved shape and operation compared to older generation devices.
READ ALSO -> VDSL, FTTC and FTTH fiber: what differences and which is better ">
However, the router alone is not able to connect to the Internet, since it cannot convert the signal coming directly from the telephone socket or from the fiber optic cables: a simple router can only receive the Internet signal via an Ethernet cable, previously connected to a modem or (more recently) an ONT. Simple routers can be recognized by the presence of a dedicated Ethernet port (often of a different color from the others) with the word WAN or Internet : this is the port to which our modem or ONT can be connected.
For more details, refer to the article: What does a router work?
3) What is a modem router
Many router models integrate the modem part inside them, thus allowing it to convert the signal itself without requiring an additional device.
In this case the router is able to connect to the Internet and configure the navigation parameters by itself in most cases.
We can recognize a modem router by the presence of the dedicated port called DSL, Line, xDSL or ADSL, slightly smaller than the Ethernet ports and to which we must connect the telephone cable.
So this device combines all the advantages of the modem with those of the router, so that you can use only one device.
Currently on sale there are modem routers able to connect to any ADSL network, but more and more models also support VDSL networks (ie FTTC connections, much faster than ADSL). As far as direct optical fiber (FTTH) is concerned, currently only the modem supplied by TIM integrates the ONT into the modem router: in this case, it is sufficient to connect the fiber optic wires directly behind the device to start surfing.
In all other cases the ONT is available as a separate device (connected to the wall or as a small box): in this scenario we cannot use the modem component integrated in these routers, but we will have to connect via an Ethernet cable to the ONT to be able to navigate correctly.
4) Buying guide
After seeing what a modem and a router are and how they can live together, in this part of the guide he will show you some models that should be purchased online, to save something. We state that we will not only recommend modems (now extinct), but we will show you the best routers to be used in cascade on the modem routers provided by the operators, the best modem routers to be used independently for ADSL or VDSL and finally the best routers to be connected to the fiber optic FTTH.
1) Simple routers
- TP-Link Archer C50 (€ 34): a very simple and inexpensive router with Wi-Fi AC1200, Dualband 300 Mbps / 2.4 GHz and 867 Mbps / 5 GHz and IPv6 support.
- Netgear WiFi Router (€ 46): elegant router with AC1200 WiFi, Nighthawk App, ReadySHARE Printer system to share printers on the network and ReadySHARE USB to access and share USB hard drives.
- TP-Link Archer C7 (72 €): a medium-high end router with 1300 Mbps + 450 Mbps Dual Band Wi-Fi, 5 Gigabit Ports, 1 USB 2.0 Port, Guest Network, WPS, IPTV system and VPN Server.
2) Modem router for ADSL and VDSL
- D-Link DSL-3782 (€ 47): an elegant modem router with no antennas in sight, with Wireless Dual-Band AC1200 Mbps, support for VDSL / ADSL connections and USB 2.0 port.
- TP-Link Archer VR400 (€ 65): a truly impressive modem router with Dual Band Wi-Fi, 3 Ports 10/100 LAN + 1 Port 10/100/1000 WAN, USB 2.0, App Tether, Guest Network and support to ADSL and VDSL.
- AVM FRITZ! Box 3490 (€ 119): one of the best modem routers in circulation, with Wireless AC1750 Dual Band, ADSL2 +, VDSL support, 4 Gigabit LAN, Router Mode with WAN in LAN 1, 2 USB 3.0, MyFRITZ! (Free Dynamic DNS), VPN support and traffic optimization for Gaming and Streaming.
3) Routers suitable for FTTH optical fiber
- TP-Link AC2300 (€ 154): a large router with Tri-Band Wi-Fi, 1 GHz Dual Core Processor, 5 Gigabit Ports, LED / Wi-Fi On / Off Button, 2 USB (2.0 and 3.0) and 6 Antennas.
- Netgear R8000 Nightahwk X6 (192 €): a very powerful router with wireless Tri-Band AC3200 (3.2 Gbps), Simplified Sharing and Backup, Circle Parental Control, voice commands, Smart Connect, Dynamic QoS and ReadyCloud USB.
- Netgear WiFi Gaming Router (€ 288): a truly excessive modem optimized to be able to play all recent games thanks to the Quality of Service designed for consoles and gaming PCs, Geo Filter to select the closest available servers, creation of a blacklist o whitelist of favorite servers, customized bandwidth for each device and VPN client for connection to the VPN server.
READ ALSO -> Best WiFi Routers to connect your home wireless devices
