Routers articles

From the perspective of folks who cover tech-related happenings, this is always a polarizing time of year. The final weeks of December are generally void of product announcements, yet only two weeks later, we're bombarded with new gadgets at CES.

Before we move on to the latest and greatest devices of 2013, we figure it's worth revisiting some of 2012's most popular devices as suggested by our Product Finder, which includes reviews by hundreds of seasoned specialists across the Web. We've included 59 products across 14 categories along with their aggregate review score and a brief commentary that explains why they're special.

There are many reasons why you'd want to check if an unauthorized party is using your wireless network. It may be that you're experiencing a slow Internet connection or you simply don't want anyone getting a free ride while you pay the bill.

This brief guide is aimed at novice users in need a hand to find out if their Wi-Fi is being stolen. We've also thrown in a couple of suggestions on how to get something in return if you don't actually mind sharing your Wi-Fi.

For most users a good wireless router is the one that you set up in a few easy steps and forget about it as long as it gets you online. But beyond the stock features that came with your router, there are many things that the hardware you bought might be capable of.

Luckily for you, people have been working on ways to get the fancy stuff running on your average $60-$100 device. After a relatively simple upgrade to a free third-party firmware, you'll be able boost your wireless signal, prioritize what programs get your precious bandwidth, and do lots of other stuff usually reserved for pro-grade wireless routers.