When it comes to tech that gets taken for granted, wireless routers are pretty high on the list. If you aren’t given one by your internet service provider, you’ve probably been tempted to buy whatever happens to be readily available or on sale. After all, a router is a router, right? As it turns out, not so much. Routers have the potential for such specialization that Google itself has seen fit to introduce a duo of its own this year. Both Google OnHub routers, one built by Asus and another by TP-Link, are designed to handle the demands that modern users place on their home networks.
Each router dynamically adjusts available bandwidth for the items that matter most (Skype calls in the middle of a workday, for example), and Google has built an app-based admin panel that “speaks human.” If there’s a network issue, the app will lay things out in terms that you can actually understand, and Google is perpetually pushing out updates that make each router smarter and more agile.
Within the machine, you’ll find a 1.4GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of memory, 2.4GHz / 5GHz support and compatibility with every wi-fi protocol known to man (802.11a/b/g/n/ac) — there’s essentially a supercomputer in there. Considering just how much we’re streaming, updating, uploading and consuming, you’ll surely put it to good use, and one of these routers will quickly become your most vital piece of home tech.