It is easy to think that when it comes to accessing the internet at our homes and businesses, the similarities are vast and the differences are small. That couldn’t be further from the truth when it comes to networking.
There is a robust business router vs. home router debate, but only when people who have very advanced home uses are considering upgrading to a business class router. Your daily browsing can happen quickly and safely with any home router.
However, none of your business activities will be at their best if you’re using a consumer-grade router. From limited protections and poor internal equipment to a warranty that won’t least nearly long enough, reliability and strength are a core difference between home router and enterprise router choices.
Let’s look a little deeper.
What Are the Differences?
One of the core differences between a home and a business router is that a business class router will be more expensive because it’s going to last a whole lot longer. Businesses are thinking about having a purchase that lasts for a decade, while customers are thinking of something for a year or two — just long enough for them to upgrade their internet speed.
Consequently, the biggest difference between home router and business router is that the one in your house is designed to be ultimately thrown away. The warranty also reflects that. Business class routers tend to have much longer coverage, while home routers find protection for light use only — many warranties exclude business use.
Consumer-grade hardware is also designed to work with a few different devices like a smart TV, a couple of PCs, maybe a tablet and some phones or a gaming system, all of which have periods of inactivity and variable demands.
In the business router vs. home router debate, a business router is built to maintain a consistent and heavy workload all day long. They pack in better technology, from faster GPUs and more RAM to a better operating system, that can be adjusted to your specific business operations.
What Are the Similarities?
Routers for the home are becoming more powerful because we’re using the internet more for our entertainment, education, cooking and even setting the lights or temperature while we’re out of the house. This means most of today’s home routers can access the latest in Wi-Fi designations — 802.11ac — that you’ll find in business settings.
Home routers are also getting greater security and protections, with the ability to detect and stop some intrusive traffic.
Powerline networking, which uses the electrical wiring of a home, began in corporate environments, but a variety of home networking standards have also brought it into the home.
There are still some fundamental similarities here, as you can see, so the difference between home routers and business routers is often a matter of degrees.
Do I Need a Business Class Router or Home Router?
As mentioned before, one of the big differences between home router and enterprise router purchases is the internal components.
If you’re asking yourself a question about business routers vs. a home router purchase, here’s the important thing to ask yourself: have you been comparing specs of the routers you’re considering?
If you’ve looked up the internal components or checked to see if you could manage the router OS for a particular purpose, invest in a business-grade router. Even if you only end up using it for personal purposes, you’re likely enough of a power user to make the investment worthwhile.
And if you’re trying to make the decision from your desk chair in a corner office, buy a business class router — or you’ll be putting your company at risk.