Bob McConnell, a retired engineer, set up a newwireless router in his home this year to get faster Internet speeds. Instead, he got theopposite, with his iPad often getting no wireless connection in his bedroom.

為了獲得更快的上網(wǎng)速度，退休工程師鮑勃·麥康奈爾(Bob McConnell)今年在家里安裝了一個(gè)新無(wú)線路由器。結(jié)果，家里網(wǎng)絡(luò)反倒不如從前了，在臥室里使用iPad時(shí)，他常常找不到信號(hào)。

For days, he tinkered with the router’s settings, but couldn’t figure out a fix. “It was totallyruining my life, said Mr. McConnell, who lives in a condominium building in Kirkland, Wash. “Things would work, and then the next morning they wouldn’t work again.

他花了好幾天時(shí)間調(diào)整路由器的設(shè)置，但沒(méi)能找到解決問(wèn)題的辦法。“它徹底毀了我的生活，住在華盛頓州柯克蘭市一座共管公寓里的麥康奈爾說(shuō)。“有時(shí)候網(wǎng)絡(luò)可以正常使用，但第二天就又不行了。

What Mr. McConnell experienced is a situation we call “Wi-Fi headache, and it’s an ailment thatmany can relate to. The condition is rooted in the networking devices called routers that peopleinstall in their homes for Wi-Fi connectivity. Most routers are difficult to configure for anyonewho doesn’t work in an information-technology department. Jargony tech terms like 802.11 ordual-band add to the confusion when people upgrade a router or try to decide which one topick.

我們把麥康奈爾經(jīng)歷的這種狀況稱為“Wi-Fi頭痛，這是一種很多人能感同身受的頑疾。它產(chǎn)生的根源在于一種名為“路由器的網(wǎng)絡(luò)連接設(shè)備。人們把它安裝在家里，以獲取Wi-Fi連接。對(duì)于不從事信息技術(shù)工作的人來(lái)說(shuō)，大多數(shù)路由器很難配置。當(dāng)人們想升級(jí)路由器，或試著挑選一款路由器時(shí)，“802.11或“雙頻之類的技術(shù)術(shù)語(yǔ)，只會(huì)讓人更加困惑。

So to diagnose and cure Wi-Fi headaches, we teamed up with The Wirecutter, the productrecommendations website. The Wirecutter put dozens of top-rated routers and devices throughhundreds of hours of testing to pick out the best router for most people and come up withother recommendations tailored to different living situations and budgets. It also ran new testsfor The New York Times to come up with best practices for getting a stronger, faster Wi-Fisignal.

所以，為了診斷和治療Wi-Fi頭痛，我們與提供產(chǎn)品推薦的The Wirecutter網(wǎng)站展開(kāi)了合作。The Wirecutter對(duì)幾十種熱銷路由器和設(shè)備進(jìn)行了數(shù)百小時(shí)的測(cè)試，以挑選出適合大多數(shù)人的最佳路由器，同時(shí)也針對(duì)不同生活環(huán)境和預(yù)算提供其他匹配建議。該網(wǎng)站還為《紐約時(shí)報(bào)》進(jìn)行了一些新測(cè)試，以便找到能獲得信號(hào)更強(qiáng)、速度更快的Wi-Fi網(wǎng)絡(luò)的辦法。

The bottom line: People with devices both new and old will see an improvement by upgradingto a recent router that supports the latest Wi-Fi standards. But they should be wary of buyinga cheap router that isn’t any good, or spending too much on one that is too complex for theirneeds.

最基本的要求是，不管使用的是新設(shè)備還是舊設(shè)備，在升級(jí)到支持最新Wi-Fi標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的新款路由器之后，應(yīng)該看到網(wǎng)絡(luò)有所改進(jìn)。但也應(yīng)該小心不要買質(zhì)量不太好的廉價(jià)路由器，或花太多錢(qián)買超過(guò)自身需求的過(guò)于復(fù)雜的路由器。

Wi-Fi headaches start with how the technology has evolved. For years, router makers likeNetgear, Linksys and Cisco focused on making Wi-Fi technology transmit data at higher speedsand over longer distances.

Wi-Fi頭痛始于這種技術(shù)的演進(jìn)。多年來(lái)，Netgear、Linksys和思科(Cisco)等路由器廠商都將注意力放在提高Wi-Fi技術(shù)上，目的是使它傳輸數(shù)據(jù)的速度更快、距離更遠(yuǎn)。

That did little to prepare people for the explosion of Internet-connected mobile devices. Inbuildings crowded with smartphones, computers, smart TVs and tablets, the devices’ signalsare now fighting for room on the same radio channels. And routers are spewing out energy forlonger distances that may be bumping into neighbors’ signals.

但是，在幫助人們應(yīng)對(duì)聯(lián)網(wǎng)移動(dòng)設(shè)備大爆炸方面，這種改進(jìn)幾乎沒(méi)什么助益。在智能手機(jī)、計(jì)算機(jī)、智能電視和平板電腦泛濫的建筑里，這些設(shè)備的信號(hào)都在同樣的無(wú)線電頻道上爭(zhēng)奪空間。而各廠商竭力讓路由器傳送信號(hào)距離更遠(yuǎn)的時(shí)候，則有可能干擾到鄰居家的網(wǎng)絡(luò)。

“The router manufacturers are kind of brain-dead, said Dave Fraser, the chief executive ofDevicescape, which develops technology for making public Wi-Fi networks usable for mobilephone service. “All they were thinking about was supporting people with laptops in their homesand commercial environments. All of a sudden Wi-Fi is in everything and everywhere, and we’removing around our homes much more.

“路由器廠商們有點(diǎn)蠢，Devicescape公司首席執(zhí)行官戴夫·弗雷澤(Dave Fraser)說(shuō)。該公司開(kāi)發(fā)的技術(shù)可以讓公共Wi-Fi網(wǎng)絡(luò)供移動(dòng)通訊服務(wù)使用。“之前他們只考慮給人們?cè)诩依锖蜕虅?wù)環(huán)境中用筆記本電腦上網(wǎng)提供支持。突然之間，世道變了，遍地都是Wi-Fi，什么都要用Wi-Fi，而且我們?cè)诩依锏幕顒?dòng)性也比過(guò)去大得多。

Router manufacturers have more recently improved Wi-Fi technology with mobile devices inmind, said Mr. Fraser. New routers often include smarter antennas that do a better job ofassembling signals and beaming energy toward devices that are moving around.

弗雷澤表示，最近在改善Wi-Fi技術(shù)時(shí)，路由器廠商考慮到了移動(dòng)設(shè)備的需求。新款路由器往往有更智能的天線，可以更好地聚集信號(hào)并向移動(dòng)中的設(shè)備傳送信號(hào)。

Some features inside newer routers also help reduce signal interference. Newer routerstypically can transmit data over two radio frequencies — 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz — and give youthe option to split them up into two separate Wi-Fi networks. In general, the 2.4 GHz bandtransmits data farther and is more crowded because many types of devices, like cordlessphones and microwaves, use that frequency. The 5 GHz band is less congested but typicallytravels a shorter distance.

新款的路由器還具有一些可以幫助減少信號(hào)干擾的功能。新款路由器往往能以兩種無(wú)線電頻率——2.4吉赫茲和5吉赫茲——傳輸數(shù)據(jù)，讓你可以將它們分成兩個(gè)獨(dú)立的Wi-Fi網(wǎng)絡(luò)。一般而言，2.4吉赫茲的波段傳輸數(shù)據(jù)更遠(yuǎn)，但網(wǎng)絡(luò)負(fù)荷比較大，因?yàn)榘o(wú)繩電話和微波爐在內(nèi)，各種類型的設(shè)備都使用這一頻率。5吉赫茲波段相對(duì)沒(méi)那么擠，但傳輸距離通常較短。

Consumer behavior is also to blame for Wi-Fi headaches. People may wait years before buyinga new router, so their devices might be more up-to-date than their infrastructure. An outdatedrouter becomes a bottleneck that hinders the speeds of web downloads and file transfersbetween connected devices.

消費(fèi)者的行為方式也是造成Wi-Fi頭痛的原因之一。人們可能會(huì)等好幾年才會(huì)買一個(gè)新路由器，所以他們使用的上網(wǎng)設(shè)備可能比這種基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施更跟得上時(shí)代。過(guò)時(shí)的路由器阻礙人們獲得更高的網(wǎng)絡(luò)下載速度和在不同設(shè)備之間進(jìn)行文件傳輸?shù)乃俣取?/p>

Some people never upgrade their routers, especially those who still use the router that theirInternet service provider lent them years ago. Those routers, which often double as modems,are often slow and short-ranged. That means it is time to buy a newer, faster router.

有些人從不升級(jí)自己的路由器，甚至到現(xiàn)在還在使用多年前網(wǎng)絡(luò)服務(wù)提供商提供的路由器。這些路由器往往同時(shí)兼作調(diào)制解調(diào)器，一般速度都很慢，而且網(wǎng)絡(luò)覆蓋范圍小。這意味著，是時(shí)候買個(gè)更新更快的路由器了。

The Wirecutter performed a battery of tests on two top-performing routers with six devices,and the results were unmistakable: If your current router is at least three years old, there is noreason not to upgrade to a new router.

The Wirecutter用六種設(shè)備對(duì)兩款表現(xiàn)出色的路由器進(jìn)行了一系列測(cè)試，結(jié)果很清楚：如果你目前的路由器已經(jīng)使用至少三年，那就沒(méi)理由不更換一臺(tái)新的。

Not only can a newer router improve the speed and range for users, the routers typically haveupgraded internal components and strong external antennas. Many also support the latestWi-Fi standard — 802.11ac — which has top speeds that are nearly three times faster than theprevious standard, 802.11n, for the fastest wireless devices you can buy today.

新的路由器不僅可以提高使用者的網(wǎng)速并擴(kuò)大網(wǎng)絡(luò)覆蓋，這些機(jī)器往往還升級(jí)了內(nèi)部組件，有性能強(qiáng)大的外置天線。很多還支持針對(duì)你現(xiàn)在可以買到的速度最快的無(wú)限設(shè)備制定的最新的Wi-Fi標(biāo)準(zhǔn)——802.11ac。相比于之前的802.11n標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，這一標(biāo)準(zhǔn)下的網(wǎng)速提高了將近三倍。

Many smartphones, tablets and laptops released since 2023 support 802.11ac. But even olderdevices that support only the previous standard, 802.11n, can enjoy faster speeds at longrange with a newer 802.11ac router.

2023年以來(lái)發(fā)布的許多智能手機(jī)、平板電腦和筆記本電腦支持802.11ac標(biāo)準(zhǔn)。但是，哪怕你使用的是更老的設(shè)備，只能支持之前的802.11n標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，在更換了802.11ac標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的新路由器的情況下，也可以獲得更快的網(wǎng)速和更廣的網(wǎng)絡(luò)覆蓋。

For these tests, The Wirecutter used two routers: its top 802.11ac router recommendation,TP-Link’s Archer C7, and an older 802.11n router, Netgear’s WNDR3700. It tried them with a2023 iPhone 5, a 2023 iPhone 6 Plus, a 2023 HTC One M7, a 2023 Samsung Galaxy S6, a 2023MacBook Air and a 2023 MacBook Air.

The Wirecutter在這些測(cè)試中使用了兩款路由器：該網(wǎng)站最為推薦的802.11ac標(biāo)準(zhǔn)路由器TP-Link的ArcherC7，和一款更老一些的802.11n標(biāo)準(zhǔn)路由器Netgear的WNDR3700。用以測(cè)試這兩款路由器的設(shè)備包括：一部2023年的iPhone 5手機(jī)、2023年的iPhone 6 Plus手機(jī)、2023年的HTC One M7手機(jī)、2023年的三星Galaxy S6、2023年的MacBook Air筆記本，和一臺(tái)2023年的MacBook Air。

To get an idea how each device performed with each router, The Wirecutter’s Wi-Fi expert,David Murphy, tested file transfer speeds, video streaming speeds, music streaming qualityand video call quality at a short range of 11 feet and a long range of 43 feet.

為了解每臺(tái)設(shè)備在適配每款路由器的情況下的網(wǎng)絡(luò)表現(xiàn)，The Wirecutter的Wi-Fi專家戴維·墨菲(DavidMurphy)，在11英尺(約合3.4米)的近距離和43英尺的遠(yuǎn)距離下，分別測(cè)試了文件傳輸速度、視頻流媒體速度、音頻流媒體質(zhì)量和視頻通話質(zhì)量等項(xiàng)目。

Most tested devices had 19 percent to 54 percent faster download speeds and shaved 3 to 48percent off their file-transfer times when paired with the Archer C7 compared with the older802.11n Netgear router. The devices also did better on the Archer C7’s 5 GHz Wi-Fi networkthan on its 2.4GHz network at the same locations. In comparison, The Wirecutter could notconnect to the Netgear router’s 5 GHz Wi-Fi at its long-distance test location.

相比于使用更老的802.11n標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的Netgear路由器，大部分被檢測(cè)的設(shè)備在與Archer C7路由器適配的情況下，網(wǎng)絡(luò)下載速度可以快19%到54%，文件傳輸時(shí)間可以減少3%到48%。在同一地點(diǎn)，這些設(shè)備使用Archer C7的5吉赫茲Wi-Fi比使用2.4吉赫茲，上網(wǎng)效果更好。相比之下，在遠(yuǎn)距離測(cè)試中，The Wirecutter無(wú)法連接到Netgear路由器的5吉赫茲Wi-Fi。

The Archer C7’s exceptional performance on a 5 GHz signal is its strength. Devices oftenhad the same download speeds at long range as short range when connected to the ArcherC7’s 5 GHz Wi-Fi. But at the longer distance, when switched to the Archer C7’s 2.4GHznetwork, each device’s download speeds dropped, sometimes by more than 80 percent.

Archer C7在5吉赫茲波段的卓越表現(xiàn)，顯示出它的優(yōu)勢(shì)。在連接到Archer C7的5吉赫茲Wi-Fi時(shí)，這些設(shè)備往往在近距離和遠(yuǎn)距離能獲得同樣的下載速度。但連接到Archer C7的2.4吉赫茲網(wǎng)絡(luò)進(jìn)行遠(yuǎn)距離測(cè)試時(shí)，每臺(tái)設(shè)備的下載速度會(huì)下降，有時(shí)幅度甚至超過(guò)80%。

In summary: For a stronger, faster wireless connection, stay on the router’s 5 GHz band foras long as you can. Older routers aren’t the best at that; a newer router like TP-Link’s ArcherC7 is a much better option.

總而言之：為了獲得更強(qiáng)大、速度更快的無(wú)線連接，盡量多使用路由器的5赫茲波段。老款路由器在這方面不是最佳選擇，像TP-Link的Archer C7這樣的新款路由器要好得多。

The best router for most people is the Archer C7 ($100). It’s a dual-band 802.11ac router,meaning it can run both 2.4GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks, and it supports the fastest Wi-Fispeeds of every wireless device you can buy, including the MacBook Pro, the Samsung GalaxyS6 or the brand-new iPhone 6s. The Archer C7 is faster over longer distances than mostrouters that cost $150 or more, and it’s the best value of the more than two dozen routersThe Wirecutter tested in the last two years.

Archer C7(100美元)對(duì)大多數(shù)人來(lái)說(shuō)是最佳選擇。它是一款雙頻802.11ac標(biāo)準(zhǔn)路由器，這意味著它可以提供2.4吉赫茲和5吉赫茲Wi-Fi兩種網(wǎng)絡(luò)。它還能支持你能買到的各種無(wú)線設(shè)備獲得最快的Wi-Fi速度，不管是MacBook Pro、三星的Galaxy S6，還是全新的iPhone 6s。相比于大多數(shù)價(jià)位在150美元，甚至更高的路由器，Archer C7可以讓用戶在更遠(yuǎn)距離獲得更快網(wǎng)速，它是The Wirecutter過(guò)去兩年測(cè)試的二三十種路由器中最物有所值的一款。

The Archer C7 isn’t the best fit for everyone. So The Wirecutter also combed through testresults and picked some routers for different living situations, such as small apartments orhomes where people primarily use Apple devices.

Archer C7并非所有人的最佳選擇。所以The Wirecutter也對(duì)測(cè)試結(jié)果進(jìn)行了梳理，挑選出一些適應(yīng)其他生活環(huán)境的路由器，比如公寓比較小，或家人主要使用蘋(píng)果設(shè)備。

Generally, we recommend you upgrade to a new router every three to four years. Thataccounts for how often people typically upgrade devices like smartphones (every two years)and computers (every three to four years).

通常，我們建議每三四年更換一臺(tái)路由器。這和人們更換智能手機(jī)(每?jī)赡?和電腦(每三四年)的一般頻率差不多。

Yet whether your smartphones, computers and tablets are one, two or five years old, now is agood time to buy a new router if you haven’t in the last three years. Newer devices areprobably using the 802.11ac standard, so you will get the fastest speeds at long distances withan 802.11ac router. If you hoard old devices, you will also get faster speeds and greaterrange. These benefits will be especially clear if you stay on a 5 GHz Wi-Fi network for as longas you can.

不過(guò)，如果你在過(guò)去三年不曾購(gòu)買過(guò)新路由器，那么不管你的智能手機(jī)、電腦和平板電腦目前使用了一年、兩年還是五年，你都該換一臺(tái)路由器了。較新的上網(wǎng)設(shè)備可能采用了802.11ac標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，所以配備一臺(tái)802.11ac標(biāo)準(zhǔn)路由器，你就可在遠(yuǎn)距離獲得最快網(wǎng)速。如果你還會(huì)繼續(xù)使用舊設(shè)備，更換新路由器同樣可以讓你獲得更快的網(wǎng)速和更大的網(wǎng)絡(luò)覆蓋。倘若你能盡量長(zhǎng)時(shí)間地使用5吉赫茲Wi-Fi，這些好處會(huì)更加明顯。

One caveat: If you use a slower Internet service like DSL, you can probably hold on to a routerfor longer than three years. A newer router can still be useful because of the improved wirelessrange, but you won’t experience a big difference in download speeds.

但請(qǐng)注意：如果你使用是如DSL等速度更慢的網(wǎng)絡(luò)服務(wù)，或許可以超過(guò)三年不換路由器。這種情況下更換新路由器還是會(huì)有幫助，因?yàn)榭梢詳U(kuò)大無(wú)線網(wǎng)絡(luò)覆蓋范圍，只不過(guò)你不會(huì)感覺(jué)下載速度有太大改變。

If your house is so large that a new router won’t be able to cover every inch with a great Wi-Fisignal, you could install a Wi-Fi extender, which enhances an existing Wi-Fi connection toincrease coverage. Powerline networking, which converts a house’s electrical wiring into a wiredInternet connection, is another option, but you’ll have to check if your home supports it.

如果你的房子很大，一個(gè)新路由器無(wú)法讓每個(gè)角落都擁有優(yōu)質(zhì)Wi-Fi信號(hào)，你可以安裝一個(gè)Wi-Fi范圍擴(kuò)展器。它可以加強(qiáng)已經(jīng)存在的Wi-Fi信號(hào)，擴(kuò)大其覆蓋范圍。還有一種選擇是電力線網(wǎng)絡(luò)，它將房子內(nèi)的電子線路轉(zhuǎn)換成一種有線網(wǎng)絡(luò)連接，但你需要首先確認(rèn)自己家能否支持這種設(shè)備。

As for Mr. McConnell, the retired engineer eventually solved his Wi-Fi headache by setting uphis devices to stay on the 5 GHz radio band. To get a Wi-Fi signal to his iPad in the bedroom,he also set up an extender. Now everything is smooth sailing, he said.

通過(guò)將上網(wǎng)設(shè)備設(shè)置為始終連接5吉赫茲波段網(wǎng)絡(luò)，退休工程師麥康奈爾最終解決了他的Wi-Fi頭痛問(wèn)題。為了能在臥室讓自己的iPad連上Wi-Fi，他還安裝了一個(gè)擴(kuò)展器。他覺(jué)得，現(xiàn)在所有的上網(wǎng)體驗(yàn)都很順暢。