Wi-Fi uses radio waves to send and receive signals from your wireless router. These radio waves connect your devices to the internet. Wi-Fi transmits at frequencies of 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. Generally, the faster the frequency, the faster the data transmission. LTD Broadband is a dual band device, offering both 2.4 GHZ and 5 GHz Wi-Fi frequencies. If you don't know what that means, that's fine, because LTD Broadband takes care of that for you. Unlike some routers that have two separate Wi-Fi networks (one for the 2.4 GHz band and another for the 5 GHz band) or older routers with just a 2.4 GHz band, LTD Broadband works to select the band that will deliver the best performance for your device. You can learn more about Wi-Fi bands here.

Wired internet is generally faster, allowing you to get the highest speeds available, but it’s not always possible or practical to plug in many devices (think of how many cables you would need!). And, some devices may not be capable of going as fast as your internet can (even if you could plug them in). Keep in mind, our upload and download speed claims are always based on maximum wired speeds. Internet speeds are not guaranteed and may vary based on factors such as hardware and software limitations, latency, packet loss, etc.

A wireless router is what lets your wireless devices connect to the internet. With a traditional router, all wireless traffic on your devices rely on that single point of access (the router)—instead of the multiple points you’d get with a mesh network. The reach of a traditional router is limited by the size of the antennas, and walls can often get in the way of the signal. You can use an extender to give you more “reach,” but it may not always cover some corners of your home.

An extender does exactly that: It extends your Wi-Fi signal range by repeating the Wi-Fi signal of your wireless router. An extender typically creates a new Wi-Fi network, requiring you to switch your device between networks.

You can connect to the internet either wired or wirelessly. A wired connection requires an ethernet cord to connect your device directly to the internet. A wired connection will generally allow you to get the maximum speed available at your home, which means it will usually be faster. Wi-Fi (or a wireless connection) allows you to connect Wi-Fi-enabled devices to the internet without cables. Instead, you use a wireless router. Wi-Fi can sometimes have interferences that may slow down the speed of your connection.

A mesh network uses multiple access points that communicate with each other to give your whole home seamless Wi-Fi coverage. A mesh network provides you with further reach than you’d get with a single traditional router. (This is what you get with LTD Broadband.)