Mostly High Definition TVs (HDTV) today are equipped with Ethernet port to let you connect to the network that has Internet connection. With Ethernet port ready, you can use the UTP cable to connect the HDTV to the network or to the router. Location between the router and the HDTV can be separated tens of feet. The clutter of the wires looks untidy. However, you can connect the HDTV wirelessly be means of Apple TV or Roku XDS. Both devices need to connect to the wireless network. The question is which wireless router is best for either Apple TV or Roku XDS?
Firstly you need to identify the technical specifications of either Apple TV or Roku XDS especially the types of Wi-Fi specification they are powered. The Wi-Fi specification for Apple TV is wireless 802.11n with dual band technology for either 2.4GHz or 5GHz bands. On the other hand, Roku is powered by the wireless N with single 2.4GHz band. But the next series of Roku XDS is powered by the same technology as Apple TV.
Since the main role of both Apple TV and Roku is to stream high definition media, your wireless environment should be powered by the high performance wireless router which is specifically designed for streaming and gaming. The router should be powered by wireless N dual band technology and supports WMM Quality of Service.
Wireless router with simultaneous dual band technology can provide wireless network with both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands concurrently. Streaming HD media demands high speed connection to the network. 5GHz band is ideal network for streaming since it is less interference than the more crowded 2.4GHz band.
The other feature your router should support is the wireless multimedia-based Quality of Service (WMM-based QoS). The router is capable of providing prioritization for multimedia traffic over other data traffic.
You can consider one of the following high performance routers which are powered by the fastest wireless technology (802.11n) with simultaneous dual band support and WMM QoS.
Apple Extreme Base Station
Click for spec details
Apple TV is an Apple product. When you connect the Apple TV to any of the recommended products from the same manufacturer, you’ll be assured that the connection will be solid and optimal. Apple Extreme base station is the recommended router by Apple, no argue.
Apple Extreme is powered by simultaneous dual band technology that will assure to work optimally with Apple TV, iPod, iPad, iPhone and other Apple products. It includes internal antenna with smart MIMO technology for high speed and large network coverage.
What about Roku XDS, can it work optimally connecting to the Apple Airport Extreme? Sure, the Airport base station provides solid connection with any types of streaming devices including Roku, Blu-Ray player and XBOX.
Apple Airport includes one USB port you can use to host either shared storage or share printer. And if you require hosting both storage and printer concurrently, you can add a USB hub.
Cons:
- Includes less Gigabit Ethernet ports (3ports)
- Doesn’t support Guest network
For detail Apple Airport Extreme manufacturer spec, click the link.
Cisco Linksys E4200 N750
Click for spec details
Linksys introduced this E4200 with wireless N750 maximum speed. N750 means the router delivers the high speeds of up to 450Mbps for 5GHz band and up to 300Mbps for 2.4GHz band. With simultaneous dual band, the router doubles your bandwidth demand. The router is also powered by 6xinternal antennas with smart MIMO technology.
Linksys E4200 includes one USB port to let you host an external shared storage. The router includes Cisco connect software to allow you manage the security settings, the client connection, storage management and guest network management.
Unlike the Apple Airport, the Linksys E4200 supports guest network to allow you create multiple SSIDs (Guest network). Guest network is separate network with different password and with limited access for your guests. For the latest version, you may consider Linksys E4200v2 N900 which support printing.
Cons:
- USB port doesn’t support USB printer for sharing
Click the link here for Cisco Linksys E4200 manufacturer spec detail.
The figure above shows a typical networking diagram that uses Apple TV or Roku connecting to the wireless network. The router used is D-link new Dir-857 N900 with USB 3.0 port.
By Ki Grinsing
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The E4200 is not streaming or there is no Knowledge articles how to configure ROKU. It is good but i am planning to return this product as i am not getting expert support from CISCO Linksys or ROKU.
this is for wireless