Readers' Choice 2022: Your Favorite Networking Brands

pcmag.com:

With so many of us cooped up in 2020, home Internet usage increased significantly. In Q4 of that year, we used an average of 483 gigabytes of data per month, according to OpenVault, a significant jump from the 344-gigabyte average in 2019. Last year we passed the half-terabyte threshold(Opens in a new window), with an average of 536 gigabytes per month in Q4 2021.

All that streaming isn’t happening on just one PC in each home. OpenVault’s data shows US broadband households have 25 connected devices on average, including computers, smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, streaming devices, gaming consoles, and more.

To effectively share your broadband connection with so many devices, you need a reliable router. If you live in an apartment or small home, a standalone unit might suffice. But if you have a large residence, a mesh network with multiple nodes throughout your home can substantially improve coverage and eliminate dead spots.

In this month’s PCMag Readers’ Choice Awards survey, we asked you to rate your satisfaction with your home router, whether it’s the one you got from your broadband provider or a unit you purchased. (Spoiler alert: Most respondents do not prefer the ISP's hardware.)

Survey respondents also rated their network-attached storage (aka NAS) devices as well. NAS let you store, backup, and access your videos, music, photos, and any other files, plus share them with others inside and outside your home network. They provide a viable alternative for those who don’t want to pay a monthly fee for cloud services like Dropbox, Google Drive, or Microsoft OneDrive. They can also be a complement to these services.

Are you looking to upgrade your router or add network storage to your home? Read on to see which