Best Wi-Fi Modem for BSNL Broadband – Detailed Comparison

In this information age, we all firstly depend on the internet very much for day to day tasks. Almost every business has a broadband connection at the office to use internet services. After facing COVID situations, many people belonging to the IT industry started working from home finally. They ordered modem for broadband connection as the demand for broadband connections and modems at home also has increased.

Do you know? When the e-commerce companies started to accept online shopping orders after lockdown, the most ordered products were computer peripherals such as a mouse, keyboards, pen drives, modems, etc.

The penetration of the internet has shown a rise during the lockdown. Somewhere people used it through broadband connection or somewhere through mobile data. In this article, we will majorly focus on the broadband internet and discuss the latest and best modem for the broadband connection.

What’s in it for me-

• What is Broadband Internet?
• What is a Modem?
• How does Modem Work?
• How to Choose The Best Modem?
• Best Modems for BSNL Broadband Connection
• Modem vs Router
• Conclusion
• FAQs

What is Broadband Internet?

In terms of internet access, broadband is a high-speed internet connection with a wide bandwidth for transmission of data and signals. Moreover, the traditional method of connecting to the internet was using dial-up modem through telephone lines. The maximum speed of the dial-up internet access was up to 56 kbps.

The dial-up connection was first offered commercially in 1992. The transmission of data was slow in dial-up modem because it used a narrow band. Whereas broadband is relatively faster due to its capacity for carrying more data. The dial-up access and broadband connection both use a telephone line to establish the connection.

According to FCC (Federal Communications Commission), the standard definition for broadband internet is the connection that has the download speed of 25 Mbps and upload speed of 3 Mbps firstly. This standard was set in 2015 which was 4 Mbps and upload speed of 1 Mbps in 2010.

Broadband is the most used type of internet connection in the world. Broadband internet uses the following transmission technologies-

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line)

During the old days of early internet access, people were not able to use the internet while using the telephone. Also, DSL builds the connection by the unused wires of the telephone line without interrupting the phone call. The internet speed varies based on the distance from the nearest switching station correspondingly.
There are two types of digital subscriber line which are DSL and ADSL. Here ADSL means Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line. It provides fast download speed but less uploads speed.

Cable Provider

If the television cable operator provides internet services, this connection is called cable internet. They use a cable modem and the same co-axial cable that is used for television. You don’t need to use any dial-up method and you can use the internet and television simultaneously.

Fibre Optic

Fibre optic is of course the fastest means of transferring data as it converts the electrical signals into optical signals and the data travels with the speed of light. The fibre optic cables provide speed but also require a costly infrastructure.

Wireless

The wireless internet connects the device online with the help of radio signals. Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), Wi-Fi networks, Mobile internet services are examples of wireless internet.

Satellite

This is the service that provides the internet through the satellite. It requires no cable connections and you can get network in even remote areas. However, it is the slowest form of internet connection but, it is useful in many applications such as rural projects, military operations, etc. The installation cost of these setups is also high.

What is a Modem?

A modem is a network hardware device which is the short name for ‘Modulator and Demodulator’. It is essential to connect a device to the internet using a network cable or a wireless system. The main function of a modem is to convert the analog signal into a digital signal and vice versa.

You can also say that modems are ADC (Analog to Digital Converter) or DAC (Digital to Analog Converter). AT&T released the first commercial modem ‘Dataphone’ in 1960. It could convert digital signals into analog signals for data transmission over long-distance networks.

Modem for broadband have two ports. The first port connects it to the telephone line to receive the signals from the outside world. The other port is an ethernet jack that allows it to connect to a router or a computer device. Today we use modern and wireless modems that are more reliable and provide great speed with good features.

Alt-text: a man connecting LAN cable to a wireless modem

How does Modem Work?

As you know that the computers perform all the operations in binary format (0s and 1s). So, the role of the modem for broadband is to establish a connection for the communication between two devices. The process is following-

1. The modem for broadband modulates the analog data coming from the telephone line or cable into machine language so that the computer can understand it.
2. The router pushes these signals to the computer through an ethernet cable or wi-fi. Then, it receives the digital signal that the computer responds. It demodulates the pulses into analog data and sends it back to the telephone line.
3. This signal is in an electrical form and travels over the wires to reach the destination computer.
4. Here, another modem attached with that computer encodes the information into digital form and in this way, both the computers can communicate with each other with the help of a modem.
5. The process of modulation and demodulation happens for the seamless flow of information by reproducing the original data.

How to Choose The Best Modem?

If you want to utilize the speed of your broadband internet connection effectively, you should separately purchase a modem of your choice. No matter which internet plan you have at your office or home, the harsh reality is that the ISPs provide us with an average quality of regular modem for a broadband connection.

The modem provided by the internet service provider at the time of connection is a basic device which may not give you the highest possible speed perform to its full potential in certain conditions. You might have also faced these kinds of issues while using a broadband connection at your office or home.

There are many modems available in the market from different brands. The proper connectivity and speed of broadband internet that depends on many factors. Those factors are following that you must consider while purchasing a modem for a broadband connection.

• Download/Upload Speed
• Compatibility with Device or Operating System
• Encryption, Firewall and Security Features
• Price Based on the Features

Best Modems for BSNL Broadband Connection

BSNL is one of the largest broadband network provider in India. It is a government service that provides both wired and wireless internet to its subscribers. You need an ADSL modem for BSNL broadband connection. Let’s see a few of the best wireless modems-

1. D-Link DSL-2600U Wireless 11G ADSL2+ Modem Router

Button Controls	Wi-Fi / WPS Button, Reset Button
Power Supply	Switching Power Adaptor: 12 V 0.5 A
Protocol Standard	IEEE 802.11b/g
Frequency	2.4 GHz
Bandwidth	40 MHz
Frequency Band	Single Band
Speed	150 Mbps
Antenna	Internal
Number of LAN ports	1
Number of WAN ports	1
Number of USB Ports	2
WAN Port	RJ-11
LAN Port	RJ-45
Encryption	64-bit WEP, 128-bit WEP, Wireless MAC Filtering, WPA-PSK, WPA2-PSK
Security Features	PPP with PAP/CHAP, Detect Port Scan Attack, ID/Password Authentication, DHCP Server / Client
Firewall	NAT (Network Address Translation), SPI, DoS (UDP, TCP), Detection of Known Attacks
VPN	L2TP, PPTP Pass-Through, VPN: IPSec Pass-Through, ID / Password Authentication
Compatible ISP	BSNL, MTNL, Airtel, Tata broadband and Reliance broadband

2. D-Link DSL-2730U Wireless-N 150 ADSL2+ 4-Port Router

Button Controls	Factory Reset Button, WPS Button, Wireless On/Off Switch, Power On/Off Switch
Power Supply	AC 12 V/0.5 A
Operating System	Windows 98 SE, Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista
Protocol Standard	IEEE 802.11b/g, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.11e
Frequency	2.4 GHz
Bandwidth	40 MHz
Frequency Band	Single Band
Wireless Speed	150 Mbps
LAN/WAN Speed	10/100 Mbps
Antenna	External
Number of Antenna	1
Antenna Capacity	20dBm Wireless Antenna
Number of LAN ports	4
Number of WAN ports	1
Number of USB Ports	0
WAN Port	RJ-11
LAN Port	RJ-45
Encryption	64/128 bits WEP, WPA/WPA2
Security Features	Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), Static Routing, Parental Control (URL Blocking, Scheduling), PVC/VLAN Port Mapping, IGMP Snooping with 32 Multicast Groups, Authentication: MAC Address Access Control, Syslog Monitoring
Firewall	Built-in NAT, Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI), Denial of Service Prevention, Packet filtering (IP/ICMP/TCP/UDP), Intrusion Detection System (IDS), DMZ
SSID Support	Multiple SSID Support
VPN	IPSec, PPTP, L2TP Pass-through
Compatible ISP	BSNL, MTNL, Airtel, Tata broadband and Reliance broadband

3. TP-Link TD-W8901N 150Mbps Wireless N ADSL2+ Modem Router

Button Controls	Power On/Off Button, Wi-Fi ON/Off Button, Reset Button
Power Supply	Input: DC 9 V, 0.6 A
Operating System	Windows: 95, 2000, 98 SE, Unix, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, Mac OS, ME, NT, NetWare, 8, Linux
Protocol Standard	IEEE 802.3u, IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.11b/g/n
Frequency	2.4 GHz
Bandwidth	40 MHz
Frequency Band	Single Band
Wireless Speed	150 Mbps
LAN/WAN Speed	10/100 Mbps
Antenna	External
Number of Antenna	1
Antenna Capacity	1 x 5 dBi Omni Directional, Undetachable Reverse SMA Antenna
Number of LAN ports	4
Number of WAN ports	1
Number of USB Ports	5
WAN Port	RJ-11
LAN Port	RJ-45
Encryption	128-bit WEP, WPA2-PSK, Wireless MAC Filtering, 64-bit WEP, WPA-PSK
Other Features	Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), Static Routing, Parental Control (URL Blocking, Scheduling), PVC/VLAN Port Mapping, IGMP Snooping with 32 Multicast Groups, Authentication: MAC Address Access Control, Syslog Monitoring
Firewall	NAT (Network Address Translation), SPI, MAC Address Filtering / IP Address Filtering / Packet Filtering / Application Filtering / URL Filtering, Denial-of-service (DoS), SYN Flooding, Ping of Death
SSID Support	Multiple SSID Support
VPN	PPTP, L2TP, IPSec Pass-through
Compatible ISP	BSNL, MTNL, Airtel, Tata broadband and Reliance broadband

4. Netgear D500 N150 WiFi DSL Built-in ADSL2+ Modem Router

Button Controls	Power and Wi-Fi on/off buttons, Reset Button
Operating System	Mac OS, ME, NT, NetWare, 8, Linux, Windows: 95, 2000, 98 SE, Unix, XP, 7, Vista
Protocol Standard	IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11 b, IEEE 802.11n
Frequency	2.4 GHz
Bandwidth	40 MHz
Frequency Band	Single Band
Wireless Speed	150 Mbps
LAN/WAN Speed	10/100 Mbps
Antenna	External
Number of Antenna	1
Number of LAN ports	2
Number of USB Ports	0
WAN Port	RJ-11
LAN Port	RJ-45
Encryption	WPA/WPA2-PSK, WPA/WPA2
Firewall	Denial Of Service (DoS) Attack Prevention, Intrusion Detection and Prevention (IDS)
Compatible ISP	BSNL, MTNL, Airtel, Tata broadband and Reliance broadband

5. Netgear DGN1000 Wireless-N 150 Modem Router

Button Controls	Power On/Off Button, Wi-Fi ON/Off Button, Reset Button
Power Supply	External
Operating System	Windows: 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, Mac OS, UNIX or Linux
Protocol Standard	IEEE 802.11 b/g
Frequency	2.4 GHz
Bandwidth	40 MHz
Frequency Band	Single Band
Wireless Speed	150 Mbps
LAN/WAN Speed	10/100 Mbps
Antenna	External
Number of Antenna	1
Antenna Capacity	2dBi Gain Level Antenna
Number of LAN ports	4
Number of WAN ports	1
Number of USB Ports	0
WAN Port	RJ-11
LAN Port	RJ-45
Encryption	Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA/WPA2 – PSK), WEP
Security Features	Live Parental Controls with flexible and customizable filter settings
Firewall	Intrusion detection and prevention (IDS), Denial-of-service (DoS) attack prevention
Other Features	Live Parental Controls with flexible and customizable filter settings, Compatible with all major DSL Internet service providers (ISPs), Built-in DSL modem
VPN	VPN Pass-through
Compatible ISP	BSNL, MTNL, Airtel, Tata broadband and Reliance broadband

6. TP-Link TD-W8961N 300Mbps Wireless N ADSL2+ Modem Router

Button Controls	Power On/Off Button, WPS Button, Wi-Fi On/Off Button, Reset Button
Power Supply	External 9 V DC / 0.85 A
Operating System	Windows 98SE, NT, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, NetWare, Mac OS, UNIX or Linux
Protocol Standard	IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n
Frequency	2.4 GHz
Bandwidth	40 MHz
Frequency Band	Single Band
Wireless Speed	300 Mbps
LAN/WAN Speed	10/100 Mbps
Antenna	External
Number of Antenna	2
Antenna Capacity	2 x 5 dBi Omni Directional, Detachable, Reverse SMA Antenna
Number of LAN ports	3
Number of WAN ports	1
Number of USB Ports	0
WAN Port	RJ-45
LAN Port	RJ-45
Encryption	64/128-bit WEP, WPA/WPA2, WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK, WPA
Security Features	Live Parental Controls with flexible and customizable filter settings
Firewall	Wireless MAC Filtering, Network Address Translation (NAT), LAN Side Firewall, MAC / IP / URL Filtering, IP and MAC Address Binding
Other Features	Live Parental Controls with flexible and customizable filter settings, Compatible with all major DSL Internet service providers (ISPs), Built-in DSL modem
VPN	VPN Pass-Through: PPTP, L2TP, IPSec Pass-through, Port Forwarding: Virtual Server, Port Triggering, DMZ, ALG
Compatible ISP	BSNL, MTNL, Airtel, Tata broadband and Reliance broadband

7. Tenda D303 Wireless N300 ADSL2+ Modem Router

Button Controls	Power On/Off Button, WPS Button, Wi-Fi On/Off Button, Reset Button
Power Supply	External
Protocol Standard	IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n
Frequency	2.4 GHz
Frequency Band	Single Band
Wireless Speed	300 Mbps
LAN/WAN Speed	10/100 Mbps
Antenna	External
Number of Antenna	2
Number of LAN ports	3
Number of WAN ports	1
Number of USB Ports	1
Compatible ISP	BSNL, MTNL, Airtel, Tata broadband and Reliance broadband

8. TP-Link TD-W9970 300 Mbps Wireless VDSL/ADSL Modem Router

Button Controls	Power On/Off Button, WPS Button, Wi-Fi On/Off Button, Reset Button
Power Supply	External 9 V DC / 0.85 A
Operating System	Windows 98SE, NT, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, NetWare, Mac OS, UNIX or Linux
Protocol Standard	IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n
Frequency	2.4 GHz
Bandwidth	40 MHz
Frequency Band	Single Band
Wireless Speed	300 Mbps
LAN/WAN Speed	10/100 Mbps
Antenna	External
Number of Antenna	2
Antenna Capacity	2 x 5 dBi Omni Directional, Detachable, Reverse SMA Antenna
Number of LAN ports	4
Number of WAN ports	1
Number of USB Ports	2
LAN Port	RJ-45
Compatible ISP	BSNL, MTNL, Airtel, Tata broadband and Reliance broadband

9. D-Link DSL-2877AL Dual Band Wireless AC750 ADSL2+ Modem Router

Button Controls	Power On/Off Button, WPS Button, Wi-Fi On/Off Button, Reset Button
Power Supply	External 9 V DC / 0.85 A
Operating System	Windows 98SE, NT, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, NetWare, Mac OS, UNIX or Linux
Protocol Standard	IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n
Frequency	2.4 GHz
Bandwidth	40 MHz
Frequency Band	Dual Band
Wireless Speed	733 Mbps
LAN/WAN Speed	10/100 Mbps
Antenna	External
Number of Antenna	3
Number of LAN ports	3
Number of USB Ports	0
WAN	RJ-11
LAN	RJ-45
Encryption	64-bit & 128-bit WEP, WPS, WPA-PSK & WPA2-PSK
Security Features	WMM, MAC Address Filtering, Internet Control Message Protocol
Firewall	Dual Active Firewall, Network Address Translation (NAT), Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI)
Other Features	Multiple SSIDs, Automatic Rate Adapting, Auto Channel Selection, Virtual server (Port forwarding), Simple Network Time Protocol (SNTP), QoS
VPN	PPTP, L2TP, FTP
Compatible ISP	BSNL, MTNL, Airtel, Tata broadband and Reliance broadband

10. Tenda D1201 Ac1200 ADSL2+ Dual Band Wireless Modem Router

Button Controls	Power On/Off Button, WPS Button, Wi-Fi On/Off Button, Reset Button
Power Supply	External 9 V DC / 0.85 A
Operating System	Windows 98SE, NT, 2000, XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, NetWare, Mac OS, UNIX or Linux
Protocol Standard	IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n
Frequency	2.4 GHz and 5 GHz
Frequency Band	Dual Band
Wireless Speed	300 Mbps
LAN/WAN Speed	10/100 Mbps
Antenna	External
Number of Antenna	2
Antenna Capacity	2 x 7 dBi Omni Directional, Detachable, Reverse SMA Antenna
Number of LAN ports	4
Number of WAN ports	0
Number of USB Ports	1
LAN Port	RJ-45
Compatible ISP	BSNL, MTNL, Airtel, Hathway, ACT, Sify, Tata Broadband and Reliance Broadband

Modem vs Router

If you are thinking that modem and router are the same things, then, first of all, let me clear your misunderstanding. There is a difference between a modem and a router. The modem only modulates and demodulates the analog signal to digital and also digital to analog in order to decode the carrier waves for data transmission.

A modem allows your home computer to communicate with the other devices connected to the outside network. Whereas the router is network hardware that creates a local area network to provide the internet connection to all the wired and wireless devices. It provides a route to establish the connection between the modem and all the devices in a local or wide area network. That is why we call it a router.

Conclusion

A few years ago, people used wired modems when the wi-fi technology was not so popular. After some time, wireless modems were introduced and the speed of the internet also enhanced. Moreover, many other developments are going on with time and now the wireless modems are popular. They are better in connectivity and performance.

Many modems come with a built-in router. If you are a heavy internet user, you can use a separate modem and router to use internet services. The reason behind that is the development of the technology of modern routers. We will soon get the 5G internet services for mobile phones. The experiments to enhance the speed for broadband and fibre connections are also going on.

The modem technology doesn’t require changes with a rapid rate, but the router may get outdated for high-speed internet lovers. Using modem and router separately will allow you to upgrade the router only to enjoy wide coverage and speeds in the future by all means. This will also save you money. But, if you need internet for basic usage and not streaming or heavy gaming, you can go with the present technology and get any of the above modem routers for your broadband connection.

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