--- title: Choosing a Router to Buy for Fixed Wireless url: https://hdiss.net/guides/choosing-a-router-to-buy/ business: High Desert Internet Services (HDISS) phone: 775-575-9593, 775-391-5660 email: info@hdiss.net mailing_address: Home base: 200 S Virginia St, Suite 760, Reno NV 89501 (dispatch office, not a walk-in store). Mail: Billing Dept., PO Box 11353, Reno NV 89510 hours: Office open 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, seven days a week. Network watched around the clock. type: Fixed wireless internet service provider (homes and small businesses), web hosting, customer email, domain registration service_area: Northern Nevada - Washoe, Lyon, Storey, Churchill and Douglas counties and Carson City; availability is checked address by address (line of sight to a tower) plans: Bronze $50/mo up to 500 Mbps down, up to 200 Mbps up; Silver $75/mo up to 800 down, up to 200 up; Gold $99/mo up to 1 Gig down, up to 200 up; ask about the up to 1 Gig / 1 Gig ultra-low-latency service no_online_purchase: true (check your address or call; existing customers pay at https://www2.fernley.net/hdiss/onlinepay/paymentform.cfm) since: 2002 --- - [Home](https://hdiss.net/) - [Guides](https://hdiss.net/guides/) - Choosing a router to buy for a fixed wireless connection # Choosing a Router to Buy for a Fixed Wireless Connection Look for a gigabit Internet port, Wi-Fi 6 or newer, WPA3 support and a maker that publishes security updates. The outdoor antenna, radio, power supply and injector stay High Desert's; the router behind them is yours to choose. A Wi-Fi router on a shelf. Stock photo: Adobe Stock. [Photo credits](https://hdiss.net/photo-credits/) On this page - [Who supplies what?](#who-supplies-what) - [What should you check on the box?](#what-should-you-check-on-the-box) - [What about security and updates?](#what-about-security-and-updates) - [One router or several?](#one-router-or-several) - [Setting it up](#setting-it-up) A router has one job at the front door and another in the house. At the front door it takes the signal from the radio's power supply and shares it. In the house it makes Wi-Fi. This guide lists what to check on the box, what the service agreement says about who supplies what, and what is not published. ## Takeaways - The agreement says the antenna, radio, power supply and injector remain High Desert's property. - It also says the customer is solely responsible for provisioning, configuration and maintenance of customer premises equipment, including routers. - Whether High Desert supplies a router is not published; call 775-575-9593. - Gold is listed at up to 1 Gig down, so the router's Internet port should be gigabit or faster. ## Who supplies what? High Desert's service agreement (V 1.12) lists the antenna, radio, power supply and injector as equipment that remains the company's property, to be repaired or replaced by it if it fails. Section 8 says that unless a service order says otherwise, the customer is solely responsible for provisioning, configuration and maintenance of customer premises equipment, including routers, and that High Desert is not responsible for delays resulting from incompatibility or improper configuration of that equipment. Whether High Desert provides or rents a router is not published, so this guide does not say. Ask when you call 775-575-9593 any day from 9 to 5, and ask what the installer would set up for you. Our [ownership guide](https://hdiss.net/guides/who-owns-the-antenna/) covers the outdoor parts. ## What should you check on the box? Start with the Internet port. Your plan is listed as up to 500, up to 800 or up to 1 Gig down, so a router whose Internet (WAN) port is rated at a fast Ethernet service level of 100 Mbps would cap you well below the plan, while a gigabit port is the normal choice. Look at the LAN ports too, for the wired devices you keep near it. Next, the Wi-Fi standard. The Wi-Fi Alliance describes Wi-Fi 6 as bringing OFDMA, multi-user MIMO, 160 MHz channels and target wake time, and Wi-Fi 7, introduced in 2024, as adding 320 MHz channels and multi-link operation. Wi-Fi 6 is a sensible floor, and our [Wi-Fi 6E and 7 guide](https://hdiss.net/guides/wifi-6e-and-wifi-7/) says when more is worth it. ## What about security and updates? CISA recommends the strongest encryption available, naming WPA3 Personal with AES, and says to upgrade firmware and to disable remote management, WPS and UPnP. Before you buy, look for WPA3, an automatic update option, and a stated period of security updates. The FBI's May 2025 alert on end-of-life routers explains why updates matter, since a maker that stops updating leaves flaws open. See [end-of-life routers](https://hdiss.net/guides/end-of-life-routers/) and the [ten-minute checklist](https://hdiss.net/guides/secure-your-home-network/). A cheap router with no update policy can cost more over its life than a better one that is kept current. ## One router or several? For a small house, one router in a central spot is enough. For a large or heavy-walled house, a mesh system or a wired access point helps; see the [mesh guide](https://hdiss.net/guides/whole-home-wifi-and-mesh/) and the [wall guide](https://hdiss.net/guides/stucco-adobe-and-metal-walls/). Avoid putting two routers in a chain without setting one to bridge or access-point mode. Ring's help page warns that having more than one Wi-Fi router can cause connection problems and says to keep one router or ask how to set up bridge mode. Wired backhaul beats wireless between units whenever you can run a cable. ## Setting it up Plug the cable from the radio's power supply (the injector's LAN side) into the router's Internet port, as the installer shows you. Then use the maker's app or the admin page to set a new admin password, a Wi-Fi name and password, and the update option. Our [new router article](https://hdiss.net/support/set-up-a-new-router/) has the steps, and the support pages for [eero](https://hdiss.net/support/router-eero/), [ASUS](https://hdiss.net/support/router-asus/), [TP-Link Archer](https://hdiss.net/support/router-tp-link-archer/) and others cover specific brands. Do not touch the outdoor radio or its cable; if a light or cable looks wrong, call. If you are choosing a provider, send your address through the check form. A person looks at the path from the nearest tower and calls you back, and you can ask about the router on that call. ### Sources - [hdiss.net/terms-of-use/](https://hdiss.net/service-agreement/) (HDISS Service Agreement V 1.12, sections 8 and 10, read 10/15/26) - [wi-fi.org/discover-wi-fi/wi-fi-6](https://www.wi-fi.org/discover-wi-fi/wi-fi-6) (Wi-Fi Alliance, read 10/15/26) - [cisa.gov/news-events/news/home-network-security](https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/news/home-network-security) (CISA, Home Network Security, read 10/15/26) - [ic3.gov/PSA/2025/PSA250507](https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2025/PSA250507) (FBI IC3, May 7, 2025, read 10/15/26) - [ring.com/support/articles/uii72/fixing-offline-devices](https://ring.com/support/articles/uii72/fixing-offline-devices) (Ring Help, Using more than one router, read 10/15/26) ### Talk to a person - Call [775-575-9593](tel:7755759593) [775-391-5660](tel:7753915660) Open 9-5 every day - Email [info@hdiss.net](mailto:info@hdiss.net) [Check my address](https://hdiss.net/check-availability/#check) Local since 2002 Fixed wireless from towers in Northern Nevada. Three plans, no contracts, local support, 4.8 on Google from 36 reviews. [About High Desert](https://hdiss.net/about/) ### Keep reading - [Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7: do you need a new router?](https://hdiss.net/guides/wifi-6e-and-wifi-7/) - [Whole-home Wi-Fi and mesh: when you need it](https://hdiss.net/guides/whole-home-wifi-and-mesh/) - [Who owns the antenna and what happens if it is damaged](https://hdiss.net/guides/who-owns-the-antenna/) - [Set up a new router](https://hdiss.net/support/set-up-a-new-router/) - [End-of-life routers: why an old router is a security risk](https://hdiss.net/guides/end-of-life-routers/) ## More on getting set up, billing and moving - [What happens on installation day](https://hdiss.net/guides/what-happens-on-installation-day/): A technician looks over your home and property, agrees with you on where the equipment goes, mounts an outdoor antenna and radio, runs a cable to a power supply and injector indoors, and connects your router. The service - [How to get ready for your install](https://hdiss.net/guides/how-to-get-ready-for-your-install/): Clear a path to the spots the technician will need, decide where the router should sit, tell the office about trees, pets and gates, and keep your old service running until the new one works. Plan to be home with a way t - [What you pay on day one](https://hdiss.net/guides/what-you-pay-on-day-one/): The service agreement requires payment on the date of installation of the labor charge plus a prorated monthly charge from the install date to the next billing date. High Desert does not publish either amount, so ask the ## Questions people ask ### Do I need a router with a built-in modem? No. A tower-to-roof connection hands the router an Ethernet cable. The radio does the work a modem does. ### Is an expensive router faster for the internet? Not beyond your plan's speed. It helps inside the house, with more devices and better range.