Q: When do I need a router with more memory? What are the benefits of having more Flash memory and RAM?
A: Basically, Flash Memory and RAM on a router add more room to prevent network congestion and improve throughput.
What is throughput?
Good question. Throughput is the average rate of successful delivery of messages through a network. Simply put, throughput measures the speed of message delivery inside a network. If you think about it in relation to networks and Internet connections, throughput defines the user experience. The key to a pleasing user experience is uninterrupted service and smooth data transfer.
Digital hiccups cause frustration, annoyance, head-banging and if consistent become a major interference in overall productivity. Who wants to lose productivity because of poor network communication?
For a more technical breakdown on throughput, check out the Wikipedia entry.
How to Choose a New Router to Improve Your Network
As we have detailed many times, most consumer routers are built with simplicity in mind, but there is less emphasis on features.
As networks become faster and more complex, it is good to prepare your network for faster speeds and more pressure than waiting for it to underperform or break. Getting a router with larger Flash memory and RAM capacity allows you to grow and expand your network more easily. This kind of advanced thinking will allow you to be prepared for whatever throughput/bandwidth-hogging applications that you find down the road.
Do you like watching the browser status say loading, loading, loading, and then the dreaded TIMEOUT screen! Or that dirty word, buffering. It can even cause frequent computer, iPad, and Xbox 360 Live disconnects. Are we still running on the dark ages of dial-up 2400 band modems here?
Having more RAM allows for more throughput as well. Most of FlashRouters‘ high-end units come with at least 8 MB of Flash memory and 64 MB of RAM which should be more than capable of providing for the average home users or small businesses need in the future.
What Are The Most Popular FlashRouters With Flash Memory Sizes Large Enough To Support Advanced Features?
Asus AXE16000 Merlin VPN Router

$979.99
- Perfect for Max Wi-Fi (15+ Simultaneous Connections)
- Blazing-fast Wi-Fi 6E (Wireless-AXE)
Asus RT-BE96U Wi-Fi 7 FlashRouter

$879.99
- Perfect for Max Wi-Fi (30+ Simultaneous Connections)
- Blazing-fast Wi-Fi 7 (Wireless-BE)
Asus RT-BE98U PRO Wi-Fi 7 FlashRouter

$999.99
- Perfect for Max Wi-Fi (30+ Simultaneous Connections)
- Blazing-fast Wi-Fi 7 (Wireless-BE)
If you are planning on creating a DD-WRT wireless hotspot with a lot of connections and users, having the proper router with a significant amount of RAM is a must.
Or, if you are a heavy torrent user, and you are having bottlenecks and slowdowns that are not just ISP related, it could be time to upgrade to a new router.
Advanced DD-WRT Features Involving Flash Memory & Networked USB
For the purposes of DD-WRT, the larger the memory size, the bigger the firmware build can be installed. That also means that the router can offer even more advanced features. Routers with Broadcom chips and 8 MB of flash can have the DD-WRT mega build installed. For Atheros routers like most Netgear and D-Link models, the STD (or standard package) can be installed for the most feature-rich networking capabilities.
Adding memory space on a router can provide options for installing Journal Flashing File System (JFFS) to prevent wear and tear on the router’s actual hardware-based memory as well as ipkg installations, and the ever-popular Optware, The Right Way. To read more about these features, click on each feature link to head to the DD-WRT Wiki for introductions and installation information.
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