First and foremost, find out if the wireless router supports the standard used by your broadband provider. Find out which system your service provider uses and all the proper settings. You'll have to enter this information under the wide area network (WAN) section of the router.

Static, dynamic, and point to point protocol over Ethernet (PPPoE) are the most common technologies in North America, but others, such as Toshiba authentication service (TAS), exist in some areas.

Generally, satellite broadband users won't be able to take advantage of a router in the traditional sense, because special software is required to access the network. There are workarounds, such as setting up a proxy server or using Internet connection sharing software, but they require that a computer be on all the time. You'll still be able to use the wireless technology with a proxy server.

Media access control (MAC) cloning goes hand in hand with the WAN. MAC addresses are 12-digit unique hexadecimal identifiers found on all network devices. Some service providers will restrict connections to specific MAC addresses. Most routers support cloning to make data appear to be coming from an approved address.

Host Name Authentication is also a requirement for some service providers. Like MAC cloning, most routers support the feature, but you should make sure it exists for your router.

Actiontec supports two unique features not available in the wireless routers in the group:

• Support for AOL broadband and simultaneous logins, a feature not available in the past
• USB-style broadband modems