The current timeline is all about communication, and the internet is the quickest networking platform. For example, Wi-Fi connections are now available in homes, schools, offices, cafes, hotels, and everywhere you can imagine. If you are about to create a Wi-Fi network at your home, office, or anywhere else, you can’t just buy network equipment and set them up.
A great internet connection depends on your Internet Service Provider, modem, router, and additional network components. A router or modem is a bridge between connected devices and the internet connection. Now, you might notice AC1200, AC1750, and other specifications while eyeing routers and modems before purchase.
What’s the battle between AC1200 vs AC1750? Most importantly, you should check out which AC will be the best for your home or workspace.
Let’s go through this guide to learn further about AC1200, AC1750, etc.
What Do You Mean by AC?
Before you dive into the complications of AC1200 vs AC1750, it’s better to talk about what AC interprets. We are pretty sure that you have noticed the 802.11 technology mentioned on different network-enabled devices.
Well, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers or IEEE developed the 802.11 protocol for wireless local area network communication. And, every manufacturer in the world of network devices follows this protocol. Not to mention, the protocol has been revised and upgraded a few times over the years.
For example, 802.11b, 802.11a, 802.11g, 802.11n, and 802.11ac are the versions of that particular standard protocol. 802.11ac is one of the latest Wi-Fi protocols requiring a dual-band to function. This indicates that this protocol can operate at both 5GHz and 2.4GHz radio spectrums.
The benefit of using 802.11ac is that it can now directly transfer signals to the client’s devices, known as beamforming. We assume that you can understand that the AC in AC1200 or AC1750 refers to the 802.11ac protocol.
However, the 802.11ac protocol is also known as Wi-Fi 5. Still, people might be looking for the ACXXXX details to learn about the router or modem’s compatibility. Therefore, any router or modem with an AC mentioned in its specifications uses 802.11ac technology for wireless communication.
Is 802.11ac Protocol Fast Enough?
802.11ac or Wi-Fi 5 is one of the most used wireless technologies nowadays. However, Wi-Fi 6 or 802.11ax has already been introduced. So you might wonder whether the 802.11ac protocol is strong and fast enough for you. Well, the speed of the router or modem depends on the XXXX of ACXXXX.
For instance, you are here to check which one’s a better option: AC1200 vs AC1750. The numbers followed by the AC statement display the overall sum of bandwidth.
Your router might not be capable of delivering the same bandwidth that your ISP offers. Therefore, you should not confuse the router’s bandwidth speed with the bandwidth speed from the ISP.
Your Internet Service Provider can offer a bandwidth of 2, 4, 10, 25, 50, 100, or more. However, the AC number is related to what speed your router or modem can deliver.
The number is the maximum combining all the wireless speeds, theoretically. Generally, the bandwidth that your ISP offers is much lower than the router offers.
Yet, both bandwidth speeds are measured in Mbps. For example, a router with AC1200 in its specification will offer a combined theoretical bandwidth speed of 1200Mbps. Hence, you can easily interpret that the wireless speed of an AC1750 router is 1750Mbps.
Well, these two are not the only types of bandwidth or routers available in the market. You can own AC1900, AC2200, or AC3000 routers according to your technical or wireless communication requirements. The higher the AC numbers are, the better the wireless connection you will receive.
Moreover
Basically, router models of up to AC1000 use one band at 2.4GHz radio band. Whereas models up to AC2900 in their technical specifications can support 2 bands. One of them should be at 2.4GHz, and the other should use the 5GHz radio band.
On the other hand, router models with AC3000 or more support 3 bands. 2 bands use the 5GHz radio band, and the remaining one has to use the 2.4GHz band.
In the controversy of AC1200 vs AC1750, both use dual-band frequency. They are 2.4GHz and 5GHz, respectively.
Now, what’s the difference between these two bands? The 5GHz radio band is faster compared to the 2.4GHz band. Additionally, the 2.4GHz band offers fewer channels than the 5GHz one.
Additionally, the 2.4GHz channel is comparatively crowded as numerous devices such as Bluetooth gadgets, cordless phones, and microwave ovens operate at this band. However, the advantage of choosing the 2.4GHz is that this network can travel easily, and you can get broad coverage.
Hence, the 5GHz band is useful when you require strong and fast network communication. However, you should not be at a considerable distance or over the walls. The 5GHz band is not efficient enough to overcome obstacles and longer distances.
So, you can switch to the 2.4GHz bandwidth channel if you wish to get a longer range. Hence, you can get either AC1200 or AC1750 routers to get the best in terms of wireless connection speed and range. This is because both ACXXXX routers offer dual-band frequencies.
AC1200 vs AC1750 – Which One is the Best for You?
There’s one thing common in the conflict between AC1200 vs AC1750, and that is both models offer dual-band connectivity. However, which one should be the best for your home or workspace? Let’s get details of both these models to conclude.
Any router model with the AC1200 mentioned offers a combined theoretical speed of up to 1200Mbps. The 2.4GHz channel provides a speed of up to 300Mbps. Whereas its 5GHz channel delivers a connectivity speed of up to 867Mbps.
On the other hand, the total theoretical speed of any router with AC1750 specified on it is 1750Mbps. Its 2.4GHz channel can offer a speed of up to 450Mbps, and the 5GHz band can deliver up to 1300Mbps. So, it’s nothing but the speed that plays an important role in the controversy of AC1200 vs AC1750.
Can these ACXXXX-labelled routers or modems be powerful enough to handle heavy traffic? Both AC1200 and AC1750 specified routers and network elements can handle light streaming.
In addition, they can tackle standard gaming speeds. However, you might face network speed issues or buffering if you connect too many devices to the same access point.
If you acquire a 4K TV and streaming media box, then it’s better to go for higher AC standards. Otherwise, you might encounter issues with your network connectivity. You should opt for AC2200 or above if you want 4K streaming and a light-blazing internet connection.
Final Words….
So, what should you choose in the contradiction between AC1200 vs AC1750? It’s better to choose the latter one for the sake of future-proofing your home. Both AC1200 and AC1750 labelled routers are fine for home use only. You can get these ACXXXX devices from Netgear, D-Link, Asus, TP-Link, Linksys, Eero, Arris, Motorola, or other leading manufacturers.
