re: What router should I buy?

quote:

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Devices need to match.

AC Routers are cabable of AC,N,G,B,A
Your current devices are most likely N and G
Therefore you aren't using AC - yet - IE, future proof. When your devices have AC network cards, your router will support it.

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This.

Routers are usually backwards compatible. So if your router is listed only for A & B, then that's all you are going to get (since they are the two oldest still in use, although probably pretty rare). But if you get N, then you have A, B, G & N. So with AC (also known as 802.11ac, just as N is 802.11n, G is 802.11g, etc) you get the AC protocol and those before it.

For the curious, the reason there are no C, W, M, etc protocols is because each new 802.11 protocol is given a letter designation when they are initially proposed. So what you are seeing are the only ones that made it (some don't even make it beyond the theoretical stages). So instead of making things confusing by re-using old letters (since many may be being worked on at a given time), the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers) just keeps going forward.