A new router can solve balky Wi-Fi

Router manufacturers have more recently improved Wi-Fi technology with mobile devices in mind.

New routers often include smarter antennas that do a better job of assembling signals and beaming energy toward devices that are moving around. Some features inside newer routers also help with the confusion and reduce signal interference.

If you have a router that is more than three years old, it should be replaced. An outdated router becomes a bottleneck that hinders the speeds of web downloads and file transfers between connected devices.

The best router for most people is the Archer C7. It's a dual-band 802.11ac router, meaning it can run both 2.4GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks, and it supports the fastest Wi-Fi speeds of every wireless device you can buy, including the MacBook Pro, the Samsung Galaxy S6 or the brand-new iPhone 6s.

The Archer C7 is faster over longer distances than most routers that cost $150 or more, and it's the best value of more than two dozen routers the Wirecutter tested.

The Archer C7 isn't the best fit for everyone. So the Wirecutter also combed through test results and picked some routers for different living situations, such as small apartments or homes where people primarily use Apple devices.

NEW YORK TIMES

You will be, after taking one of these small-group tours. Contexttravel.com connects docents — not guides — with travelers who seek in-depth experiences in historically rich destinations around the world.

Browsing through the website will open your eyes to travel experiences you might not know are available.

Walk through Florence, Italy, with a docent who's written a book about the Duomo, have dim sum with a local food writer in Hong Kong, or stroll through the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., with an art history professor, to name a few tours.

Prices for the tours vary, but several tours are less than $100 per person. If you're willing to splurge, go for a full private tour.

LOS ANGELES TIMES