Once you have the right placement and right quantity of wireless access points to cover your entire home, you want to make sure that your devices are talking on the right frequency. Newer access points operate in the 5Ghz spectrum. This spectrum typically requires a direct line of sight for a fast reliable connection. If there are obstacles in the home, 5Ghz speeds will tend to drop off quickly and you may be better off using the 2.4Ghz wireless signal.
Moving beyond just the speed, making sure your access point is capable of handling more devices is important. In todays modern world, its not uncommon for a typical family household to have 3-4 ipads, 2-4 smart phones, 3-4 wireless televisions and 2-3 laptops computers. When you do the math, we are talking about 20+ devices for a family of 5. When looking for a good access point, you want to make sure it has MU-MIMO technology. MU-MIMO stands for Mult-User, Multiple Input, Multiple Output. This technology opens up the lines of communications with the router and allows all devices to talk simultaneously without crowding each other out.