Your Internet service provider may offer you a wireless router as part of your Internet service. However, the best Wi-Fi routers to achieve the fastest and most secure Internet connection speeds possible may not be the one provided with your service. Not only can you avoid a monthly equipment rental fee by buying your own, but you’ll also get more advanced features and more control over your network.
Whether you live alone or have a home filled with kids, you likely own several connected devices such as tablets, smartphones and video game consoles. You also probably have smart equipment connected throughout your home, such as smart lighting or wireless security cameras. Having reliable and fast wireless Internet throughout your home is more important than ever.
In addition to potentially faster Internet connections, among the perks of purchasing a cutting-edge Wi-Fi router are that these devices will often provide a better signal range, built-in security and parental controls. Some also offer free mobile apps that allow you to manage every aspect of your home’s Wi-Fi network.
- Best Wi-Fi 6 Router: ASUS RT-AX86U
- Best Mesh Wi-Fi Router: Nest WiFi
- Best Low-Cost Wi-Fi Router: TP-Link Archer C2600
- Best Wi-Fi Router For Home Use: Linksys AC3000
- Best Premium Priced Wi-Fi 6 b/Dual-Band Router: Netgear Nighthawk AX8
- Best Wi-Fi Router For Long Range: Asus AX88U
- Best Combo Modem Router: Aris Surfboard G36
- Best Mesh Router For Smart Homes: Netgear Orbi
- Best Gaming Wi-Fi Router: ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AX11000
Best Wi-Fi 6 Router
Fast, Attractive, And Fully Featured
- Pros: Fast Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 5 support, Game Mode minimizes lag, supports 2.5 Gbps Ethernet.
- Cons: No geofencing option.
This is a powerful and fast router that’s capable of connection speeds up to 5700Mbps utilizing Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) and 160MHz channels. This makes it ideal for gamers looking for minimal lag and latency, as well as anyone looking to protect their Internet usage with the cutting-edge security features offered by ASUS AiProtection Pro. Parents will appreciate the added controls built into the router that allow them to limit Internet time and choose which devices their kids can connect to online (and when). So when your kids are supposed to be doing homework on their laptop computer, game console connectivity can be turned off, for example.
By offering lower latency, faster speeds, energy efficiency and a longer signal range than a Wi-Fi 5 router, a household full of heavy Internet users will all experience frustration-free web surfing, streaming and gaming.
For serious gamers, it’s easy to plug a PC or console-based gaming system (such as the PlayStation 5) directly into this router using its special LAN port to provide the fast and stable connection needed for high-action and graphic-intensive online games. This router is also compatible with the NVIDIA GeForce NOW cloud-based gaming service, allowing you to dedicate extra bandwidth automatically for the best possible experience.
Using multiple (compatible) routers, if necessary, you can expand the Wi-Fi signal strength throughout your entire home and eliminate dead zones altogether thanks to ASUS AiMesh. If you’re willing to spend a bit extra for a Wi-Fi 6 router upgrade, this one offers all the technology you’ll need to keep everyone in your household happy with their respective Internet connections from any of their Internet-connected computers and devices.
Best Mesh Wi-Fi Router
Understated Networking
- Pros: Fantastically fast, Built-in Google Assistant, Easily Expandable.
- Cons: Limited range without extenders.
Google's Nest Wi-Fi mesh router and extenders offers one of the most easy to setup, easy to manage and easily expandable mesh networking solutions out there today. There are faster and more expansive mesh network solutions with just the router or a single satellite, but there's nothing more extenders won't fix. It has Google Assistant built in, so if you already have some Google Assistant devices or use it on your phone, it's easy to integrate this router into your existing smart home infrastructure. It also makes a great jumping off point for making your home electronics that bit more dynamic.
Able to handle up to 200 devices on the network at any one time, this mesh Wi-Fi router system is more than enough for each the busiest of households, and its dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz spectrums ensure that everyone has the bandwidth they need to enjoy a capable internet and network connection at all times. Do you have a particularly big home and want to start with a bigger network range off of the bat? There are three packs that give even greater coverage at an equally attractive price.
Best Low-Cost Wi-Fi Router
Everything You Need At A Budget Price
- Pros: Very Affordable, Wi-Fi 5 support, dual-band 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz frequencies.
- Cons: No Wi-Fi 6.
Available from Amazon for less than $100, this dual-band wireless router offers a data transfer rate up to 2300 megabytes per second. While not the fastest wireless router on the market, the TP-Link Archer AC2300 is well-suited to average Internet users who need reliable connections for their various devices.
Thanks to its built-in MU-MIMO technology, this wireless router has no trouble streaming content to multiple devices simultaneously without compromising connection speed or reliability. and without lag or buffering. Expect speeds up to 1733Mbps on 5GHz or 800 Mbps on 2.4GHz from this dual-band router, easily fast enough to stream 4K video.
The TP-Link Archer AC2600 uses three external antennas and one internal antenna to provide a strong signal throughout your home. One nice feature of this router is that it’s Amazon Alexa voice assistant compatible, so you can turn on or off guest Wi-Fi access, for example, with simple voice commands, or use the free Tether mobile app to set up and manage the router’s parental controls and other user-customizable features.
Best All-Around Wi-Fi Router for the Home
Affordable Performance For Current-Gen Devices
- Pros: Fast Wi-Fi 5 performance, tri-band support for busy networks, excellent coverage, expandable mesh network support.
- Cons: No Wi-Fi 6 support.
Available now at a steep discount, this tri-band home router offers signal coverage up to 3,000 square feet on its own or can be linked with multiple nodes (signal extenders) via its Linksys Velop mesh Wi-Fi System capabilities to extend its signal strength up to 6,000 square feet.
The Linksys AC3000 supports up to 25 simultaneously connected computers, mobile devices and smart devices thanks to MU-MIMO (multi-user, multi-input, multi-output) functionality, so multiple individuals can stream 4K media, browse the Internet or play online games with enough efficiency to make each person feel at ease knowing they’re not being stifled by a crowded network.
This router is capped at Wi-Fi 5, but that’s not a huge issue for modest needs. It also includes seven total ports and offers data transfer speeds up to 3,000 megabits per second across its three bands: 5Ghz at 1733Mbps, 5GHz at 867Mbps or 2.4Ghz at 867Mpbs. Above all, this router is incredibly easy to setup, making it an ideal choice for anyone who wants a quick and affordable upgrade over their ISP-issued equipment.
Best Premium Priced Wi-Fi 6 Dual-Band Router
Unique Look And Super Fast Gameplay
- Pros: Blazing fast performance, tri-band wireless support, 2,500 square foot coverage.
- Cons: Bulky, premium price tag.
If you or others you live with work from home and are constantly fighting for bandwidth with your kids who are busy streaming media or gaming, investing $400 in this Wi-Fi 6 router will be a great decision. While Netgear’s most expensive tri-band router offers connection speeds up to 10.8Gbps, this router offers 6Gbps, which is plenty adequate for most households. Up to 30 wireless devices can connect simultaneously.
The Netgear Nighthawk 8-Stream AX8 offers a signal strength that covers 2,500 square feet. In addition to eight wireless streams (from four antennas), this router offers the ability to connect up to five computers or compatible devices via its Ethernet LAN ports, plus offers two USB 3.0 ports that allow you to add shared storage devices to your home network.
Included with the Netgear Nighthawk 8-Stream AX8 is built-in technology that provides customizable parental controls. For example, via the Netgear Nighthawk mobile app, a parent can instantly pause Internet access by device or user. A 30-day free trial of Netgear Armor (powered by Bitdefender) provides superior multi-layered security against viruses, malware and data theft for all your home devices and computers.
Best Wi-Fi Router For Long Range
The Longest Range Single Router
- Pros: Rivals mesh networks for range, dual band, ultra fast, Alexa support.
- Cons: Lacks tri-band support.
When it comes to range and coverage, mesh router networks rule the roost, but there are some single router solutions which rival their sheer expansiveness. The Asus RT-AXX88U is one such router, offering a coverage of as much as 5,000 square feet with blistering fast Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 5 performance across its dual bands. It lacks the tri-band support which some of the most cutting-edge routers offer, but in every other area, this is a fantastic router with a solid, well-rounded set of features and specifications; perfect for larger homes that don't want to use a mesh network solution.
There are routers with higher overall throughput support, but at 6,000Mbps, this one still has plenty of bandwidth to go around, splitting them across the 2.4GHz and 5GHz spectrums to offer great support for older and newer devices as needed.
With solid coverage too, you'll be able to maximize your internet connection speeds in just around any room in even the largest of houses. Mesh networks will still offer more uniform performance and fewer dead spots if there's a lot of occlusion, particularly with thicker external walls, but for a single router solution, the RT-AX88U is hard to beat.
Best Modem Router Combo
Excellent Performance In a Compact Chassis
- Pros: Super fast performance, compact modem router combo, 2.5Gbps Ethernet support.
- Cons: Not as fast as dedicated modem and router devices.
If you want a single device to handle your modem and router tasks, the Arris Surfaceboard G36 ensures that any sacrifices you make for that convenience are minimal. It has support for up to 3,000 Mbps bandwidth across its dual band networks, with four Gigabit Ethernet ports for wired connections. Setup is quick and simple with the bundled application, and it's running the latest modem technology from cable providers, so it's future proofed for the next few years of upgrades.
The Surfboard application also provides excellent customization options, giving you quick and easy access to all the settings you might want to tweak once you add it to your network. This modem router combo isn't compatible with AT&T, Verizon, CenturyLink or other DSL or Fiber internet providers, but it will work just fine with Cox, Spectrum, Xfinity and many others. If in doubt, confirm with your cable provider before buying.
Best Wi-Fi Router For Smart Homes
Slot It Into Any Smart Home Network
- Pros: Supports Alexa and Google Assistant, expansive coverage, super fast throughput.
- Cons: Expensive.
Netgear's Orbi router and satellite units are some of the most premium networking hardware you can buy today. Their mesh network lets them offer expansive coverage throughout even the largest homes, and the Wi-Fi 6 support gives excellent bandwidth to tens of connected devices at a time. One of the biggest selling points, though, is support for both Google Assistant and Alexa, so whatever kind of smart home setup you have, you can slot these routers right into it and enjoy greater integration of all your networked devices.
Setup for these devices is super simple too: Just grab the application, connect your Orbi router and any satellite extenders to the power and the app will walk you through everything. It also includes a number of smart functions like parental controls and deep monitoring, all of which can be controlled through the app or via Alexa and Google Assistant. You'll need to do a little setup to bring these devices into your existing smart home infrastructure, but it's no harder than setting up the routers in the first place.
Best Gaming Wi-Fi Router
As Fast As It Gets
- Pros: Bleeding edge performance, Wi-Fi 6e support, excellent coverage, super-low-latency gaming.
- Cons: Expensive, ugly.
There aren't many devices that fully support Wi-Fi 6, let alone Wi-Fi 6e, but if yours can and you want the fastest networking hardware ever made for general consumers, the Asus ROG Rapture is the router for you. With full support for Wi-Fi 6 and 6e, tri-band support and fantastic coverage with few dead zones even in larger homes, this is a premium gaming router with all the bells and whistles.
It's not the best looking device even with the RGB, so you may have a little difficulty getting its aerials to fit into your décor, but if you don't mind that, this is absolutely the best gaming router you can buy in 2022.
It has support for 2.5 Gbps Ethernet if you're more of a fan of wired connections, and if you want to expand your network coverage in the future, you can use Asus' AIMesh to bring in other routers to do the job of traditional extenders.
What You Should Know When Purchasing a Wi-Fi Router
In the past, We’ve had “Wireless-N” and “Wireless-AC” compatible routers that were indications of the connection speeds each was capable of offering. These have since been renamed Wi-Fi 4 and Wi-Fi 5, respectively.
Meanwhile, Wi-Fi 6 has been introduced. Wi-Fi 6 is backwards compatible but offers four times greater bandwidth. Thus, multiple users can utilize the same wireless network simultaneously and achieve the highest possible connection speeds. Wi-Fi 6e further enhances this with greater bandwidth and support for more simultaneous connections, though isn't supported by many devices just yet.
Keep in mind, the wireless Internet connection speed you’re able to achieve at home is also based on your modem’s capabilities, your equipment’s Wi-Fi capabilities and your Wi-Fi router’s speed and signal strength, not to mention how much throughput speed is actually coming through from your internet provider.
Thus, having a slow and outdated modem with a fast router will not be ideal. Plus, your Internet service provider may offer multiple tiers of service, so how much you pay monthly will impact your possible connection speeds as well. Contact your Internet service provider to determine if you have the most current modem available, and based on your service plan, what connection speeds your equipment can achieve. Then, choose a W-Fi router that can match the modem’s capabilities.
When shopping for a Wi-Fi router, make sure its signal will reach throughout your entire home. Otherwise, in areas with a weaker signal, you will also need to install compatible Wi-Fi extenders or additional (mesh compatible) routers, which are sold separately.
The speed difference between a Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 router is not too significant, although the price difference between a Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 router doesn’t follow that trend—the latter will always be more expensive. What really separates these two technologies is total available bandwidth, which directly impacts the number of computers and/or devices that can connect to the same Wi-Fi signal at once without choking the network. As such, you shouldn’t hesitate to go with a Wi-Fi 5 router if you need to save some money, especially if you don’t have many devices that support Wi-Fi 6 in your kit.
