Table of Content
- Best Wireless Router of 2022 (WiFi, Budget, Gigabit, AC)
- Do you lose speed with mesh Wi-Fi?
- Eero Pro Mesh Wi-Fi System
- Belkin F9K1123 AC1200 Dual-Band AC WiFi Router ($18.
- What you need to know about wireless routers in 2019
- TP-Link Archer AX11000 Next-Gen Tri-Band Gaming Router
- Best Budget Wi-Fi 6E Router
While it was one of the original giants in networking equipment, it was eventually folded into Cisco and then sold to Belkin. Despite changing hands a few times, Linksys still has a reputation for rock solid hardware that doesn’t break the bank, and they make some of the best open source routers available. Most people need both 2.4GHz and 5GHz, because older devices only work with 2.4GHz, while newer devices can really benefit from the additional speed you get with a 5GHz signal. It's also important to keep in mind that 5GHz signals don't travel as far, so good 2.4GHz coverage is still important.
Available for $100 , the TP-Link Archer AX21 is an entry-level, dual-band Wi-Fi 6 router that supports top speeds of up to 1,201Mbps (1.2Gbps) on its 5GHz band. It's nothing fancy, but it offered near flawless performance for small- to medium-size homes in our tests, and it's a cinch to setup and use thanks to TP-Link's Tether app. The Asus RT-AC3200 is a tri-band router at a flagship dual-band router price, with great range and coverage plus really good device- and traffic-analysis capabilities in its UI. Unfortunately, its band steering was broken when we first tested it, and it's still broken; it claims to steer across all three bands, but in our testing it never once connected a device on 2.4 GHz. A recent firmware upgrade added band steering to the Archer A7, along with OneMesh support.
Best Wireless Router of 2022 (WiFi, Budget, Gigabit, AC)
Fortunately, routers have come a long way in the past few years, with a number of today's best Wi-Fi router options boasting impressive advancements and features worth investing in. Tri-band routers have an extra 5 GHz band in addition to the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands of a dual-band router. This third band allows more devices to connect and be busy at once without slowing the network down so much. Load-balancing band steering becomes even more important with tri-band routers—that extra radio won't do you any good if none of your devices are connected to it. We used to recommend against spending the extra money on a tri-band router, but busier networks with more smart devices in more congested areas can definitely benefit, and the feature doesn't cost as much as it used to.
The wireless standards supported by a router determine which devices are able to connect to that router. These standards have evolved a lot over the years, so it’s important to make sure that you choose a router that works with the same standards as your devices to get the best experience. This Synology router ended up alongside two other dual-band routers (the Asus Blue Cave and Asus RT-AC86U) at the top of our performance charts. Like the Archer A20, each of these routers was able to handle the traffic our multi-client test generated and to give us a smooth browsing experience. And the Synology was able to keep a strong connection to our long-distance testing site, transferring data at a speedy 166 Mbps throughput (by comparison, the budget TP-Link Archer A7 was able to manage throughput of only 27 Mbps to the garage). Any of our picks will easily outperform any router you got from your Internet service provider, or any router more than a few years old.
Do you lose speed with mesh Wi-Fi?
Although very few ISPs support faster-than-gigabit Internet now, this feature offers a way to future-proof if you know that such speeds are something you're interested in (though most people don't need a connection that fast). You can also link two of the Archer A20's LAN ports together to increase bandwidth for networked storage devices that support link aggregation, such as the Synology DiskStation DS418play. If a range extender doesn't do the trick, consider overhauling your network with a Wi-Fi mesh system. This technology offers an easy way to fill wireless dead zones in your home without the need for additional wiring, range extenders, or access points.
There's a lot to like about it, but the average speeds were underwhelming among Wi-Fi 6E systems. The Vilo mesh router is the slowest I've ever tested, but it's functional, and it only costs $20 per device, plus shipping. A good mesh Wi-Fi system will spread fast, reliable internet speeds throughout your entire home. Since your cable modem has to be registered with your ISP to work properly, it's important to buy one that's guaranteed to be compatible. While some ISPs may let you register any cable modem, most will refuse to set one up that isn't on its approved list. We're aware we're going to sound a bit snobby, but if we were going to go with one of the two Netgear products on this page, we'd save up for the CAX80 only because it looks so much nicer.
Eero Pro Mesh Wi-Fi System
Killer throughput performance, 6GHz data transmissions, and wide signal coverage are all reasons why the ZenWiFi ET8 is our top pick for Wi-Fi 6E mesh systems. At $530, it’s not exactly affordable, but it is one of the more well-equipped mesh systems out there, offering a multi-gig WAN port, USB connectivity, and Trend Micro-powered network security. Performance and value are probably the first things you'll look for as you shop for a mesh router, but there are other factors worth taking into consideration as well. Mesh routers typically don't come with many unique bells and whistles, but there are some standouts. That's a useful trick that lets you make use of your home network's security capabilities when you're connecting to a public Wi-Fi network.
For as long as I can remember, I've had love of all things tech, spurred on, in part, by a love of gaming. I began working on computers owned by immediate family members and relatives when I was around 10 years old. I've always sought to learn as much as possible about anything PC, leading to a well-rounded grasp on all things tech today. We then ran over to our MacBook Pro, now moved to test location #2—long-distance, line-of-sight—and fired up a 4K YouTube video.
There's also theTP-Link Deco X90, a Wi-Fi 6 mesh system that outperformed the W7200 in my tests and adds in a multigig Ethernet jack for high-speed internet plans. It typically sells for close to $450 for a two-pack, but it's worth a look if you can catch it on sale. DOCSIS, which stands for Data Over Cable Service Interface Specifications, is the standard cable companies use to give your home internet access. It's been around for over 20 years, so there are lots of different versions of it.
We appreciate that Netgear prompts you to update the router's firmware to its most recent version. Typically hovering around $80, TP-Link's Archer C7 is one of the least expensive ways to outfit your home with wireless-ac coverage—or at least, a portion of it. While it's rare to find another AC1750 router that beats the Archer C7 on price, there are plenty that are faster than TP-Link's router, especially at range. You can see those results for yourself in the bar graph above, which shows the overall average Wi-Fi 6 upload and download speeds for each system we've tested.
If you want a fast router but aren't ready to upgrade to the new 802.11ax standard, this is one of the best options you have. The router is capable of transmitting on three bands simultaneously with advanced beamforming technology. Linksys equipped it with a quad-core 1.8GHz processor to process the traffic and help keep this router running at top speed even when under heavy load. In addition to being more stylized and decorative than your average wireless router, Asus's Blue Cave AC2600 offers excellent performance with a top data transmission speed of 2,600Mbps. Similar to TP-Link's routers, this one can also be conveniently controlled via a smartphone app, and it has built-in antivirus and security features powered by Trend Micro to help keep your data safe. Razer has developed one of the fastest routers on the market, the Razer Sila, able to cover up to 9,000 square feet when deployed as a mesh network.
If you’re looking for a router that can offer you the peace of knowing that your home network is safe against malware and other online threats, then Asus RT-AX88U has you covered. It’s a high-performance router with a wealth of advanced features, from online security and parental controls to the latest Wi-Fi 6 technology, plus enough range and power to cover a large and busy home. Nearly all routers include separate radios for those bands, which lets you connect to whichever band is best. Some routers will automatically steer your connection between the multiple bands available, but you can usually turn that off as well, making each band its own, separate Wi-Fi network.
The easier, more modern way is to use the router's app, which will typically walk you through setup in about 5-10 minutes. After setup, you can also use either approach to access the router's settings or change your Wi-Fi password. TP-Link's Archer C5400 is a tri-band router offering MU-MIMO support and 4×4 radios.
We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. Lifewire EV EVs have been around a long time but are quickly gaining speed in the automotive industry.
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