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Note that we saw these speeds on a connection between two PCs on the routers’ Wi-Fi network. Your internet service plan acts as a speed limit on your connection to the internet. For example, if you’re paying for only a 50 Mbps service plan, 50 Mbps is the best you can expect when you’re downloading from the internet. Folks on a gigabit plan are more likely to be able to max out their connection speeds using any of the top routers. Gaming routers include software that can identify and prioritize gaming connections so they get the bandwidth they need to avoid lag or graphics issues.
Though we appreciate the router’s slick design, with no visible external antennas, the internal antennas didn’t do as good a job. Its automatic configuration mode, which is supposed to help it pick a channel and bandwidth profile that avoids interfering with neighboring signals, instead defaulted to the widest possible bandwidth regardless of the crowded airwaves. Imagine four people trying to walk shoulder-to-shoulder down a busy sidewalk and you get the picture. If you live by yourself or with a roommate, and you do reasonable, everyday activities on your wireless network, you’ll be fine. Even for gaming, this router delivers great speed and range on a budget for a solo adventurer or small party. It’s not the best choice if you live with a family full of gamers, streaming aficionados, work-from-homers and people who are constantly hammering the network with high-bandwidth activities.
Speed: Don’t Pay For More Than You Can Use
The TP-Link Archer AX50 is proof that you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to upgrade your network with Wi-Fi 6 technology. As mentioned in our guide to modems vs. routers, a modem is a box that connects your home network to your internet service provider, or ISP. A router is a box that lets all of your wired and wireless devices use that internet connection at once and allows them to talk to one another directly. Think of the modem as the box that deals with all the data packets to and from the outside world, and the router as the one that deals with all the communication inside your home . They can often last for five years or longer without developing any problems that would require a replacement.
The usual four Gigabit Ethernet ports around the back are also joined by a special high-speed 2.5Gbps dedicated gaming port for the ultimate in wired performance. 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. Around the back you’ll find the usual collection of four Gigabit Ethernet ports, but the AX50 has another nice surprise up its sleeve.
Best Gaming Router With Wi-Fi 6E
Using an ethernet cable is typically faster and more reliable than just a standard wireless network, but it's, of course, not wireless. It's a good solution for devices that don't move about, like a gaming console or a TV. You may also want to consider the possibility of a wired connection if you need a lot of bandwidth—for example if you frequently stream or play games online. Connections over ethernet will almost always be faster than Wi-Fi connections, but connecting a computer with an ethernet cable to a distant router can be tricky and less convenient should you need to move the computer.
We also test it against our everyday network usage to give you a glimpse on its real-world performance. We then take everything we’ve learned and measure all that against its price to see if it’s a great value to consumers. While it might not carry some of the extra features or ports that some of the more robust options have, it does offer some important ones such as MU-MIMO and Parental Controls. So if you’re looking for a no-frills way to get speedy internet, the Asus RT-AX58U may be the way to go.
What is the best wirelss router for a large home?
The router unit includes two Ethernet ports tucked away in a compartment on the bottom — one for the modem and one for other wired devices, like a switch or desktop. One router can reach up to 2,200 square feet, and two routers can double that. Designed for robust connectivity, the Nighthawk RAXE300 can handle speeds up to 7.8Gbps and cover homes as large as 2,500 square feet.
The next offering is again from Netgear, although this modem/router combo is faster than the last. Right out the gate, the Nighthawk C7000 brings speeds of up to 960 Mbps, which is much faster than the data plans most consumers get from their ISP’s. Contrary to the first router on this list, the MG7700 has a 24×8 channel bonding configuration, which will come in handy if multiple devices are accessing the net at once. This router can handle download speeds up to 1000 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 246 Mbps. As far as security goes, this modem/router combo includes DoS protection as well as WPA/WPA2 and SPI/NAT firewalls.
How we tested, plus the results
Experts said you should upgrade your router at least every five years, not only to increase your speed and reliability but also to make sure your device is receiving the latest feature and security updates. If you’re still using the dusty Wi-Fi router you bought when you first got broadband internet — or the basic unit your internet provider rents to you — it might be time to move on. 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.
In other words, you can choose which online activities are most important to you and give them priority over other services. You can optimize your Wi-Fi settings, add guest networks, use MAC filters, and switch between WPA and WPA2 connections. A 4x4 Wi-Fi 6 router will be better able to juggle those Wi-Fi 6 devices, thanks to technology called MU-MIMO that lets it split its streams between clients . Beamforming — which lets a router focus a wireless signal in the direction of a specific device — is another good feature to look for, and it’s included in Wi-Fi 6. Unlike most of the Wi-Fi 6 routers we tested, which eat up shelf space with their large rectangular designs, the RT-AX86U can stand vertically. You can leave its three antennas pointed straight up or tilt them slightly; either way, the RT-AX86U’s design saves a lot of space and the vertical orientation makes it even easier to reach the router’s rear ports.
But if all you want to do is upgrade your network with speedy Wi-Fi 6 on the cheap, look no further. This ZTE router delivered some of the fastest 5GHz throughput we've seen from an under-$100 device, and its 2.4GHz performance was not too shabby, either. It's not often that you get this level of performance, as well as 160MHz channels and WAN aggregation, in a budget router. The Reyee RG-E5 delivered some of the highest throughput scores we’ve seen from a midrange sub-$200 router. In fact, its showing on our 5GHz performance tests rivals that of routers that cost twice as much.
And, it comes with parental controls to keep the kids protected while they're online. 【Extensive WiFi Coverage】 G6 WiFi router supports High-power 6 antennas and Beamforming technology, adapt Wi-Fi coverage to perfectly fit your home, it concentrate signal strength towards your devices. 1 Wi-Fi router plugs into your internet provider’s modem to create your Wi-Fi network. The point extends the wireless network and keeps your connection fast to devices in every room. If you don’t need a multi-router mesh setup, this single-unit WiFi 6 model from Netgear should be near the top of your list.
From there, two routers emerged as obvious finalists for our primary and budget picks. We retested these using the same phones, in the same positions, but moving the router to the center of the house — following the same advice we’d give anyone setting up their router for the first time. The AX21 has a single USB 2.0 port on the rear for network-accessible storage. Even if they do, USB 2.0 is old and slow compared to USB 3.0, which we typically find on new routers nowadays.
It's a great fit for home offices or small businesses, or for anyone who has a lot of wireless devices and wants them all performing at the top of their game. Our mission is to provide you with great editorial and essential information to make your PC an integral part of your life. You can also follow PCguide.com on our social channels and interact with the team there. It’s well worth overdoing it with a router with a large Wi-Fi range to err on the side of caution to avoid any nasty surprises.
Best mid-range wireless routers: ASUS
Joel Santo Domingo is a senior staff writer covering networking and storage at Wirecutter. Previously he tested and reviewed more than a thousand PCs and tech devices for PCMag and other sites over 17 years. Joel became attracted to service journalism after answering many “What’s good? Speed isn’t everything, so in addition to evaluating throughput, we measured latency on a busy network. Latency refers to the time you spend between clicking on a link and waiting for the next web page, streaming video, or file download to come through. We ran this test concurrently on two laptops while other laptops were downloading files and simulating a 4K video stream, further stressing the Wi-Fi network.
Tri-band with 12 streams will let smart home devices communicate with each other more effectively and quickly. Google has its fingers in everything these days, and wireless networking is no exception. With their Nest brand, Google provides an intriguing mesh option where the nodes are also smart speakers and the whole thing integrates especially well with Google Home. When you buy a router, you usually don’t need to worry about any accessories. Most routers include everything you need to get started right there in the box. One notable exception is the Ethernet cable used to connect the router to your modem, as the included cables are almost always very short.
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