Best Wireless Routers For Any Purpose

It’s impossible to fully enjoy a fast Internet connection without a great wireless router. From laptops to mobile devices to Internet-connected smart home gadgets — wireless Internet access has become a necessity like electricity or water.

Best WiFi Routers

Because we know that the selection of wireless routers can be a bit overwhelming, we’ve picked the best wireless routers for regular home users, gamers, and people on a budget.

TP Link Archer AX21 Logo

TP-Link Archer AX21

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Linksys MR7350 logo

Linksys MR7350 WiFi 6

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Logo ASUS RT AC88u

Asus RT-AC88U

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Logo ASUS GT AC5300

Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300

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TP-link Archer C5 V4 Logo

TP-Link Archer Archer C5 V4

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Asus RT AX53U logo

Asus RT-AX53U

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Logo Netgear Nighthawk X10

Netgear Nighthawk X10

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NetSpot WiFi Survey Software
Measure and visualize the strength of your wireless router at ease.
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How to Choose the Best WiFi Router?

The most important thing is to know what you need. Are you a gamer who plays online competitive games? Do you like to stream high-definition movies and TV shows from the Internet? Or do you just want faster Internet speeds without paying for features you may or may not use?

Once you understand your own needs, it’s time to pick a few models that fit the bill and read WiFi router reviews to discover their pros and cons. Keep in mind that tech reviews are a picky bunch who likes to point out flaws that will go completely unnoticed by the average user. Use your judgment to separate valid critique from frivolous remarks.

After your new WiFi router finally arrives at your doorstep and you set it up, use NetSpot to measure how much have your Internet download and upload speeds improved and how strong the signal has become.

Best Wireless Router for Home

A wireless router for home should be reliable, secure, and easy to configure. For most people, mid-range wireless routers offer the best value as they tend to have all the important features that can be found in high-end wireless routers without the premium price tag.

Before you spend money on a new WiFi router, we highly recommend you run a wireless site survey using NetSpot to determine whether your current WiFi router doesn’t already deliver satisfactory coverage.

NetSpot Discover Mode

NetSpot makes wireless site surveys and analysis a matter of a few simple clicks, and it’s available for free for both Windows and macOS.

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Winner:
LOGO TP-LINK
TP-Link Archer AX21
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Raiting : 4.8 out of 5

The TP-Link Archer AX21 is a top choice for a home wireless router because it combines impressive features and easy setup. The router can achieve speeds of up to 1.8 Gbps for smooth streaming and downloading, and it uses beamforming technology and high-performance antennas to ensure a wider coverage area.

TP-Link Archer AX21

Setting up the Archer AX21 is simple thanks to the TP-Link Tether app, which also provides convenient access to parental controls. While the router is unlikely to cover a large home with a sufficiently strong signal on its own, you can pair it with OneMesh extenders to effortlessly get whole-home coverage.

Pros and Cons
  • Fast 1.8 Gbps WiFi performance
  • Beamforming for wide coverage
  • Easy setup and management
  • Versatile parental controls
  • May require additional OneMesh extenders for very large homes
Runner-Up:
Logo Linksys
Linksys MR7350 WiFi 6

Raiting : 4.4 out of 5

The Linksys MR7350 WiFi 6 router is a reliable choice for home users who prioritize speed and performance over additional features. With its Intelligent Mesh technology, the router can cover up to 1,700 sq. ft and handle over 25 devices while achieving speeds up to 1.8 Gbps in real-world tests.

Linksys MAX-STREAM Mesh Router (MR7350)

The lack of VPN support, web filtering, and limited USB functionality may be disappointing for some users, but we believe that most regular home users won’t mind. Instead, they will see the MR7350 as a solid option that delivers outstanding value in terms of speed and performance.

Pros and Cons
  • Fast WiFi 6 performance
  • Covers up to 1,700 sq. ft and supports 25+ devices
  • Expandable with Linksys' Velop mesh system
  • Parental controls and guest mode
  • Limited feature set compared to similarly priced routers
  • Sluggish web portal and smartphone app experience

Best Wireless Router for Gaming

If you’re an avid gamer, it makes sense to purchase a wireless router that can keep your ping low and stable even when other people connected to the router are watching high-definition movies over the Internet or are downloading very large files.

Winner:
Logo ASUS
Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300
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Raiting : 4.5 out of 5

It’s impossible to read wireless router reviews and not come across the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 and its eight eye-catching and, admittedly, frightening antennas. This high-end gaming router represents the pinnacle of wireless technology. Just the fact that it features a PC-grade CPU shows that Asus went all-in in its effort to create the best wireless router for gaming.

As if the hardware of the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 wasn’t enough to satisfy the needs of amateur and professional gamers alike, this beastly WiFi router also has several noteworthy gaming-specific features that put it in a league of its own. Perhaps the most impressive piece of gaming technology is called Game Boost.

Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300

With this technology, the router analyzes network traffic and prioritizes gaming packets, giving games a second level of acceleration for the best possible performance. The Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 also includes built-in support for the Gamers Private Network, which provides you with a better online gaming experience, reduced latency, lower ping, and far fewer lost packets.

Pros and Cons
  • Impressive performance
  • Outstanding range
  • Built-in lifetime protection against online threats
  • Eight Gigabit LAN ports
  • Expensive
  • Bulky
Runner-Up:
Logo ASUS
Asus RT-AC88U
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Raiting : 4.2 out of 5

Asus sells many gaming routers, most of which have been nominated as best WiFi routers 2024 by prestigious tech magazines, but we believe the Asus RT-AC88U offers the best bang for your buck. It features NitroQAM technology, which delivers a combined 3167 Mbps wireless speed and ensures that everyone on your network can enjoy smooth streaming and low-latency online gaming.

ASUS RT-AC88U

It also boasts Adaptive QoS (Quality of Service) for activity prioritization. The router’s four antennas support state-of-the-art beamforming technology for maximum coverage and the strongest signal possible. These and other features make the Asus RT-AC88U the best WiFi router 2024 for 99 percent of gamers.

Pros and Cons
  • High-speed WiFi performance
  • Comprehensive security features
  • Eight Gigabit LAN ports
  • Seamless integration with Asus's AiMesh
  • Intuitive and user-friendly web interface
  • Premium price point
  • Inconveniently placed USB 3.0 ports

Best Budget Wireless Router

Selecting the best wireless routers in the budget category is not easy. When price matters, compromises have to be made. WiFi router reviews of budget routers are often skewed based on the reviewer’s personal preferences and needs. That said, there are some budget wireless routers that have received nearly unanimous praise, and below is our favorite.

Winner:
Logo ASUS
Asus RT-AX53U

Raiting : 4.3 out of 5

Are you interested in a fast wireless router that won’t decimate your budget? Then the Asus RT-AX53U deserves your attention because it comes with the latest WiFi 6 technology, providing fast WiFi speeds and increased capacity and efficiency. The router is compatible with ASUS AiMesh WiFi system, so it can provide seamless whole-home coverage by working hand-in-hand with other WiFi products from Asus.

Asus RT AX 53U

While the RT-AX53U may be slightly more expensive than some of its budget competitors, the price is justified by its fantastic firmware and long-term support. Additional value is delivered in the form of the AiProtection feature, which performs rapid detection and blocking when an infected device connects to a malicious C&C (command and control) server.

Pros and Cons
  • Whole-home coverage with ASUS AiMesh WiFi system
  • Robust ASUSWRT firmware with long-term support
  • Strong security features
  • Great efficiency and throughput
  • Slightly more expensive than some competitors
Runner-Up:
LOGO TP-LINK
TP-Link Archer C5 V4

Raiting : 4.2 out of 5

The TP-Link Archer C5 v4 is an excellent choice for those seeking an affordable and efficient wireless router for their home. Its dual-band WiFi can reach speeds up to 1.8 Gbps, and the router comes with Gigabit LAN ports for ultrafast wired data transfer speeds.

TP link Archer C5 V4

As far as setup and management go, you have two options: the web interface or the TP-Link Tether application for mobile. The former option is less convenient but more comprehensive, making it great for slightly more advanced users who like to tinker with settings.

Pros and Cons
  • Affordable price
  • Excellent speed on the 5GHz wireless band
  • Covers most basic networking need
  • Wall-mountable design
  • Inconsistent performance on the 2.4 GHz band

Best WiFi Router for Long Range

The number of available long-range routers has exploded in the recent years. This growth has been fueled mainly by the rise of online gaming and high-definition video streaming. But virtually everyone can benefit from owning the best long-range router on the market, and we know which router that is.

Best for 4K Streaming:
Logo Netgear
Netgear Nighthawk X10
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Raiting : 4.3 out of 5

With a name like Nighthawk, it’s not hard to make a good first impression, and the Netgear Nighthawk X10 certainly doesn’t disappoint even when you get to know it better. This router is perfect for streaming fanatics because it comes with an integrated Plex media server, allowing users to enjoy movies, TV shows, music, videos, and photos from anywhere, across devices.

The Nighthawk X10 is powered by a fast quad-core processor that can provide network performance up to 7.2 Gbps and easily handle both 4K streaming and virtual reality gaming. The Nighthawk X10 is the first home router with a 10 Gigabit fiber port for fast NAS access. It also supports 60GHz 802.11ad WiFi, which is a future-proof WiFi standard that offers both impressive speeds and an excellent transmission range.

Netgear Nighthawk X10

The router is by no means cheap, but it represents the cutting edge of home networking, and it’s guaranteed to perform exceptionally well under all circumstances.

Pros and Cons
  • Superb 5 GHz performance
  • 60 GHz 802.11ad support
  • Lots of geeky features for techies
  • Built-in Plex server
  • Port aggregation
  • Expensive
  • Bulky

Is It Time to Replace My Wireless Router?

If you want to be absolutely sure that it’s time to replace your WiFi router, we recommend a WiFi analysis and surveillance app like NetSpot. Before you spend money on a new router, you want to first check whether your existing router doesn’t perform poorly because of interference caused by nearby wireless networks and other electronic devices.

NetSpot — WiFi analysis and surveillance app

NetSpot can quickly discover all nearby wireless networks and display all the information you need to determine whether they might be causing issues. That means examining on which channels the networks transmit and ensuring that your own wireless router transmits on a channel with as little traffic as possible.

Also, NetSpot can create an easy-to-understand visual map of your wireless network, highlighting where the signal is the weakest and where it is the strongest. You may discover that your router actually provides a decent coverage apart from one or two areas. In that case, you could simply move the router elsewhere and use NetSpot to check whether the coverage has improved.

Wifi Heatmap

If NetSpot reveals that your router is really holding you back from enjoying your Internet connection to its full potential, it’s time to look for a replacement.

Conclusion

Choosing the best wireless router for your needs is crucial to enjoying fast and reliable internet connectivity across all your devices. Once you’ve chosen your new router, consider using tools like NetSpot to set it up properly so that it can deliver the best performance and coverage possible. That way, your money will be well-spent, and you’ll be able to fully reap the benefits of your investment.

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NetSpot

WiFi analyzer app runs on a MacBook (macOS 10.12+) or any laptop (Windows 7/8/10/11) with a standard 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax wireless network adapter.

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FAQ
What is the best router for everything?

There’s no such thing as the best router for everything because different users have varying needs and preferences. What might be perfect for one person could be lacking for another. That’s why you should always consider factors such as the size of your home and your budget when choosing a router.

Which router is the best for home use?

Some of the best routers for home use include the TP-Link Archer AX21 and the Linksys MR7350 WiFi 6 because they deliver fantastic features and performance without costing too much money.

What is the best router for online gaming?

The best routers for online gaming are the Asus RT-AC88U, the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AC5300, or the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AX11000. They all feature PC-grade CPUs and plenty of advanced features to meet the complex needs of today’s gamers.

Which WiFi router is faster?

To determine which WiFi router is faster, it’s essential to compare their specifications, features, and supported standards. Some key factors to consider include the router’s maximum data transfer rate (measured in Mbps or Gbps), the supported Wi-Fi standard (such as WiFi 5 or WiFi 6).

How to make sure that it’s time to replace your WiFi router?

You need to make sure your current WiFi router really needs a replacement before spending money on a new one. Use a WiFi analysis tool like NetSpot to quickly discover all surrounding wireless networks and see whether the issue might be caused by them crowding the same wireless channel as your router is using.

Also look around to see whether there are any physical obstacles near the router that might be just obstructing the signal from getting to where you need it. Some interference might be caused by nearby wireless networks and other electronic devices as well. If everything seems great otherwise, then it may be time to really upgrade your wireless equipment to achieve a better wireless coverage.

How to Choose the Best WiFi Router?

To choose the most suitable wireless router for your needs, you have to identify the latter ones. Do you need WiFi coverage to be strong enough for online gaming? Are you going to stream HD movies? Or do you just need a decent WiFi for work and occasional browsing?

Once you have some favorites, make sure to read reviews. Take the opinions with a grain of salt of course and only take note of reasonable ones. Make sure the place you are buying from has a friendly return policy in case you realize you need a slightly different product.

How to check your WiFi signal?

You can check how your WiFi signal distributes over your space with visual heat maps in NetSpot. With a color-coded heatmap it will be very easy to see where the wireless signal is strong enough and where it is weak and needs an extra boost.

Read next in All about Wi-Fi Routers

If you want to get more information about Wi-Fi, check out the following articles about Wi-Fi routers, the best apps for wireless networking, WiFi signal, etc.

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