Finding the Best Wireless Router

Asus Wi-Fi routers are known for their distinctive designs. We can envision this one beaming up to its mothership or getting up on its antennas and scurrying away. Despite its gaudy appearance, this router is likely to be one of the best purchases you’ll ever make.

This is one powerful piece of hardware. Asus’s eight-antenna design was the first of its kind in 2015, and the new model continues this legacy as one of the best wireless routers you can buy, and it’s the king among gaming routers. 

The ROG Rapture is one of the market’s few tri-band routers, which means that it provides two 5 GHz bands, in addition to 2.4 GHz network connectivity. Rest assured that you won’t have to worry about your Wi-Fi signal being short on bandwidth if you opt for this router. Thanks to amplitude modulation, the router provides incredibly fast Wi-Fi connection speeds - 1 Gbps on the 2.4 GHz channel and 2.1 Gbps on each 5 GHz band. 

MU-MIMO technology is supported, as well as beamforming for stable connections and simultaneous data streaming. With ROG Rapture, you won’t feel any lag in your favorite games even when other household members are streaming Netflix and downloading Windows updates. Everyone gets a fair share of network traffic across multiple devices.

As a strong candidate for the best Wi-Fi router, ASUS ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 is great for LAN parties and large home networks. On the back, you’ll find eight Gigabit LAN ports, and you can use link aggregation for a 2 Gbps Ethernet connection. The router also has two fast USB 3.0 ports, letting you hook up external drives or share a printer with the rest of the network. 

The accompanying software is robust but intuitive, letting you set everything up in just a few clicks, including a mesh network. If you’re dealing with a large area that a single router can’t cover, then using it in tandem with other routers to create a mesh Wi-Fi system can greatly improve your signal coverage.

All of this comes at a price, however. This is not the most affordable wireless router, not by a long shot. In fact, it’s one of the most expensive Wi-Fi routers on the market. Still, considering all the high-end features crammed into a single router, we can safely say that the price is worth it.

Need an affordable internet router that packs a punch? Check out the TP-Link Archer C7 AC1750, the best-value wireless router currently available on the market. This router tops our “under $100” category, which is fiercely competitive these days. The Archer C7 is the most affordable way to experience the next generation of home Wi-Fi routers.

The price makes it hard to compete against the Archer C7, especially considering it offers 1 Gbps of bandwidth over a 5 GHz network. The 2.4 GHz band provides a 450 Mbps connection, and you can set up a mesh network if you need better coverage. 

If you decide to use this router in an office or public place, you’ll be glad to know that you can set up guest networks, so all your connected devices are kept safe behind a password barrier.

There are several other key components that make the Archer C7 the best router under $100  - dual USB ports and four Gigabit LAN ports. These ports give you great flexibility if you need to connect multiple wired devices. 

For example, you might hook up a printer to one USB port and use the second for a network drive that your whole household can access. Granted, these USB 2.0 ports are significantly slower than USB 3.0 ports, but that’s reasonable in a router this affordable.

We like the visual appearance of this device. It’s not an out-of-this-world space-age design, yet it’s not so simple as to be bland and boring. It strikes a perfect balance between style and function. 

On the downside, the user interface of this wireless router doesn’t fare quite as well, since it’s quite dated and clunky. TP-Link recommends downloading a free Tether app for your smartphone, which helps with the basic setup but doesn’t allow much fine-tuning. 

All things considered, if you’re prioritizing affordability over everything else, then this could very likely be the best dual-band router for you.

We like Asus’s gaming routers. Still, we weren’t prepared for the RT-AX88U. The company has outdone itself with one of the best Wi-Fi routers currently available, and though it might not be the fastest wireless router in the world, it definitely is a strong contender.

Just one look at the AX88U is sufficient to convince you that this isn’t a run-of-the-mill device. A futuristic angular surface is a base for gold-tinted antennas. The golden color is repeated as a theme elsewhere on the case, making this router stand out from the crowd. 

On the back, you’ll find eight Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports and two USB 3.1 ports for setting up shared network resources such as printers, hard drives, and other peripherals.

Speed is the main attraction with the Asus RT-AX88U, and not just through the Ethernet ports. This is the best high-speed wireless router available, with speeds reaching 6,000 Mpbs thanks to Wi-Fi 6 and beamforming technology. 

The router also supports MU-MIMO for simultaneous data streaming, AiMesh technology that lets you cover a bigger space with a mesh system by using multiple Wi-Fi routers, guest networking, and OpenVPN. 

If you’re worried about security, you’ll be glad to know that a lifetime license for TrendMicro’s AiProtection Pro is included with the router. The software includes parental controls, a network firewall, and filtering of known harmful websites.

There is a lot to like about the Asus RT-AX88U. It’s a great wireless router for large homes or small offices, not to mention that it’s a great gaming router, as you’d expect of Asus routers.

The only real factor keeping the RT-AX88U from being the absolute best Wi-Fi router on this list is its high price. In fact, it’s the most expensive router on our list. Still, considering all the future-proof technology bundled into the futuristic case and the router’s status as one of the fastest devices on the market, we’d say it’s good value.

Unlike Asus, D-Link isn’t known for its flashy exterior design or cutting-edge features. As such, this a fairly inconspicuous router that will get the job done without breaking the bank, so if that’s what you’re looking for, it might be the best Wi-Fi router for you.

D-Link’s routers are mostly on the tame side, at least when it comes to their looks. Matte black on black is the color combination here, with just a few peculiar angles to distinguish the AC1750 from the monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey. 

The back panel features four Gigabit Ethernet ports, but unfortunately, USB ports are completely absent. This is a strange decision on D-Link’s part, especially considering that many less expensive routers, including TP-Link’s Archer C7, have USB connections. However, speed, coverage, and network stability are all great. 

So, while it’s not the best option for connecting wired devices, it’s more than capable of serving as a gaming router and maintaining a stable home network with multiple devices connected.

The manufacturer includes several advanced technologies to help you get the best signal throughout your home or office - primarily SmartBeam and 3x3 MU-MIMO. The latter also improves stability when a lot of devices are connected to the router, so if you have a Netflix party or a lot of family members who watch YouTube at the same time, there won’t be any network congestion or slowdowns. 

One major advantage of modern D-Link routers is the accompanying software. The UI is very nice, with all the options easily accessible. You can even download a mobile app that speeds the setup process and lets you monitor your network traffic.

Though it offers good value, this isn’t one of the market’s most affordable wireless routers. It is priced slightly higher than TP-Link’s Archer C7 and it lacks a USB port, so the AC1750 doesn’t sound like a great deal. 

However, it is one of the best Wi-Fi routers on the market, with a fast home Wi-Fi network setup, and an impressive Wi-Fi range with optimization for streaming apps. For movie buffs and Chromecast fans, these are compelling features.

Next, we have another obvious gaming router for gamers who want the best internet connectivity they can get. This tri-band device is marketed as the best wireless router for gaming - it’s capable of incredible speed and packed with more ports than you’ll ever need, all the while featuring the aggressive design that router manufacturers like to slap onto gaming-oriented products.

Performance-wise, TP-Link Archer C5400X matches the Asus ROG Rapture blow by blow, reaching 2,167 Mbps on the 5 GHz antennas and 5 Gbit Wi-Fi available with link aggregation. 

A powerful quad-core CPU ensures a rock-solid internet connection even under maximum load, and beamforming technology means you won’t lose your signal even if you’re gaming on the opposite side of the house. That said, out of all the products on this list, this is the wireless router with the best range.

Why mark this as a gaming router, aside from its bold looks? One of the reasons is its Dynamic Optimization Engine, which is a special feature that prioritizes gaming traffic over traffic from any other devices, and it’s also one of the reasons why many see this Wi-Fi router as the best wireless gaming router.  

TP-Link provides eight Gigabit Ethernet ports. You can team them up for a 2 Gbps connection if you like. There are also two USB 3.0 ports, which let you share devices with the whole network. That could be handy when setting up a home network or a home theater system with video streaming, for example.

Like every other Wi-Fi router on our list, the TP-Link Archer C5400X comes with a robust set of security features. A free lifetime subscription for TP-Link HomeCare is included with every purchase. It provides integrated antivirus protection, a firewall, and VPN apps. This router supports OpenVPN, so you can install a third-party VPN on it if you wish.

Our main complaint is the price. When a gaming router costs as much as a decent monitor or a brand-new gaming console, you have to wonder whether it’s worth the money. But if you’re looking for a new router and don’t mind paying a premium price for excellent features and performance, you’ll be happy with the Archer C5400X.