From WIRED · Simon Hill · · 4m
Which Wi-Fi router to buy for your home
After testing over 50 routers, here are the best picks for different budgets, homes and needs.
In brief
After testing over 50 routers, here are the best picks for different budgets, homes and needs. A guide to choosing the right Wi-Fi router based on testing over fifty models across different price points and home sizes. Originally reported by WIRED.
Testing over fifty routers
The author has tested more than fifty Wi-Fi routers in a busy family home full of Netflix-addicted gamers to find the best options.
Best router for most people
The Asus RT-BE58U is recommended as the best Wi-Fi router for most people, especially thanks to its affordable price of one hundred thirty five dollars.
Asus RT-BE58U coverage and setup
The Asus RT-BE58U was quick and easy to set up and covered a two-floor, one thousand six hundred square foot home with fast and reliable connectivity.
Asus RT-BE58U features
This dual-band Wi-Fi 7 router has a two point five gigabit WAN/LAN, one gigabit WAN/LAN, three gigabit LANs, and USB WAN capable of four G LTE and five G mobile tethering.
Asus RT-BE58U security and controls
Asus includes network security from Trend Micro's AiProtection Pro and solid parental controls at no extra cost, though AiProtection means sharing data with Trend Micro.
Best router upgrade pick
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The Asus RT-BE96U is the best router upgrade pick at six hundred twenty nine dollars, offering top speeds and tri-band Wi-Fi 7 performance.
Asus RT-BE96U performance
Testing on the two point four gigahertz, five gigahertz, and six gigahertz bands, only one other router performed better. The RT-BE96U offers expansive coverage and lightning fast speeds on the six gigahertz band.
Asus RT-BE96U ports and software
The RT-BE96U has two ten gigabit ports, four gigabit LANs, one USB three point two, and one USB two point zero port. Asus avoids subscriptions, offering AiProtection security and parental controls free for life.
Best budget router
The TP-Link Archer BE230 is the lowest price Wi-Fi 7 router worth considering at eighty dollars, with a two point five gigabit WAN and two point five gigabit LAN.
TP-Link Archer BE230 performance
The BE230 is dual-band with limited five gigahertz range and disappointing band steering. After further testing, it kept a family of four online without major hiccups and was impressively speedy at close range.
TP-Link security concerns
The US government was mulling a TP-Link router ban because of reports that vulnerabilities in the Chinese firm's routers were exploited in high-profile attacks linked to the Chinese government.
Best midrange router
The Netgear Nighthawk RS300 at two hundred seventy dollars is a solid option at around half the price of the upgrade pick, offering tri-band Wi-Fi 7 performance.
Netgear Nighthawk RS300 features
The RS300 offers two point four gigahertz, five gigahertz, and six gigahertz bands with excellent speed and stability.It has one two point five gigabit WAN/LAN, two two point five gigabit LANs, and two gigabit LANs.
Best mesh router for large homes
The Netgear Orbi 770 Series mesh system at five hundred fifty dollars is ideal for large homes or houses with dead spots, covering up to eight thousand square feet.
Best travel router
The Asus RT-BE58 Go at one hundred forty one dollars is a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 travel router faster and with greater range than its predecessor, though slightly bigger.
Best five G router
The Netgear Nighthawk M7 at five hundred dollars is a five G router with a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 connection, a two point four inch color screen, and a battery good for up to ten hours.
Best Wi-Fi eight router
The Asus ROG Rapture GT-BN98 Pro at nine hundred dollars is the best Wi-Fi 8 router, offering four bands and expansive range with dedicated gaming features.
Wi-Fi eight benefits
Wi-Fi 8 is more about squeezing better performance, stability, and range out of existing technology than taking a major step up in speed. It mitigates interference and maintains stronger links to distant devices.
FCC foreign-made router ban
The FCC's foreign-made router ban announced in March may stop companies that don't secure an exemption from selling new routers in the US, but existing routers can continue to be sold and updated until January…
The bottom line
A guide to choosing the right Wi-Fi router based on testing over fifty models across different price points and home sizes.
